System and method for dynamic network topology exploration
US5740346A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 22, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 14, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 22, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/02
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method dynamically determines the topology of a source node routing network while having a minimal effect on network performance and without requiring expensive hardware to implement. A source node generates a ping frame. The source node transmits the ping frame to a first source router that is coupled to the source node. The first router transparently identifies the frame as a ping frame and creates an echo frame that is transmitted back to the source node. The first router identifies the port from which the ping frame is received and places this information in the header of the echo frame along with an echo frame identifier. The source node receives the echo frame and identifies routers and nodes to which a ping frame has not been sent based upon the connectivity information in the received echo frame. The source node continue generating and transmitting ping frame to all nodes and routers in the network. The source node identifies loops in the topology to avoid repetitive checking and identifies link and router failures. The topology exploration technique is transparent to the routers The topology exploration techique can be implemented during slow traffic periods w…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.