Dynamic discovery of ISO layer-2 topology

• US 20070115967A1
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Roche, Willy, Vandenberghe, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A method is provided of determining a layer-2 topology of an IT infrastructure which includes layer-2 interconnect devices having ports. A list of layer-2 interconnect devices available in the IT infrastructure is obtained. Uplink and non-uplink ports of layer-2 interconnect devices are determined. All the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices are assigned to one initial group. The initial group is iteratively refined by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device and assigning all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.

Claims

1. A method of determining a layer-2 topology of an IT infrastructure comprising layer-2 interconnect devices having ports, the method comprising:

obtaining a list of layer-2 interconnect devices available in the IT infrastructure,

determining uplink and non-uplink ports of the layer-2 interconnect devices,

assigning all the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices to one initial group,

iteratively refining the initial group by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device of the group and assigning all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the IT infrastructure further comprises end devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure is obtained by manually entering the list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure is obtained by checking IP addresses of the IT infrastructure.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure is obtained by sending a broadcast ping.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the IT infrastructure has a tree structure or a tree structure is calculated on the IT infrastructure.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the uplink and downlink ports are determined by means of information stored in forward tables of the layer-2 interconnect devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the forward tables are filled according to a backward learning algorithm and the traffic is created by polling individual layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the forward table of a layer-2 interconnect device stores which other devices are reachable via which port.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the uplink ports of a layer-2 interconnect device are the ports via which the root device is reachable and the downlink ports are all the other ports.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the root device is a default gateway.

12. A computer system for determining a layer-2 topology of an IT infrastructure comprising layer-2 interconnect devices having ports, the computer system being programmed to:

obtain a list of layer-2 interconnect devices available in the IT infrastructure,

determine uplink and non-uplink ports of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices,

assign all the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices to one initial group,

iteratively refine the initial group by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device and assign all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.

12-1. A computer program product which is either in the form of a machine-readable medium with program code stored on it, or in the form of a propagated signal comprising a representation of program code,

wherein the program code is arranged to carry out a method, when executed on a computer system of determining a layer-2 topology of an IT infrastructure comprising layer-2 interconnect devices having ports, the method comprising:

obtaining a list of layer-2 interconnect devices available in the IT infrastructure,

determining uplink and non-uplink ports of layer-2 interconnect devices,

assigning all the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices to one initial group,

iteratively refining the initial group by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device and assigning all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.