Transponder Subsystem for Power Management

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a transponder subsystem of a computer system having a plurality of agent circuits and a network circuit configured to convey information between various ones of the plurality of agent circuits, indications of network inactivity between pairs of the plurality of agent circuits, the network circuit including a plurality of network circuit elements coupled via a plurality of links to define a network topology having respective network paths between pairs of the plurality of agent circuits;
• sending, by the transponder subsystem, indications to deactivate links of the plurality of links based on determinations of network inactivity for network paths that utilize those links;
• and
• sending, by the transponder subsystem, indications to activate deactivated links in a particular network path based on an indication of network activity for a first pair of agent circuits that utilize the particular network path;
• and
• wherein the computer system is configured to reduce power to links that have been deactivated.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a computer system formed on one or more co-packaged integrated circuits, the computer system including:
• a plurality of agent circuits;
• a network circuit configured to convey information between various ones of the plurality of agent circuits, wherein the network circuit includes:
• a plurality of network circuit elements coupled via a plurality of links to define a network topology having respective network paths between pairs of the plurality of agent circuits;
• and
• a transponder subsystem configured to:
• maintain a table circuit that includes, for a given network path of a plurality of network paths in the network circuit, link status for all links in the given network path;
• make a first determination, based on a first set of link statuses in the table circuit, that all network paths that utilize a first link are inactive;
• deactivate, based on the first determination, the first link;
• make a second determination, based on a second set of link statuses in the table circuit, that there is activity for a particular network path for a first pair of agent circuits;
• and
• activate, based on the second determination, any deactivated links in the particular network path.