Division Networking and Power Management

The components (hardware and software) whose primary function is to make the computer capable of communicating over one or more network technologies. Examples of Network Interfaces are IEEE 802,3 (Ethernet) and IEEE 802,11 (Wi-Fi).

A user, scheduled, or external event or stimulus that causes the computer to transition from Sleep or Off to active mode of operation. Examples of wake events include, but are not limited to: movement of the mouse, keyboard activity, controller input, real-time clock event, or a button press on the chassis, and in the case of external events, stimulus conveyed via a remote control, network, modem, etc.

Functionality which allows a computer to wake from Sleep or Off when directed by a network request via Ethernet.

The ability of the computer to maintain network presence while in sleep mode and intelligently wake when further processing is required (including occasional processing required to maintain network presence). Maintaining network presence may include obtaining and/or defending an assigned interface or network address, responding to requests from other nodes on the network, or maintaining existing network connections, all while in the sleep state. In this fashion, presence of the computer, its network services and applications, is maintained even though the computer is in sleep mode. From the vantage point of the network, a sleeping computer with full network connectivity is functionally equivalent to an idle computer with respect to common applications and usage models. Full network connectivity in sleep is not limited to a specific set of protocols but can cover applications installed after initial installation.