# US 12,007,742 B2 · Overheat restart behavior in network devices

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- Number: US 12,007,742 B2
- Document ID: US12007742B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/687,337
- Filed: 2022-03-04
- Published: 2023-09-07
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-03-04
- Assignees: Arista Networks, Inc.
- Applicants: Arista Networks, Inc.
- Inventors: Ketan Rasikbhai Kotak; Eudean Michael Sun; Gil Adrian Torres
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007742B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/406: characterised by monitoring or safety (G05B19/19 takes precedence)
- G06F 1/206: {comprising thermal management}
- G06F 1/24: Resetting means
- G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
- G06F 1/3278: {Power saving in modem or I/O interface}
- G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
- G06F 11/004: {Error avoidance (G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence)}
- G06F 11/1441: {Resetting or repowering}
- G06F 11/3006: {where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50)}
- G06F 11/3058: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations (thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206)}
- G05B 2219/49216: Control of temperature of processor
- G06F 2201/81: Threshold
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method, device, and computer readable medium for managing overheat behavior in a network device. The method includes determining that a first temperature exceeds a threshold by at least one temperature sensor disposed in a network device. The method includes logging a temperature sensor name of the at least one temperature sensor, the first temperature, and actions taken prior to determining that the first temperature exceeds the threshold. The method further includes disabling network device capabilities and enabling a subset of network device capabilities after powering cycling the network device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of managing overheat behavior in a network device, the method comprising:
determining, by at least one temperature sensor disposed in the network device, that a temperature of the network device exceeds a threshold;
based on the determining, logging a temperature sensor identifier of the at least one temperature sensor, the temperature, and one or more actions taken prior to determining that the temperature exceeds the threshold, wherein the one or more actions comprise one or more power cycles;
disabling network device capabilities; and
enabling a subset of the network device capabilities after disabling the network device capabilities, wherein the subset of the network device capabilities is enabled based on a number of previous power cycles that occurred in a given period of time prior to determining that the temperature exceeds the threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature is a first temperature and wherein the threshold is a first threshold, the method further comprising:
after enabling the subset of network device capabilities, determining that a second temperature associated with the network device is below a second threshold; and
enabling one or more remaining network device capabilities in response to determining that the second temperature is below the second threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more remaining network device capabilities comprise data plane capabilities.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the second temperature is measured by the at least one temperature sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
after enabling the subset of network device capabilities, enabling one or more remaining network device capabilities in response to a command from a user.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
power cycling the network device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the enabled subset of network device capabilities comprise control plane capabilities.

### Claim 8

A network device comprising:
a plurality of temperature sensors; and
a processor and memory, wherein the processor and memory are configured to:
operate a plurality of agents including a forwarding agent;
determine, using one or more given temperature sensors in the plurality of temperature sensors, that a temperature for the network device exceeds a threshold; and
in response to the determination, perform a power cycle of the network device;
after a powering up portion of the power cycle, operate the network device in a restricted mode by operating one or more given agents in the plurality of agents while disabling the forwarding agent.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The network device of claim 8, wherein the temperature is a first temperature, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, and wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine that a second temperature detected by the one or more temperature sensors is below a second threshold;
after disabling the forwarding agent and the forwarding hardware, enable the forwarding agent and the forwarding hardware in response to the determination that the second temperature is below the second threshold.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The network device of claim 8, wherein the process and memory are configured to operate the network device in the restricted mode based on one or more previous actions taking prior to the power cycle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The network device of claim 8, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
determine that an ambient temperature of the network device is below an ambient temperature threshold;
after disabling the forwarding agent and the forwarding hardware, enable the forwarding agent and the forwarding hardware in response to the determination that the ambient temperature is below the ambient temperature threshold.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The network device of claim 8, wherein the processor and memory are further configured to:
after disabling the forwarding agent and the forwarding hardware, enable the forwarding agent and the forwarding hardware in response to a user command.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more given agents operated in the restricted mode comprise one or more agents for a management port and a command line interface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The network device of claim 8, further comprising:
forwarding hardware, wherein the forwarding agent modifies an operation of the forwarding hardware and wherein the forwarding hardware is disabled while operating the one or more given agents in the plurality of agents in the restricted mode.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
determine, with one or more temperature sensors disposed in a network device, that a temperature of the network device exceeds a threshold;
in response to the determination, power cycle the network device by powering down the network device and, after a given period of time, powering up the network device; and
upon powering up the network device, enable a subset of network device capabilities while restricting initialization of one or more remaining network device capabilities.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more remaining network device capabilities comprise data plane capabilities.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
after the subset of network device capabilities is enabled, enable the one or more remaining network device capabilities in response to a user command.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the enabled subset of network device capabilities comprise control plane capabilities.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the enabled subset of network device capabilities comprise a management port and a command line interface.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
after the subset of network device capabilities is enabled, initialize the one or more remaining network device capabilities based on an additional temperature of the network device.
