Distributed mesh network

• US 8,099,479 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Saint-Hilaire, Ylian
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US12/653,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 709208-211, 709220-222, 709227-229, 370310-350
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A device, method, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment a computing device resides in a mesh network. The device includes a first storage device that operates when the computing device is awake. The first storage device stores a last known list of peer computing devices in the mesh network. The device also includes a a second storage device that operates regardless of whether any central processing unit in the computing device is awake or asleep. The second storage device includes a local block that stores a list of resources provided by the first computing device and a list of computing devices in the mesh network verified by the first computing device. The second storage device also includes a remote block that stores an unverified remote list of computing devices in the mesh network.

Claims

1. A first computing device in a mesh network, comprising:

a first storage device that operates when the first computing device is awake, the first storage device to store a last known list of peer computing devices in the mesh network; and

a second storage device that operates regardless of whether any central processing unit in the computing device is awake or asleep, the second storage device comprising at least

a local block that stores a list of resources provided by the first computing device and a first list of computing devices in the mesh network verified by the first computing device; and

a remote block that stores an unverified remote list of computing devices in the mesh network.

2. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the list of unverified computing devices comprises a local copy of a remote list of known computing devices provided by a second computing device in the mesh network.

3. The first computing device of claim 2, further configured to:

upon the first computing device waking up from a sleep state, compare the first list of verified computing devices in the mesh network stored in the first computing device'"'"'s local block with the remote list of known computing devices stored in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block;

verify any computing device stored in the list in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block that is not stored in the list in the first computing device'"'"'s local block; and

update the list of verified computing devices in the first computing device'"'"'s local block with any newly verified computing devices from list in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block.

4. The first computing device of claim 3, further configured to:

update the last known list of peer computing devices in the first storage device with any newly verified computing devices updated in the list of verified computing devices.

5. The first computing device of claim 1, further configured to:

for each peer computing device in the list of last known peer computing devices in the mesh network stored in the first storage device, additionally store a list of resources each peer computing device provides.

6. The first computing device of claim 1, further configured to:

contact a second computing device in the list of verified computing devices in the first computing device'"'"'s local block;

read a second list of computing devices stored in the second computing device'"'"'s local block verified by the second computing device; and

store the first list of verified computing devices in the second computing device'"'"'s remote block.

7. The first computing device of claim 6, further configured to:

provide to the second computing device a first mesh certificate designated for the first computing device to allow the second computing device to securely verify the authenticity of the first computing device; and

receive from the second computing device a second mesh certificate designated for the second computing device to allow the first computing to securely verify the authenticity of the second computing device.

8. The first computing device of claim 1, further configured to:

be designated a leader of the mesh network of computing devices, wherein the leader computing device establishes a two-way communication tunnel with a remote server external to the mesh network.

9. The first computing device of claim 8, further configured to:

wake up a second computing device in the mesh network at the request of the remote server.

10. The first computing device of claim 8, further configured to:

read a leader position available flag on the remote server;

establish the two-way communication tunnel with the remote server in response to the flag being set; and

remain in non-two-way communication with the remote server in response to the flag not being set.

11. The first computing device of claim 1, further configured to:

establish a trusted connection with a second computing device newly coupled to the mesh network, wherein the trusted connection enables an out-of-band management logic on the second computing device.

12. A method, comprising:

storing, in a local block of a storage device that is located in a first computing device, a list of resources provided by the first computing device to a mesh network and a first list of computing devices in a mesh network verified by the first computing device;

storing, in a remote block of the storage device, an unverified remote list of computing devices in the mesh network, wherein the list of unverified computing devices comprises a local copy of a remote list of known computing devices provided by a second computing device in the mesh network;

upon the first computing device waking up from a sleep state, comparing the first list of verified computing devices in the mesh network stored in the first computing device'"'"'s local block with the remote list of known computing devices stored in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block;

verifying any computing device stored in the list in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block that is not stored in the list in the first computing device'"'"'s local block; and

updating the list of verified computing devices in the first computing device'"'"'s local block with any newly verified computing devices from list in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

contacting a second computing device in the list of verified computing devices in the first computing device'"'"'s local block;

reading a second list of computing devices stored in the second computing device'"'"'s local block verified by the second computing device; and

storing the first list of verified computing devices in the second computing device'"'"'s remote block.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing to the second computing device a first mesh certificate designated for the first computing device to allow the second computing device to securely verify the authenticity of the first computing device; and

receiving from the second computing device a second mesh certificate designated for the second computing device to allow the first computing to securely verify the authenticity of the second computing device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

designating the first computing device a leader of the mesh network of computing devices, wherein the leader computing device establishes a two-way communication tunnel with a remote server external to the mesh network.

16. A system, comprising:

a mesh network of computing devices including a first computing device, the first computing device comprising

a mass storage device that operates when the computing device is awake or asleep, the mass storage device to store a last known local list of peer computing devices in the mesh network; and

a flash memory that operates regardless of whether the computing device is awake or asleep, the flash memory comprising at least

a local block that stores a list of resources provided by the first computer and a first list of computer devices in the mesh network verified by the first computing device; and

a remote block that stores a list of unverified computer devices in the mesh network; and

a remote server that

stores a global list of peer computing devices in the mesh network; and

designates one of the computing devices in the mesh network as a leader computing device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the list of unverified computing devices comprises a local copy of a remote list of known computing devices provided by a second computing device in the mesh network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:

upon waking up from a sleep state, compare the first list of verified computing devices in the mesh network stored in the first computing device'"'"'s local block with the remote list of known computing devices stored in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block;

verify any computing device stored in the list in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block that is not stored in the list in the first computing device'"'"'s local block; and

update the list of verified computing devices in the first computing device'"'"'s local block with any newly verified computing devices from list in the first computing device'"'"'s remote block.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first computing device is further configured to:

contact a second computing device in the list of verified computing devices in the first computing device'"'"'s local block;

read a second list of computing devices stored in the second computing device'"'"'s local block verified by the second computing device; and

store the first list of verified computing devices in the second computing device'"'"'s remote block.