System and method for autonomic extensions to wake on wireless networks
View Patent ↗A system and method for autonomic extensions to wake on LAN are presented. An access point detects wake on LAN (WOL) requests that are targeted for unassociated clients. When the access point detects a WOL request for an unassociated client, the access point stores the WOL request in a table for a predefined amount of time. A client queries the access point periodically to see if the access point is storing a WOL request which is targeted for the client. When the access point receives the query, the access point compares the client's identifier, such as its MAC address, with targeted client identifiers corresponding to pending WOL requests. When the access point detects a match, the access point sends the WOL request to the client for the client to process.
1. A computer-implemented method of handling a client request in a wireless computer network, said method comprising:
entering into a sleep mode at a wireless client;
while in the sleep mode at the wireless client, detecting a timeslot that corresponds to the wireless client;
in response to detecting the timeslot, awakening from sleep mode and sending a query from the wireless client to a wireless access point;
receiving the query at the wireless access point from the wireless client;
identifying whether a wake on LAN request corresponds to the wireless client in response to receiving the query; and
sending the wake on LAN request to the wireless client in response to the identification.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a data packet;
detecting whether the data packet includes the wake on LAN request; and
storing the wake on LAN request in response to the detection.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
generating a timestamp to correspond with the wake on LAN request; and
associating the timestamp with the wake on LAN request.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
retrieving a retention time;
determining whether to remove the wake on LAN request using the retention time and the timestamp; and
removing the wake on LAN request based upon the determination.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the data packet corresponds to a target client, the method further comprising:
recognizing whether the target client is an associated client; and
performing the storing in response to the recognizing.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless computer network is selected from the group consisting of 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and Bluetooth.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying is performed using the wireless client's MAC address.
8. An information handling system comprising:
one or more processors;
a memory accessible by the processors;
a wireless computer network;
one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and
a client request handling tool for handling a client request in the wireless computer network, the client request handling tool comprising software code effective to:
receive a query from a wireless client from the wireless computer network, wherein the wireless client is adapted to detect, while in sleep mode, a timeslot that corresponds to the wireless client and, in response to detecting the timeslot, send the query to the client request handling tool;
identify whether a wake on LAN request corresponds to the wireless client in response to receiving the query; and
send the wake on LAN request to the wireless client using the wireless computer network in response to the identification.
9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the software code is further effective to:
receive a data packet over a wired computer network;
detect whether the data packet includes the wake on LAN request; and
store the wake on LAN request in one of the nonvolatile storage devices in response to the detection.
10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the software code is further effective to:
generate a timestamp to correspond with the wake on LAN request; and
associate the timestamp with the wake on LAN request.
11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the software code is further effective to:
retrieve a retention time from one of the nonvolatile storage devices;
determine whether to remove the wake on LAN request using the retention time and the timestamp; and
remove the wake on LAN request from one of the nonvolatile storage devices based upon the determination.
12. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the data packet corresponds to a target client, the software code further effective to:
recognize whether the target client is an associated client; and
perform the storing in one of the nonvolatile storage devices in response to the recognizing.
13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the identifying is performed using the wireless client's MAC address.
14. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:
receiving a query from a wireless client, wherein the wireless client is adapted to detect, while in sleep mode, a timeslot that corresponds to the wireless client and, in response to detecting the timeslot, send the query to the information handling system;
identifying whether a wake on LAN request corresponds to the wireless client in response to receiving the query; and
send the wake on LAN request to the wireless client in response to the identification.
15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include;
receiving a data packet;
detecting whether the data packet includes the wake on LAN request; and
storing the wake on LAN request in response to the detection.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include;
generating a timestamp to correspond with the wake on LAN request; and
associating the timestamp with the wake on LAN request.
17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include;
retrieving a retention time;
determining whether to remove the wake on LAN request using the retention time and the timestamp; and
removing the wake on LAN request based upon the determination.
18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the data packet corresponds to a target client, the information handling system further performing actions that include;
recognizing whether the target client is an associated client; and
performing the storing in response to the recognizing.
19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the wireless computer network is selected from the group consisting of 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and Bluetooth.
20. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the identifying is performed using the wireless client's MAC address.