METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISCOVERING DEVICES IN A NETWORK

• US 20110103257A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Claise, Benoit, De Kegel, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 8,422,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes identifying whether there is a first device in a network that is expected to be associated with a discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on. The method also includes providing a notification to a management arrangement when the first device is identified. The management arrangement manages the network, and the notification indicates that the first device is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying whether there is a first device in a network that is expected to be associated with a discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on; and

providing a notification to a management arrangement when the first device is identified, the management arrangement being arranged to manage the network, wherein the notification is arranged to indicate that the first device is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the discovery protocol is one selected from the group including a Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) and a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the management application is a Network Management Server (NMS).

4. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying whether there is a first device in the network includes utilizing a second device in the network to identify whether there is the first device in the network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein utilizing the second device in the network to identify whether there is a first device in the network includes determining whether there is a first interface associated with the second device that is active and is arranged to be in communication with the first device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the notification includes an indication of an address associated with the first device and an indication of an interface type associated with the first interface.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the interface type is one selected from the group including a point-to-point interface type and a point-to-multipoint interface type.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the notification is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) notification.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is a propagation network, the method further including:

defining boundaries associated with the propagation network, wherein identifying whether there is a first device in the network that is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discover protocol turned on includes discovering the first device within the boundaries associated with the propagation network.

10. The method of claim 1 further including:

discovering new devices in the network, wherein discovering the new devices in the network includes identifying whether there is the first device in the network that is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on.

19. The logic of claim 10 wherein the network is a propagation network, the logic further being operable to:

define boundaries associated with the propagation network, wherein the logic operable to identify whether there is a first device in the network that is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discover protocol turned on is further operable to discover the first device within the boundaries associated with the propagation network.

20. The logic of claim 10 further operable to:

discover new devices in the network, wherein the logic operable to discover the new devices in the network includes the logic operable to identify whether there is the first device in the network that is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on.

11. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

identify whether there is a first device in a network that is expected to be associated with a discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on; and

provide a notification to a management arrangement when the first device is identified, the management arrangement being arranged to manage the network, wherein the notification is arranged to indicate that the first device is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on.

12. The logic of claim 11 wherein the discovery protocol is one selected from the group including a Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) and a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).

13. The logic of claim 12 wherein the management application is a Network Management Server (NMS).

14. The logic of claim 12 wherein the logic operable to identify whether there is a first device in the network is further operable to utilize a second device in the network to identify whether there is the first device in the network.

15. The logic of claim 14 wherein the logic operable to identify whether there is a first device in the network using the second device in the network is further operable to determine whether there is a first interface associated with the second device that is active and is arranged to be in communication with the first device.

16. The logic of claim 15 wherein the notification includes an indication of an address associated with the first device and an indication of an interface type associated with the first interface.

17. The logic of claim 16 wherein the interface type is one selected from the group including a point-to-point interface type and a point-to-multipoint interface type.

18. The logic of claim 16 wherein the notification is a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) notification.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying whether there is a first device in a network that is expected to be associated with a discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on; and

means for providing a notification to a management arrangement when the first device is identified, the management arrangement being arranged to manage the network, wherein the notification is arranged to indicate that the first device is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a processing arrangement;

at least one interface, the interface being configured to allow the apparatus to communicate on a network when the interface is active; and

an identification arrangement, the identification arrangement being configured to determine when the interface is active and, when the interface is active, to determine if the interface is in communication with a device that is expected to be associated with a discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on, wherein the identification arrangement is further configured to provide a notification that the device that is expected to be associated with a discovery protocol does not have the discovery protocol turned on if the interface is in communication with the device that is expected to be associated with the discovery protocol but does not have the discovery protocol turned on.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the discovery protocol is one selected from the group including a Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) and a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the identification arrangement is configured to provide the notification to a Network Management Server (NMS) associated with the network.