Patent ID: 8631251

Claim:
A system comprising: an operating system; a first hardware to execute the operating system and that is under control of the operating system, the operating system to cause the first hardware to enter a first reduced power state to reduce power used by the first hardware; a second hardware different than the first hardware and that is not under control of the operating system, the first hardware to enter the first reduced power state independently of and separately from the second hardware entering a second reduced power state; and, a system management controller implemented by the second hardware, and that, in response to the operating system causing the first hardware to enter the first reduced power state, is to cause the second hardware to enter the second reduced power state corresponding to the first reduced power state to also reduce power used by the second hardware, wherein after the operating system causes the first hardware to enter the first reduced power state, the operating system is to send a message to the system management controller, the message to indicate that the operating system has caused the first hardware to enter the first reduced power system, the system management controller to cause the second hardware to enter the second reduced power state in response to receiving the message from the operating system.