Remote Wake-on-LAN Relay Agent Protocol Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Wake-on-LAN technologies are limited to waking up systems within a Local Area Network (LAN) and cannot remotely wake up systems across multiple LANs, as they rely on lower-layer protocols that are not applicable across different networks.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses an upper-layer protocol, such as IP, to send a wake-up packet to a relay agent on the target LAN, which then converts it into a lower-layer protocol packet to wake up the sleeping system, allowing remote wake-up of systems across different LANs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Wake-on-LAN uses lower-layer protocols (Ethernet) to send wake-up packets, then the sleeping system can be woken up reliably, but the system can only wake up systems within the same LAN and cannot operate across enterprise networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a relay agent as an intermediary component that bridges the gap between upper-layer IP protocols and lower-layer Ethernet protocols. The relay agent receives IP packets from remote systems, extracts the embedded wake-up packet, and forwards it via Ethernet to the target sleeping system. This mediator enables cross-LAN wake-up functionality while preserving the reliability of lower-layer protocol communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by embedding a lower-layer Ethernet wake-up packet inside an upper-layer IP packet. The wake-up packet is encapsulated within the data portion of an IP packet, allowing it to traverse network boundaries using IP routing while maintaining the integrity of the original wake-up signal for the target system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If Wake-on-LAN uses upper-layer protocols (IP) to send wake-up packets across different LANs, then remote wake-up becomes possible, but sleeping systems cannot respond to ARP requests and protocol compatibility issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The relay agent serves as a protocol translator that mediates between IP and Ethernet protocols. It receives IP packets from remote systems, extracts the embedded wake-up packet, and forwards it via Ethernet to the sleeping system. This intermediary resolves protocol compatibility issues by handling the conversion between upper-layer IP and lower-layer Ethernet protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the wake-up process into two distinct phases: (1) IP-based transmission of the wake-up packet from remote systems to the relay agent, and (2) Ethernet-based transmission from the relay agent to the sleeping system. This segmentation allows each protocol to be used in its appropriate context, ensuring compatibility at each stage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If new protocols are installed to enable remote wake-up functionality, then cross-LAN wake-up becomes possible, but security risks and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the relay agent a universal component that can handle wake-up requests from any remote system using standard IP protocols. The relay agent is configured with the target system's MAC address and can forward wake-up packets to any sleeping system on the local LAN, providing multi-functional capability without requiring protocol installations on sleeping systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeping system requires no software installation or configuration changes to support remote wake-up. The relay agent performs all necessary protocol conversions and packet forwarding operations, allowing the sleeping system to simply receive and process the wake-up packet as it would from a local system.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that wakes up a sleeping target system located on a target LAN (Local Area Network) from a remote system located on a remote LAN. Note that, since the sleeping target system is in a sleep state, it receives packets of a lower-layer protocol which cannot be used by the remote system to directly send packets to the sleeping target system. During operation, the remote system creates a wake-up packet. The remote system then uses a second protocol to send the wake-up packet to a relay agent located on the target LAN. Note that using the upper-layer protocol enables the remote system to communicate with the relay agent even though they are on different LANs. Upon receiving the first wake-up packet, the relay agent uses the lower-layer protocol to send a second wake-up packet to the sleeping target system, which causes the sleeping target system to wake up. Recall that the remote system cannot use the lower-layer protocol to send a wake-up packet directly to the sleeping target system because the remote system and the sleeping target system are on different LANs. The remote system overcomes this limitation by first sending a wake-up packet to the relay agent using the upper-layer protocol, which causes the relay agent to send another wake-up packet to the sleeping target system using the lower-layer protocol.