Network element discovery using a network routing protocol

• US 20070258387A1
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Kui, Roy, Abhay, Patel, Alpesh, Joshi, Praveen, Koripalli, Rajeev, Appala, Syam
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/03 by updating link state protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users

Abstract

A data processing apparatus comprises instructions to perform sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a network routing protocol, such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF); obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities of the apparatus; creating a particular routing protocol message comprising an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and sending the particular message on one of the network interfaces. For example, a router or switch that implements a network routing protocol can use OSPF Opaque Link State Advertisements to advertise and discover services and capabilities of other routers or switches.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more network interfaces coupled to the processors and communicatively coupled to a telecommunications network;

a computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform;

sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a network routing protocol;

obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities or services of the apparatus;

creating a particular message that conforms to the network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

sending the particular message on one of the network interfaces.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:

receiving, from a node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe capabilities of the node;

storing, in a data repository of the apparatus, an identification of the node in association with the one or more second information elements;

determining one or more services or capabilities that the one or more second information elements describe; and

creating and sending to the node, a request for the one or more services or capabilities.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more information elements describe a version of a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more information elements describe a role of a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more information elements describe a policy that is used by a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more information elements comprise a digital certificate for a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more information elements describe a processing load metric for the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network routing protocol is any of Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System/Intermediate System (IS/IS).

9. An apparatus, comprising:

means for sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a network routing protocol;

means for obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities or services of the apparatus;

means for creating a particular message that conforms to the network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

means for creating and sending to the node, a request for the one or more services or capabilities.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for receiving, from a node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe capabilities of the node;

means for storing, in a data repository of the apparatus, an identification of the node in association with the one or more second information elements;

means for determining one or more services or capabilities that the one or more second information elements describe; and

means for creating and sending to the node, a request for the one or more services or capabilities.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more information elements describe a version of a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more information elements describe a role of a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more information elements describe a policy that is used by a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more information elements comprise a digital certificate for a software element that is hosted on the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more information elements describe a processing load metric for the apparatus.

16. A machine-implemented method comprising:

sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a network routing protocol;

obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities or services of the apparatus;

creating a particular message that conforms to the network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

sending the particular message on one of the network interfaces.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from a second data processing node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe capabilities of the second node;

storing, in a data repository of the first node, an identification of the second node in association with the one or more second information elements;

determining one or more services or capabilities that the one or more second information elements describe; and

creating and sending to the second node, a request for the one or more services or capabilities.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more information elements describe a version of a software element that is hosted on the first node.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more information elements describe a role of a software element that is hosted on the first node.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more information elements describe a policy that is used by a software element that is hosted on the first node.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more information elements comprise a digital certificate for a software element that is hosted on the first node.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the network routing protocol is any of Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System/Intermediate System (IS/IS).

23. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a network routing protocol;

obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities or services of the apparatus;

creating a particular message that conforms to the network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

sending the particular message on one of the network interfaces.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising sequences of instructions which, when performed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving, from a second data processing node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe capabilities of the second node;

storing, in a data repository of the first node, an identification of the second node in association with the one or more second information elements;

determining one or more services or capabilities that the one or more second information elements describe; and

creating and sending to the second node, a request for the one or more services or capabilities.