System and Method for Discovering Assets and Functional Relationships in a Network

• US 20100106742A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spirent Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mu Dynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Guruswamy, Kowsik
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/773
• 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

Abstract

A discovery system (and corresponding method and computer program product) for automatically discovering assets and their roles and functional relationships in a network system is described. In one aspect, the discovery system interrogates known assets through protocol messages, normalizes response messages, and contextually analyzes the normalized response message to identify additional assets and their roles and functional relationships with the interrogated assets. The discovery system can recursively interrogate newly discovered assets to discover additional assets. In another aspect of the present invention, the discovery system is scheduled to periodically interrogate known assets for up-to-date information of the assets and their roles and functional relationships. Such information can be used to provide various services.

Claims

1. A method for discovering assets and roles and functional relationships of the assets in a network including a plurality of related assets, each supporting one or more protocols, the method comprising:

(1) executing a query associated with a seed asset, the query representing a protocol message of a protocol supported by the seed asset, the seed asset being related to at least one of the plurality of related assets;

(2) contextually analyzing the query response for determining references to a first asset, a role of the first asset, and a functional relationship between the seed asset and the first asset based on a protocol grammar of the protocol;

(3) determining a query associated with the first asset based on the role and the functional relationship; and

(4) recursively applying steps (1) through (3) for determining references to assets and their roles and functional relationships.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein recursively applying steps (1) through (3) further comprises recursively applying steps (1) through (3) using a protocol different from the protocol supported by the seed asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the functional relationship between the seed asset and the first asset is associated with a protocol independent from the protocol supported by the seed asset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises one of the following:

a service, an interface, a domain, an application, a server, a host, and a subnet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(5) normalizing the query response into a structured document based on the protocol grammar of the protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein data in the query response is stored and indexed for subsequent searches.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(5) continuously applying steps (1) through (3) to all known assets to keep information about the known assets up-to-date.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(5) receiving a network range for network addresses of assets of interest, wherein contextually analyzing the query response further comprises;

(2.1) comparing a network address of the first asset against the network range, and

(2.2) responding to the network address being outside the network range, not determining the query associated with the first asset based on the role and the functional relationship.

9. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions recorded thereon for discovering assets and roles and functional relationships of the assets in a network including a plurality of related assets, each supporting one or more protocols, the computer program instruction comprising instructions for:

(1) executing a query associated with a seed asset, the query representing a protocol message of a protocol supported by the seed asset, the seed asset being related to at least one of the plurality of related assets;

(2) contextually analyzing the query response for determining references to a first asset, a role of the first asset, and a functional relationship between the seed asset and the first asset based on a protocol grammar of the protocol;

(3) determining a query associated with the first asset based on the role and the functional relationship; and

(4) recursively applying steps (1) through (3) for determining references to assets and their roles and functional relationships.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein recursively applying steps (1) through (3) further comprises recursively applying steps (1) through (3) using a protocol different from the protocol supported by the seed asset.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the functional relationship between the seed asset and the first asset is associated with a protocol independent from the protocol supported by the seed asset.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the asset comprises one of the following:

a service, an interface, a domain, an application, a server, a host, and a subnet.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program instruction further comprises instructions for:

(5) normalizing the query response into a structured document based on the protocol grammar of the protocol.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein data in the query response is stored and indexed for subsequent searches.

15. An apparatus for discovering assets and roles and functional relationships of the assets in a network including a plurality of related assets, each supporting one or more protocols, the apparatus comprising:

means for executing a query associated with a seed asset, the query representing a protocol message of a protocol supported by the seed asset, the seed asset being related to at least one of the plurality of related assets;

means for contextually analyzing the query response for determining references to a first asset, a role of the first asset, and a functional relationship between the seed asset and the first asset based on a protocol grammar of the protocol; and

means for determining a query associated with the first asset based on the role and the functional relationship;

wherein the above means recursively interrogate discovered assets for determining references to additional assets and their roles and functional relationships.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the above means recursively interrogate discovered assets for determining references to additional assets and their roles and functional relationships using a protocol different from the protocol supported by the seed asset.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the functional relationship between the seed asset and the first asset is associated with a protocol independent from the protocol supported by the seed asset.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the asset comprises one of the following:

a service, an interface, a domain, an application, a server, a host, and a subnet.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for normalizing the query response into a structured document based on the protocol grammar of the protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein data in the query response is stored and indexed for subsequent searches.