Smart-NICs: Power Proxying for Reduced Power Consumption in Network Edge Devices

The number of edge devices connected to the Internet is increasing at a rapid rate. To maintain network connectivity, the majority of these devices remain completely powered on when idle, wasting unnecessary energy. A novel idea to conserve energy while maintaining network connectivity is to place the computer in standby mode during idle periods and delegate the packet-handling functions to its Network Interface Card (NIC). The NIC, acting as a liaison for the host, can proxy a variety of network protocols, increasing the standby time of the host without compromising its active connections.