Method of determining the topology of a network of objects

• US 20030051032A1
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: David Schenkel, Michael Slavitch, Nicholas Dawes
• Inventors: Slavitch, Michael, Schenkel, David, Dawes, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 6,728,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing

Abstract

A method of determining the topology of a network comprising: transmitting a signal comprised of a sequence of bursts of packets formed of orthogonal signals, monitoring devices in the network including the destination device for reception of the signal, and defining a sequence of devices within the network by sensing a sequence of reception of the signal in the devices from the source device toward the destination device.

Claims

1. A method of determining the topology of a network comprising:

(a) transmitting a signal comprised of a sequence of bursts of packets formed of orthogonal signals,

(b) monitoring devices in said network including the destination device for reception of said signal, and

(c) defining a sequence of devices within the network by sensing a sequence of reception of said signal in said devices from the source device toward the destination device.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 in which a pair of sequences contained in each of successive sampling periods of successive bursts are mutually orthogonal.