Power management for input/output devices

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for managing power consumption in network devices. In a network device that may comprise a plurality of ports, each of which being identified by a unique identifier and being adapted to handle separate network traffic, it may be determined whether a first port of the network device may need to be reactivated, where the first port may have been previously shut down by directing of traffic corresponding to the first port, through a virtual port generated on a second port. When the first port is to be reactivated, the virtual port may be turned off, and the first port may then be reactivated. Traffic being routed through the virtual port may be routed before shutting it down; and the paused traffic to and from the network device may be resumed through the first port after it is reactivated.

1 - 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A method, comprising:
 determining that a first port of a network device needs to be reactivated, wherein the first port is shut down by directing of traffic corresponding to the first port, through a virtual port generated on a second port;   turning off the virtual port; and   reactivating the first port.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , comprising
 pausing traffic being routed through the virtual port before shutting it down; and   resuming the paused traffic to and from the network device through the first port after it is reactivated.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , comprising determining that the first port is to be reactivated in response to a failover procedure. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , comprising determining that the first port is to be reactivated in response to a demand for more bandwidth by the network device. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 49 , comprising determining that the first port is to be reactivated in response to occurrence of error in the second ports with which the virtual port is associated. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first and second ports are physical ports. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first port is a virtual port on a physical device separate from the second port. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the network device is an HBA. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the network device is a server and the first and second physical ports are two HBAs. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the network traffic comprises communication over a Fibre Channel network or a Fibre Channel over Ethernet network. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the port identifier associated with the first port and a port identifier associated with the second physical port are the WWPNs of the first and the second ports, respectively. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first port is a part of an ASIC, and wherein the method further comprises shutting down part of the ASIC including the first port. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 49 , comprising sending a command to a network end node associated with the virtual port to activate at least one physical port corresponding to the first port of the network device. 
     
     
         62 . A network device, comprising:
 first and a second ports, the network device configured for:
 determining that the first port needs to be reactivated, wherein the first port is shut down by directing traffic corresponding to the first port, through a virtual port generated on a second port; 
 turning off the virtual port; and 
 reactivating the first port. 
   
     
     
         63 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the network device is further configured for:
 pausing traffic being routed through the virtual port before shutting it down; and   resuming the paused traffic to and from the network device through the first port after it is reactivated.   
     
     
         64 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the first and second ports are physical ports. 
     
     
         65 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the first port is a virtual port on a physical device separate from the second port. 
     
     
         66 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the first and the second ports are ports on an HBA. 
     
     
         67 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the network device is a server and the first and second ports are two HBAs. 
     
     
         68 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the network device is further configured for utilizing Fibre Channel communications. 
     
     
         69 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the network device is further configured for utilizing Fibre Channel over Ethernet communications. 
     
     
         70 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the port identifier associated with the first port and a port identifier associated with the second physical port are the WWPNs of the first and the second ports, respectively. 
     
     
         71 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the network device is further configured for determining when to initiate a power saving mode of the network device. 
     
     
         72 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the network device is hardware associated with a switch. 
     
     
         73 . A host server comprising the network device of  claim 62 . 
     
     
         74 . The network device of  claim 62 , wherein the network device is further configured for sending a command to a network end node associated with the virtual port to activate at least one physical port corresponding to the first port of the network device. 
     
     
         75 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a machine to perform a method comprising:
 determining that a first port of a network device needs to be reactivated, wherein the first port is shut down by directing of traffic corresponding to the first port, through a virtual port generated on a second port; turning off the virtual port; and reactivating the first port;   turning off the virtual port; and   reactivating the first port.   
     
     
         76 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 75 , the method further comprising:
 pausing traffic being routed through the virtual port before shutting it down; and   resuming the paused traffic to and from the network device through the first port after it is reactivated.   
     
     
         77 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 75 , wherein the first and second ports are physical ports. 
     
     
         78 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 75 , wherein the first port is a virtual port on a physical device separate from the second port. 
     
     
         79 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 75 , wherein the first port and the second port are adapted to handle separate network traffic. 
     
     
         80 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 75 , wherein the network traffic comprises communication over a Fibre Channel network or a Fibre Channel over Ethernet network. 
     
     
         81 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 75 , wherein the first and the second ports are identified by their respective WWPNs. 
     
     
         82 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 75 , the method further comprising sending a command to a network end node associated with the virtual port to activate at least one physical port corresponding to the first port of the network device.