Patent ID: 6526507
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method in a data processing system including a server computer system coupled to a client computer system utilizing a network for causing an initially powered-off client computer system to power-on only in response to a receipt of an authenticated wake network packet, said method comprising the steps of:said client computer system receiving a wake network packet while said client is powered-off; said client computer system determining if said received wake network packet is a valid wake network packet while said client computer system is powered-off; and only in response to a determination that said wake network packet is a valid wake network packet, said client computer system powering-on, wherein said client computer system powers-on only in response to authenticated wake network packets; wherein said steps further comprise: said server computer system transmitting said wake network packet to said client computer system, said wake network packet being encoded by said server computer system utilizing said client computer system's public key; said client computer system receiving said wake network packet while said client is powered-off; in response to said receipt of said wake network packet, an encryption processor decoding said received wake network packet utilizing said client computer system's private key; said encryption processor transmitting an encrypted verification packet to said server computer system, said encrypted verification packet being encoded utilizing said server computer system's public key; said server computer system decoding said encrypted verification packet utilizing said server computer system's private key; said server computer system re-encrypting said verification packet utilizing said client computer system's public key; said server computer system transmitting said re-encrypted verification packet as an acknowledgement packet to said client computer system; said encryption processor decoding said acknowledgement packet utilizing said client computer system's private key; said encryption processor determining whether data included within said acknowledgement packet and data included within said verification packet is the same; in response to a determination that data included within said acknowledgement packet and data included within said verification packet are the same, said client computer system powering-on; and in response to a determination that data included within said acknowledgement packet and data included within said verification packet are not the same, said client computer system ignoring said wake network packet.