Determination of physical topology of a communication network
US6697338B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 1999 |
| Grant date | Feb 24, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 28, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L41/12
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Physical connectivity is determined between elements such as switches and routers in a multiple subnet communication network. Each element has one or more interfaces each of which is physically linked with an interface of another network element. Address sets are generated for each interface of the network elements, wherein members of a given address set correspond to network elements that can be reached from the corresponding interface for which the given address set was generated. The members of first address sets generated for corresponding interfaces of a given network element, are compared with the members of second address sets generated for corresponding interfaces of network elements other than the given element. A set of candidate connections between an interface of the given network element and one or more interfaces of other network elements, are determined. If more than one candidate connection is determined, connections with network elements that are in the same subnet as the given network element are eliminated from the set.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.