System for reading the status and for controlling the power supplies of appliances connected to computer networks

A computer network (10), comprising:

• a host system (12) with a network manager (20) and providing for a TCP/IP communication connection (14) and able to issue read-status (48) and write-control (50) commands;
• at least one remote node (16) with an network agent (22) connected to said TCP/IP communication connection (14) and comprising a plurality of inter-networking devices (38-44) connected to receive operating power from an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) (26);
• a plurality of intelligent power modules (IPM) (30-36) connected between the UPS (26) and said plurality of internetworking devices (38-44), wherein each intelligent power module is connected to and provides at least one of power-on sensing load-sensing, or power cycling on-off for a corresponding internetworking device;
• and
• a power manager (28) with a network agent (46) connected to said TCP/IP communication connection (14) and each intelligent power module (30-36), and providing for at least one of power-on sensing, load sensing or power cycling on/off of the intelligent power module (30-36) according to receipt of said read-status (48) and write-control (50) commands.