Patent ID: 8127163

Claim:
A data network with optimized power consumption, comprising: a plurality of nodes structured to store data and a plurality of control units connected to said plurality of nodes, each of said plurality of control units structured to control at least one of said plurality of nodes, wherein at least one of said plurality of control units comprises a plurality of controllers and each of said plurality of controllers is connected to a respective assigned node of said plurality of nodes and configured to control said assigned node, and each of said plurality of controllers is also connected to at least one neighbor node of said plurality of nodes, which is controlled by an assigned neighbor controller of said plurality of controllers, and configured to control said neighbor node in case of failure of said neighbor controller, thus acting as a back-up controller for said at least one neighbor controller, and wherein each of said plurality of nodes is adapted to automatically power-up when at least one of said plurality of controllers of at least one of said plurality of control units receives from a client a request to access data stored in said at least one of said plurality of nodes and adapted to automatically power-off after transfer of requested data to said client is completed or after an ordered operation performed by at least one of said plurality of nodes is completed.