Method and apparatus for determining accurate topology features of a network
US6108702A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 2, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 22, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 2, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L41/12
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A monitoring system for determining accurate topology features of a network, and methods of operating the monitoring system, are disclosed . In the preferred embodiment, the system creates an accurate topology map of a given network by: obtaining a list of managed network devices; identifying trunk ports, link channel ports, and trunk channel ports; identifying link port and node ports; determining connections between the ports; storing the collected information; and displaying the network topology. Methods are disclosed for identifying link and node ports. In the preferred method, information regarding the devices, including VLAN/backplane information, router ARP table information, device interface information, and physical address information for machines and devices connected to the network is obtained. Also, the ports and/or devices are logically grouped in order to provide more accurate topology information. Source address table timing information is obtained for each device, and a historical database of source table information is kept. Filters may then be utilized on the source address tables in order to provide more accurate topology results. Connections between nodes are a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.