Dynamic suspension of network operations by root for improved power outage recovery in low power and lossy network

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a root network device in a low power and lossy network (LLN) operating in a downward-routing mode, an outage among at least a substantial number of constrained LLN devices in the LLN;

initiating, by the root network device, a dynamic suspension of network operations in the LLN during the outage, including causing existing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of all the constrained LLN devices to be maintained during the outage, and causing all the constrained LLN devices to limit transmissions to Power Outage Notification (PON) messages, restoration messages, or minimal-bandwidth data packets, based on the root network device switching the LLN from the downward-routing mode to a collection-only mode; and

selectively restoring, by the root network device, the LLN to the downward-routing mode in response to detecting the restoration messages from at least substantially all the substantial number of constrained LLN devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching the LLN from the downward-routing mode to the collection-only mode comprises the root network device changing a mode of operation field in a DODAG information object (DIO) message from a first mode identifying the downward-routing mode as one of a storing mode or a nonstoring mode to a second mode that identifies that no downward routes are maintained by the root network device, and outputting the DIO message specifying the second mode into the LLN.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the DIO message specifying the second mode causes each of the constrained LLN devices to suppress transmission of any advertisement message to the root network device during the outage and until reception of a root-initiated message indicating restoration of the LLN.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the DIO message specifying the second mode causes each of the constrained LLN devices to suppress transmission of any message regarding allocation or extension of an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and further causes each of the constrained LLN devices to continue to use the corresponding existing IP address during the outage and until reception of a root-initiated message indicating restoration of the LLN.

5. The method of claim 2 , The method of claim 2 , wherein the DIO message specifying the second mode causes each of the constrained LLN devices to suppress transmission of any message to a network manager in the LLN.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the causing existing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to be maintained comprises the root network device generating and sending an instruction to a DHCP server to extend the respective existing IP addresses of the constrained LLN devices associated with an identified group for a prescribed time extension interval, wherein each of the constrained LLN devices is associated with the identified group.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the outage among at least a substantial number of constrained LLN devices in the LLN comprises:

receiving a corresponding PON message generated and output by a first of the constrained LLN devices; and

determining the substantial number based on identifying a number of child network devices relying on reachability to the root network device via the first constrained LLN device;

the method further comprising the root network device sending a notification, to a network manager, that the first constrained LLN device and the child network devices are unreachable;

wherein each restoration message is a Power Restoration Notification (PRN) message.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initiating dynamic suspension of network operations includes the root network device suppressing forwarding of any received data packets into the LLN that is operating in collection-only mode during the outage.

9. An apparatus implemented as a physical machine, the apparatus comprising:

non-transitory machine readable media configured for storing executable machine readable code;

a device interface circuit configured for receiving a data packet in a low power and lossy network (LLN); and

a processor circuit configured for executing the machine readable code, and when executing the machine readable code operable for:

detecting, by the apparatus implemented as a root network device in the LLN operating in a downward-routing mode, an outage among at least a substantial number of constrained LLN devices in the LLN,

initiating, by the root network device, a dynamic suspension of network operations in the LLN during the outage, including causing existing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of all the constrained LLN devices to be maintained during the outage, and causing all the constrained LLN devices to limit transmissions to Power Outage Notification (PON) messages, restoration messages, or minimal-bandwidth data packets, based on the root network device switching the LLN from the downward-routing mode to a collection-only mode, and

selectively restoring, by the root network device, the LLN to the downward-routing mode in response to detecting the restoration messages from at least substantially all the substantial number of constrained LLN devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor circuit is configured for switching the LLN from the downward-routing mode to the collection-only mode based on changing a mode of operation field in a DODAG information object (DIO) message from a first mode identifying the downward-routing mode as one of a storing mode or a nonstoring mode to a second mode that identifies that no downward routes are maintained by the root network device, and causing the device interface circuit to output the DIO message specifying the second mode into the LLN.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the DIO message specifying the second mode causes each of the constrained LLN devices to suppress transmission of any advertisement message to the root network device during the outage and until reception of a root-initiated message indicating restoration of the LLN.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the DIO message specifying the second mode causes each of the constrained LLN devices to suppress transmission of any message regarding allocation or extension of an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and further causes each of the constrained LLN devices to continue to use the corresponding existing IP address during the outage and until reception of a root-initiated message indicating restoration of the LLN.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the DIO message specifying the second mode causes each of the constrained LLN devices to suppress transmission of any message to a network manager in the LLN.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor circuit is configured for causing existing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to be maintained based generating, and causing the device interface circuit to send, an instruction to a DHCP server to extend the respective existing IP addresses of the constrained LLN devices associated with an identified group for a prescribed time extension interval, wherein each of the constrained LLN devices is associated with the identified group.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor circuit is configured for detecting the outage among at least a substantial number of constrained LLN devices in the LLN based on:

receiving a corresponding PON message generated and output by a first of the constrained LLN devices; and

determining the substantial number based on identifying a number of child network devices relying on reachability to the root network device via the first constrained LLN device;

the processor circuit further configured for generating, and causing the device interface circuit to send, a notification to a network manager, the notification indicating that the first constrained LLN device and the child network devices are unreachable;

wherein each restoration message is a Power Restoration Notification (PRN) message.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor circuit is configured for initiating the dynamic suspension of network operations based on suppressing forwarding of any received data packets into the LLN that is operating in collection-only mode during the outage.

17. One or more non-transitory tangible media encoded with logic for execution by a machine and when executed by the machine operable for:

detecting, by the machine implemented as a root network device in a low power and lossy network (LLN) operating in a downward-routing mode, an outage among at least a substantial number of constrained LLN devices in the LLN;

initiating, by the root network device, a dynamic suspension of network operations in the LLN during the outage, including causing existing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of all the constrained LLN devices to be maintained during the outage, and causing all the constrained LLN devices to limit transmissions to Power Outage Notification (PON) messages, restoration messages, or minimal-bandwidth data packets, based on the root network device switching the LLN from the downward-routing mode to a collection-only mode; and

selectively restoring, by the root network device, the LLN to the downward-routing mode in response to detecting the restoration messages from at least substantially all the substantial number of constrained LLN devices.

18. The one or more non-transitory tangible media of claim 17 , wherein the causing existing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to be maintained comprises the root network device generating and sending an instruction to a DHCP server to extend the respective existing IP addresses of the constrained LLN devices associated with an identified group for a prescribed time extension interval, wherein each of the constrained LLN devices is associated with the identified group.

19. The one or more non-transitory tangible media of claim 17 , wherein the detecting of the outage among at least a substantial number of constrained LLN devices in the LLN comprises:

receiving a corresponding PON message generated and output by a first of the constrained LLN devices; and

determining the substantial number based on identifying a number of child network devices relying on reachability to the root network device via the first constrained LLN device;

the one or more non-transitory tangible media further operable for sending a notification, to a network manager, that the first constrained LLN device and the child network devices are unreachable;

wherein each restoration message is a Power Restoration Notification (PRN) message.

20. The one or more non-transitory tangible media of claim 17 , wherein the initiating dynamic suspension of network operations includes the root network device suppressing forwarding of any received data packets into the LLN that is operating in collection-only mode during the outage.