Method for performing wake-on-lan management and network system

Abstract

A method for performing wake-up management and an associated apparatus are provided. The method receives device information of a network device by a wake-on-LAN (WOL) agent, wherein the WOL agent and the network device are positioned in a same LAN. The method further receives a request, from a client device, to access the network device. Finally, the method sends a WOL packet, by the WOL agent, to the network device if the device information indicates that the network device is in a non-operating state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing wake-on-LAN (WOL) management, the method comprising:
 receiving device information of a network device by a wake-on-LAN (WOL) agent, wherein the WOL agent and the network device are positioned in a same LAN; and   receiving a request, from a client device, to access the network device; and   
       sending a WOL packet, by the WOL agent, to the network device if the device information indicates that the network device is in a non-operating state. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sending of the WOL packet further comprising broadcasting the WOL packet within the LAN. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining operating or non-operating state of the network device by the WOL agent before sending the WOL packet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 broadcasting, by the WOL agent, device information of the WOL agent within the LAN before the WOL agent enters a non-operating state.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 updating a wake-up management list by the WOL agent, wherein the wake-up management list comprises the device information of the network device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the WOL agent, the device information of the network device to a keeper device.   
     
     
         7 . A method for performing wake-on-LAN(WOL) management, the method comprising:
 sending, by a network device, device information to a WOL agent before entering a non-operating state, wherein the WOL agent and the network device are positioned in a same LAN; and   sending, by the network device, the device information to the WOL agent after entering the operating state; and   wherein the device information comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address of the network device and indicates an operation or a non-operation state of the network device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sending of the device information by the network device is to broadcast the device information in the same LAN. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving a WOL packet from the WOL agent in the same LAN when in a non-operating state.   
     
     
         10 . A network system, comprising:
 a wake-on-LAN (WOL) agent device positioned in a local area network (LAN); and   at least one network device positioned in the same LAN, the network device sending device information to the WOL agent device before entering a non-operating state;   wherein the WOL agent device stores information of a non-operating or an operating state of the network device, and when the WOL agent device receives a request from a client device to access the network device, the WOL agent device sends a WOL packet to the network device if the network device is in a non-operating state.   
     
     
         11 . The network system of  claim 10 , wherein the network device sends the device information to the WOL agent device after enters an operating state from the non-operating state. 
     
     
         12 . The network system of  claim 10 , wherein the WOL agent device sends the device information of the network device to a keeper device external to the LAN, and when the keeper device receives a request from a client device to access the network device, the keeper device assign a WOL task to the WOL agent device if the device information indicates that the network device is in a non-operating state. 
     
     
         13 . The network system of  claim 10 , wherein the WOL agent device broadcasts device information of the WOL agent device in order to inform at least one other network device in the LAN of the non-operating state of the WOL agent device, and another of the network devices is selected as another WOL agent device in the LAN after receiving the device information of the WOL agent device.