Patent · US Expired

Method of ascertaining topology features of a network

US5450408A · kind A · utility

56Cited by
7References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 1991
Grant dateSep 12, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L43/0847
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method is provided for ascertaining topology features of a network comprising a plurality of sub-networks, spanning devices interconnecting the sub-networks, and stations operative to source and/or sink traffic to/from the sub-networks. The traffic is in the form of discrete message packets each including source and destination information. Traffic on each of the sub-networks is monitored by a respective monitoring device and a partial traffic matrix is built up for each sub-network. These partial traffic matrices are then analyzed by a central processing station to determine, for example, the association of stations within the with sub-networks, and the interconnection of sub-networks by spanning devices.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.