NETWORK MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY TOOL

• US 20100306360A1
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Duggan, Matthew E., Martin, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for discovering network paths between network devices in a distance-vector network are provided. The method may include providing a node model of network devices in a distance-vector network. The node model may include a network address corresponding to a network device. The network address may be used to query the network device for routing information. This routing information may be used to identify another network address corresponding to a second network device, and to identify a path from the first network device to the second network device. These devices and the path therebetween may be mapped in the node model. Finally, the second network device may be queried for subsequent routing information to identify and map subsequent devices and paths.

Claims

1. A method for discovering network paths between network devices in a distance-vector network, the method comprising:

providing a node model of network devices in a distance-vector network, the node model comprising a first network address corresponding to a first network device;

querying the first network device for routing information using the first network address;

identifying a second network address corresponding to a second network device and further identifying a path from the first network device to the second network device based on the routing information;

mapping, in the node model, the first and the second network devices and the path therebetween; and

querying the second network device for subsequent routing information to identify and map subsequent devices and paths.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the routing information, a first and a second network device port corresponding to the path; and

mapping, in the node model, the first and the second network device ports and the path between the first and the second network device ports.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising iteratively identifying and mapping subsequent network device ports and paths.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying, based on the routing information, a first and a second network device port load corresponding to the path; and

mapping, in the node model, the first and the second network device port loads.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising iteratively identifying and mapping subsequent network device port loads.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of querying the first network device and querying the second network device comprises communicating with each of the first and the second network devices in its same network device language.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing information comprises a data structure of “

next-hops.”

8. An apparatus for discovering network paths between network devices in a distance-vector network, the apparatus comprising:

an object server configured to provide a node model of network devices in the distance vector network including a network address of first network device;

the object server further configured to query the first device for routing information using the network address;

the object server further configured to identify a second network address corresponding to a second network device and to identify a path from the first network device to the second network device based on the routing information;

the object server further configured to map the first and second network devices and the path between the first and second network devices in the node model; and

the object server further configured to query the second network device for subsequent routing information to identify and map subsequent devices and paths.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the object server is further configured to:

identify, based on the routing information, a first and a second network port corresponding to the path;

map, in the node model, the first and the second network device ports and the path between the first and second network device ports.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the object server is further configured to identify and map subsequent network device ports based on the subsequent routing information.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the object server is further configured to:

identify a first and a second network port load with respect to the path from the routing information; and

map the first and the second network device port load in the node model.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the object server is further configured to identify and map subsequent network device port loads based on the subsequent routing information.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising at least one network probe to enable the object server to communicate with each of the first and the second network devices in its same network device language.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the routing information comprises a data structure of “

next-hops.”

15. A computer program product for discovering network paths between network devices in a distance-vector network, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium having a computer-usable program code embodied therein, the computer-usable program code comprising;

computer-usable program code for providing a node model of network devices in the distance-vector network including a network address of first network device;

computer-usable program code for querying the first network device for routing information using the network address;

computer-usable program code for identifying a second network address corresponding to a second network device and further identifying a path from the first network device to the second network device based on the routing information;

computer-usable program code for mapping, in the node model, the first and the second network devices and the path therebetween; and

computer-usable program code for querying the second network device for subsequent routing information to identify and map subsequent devices and paths.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for identifying, based on the routing information, a first and a second network device port with respect to the path; and

computer-usable program code for mapping, in the node model, the first and the second network device ports and the path between the first and the second network device ports.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer-usable program code for iteratively identifying and mapping subsequent network device ports and paths based on the subsequent routing information.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for identifying, based on the routing information, a first and a second network device port load corresponding to the path; and

computer-usable program code for mapping, in the node model, the first and the second network device port loads.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising computer-usable program code for iteratively identifying and mapping subsequent network device port loads based on the subsequent routing information.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer-usable program code for communicating with each of the first and the second network devices in its same network device language.