breath-of-life packet

n. [XEROX PARC] An Ethernet packet that contains bootstrap (see boot ) code,
periodically sent out from a working computer to infuse the breath of life
into any computer on the network that has happened to crash. Machines
depending on such packets have sufficient hardware or firmware code to wait
for (or request) such a packet during the reboot process. See also dickless
workstation. The notional kiss-of-death packet , with a function
complementary to that of a breath-of-life packet, is recommended for dealing
with hosts that consume too many network resources. Though kiss-of-death
packet is usually used in jest, there is at least one documented instance of
an Internet subnet with limited address-table slots in a gateway machine in
which such packets were routinely used to compete for slots, rather like
Christmas shoppers competing for scarce parking spaces.

