NETWORK STRUCTURE INFORMATION ACQUIRING METHOD AND DEVICE

• US 20100094994A1
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Riken
• Original Assignee: Riken
• Inventors: YOSHIDA, Mitsuru
• Application Number:
  US12/575,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports

Abstract

A method for acquiring information about connection relationships in a network as a tree structure having a predetermined network device as a root node, includes the steps of acquiring information about the ports held by each of the network devices, and the network devices connected to each of the ports from each of the network devices; and determining connection relationships in the network, based on the fact that an arbitrary partial tree in the tree structure is smaller than an upstream partial tree containing the arbitrary partial tree.

Claims

1. A network structure information acquiring method for acquiring information about connection relationships in a network formed with a plurality of network devices, the connection relationships being represented by a tree structure having a predetermined network device as a root node,

the method comprising:

a step of acquiring information about ports held by each of the network devices, and network devices connected to each of the ports, from each of the network devices; and

a step of analyzing structures in the network, by determining connection relationships in the network based on a fact that an arbitrary partial tree in the tree structure is smaller than an upstream partial tree containing the arbitrary partial tree.

2. The network structure information acquiring method according to claim 1, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the step of analyzing structures in the network includes a step of determining the connection relationship, by identifying the network device having the largest number of downstream devices among the network devices connected to a downstream port of a network device having a connection relationship determined, as a network device connected directly to the downstream port of the network device having the connection relationship determined, and the step of determining the connection relationships being repeatedly carried out, with the root node being the network device having a connection relationship first determined.

3. The network structure information acquiring method according to claim 2, wherein

when the network device having the connection relationship determined has a plurality of downstream ports, connection relationships on a downstream side are determined in a parallel manner about at least two of the downstream ports.

4. The network structure information acquiring method according to claim 1, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the step of analyzing structures in the network includes, after identifying the root node, determining the connection relationships by successively identifying devices connected to the upstream ports, starting from the network device having the largest number of downstream devices among the network devices other than the root node.

5. The network structure information acquiring method according to claim 1, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the step of analyzing structures in the network includes, determining the network devices having no downstream ports as edge nodes among the plurality of network devices, and determining connection relationships by successively identifying devices connected directly to downstream ports of the network devices other than the edge nodes, starting from the network device having the smallest number of downstream devices.

6. The network structure information acquiring method according to claim 1, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the step of analyzing structures in the network includes, after determining connection relationships by identifying network devices having no downstream ports as edge nodes among the plurality of network devices, a step of detecting a network device that has downstream devices connected thereto and all having connection relationships determined, and determining a connection relationship of the detected network device, the network device being detected from network devices other than network devices having connection relationships determined, and the step of detecting and determining being repeatedly carried out.

7. The network structure information acquiring method according to claim 1, wherein

the network devices are L2 switches, and

information about ports of the L2 switches and the L2 switches connected to each of the ports is acquired by SNMP.

8. A network structure information acquiring method for acquiring information about connection relationships in a network formed with a plurality of L2 switches functioning as SNMP agents, the connection relationships being represented by a tree structure having a predetermined L2 switch as a root node,

the method comprising:

a step of acquiring port information, by performing communications with the L2 switches by SNMP, acquiring MAC addresses of ports of the L2 switches and all the L2 switches connected directly to the respective ports or indirectly to the respective ports via the other L2 switches, and storing the MAC addresses into a port information table;

a step of determining the L2 switch having the largest number of L2 switches connected to downstream ports as the root node having a connection relationship first determined among the L2 switches, when ports to which a SNMP manager is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports among the respective L2 switches; and

a step of analyzing structures in the network, by determining connection relationships of the L2 switch having the largest number of downstream devices as the L2 switch connected directly to a downstream port of the L2 switch having a connection relationship determined, among the L2 switches connected to the downstream ports of the L2 switch having the connection relationship determined.

9. A network structure information acquiring method for acquiring information about connection relationships in a network formed with a plurality of L2 switches functioning as SNMP agents, the connection relationships being represented by a tree structure having a predetermined L2 switch as a root node,

the method comprising:

a step of acquiring port information, by performing communications with the L2 switches by SNMP, acquiring MAC addresses of ports of the L2 switches and all the L2 switches connected directly to the respective ports or indirectly to the respective ports via the other L2 switches, and storing the MAC addresses into a port information table;

a step of determining the L2 switches having no downstream ports as edge nodes among the L2 switches, when ports to which a SNMP manager is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports among the respective L2 switches; and

a step of analyzing structures in the network, by determining connection relationships by successively identifying L2 switches connected directly to downstream ports of the L2 switches other than the edge nodes with reference to the port information table, starting from a network device having the smallest number of downstream devices.

10. A network structure information acquiring device that acquires information about connection relationships in a network formed with a plurality of network devices, the connection relationships being represented by a tree structure having a predetermined network device as a root node,

the network structure information acquiring device comprising:

a port information acquiring unit that acquires information about ports held by each of the network devices, and network devices connected to each of the ports, from each of the network devices; and

a network structure analyzing unit that determines connection relationships in the network, based on a fact that an arbitrary partial tree in the tree structure is smaller than an upstream partial tree containing the arbitrary partial tree.

11. The network structure information acquiring device according to claim 10, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the network structure analyzing unit determines the root node as the network device having a connection relationship first determined, and determines a connection relationship by identifying the network device having the largest number of downstream devices among the network devices connected to a downstream port of a network device having a connection relationship determined, as a network device connected directly to the downstream port of the network device having the connection relationship determined.

12. The network structure information acquiring device according to claim 11, wherein

when the network device having the connection relationship determined has a plurality of downstream ports, the network structure analyzing unit determines connection relationships on a downstream side in a parallel manner about at least two of the downstream ports.

13. The network structure information acquiring device according to claim 10, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the network structure analyzing unit first identifies the root node, and determines connection relationships by successively identifying devices connected to the upstream ports, starting from the network device having the largest number of downstream devices among the network devices other than the root node.

14. The network structure information acquiring device according to claim 10, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the network structure analyzing unit determines network devices having no downstream ports as edge nodes among the plurality of network devices, and determines connection relationships by successively identifying devices connected directly to downstream ports of the network devices other than the edge nodes, starting from the network device having the smallest number of downstream devices.

15. The network structure information acquiring device according to claim 10, wherein

when ports to which the root node is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports,

the network structure analyzing unit determines connection relationships by identifying network devices having no downstream ports as edge nodes among the plurality of network devices, detects a network device that has downstream devices connected thereto and all having connection relationships determined, and determines a connection relationship of the detected network device, the network device being detected from network devices other than network devices having connection relationships determined.

16. The network structure information acquiring device according to claim 10, wherein

the network devices are L2 switches, and

information about ports of the L2 switches and the L2 switches connected to each of the ports is acquired by SNMP.

17. A network structure information acquiring device that acquires information about connection relationships in a network formed with a plurality of L2 switches functioning as SNMP agents, the connection relationships being represented by a tree structure having a predetermined L2 switch as a root node,

the network structure information acquiring device comprising:

a port information acquiring unit that performs communications with the L2 switches by SNMP, acquires MAC addresses of ports of the L2 switches and all the L2 switches connected directly to the respective ports or indirectly to the respective ports via the other L2 switches, and stores the MAC addresses into a port information table; and

a network structure analyzing unit that determines the L2 switch having the largest number of L2 switches connected to downstream ports to be the root node having a connection relationship first determined among the L2 switches, when ports to which the network structure information acquiring device is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports among the respective L2 switches, and determines connection relationships by determining the L2 switch having the largest number of downstream devices to be the L2 switch connected directly to a downstream port of the L2 switch having a connection relationship determined, among the L2 switches connected to the downstream ports of the L2 switch having the connection relationship determined.

18. A network structure information acquiring device that acquires information about connection relationships in a network formed with a plurality of L2 switches functioning as SNMP agents, the connection relationships being represented by a tree structure having a predetermined L2 switch as a root node,

the network structure information acquiring device comprising:

a port information acquiring unit that performs communications with the L2 switches by SNMP, acquires MAC addresses of ports of the L2 switches and all the L2 switches connected directly to the respective ports or indirectly to the respective ports via the other L2 switches, and stores the MAC addresses into a port information table; and

a network structure analyzing unit that determines the L2 switches not having downstream ports to be edge nodes among the L2 switches, when ports to which the network structure information acquiring device is connected are defined as upstream ports, and the other ports are defined as downstream ports among the respective L2 switches, and determines connection relationships by successively identifying L2 switches connected directly to downstream ports of the L2 switches other than the edge nodes with reference to the port information table, starting from a network device having the smallest number of downstream devices.

19. A network structure information acquiring program implemented in a management terminal for acquiring information about connection relationships in a network formed with a plurality of network devices, the connection relationships being represented by a tree structure having a predetermined network device as a root node,

the network structure information acquiring program causing the management terminal to:

acquire information about ports held by each of the network devices, and network devices connected to each of the ports, from each of the network devices; and

determine connection relationships in the network, based on a fact that an arbitrary partial tree in the tree structure is smaller than an upstream partial tree containing the arbitrary partial tree.

20. A computer readable recording medium storing the network structure information acquiring program according to claim 19.