Router search system, router search method and router search program

• US 20020161920A1
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Etoh, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,159,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A transmitter router search apparatus 26 transmits an inspection IP packet to an inspection target network connection apparatus via an intranet 10. The source and destination IP addresses of the inspection IP packet are designated respectively as the IP addresses of a recipient router search apparatus 28 and the inspection target network connection apparatus. A TCP packet, including predetermined ID information, is included in the data portion. The inspection target network connection apparatus generates an IP packet corresponding to the received inspection IP packet. Since the transmission source and destination of the response IP packet are respectively designated the transmission destination and source of the inspection IP packet, the recipient router search apparatus 28 receives the response IP packet via the Internet 19, so long as the inspection target network connection apparatus is a router.

Claims

1. A router search system, which examines network connection apparatuses connected to a first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to a second network outside said first network, comprising:

a transmitter router search apparatus and a recipient router search apparatus that are respectively connected to said first and said second networks,

wherein said transmitter router search apparatus including

generating means, for generating an inspection IP packet including search packet information indicating that a destination IP address and a source IP address are defined as IP addresses for a target network connection apparatus to be inspected and said recipient router search apparatus, and that said inspection IP packet is for a router search, and

inspection IP packet transmission means, for transmitting said inspection IP packet,

wherein said recipient router search apparatus includes

reception means, for receiving an IP packet addressed to the recipient, and

determination means, for determining whether said IP packet received by said reception means packet which is a response IP packet that constitutes a response to said inspection IP packet transmitted by said target network connection apparatus to be inspected, and for, based on the determination results, determining whether said target network connection apparatus is currently operating as a router.

2. The router search system according to claim 1, wherein said search packet information is written in the packet header on a transport layer on which IP packets are accumulated and that conforms to an OSI Reference Standard Model.

3. The router search system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter router search apparatus further comprises:

acquisition means for permitting, or enabling, said recipient router search apparatus to obtain current search packet information before transmitting an inspection IP packet received from said inspection IP packet transmission means.

4. The router search system according to claim 1, wherein said first network and said second network are an intranet and the Internet.

5. The router search system according to claim 4, wherein said transmitter router search apparatus is arranged for multiple intranets, and said recipient router search apparatus is arranged in common with multiple transmitter router search apparatuses;

and wherein said search packet information in said inspection IP packet, which is generated by said generation means of said transmitter router search apparatus for each intranet, can be individually identified for each intranet.

6. The router search system according to claim 2, wherein a transport layer packet is a TCP packet, and said search packet information is written in a source port number, a destination port number and/or a sequential number portion of said TCP packet.

7. The router search system according to claim 2, wherein a transport layer packet is a UDP packet, and said search packet information is written in a source port number and/or a destination port number portion of said UDP packet.

8. A transmitter router search apparatus, which is provided for a router search system that examines network connection apparatuses connected to a first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to a second network outside said first network, comprising:

generating means, for generating an inspection IP packet including search packet information indicating that a destination IP address and a source IP address are defined as IP addresses for a target network connection apparatus to be inspected and said recipient router search apparatus, and that said inspection IP packet is for a router search; and

inspection IP packet transmission means, for transmitting said inspection IP packet.

9. The transmitter router search apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said search packet information is written in the packet header on a transport layer on which IP packets are accumulated and that conforms to an OSI Reference Standard Model.

10. The transmitter router search apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

acquisition means for enabling said recipient router search apparatus to obtain current search packet information before transmitting an inspection IP packet received from said inspection IP packet transmission means.

11. The transmitter router search apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first network and said second network are an intranet and the Internet.

13. The recipient router search apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said search packet information is written in the packet header on a transport layer on which IP packets are accumulated and that conforms to an OSI Reference Standard Model.

14. The recipient router search apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first network and said second network are an intranet and the Internet.

16. The router search method according to claim 15, wherein said search packet information is written in the packet header on a transport layer on which IP packets are accumulated and that conforms to an OSI Reference Standard Model.

17. The router search method according to claim 15, wherein said transmitter router search method further comprises:

an acquisition step of permitting, or enabling, said recipient router search method to obtain current search packet information before transmitting an inspection IP packet received at said inspection IP packet transmission step.

18. The router search method according to claim 15, wherein said first network and said second network are an intranet and the Internet.

19. The router search method according to claim 18, wherein said transmitter router search method is executed for multiple intranets, and said recipient router search method is executed in common with multiple transmitter router search methods;

and wherein said search packet information in said inspection IP packet, which is generated at said generation step of said transmitter router search method for each intranet, can be individually identified for each intranet.

20. The router search method according to claim 16, wherein a transport layer packet is a TCP packet, and said search packet information is written in a source port number, a destination port number and/or a sequential number portion of said TCP packet.

21. The router search method according to claim 16, wherein a transport layer packet is a UDP packet, and said search packet information is written in a source port number and/or a destination port number portion of said UDP packet.

12. A recipient router search apparatus, which is provided for a router search system that examines network connection apparatuses connected to a first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to a second network outside said first network, comprising:

reception means, for receiving an IP packet addressed to the recipient; and

determination means, for determining whether said IP packet received by said reception means is a response IP packet that constitutes a response to said inspection IP packet transmitted by said target network connection apparatus to be inspected, and for, based on the determination results, determining whether said target network connection apparatus is currently operating as a router.

15. A router search method, for examining network connection apparatuses connected to a first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to a second network outside said first network, comprising:

a transmitter router search method and a recipient router search method that are respectively executed on said first and said second networks,

wherein said transmitter router search method includes

a generating step of generating an IP packet including search packet information indicating that a destination IP address and a source IP address are defined as IP addresses for a target network connection apparatus to be inspected and said recipient router search method, and that said inspection IP packet is for a router search, and

an inspection IP packet transmission step of transmitting said inspection IP packet, and

wherein said recipient router search method includes

a reception step of receiving an IP packet addressed to the recipient, and

a determination step of determining whether said IP packet received at said reception step is an IP response packet that constitutes a response to said inspection IP packet transmitted by said target network connection apparatus to be inspected, and of, based on the determination results, determining whether said target network connection apparatus is currently operating as a router.

22. A transmitter router search method, which is provided for a router search method for examining network connection apparatuses connected to a first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to a second network outside said first network, comprising:

a generating step of generating an IP inspection packet including search packet information indicating that a destination IP address and a source IP address are defined as IP addresses for a target network connection apparatus to be inspected and said recipient router search method, and that said inspection IP packet is for a router search; and

an inspection IP packet transmission step of transmitting said inspection IP packet.

23. The transmitter router search method according to claim 22, wherein said search packet information is written in the packet header on a transport layer on which IP packets are accumulated and that conforms to an OSI Reference Standard Model.

24. The transmitter router search method according to claim 22, further comprising:

an acquisition step of permitting, or enabling, said recipient router search method to obtain current search packet information before transmitting an inspection IP packet received at said inspection IP packet transmission step.

25. The transmitter router search method according to claim 22, wherein said first network and said second network are an intranet and the Internet.

27. The recipient router search method according to claim 26, wherein said search packet information is written in the packet header on a transport layer on which IP packets are accumulated and that conforms to an OSI Reference Standard Model.

28. The recipient router search method according to claim 26, wherein said first network and said second network are an intranet and the Internet.

26. A recipient router search method, which is provided for a router search method for examining network connection apparatuses connected to a first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to a second network outside said first network, comprising:

a reception step of receiving an IP packet addressed to the recipient; and

a determination step of determining whether said IP packet received at said reception step is a response IP packet that constitutes a response to said inspection IP packet transmitted by said target network connection apparatus to be inspected, and of, based on the determination results, determining whether said target network connection apparatus is currently operating as a router.

29. A transmitter router search program, which is executed on a first network in order to examine network connection apparatuses connected to said first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to a second network outside said first network, permitting a computer to perform:

a generating step of generating an inspection IP packet including search packet information) indicating that a destination IP address and a source IP address are defined as IP addresses for a target network connection apparatus to be inspected and said recipient router search program, and that said inspection IP packet is for a router search; and

an inspection IP packet transmission step of transmitting said inspection IP packet.

30. A recipient router search program, which is executed on a second network in order to examine network connection apparatuses connected to a first network to search for a network connection apparatus that is connected to said second network outside said first network, permitting a computer to perform:

a reception step of receiving an IP packet addressed to the recipient; and

a determination step of determining whether said IP packet received at said reception step is a response IP packet that constitutes a response to said inspection IP packet transmitted by said target network connection apparatus to be inspected, and of, based on the determination results, determining whether said target network connection apparatus is currently operating as a router.