Discovery Of Network Nodes And Routable Addresses

• US 20070171842A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dow, Louis
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function

Abstract

Systems and related methods for discovering network nodes and routable addresses include a scan server, local link segment, an agent coupled to the local link segment, and a router coupled to place the scan server in communication with the agent. The scan server commands the agent to discover a network node coupled to the local link segment. The agent is responsive to commands from the scan server to discover a network node coupled to the local link segment. The agent also obtains a link-local address for the network node, and obtains a routable site-local address to which the link-local address maps. The agent provides the routable site-local address to the scan server.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one scan server;

at least one local link segment;

at least one agent coupled to the local link segment;

at least one router coupled to place the scan server in communication with the agent;

wherein the agent is responsive to the scan server to discover at least one network node coupled to the local link segment, to obtain a link-local address corresponding to the network node, to obtain a routable site-local address to which the link-local address maps, and to provide the routable site-local address to the scan server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scan server includes a node discovery component adapted to issue commands to the agent and to receive the routable site-local addresses therefrom.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least a second local link segment and at least a second router placing the scan server in communication with the second local link segment, and further comprising at least a second agent coupled to the second local link segment, wherein the second agent is responsive to the scan server to discover at least a second network node coupled to the second local link segment, to obtain a second link-local address corresponding to the second network node, to obtain at least a second routable site-local address to which the second link-local address maps, and to provide the second routable site-local address to the scan server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the agent is adapted to receive an address harvest command from the scan server, and is adapted to issue a neighbor solicitation message to the network node in response thereto.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the agent is adapted to receive a neighbor advertisement message from the network node in response to the neighbor solicitation message, wherein the neighbor advertisement message includes at least the link-local address.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bulk resolver component that is adapted to receive the link-local address from the agent and to map the link-local address to a site-local address.

7. A method implemented at least in part by a computing device, the method comprising:

commanding at least one agent associated with a local link segment to discover at least one network node coupled to the local link segment; and

receiving at least one routable site-local address from the agent, wherein the site-local address corresponds to the network node.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising commanding at least a second agent associated with at least a second local link segment to discover at least a second network node coupled to the second local link segment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving at least a second routable site-local address from the second agent, wherein the second site-local address corresponds to the second network node.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving at least a second routable site-local address from the agent, wherein the second site-local address corresponds to at least a second network node discovered by the agent on the local link segment.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising assembling a plurality of routable site-local addresses into a list.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein commanding the agent includes issuing an address harvest command.

13. A method implemented at least in part by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a command to discover at least one network node coupled to at least one local link segment;

in response to the command, issuing at least one second command to the local link segment;

in response to the second command, receiving at least one message from the network node, wherein the message includes at least a link-local address for the network node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving a command includes receiving an address harvest command.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein issuing at least one second command includes issuing a neighbor solicitation message to the local link segment.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving at least a second message from at least a second network node coupled to the local link segment, wherein the second message includes at least a second link-local address for the second network node.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving at least one message from the network node includes receiving a neighbor advertisement message from the network node.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining a routable site-local address to which the link-local address maps.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the routable site-local address to a scan server.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein obtaining a routable site-local address includes requesting that a bulk resolver component map the link-local address to the routable site-local address.