Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for connection exploration in a network

US8019848B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

0References

16Claims

0Family size

Assignee

International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

Gerd Bayer · Stuttgart, DE
Felix Eickhoff · Schenefeld, DE
Onur Keles · Eppelheim, DE
Frank Koeble · Stuttgart, DE
Andreas C. Koenig · Rockford, US
Carl Mayer · Bissingen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jan 21, 2009
Grant date	Sep 13, 2011
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 5, 2029

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F15/16
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved method for connection exploration in a network is disclosed, wherein said network includes a plurality of network elements each including at least one port, wherein a globally unique identifier is assigned to each individual port of said network elements, and wherein connected ports of two network elements transfer their globally unique identifiers over a corresponding connection using heartbeat-ordered sequences. The method comprises capturing said transferred globally unique identifiers at receiving ports, storing each of said captured globally unique identifiers at a corresponding receiving port, reading out said transferred globally unique identifiers stored at each port of said network elements using an in-band access, matching said read out globally unique identifiers to a hardware configuration data set to identify connected network elements and connections between said connected network elements, and recording information about existing connections between said network elements.

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