Methods and apparatus to maintain and utilize mobile power profile information

An apparatus for provisioning power over a network, the apparatus comprising:

• power sourcing equipment that manages distribution of power and data over a network to a set of network devices, ports of the power sourcing equipment being connected to the set of network devices through respective cables;
• a controller associated with the ports of the power sourcing equipment, the controller supporting operations of:
• receiving power profile information associated with a network device coupled to a given port of the power sourcing equipment;
• analyzing the power profile information to identify how to provide power, during a power failure condition, to the network device over a data link formed by a respective cable from the power sourcing equipment to the network device;
• and
• providing power to the network device over the data link according to the received power profile information.

A system comprising:

• multiple network devices;
• power sourcing equipment that provides power and data over multiple respective data links of a network to the multiple network devices;
• a power source that provides power to the power sourcing equipment;
• and
• the power sourcing equipment provisioning power to the multiple network devices over the respective data links depending on power profile information associated with the multiple network devices, the power profile information indicating how to provision power from the power sourcing equipment to the multiple network devices during a power failure condition.