System and method for maintaining network system information
First Claim
1. A system for maintaining network information, the system comprising:
- a network comprising a plurality of sub-networks in communication with one another over a communications backbone, each sub-network having a router linked to the communications backbone for use in performing communications with other sub-networks, each of the routers publishing router attribute information about itself over the communications backbone, the router attribute information comprising a router identity object, the router identity object comprising a filtering enabled data field indicating whether the network router has filtering turned on for at least one network protocol that the network router is running;
a directory service linked to the communications backbone having associated therewith a database, the database storing the published router attribute information for each of the routers; and
a query engine associated with the directory service for gathering information from the database as a function of specified router attribute information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for maintaining network information. The system resides in a network comprising a plurality of sub-networks in communication with one another over a communications backbone. Each sub-network has a router for use in performing communications with other sub-networks. A directory service is linked to the communications backbone and includes a database. The database stores router attribute information that is published by each of the routers. Using a query engine associated with the directory service, meaningful information can be gathered from the database as a function of specified router attribute information.
19 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A system for maintaining network information, the system comprising:
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a network comprising a plurality of sub-networks in communication with one another over a communications backbone, each sub-network having a router linked to the communications backbone for use in performing communications with other sub-networks, each of the routers publishing router attribute information about itself over the communications backbone, the router attribute information comprising a router identity object, the router identity object comprising a filtering enabled data field indicating whether the network router has filtering turned on for at least one network protocol that the network router is running;
a directory service linked to the communications backbone having associated therewith a database, the database storing the published router attribute information for each of the routers; and
a query engine associated with the directory service for gathering information from the database as a function of specified router attribute information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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4. In a network comprised of a plurality of sub-networks in communication with one another over a communications backbone, a method for maintaining network systems information comprising the steps of:
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publishing over the communications backbone a message from a network router within one of the sub-networks including data representative of attributes of the network router, the data representative of attributes of the network router comprising a router identity object, the router identity object comprising a filtering enabled data field indicating whether the network router has filtering turned on for at least one network protocol that the network router is running;
receiving at a directory service in communication with the backbone the message;
parsing the message to extract the data representative of the attributes of the network router; and
storing the extracted data in a database associated with the directory service. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 24, 25)
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5. (Canceled)
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14. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon router attribute information for a network router, the router attribute information published by the network router, the router attribute information comprising a router identity object, the router identity object comprising:
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at least one routing protocols data field, each routing protocols data field indicating at least one routing protocol installed on the network router;
a network protocols data field indicating at least one network protocol that the network router is running;
a router role data field indicating a role of the network router; and
a filtering enabled data field indicating whether the network router has filtering turned on for at least one of said at least one network protocol that the network router is running. - View Dependent Claims (15, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon router attribute information for a network router, the router attribute information published by the network router, the router attribute information comprising a reachability object for the sub-network containing the network router, the reachability object comprising:
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a first data field representing a name of a direct dial router;
a second data field representing site prefixes associated with the direct dial router;
a third data field representing a media associated with the direct dial router;
a fourth data field representing an authentication type supported by the direct dial router; and
a fifth data field representing protocols supported by the direct dial router. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A system for maintaining network information, the system comprising:
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a network comprising a plurality of sub-networks in communication with one another over a communications backbone, each sub-network having a router linked to the communications backbone for use in performing communications with other sub-networks, each of the routers publishing router attribute information about itself over the communications backbone, the router attribute information comprising a reachability object for the sub-network containing the network router;
a directory service linked to the communications backbone having associated therewith a database, the database storing the published router attribute information for each of the routers; and
a query engine associated with the directory service for gathering information from the database as a function of specified router attribute information. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. In a network comprised of a plurality of sub-networks in communication with one another over a communications backbone, a method for maintaining network systems information comprising the steps of:
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publishing over the communications backbone a message from a network router within one of the sub-networks including data representative of attributes of the network router, the data representative of attributes of the network router comprising a reachability object for the sub-network containing the network router;
receiving at a directory service in communication with the backbone the message;
parsing the message to extract the data representative of the attributes of the network router; and
storing the extracted data in a database associated with the directory service. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification