Remotely booting computing nodes in a switching domain

1. A method of remotely booting computing nodes in a switching domain, the switching domain capable of connecting to other switching domains through a network switch, the method comprising:

receiving, in the network switch, a wakeup request packet that requests activation of one or more computing nodes in the switching domain, the wakeup request packet having a process port value that specifies physical ports on the network switch to which the one or more computing nodes are physically connected, wherein the wakeup request packet requests activation of a single computing node in the switching domain;

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected, further comprising:

calculating a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining whether the remainder specifies a single physical port on the network switch, and

determining, from a network address table, the network address associated with the physical port specified by the remainder if the remainder specifies a single physical port on the network switch;

generating, by the network switch, a wakeup packet for each computing node to be activated based on the identified network address for that computing node, each wakeup packet instructing one of the computing nodes to activate; and

transmitting, by the network switch to each computing node to be activated, the wakeup packet for that computing node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the wakeup request packet requests activation of a subset of all computing nodes in the switching domain; and

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected further comprises:

determining a bitmask based on a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining the physical ports on the network switch to which each computing node is physically connected based on the bitmask, and

determining, for each computing node, the network address associated with the physical port for that computing node in a network address table.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the wakeup request packet requests activation of all computing nodes in the switching domain; and

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected further comprises:

calculating a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining whether the remainder specifies all of the physical ports on the network switch, and

determining, from a network address table, the network address for each computing node if the remainder specifies all of the physical ports on the network switch.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating, by an administrative computing node in one of the other switching domains, a wakeup request packet; and

transmitting, by the administrative computing node, the wakeup request packet to the network switch.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating, by an administrative computing node in the switching domain, a wakeup request packet; and

transmitting, by the administrative computing node, the wakeup request packet to the network switch.

6. Apparatus for remotely booting computing nodes in a switching domain, the switching domain configured to connect to other switching domains through a network switch, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having stored within it computer program instructions for:

receiving, in the network switch, a wakeup request packet that requests activation of one or more computing nodes in the switching domain, the wakeup request packet having a process port value that specifies physical ports on the network switch to which the one or more computing nodes are physically connected, wherein the wakeup request packet requests activation of a single computing node in the switching domain;

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected, further comprising:

calculating a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining whether the remainder specifies a single physical port on the network switch, and

determining, from a network address table, the network address associated with the physical port specified by the remainder if the remainder specifies a single physical port on the network switch;

generating, by the network switch, a wakeup packet for each computing node to be activated based on the identified network address for that computing node, each wakeup packet instructing one of the computing nodes to activate; and

transmitting, by the network switch to each computing node to be activated, the wakeup packet for that computing node.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the wakeup request packet requests activation of a subset of all computing nodes in the switching domain; and

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected further comprises:

determining a bitmask based on a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining the physical ports on the network switch to which each computing node is physically connected based on the bitmask, and

determining, for each computing node, the network address associated with the physical port for that computing node in a network address table.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the wakeup request packet requests activation of all computing nodes in the switching domain; and

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected further comprises:

calculating a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining whether the remainder specifies all of the physical ports on the network switch, and

determining, from a network address table, the network address for each computing node if the remainder specifies all of the physical ports on the network switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the computer memory has stored within in computer program instructions for:

creating, by an administrative computing node in one of the other switching domains, a wakeup request packet; and

transmitting, by the administrative computing node, the wakeup request packet to the network switch.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the computer memory has stored within in computer program instructions for:

creating, by an administrative computing node in the switching domain, a wakeup request packet; and

transmitting, by the administrative computing node, the wakeup request packet to the network switch.

11. A computer program product for remotely booting computing nodes in a switching domain;

wherein the computer program product is disposed in a recordable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions for:

receiving, in the network switch, a wakeup request packet that requests activation of one or more computing nodes in the switching domain, the wakeup request packet having a process port value that specifies physical ports on the network switch to which the one or more computing nodes are physically connected, wherein the wakeup request packet requests activation of a single computing node in the switching domain;

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected, further comprising:

calculating a remainder of dividing the process ort value by a predefined divisor,

determining whether the remainder specifies single physical port on the network switch, and

determining, from a network address table, the network address associated with the physical port specified by the remainder if the remainder specifies a single physical port on the network switch;

generating, by the network switch, a wakeup packet for each computing node to be activated based on the identified network address for that computing node, each wakeup packet instructing one of the computing nodes to activate; and

transmitting, by the network switch to each computing node to be activated, the wakeup packet for that computing node.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the wakeup request packet requests activation of a subset of all computing nodes in the switching domain; and

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected further comprises:

determining a bitmask based on a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining the physical ports on the network switch to which each computing node is physically connected based on the bitmask, and

determining, for each computing node, the network address associated with the physical port for that computing node in a network address table.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the wakeup request packet requests activation of all computing nodes in the switching domain; and

identifying, by the network switch, a network address for each computing node to be activated based on the physical port on the network switch to which each computing node to be activated is physically connected further comprises:

calculating a remainder of dividing the process port value by a predefined divisor,

determining whether the remainder specifies all of the physical ports on the network switch, and

determining, from a network address table, the network address for each computing node if the remainder specifies all of the physical ports on the network switch.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions for:

creating, by an administrative computing node in one of the other switching domains, a wakeup request packet; and

transmitting, by the administrative computing node, the wakeup request packet to the network switch.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computer program instructions for:

creating, by an administrative computing node in the switching domain, a wakeup request packet; and

transmitting, by the administrative computing node, the wakeup request packet to the network switch.