AUTOMATED NETWORK SERVICE DISCOVERY AND COMMUNICATION

• US 20150215408A1
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Cuong, Perusse, Charles T. Jr., Hass, Jon Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,923,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A network switch includes a service registration database and a service discovery engine that is coupled to the service registration database. The service discovery engine receives a first service registration over a network from a first service included on a first service device and, in response, stores the first service registration in the service registration database. The service discovery engine then receives a multicast service discovery message over the network from a target device. The service discovery message includes a service identification. The service discovery engine then determines that the service identification is associated with the first service registration stored in the service registration database and, in response, sends a unicast service communication message over the network to the target device. The service communication message includes communication information for the first service. The service registration database may store a plurality of different service registrations for respective different services.

Claims

1. A network, comprising:

a service system;

a target system;

a registration system that is coupled to the service system and the target system, wherein the registration system is configured to;

receive a registration from a service included on the service system;

receive a discovery message from the target system; and

determine that the discovery message corresponds to the service from which the registration was received and, in response, send the target system information that facilitates communication with the service.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the target system includes a target that is configured to:

use the information to communicate with the service.

3. The network of claim 2, wherein the service is configured to manage the target in response to the communication between the target and the service.

4. The network of claim 1, wherein the registration service is configured to:

determine that the service is designed to register with the registration system and, in response, store the registration.

5. The network of claim 1, wherein the registration service is configured to:

determine that the service is authorized to register with the registration system and, in response, store the registration.

6. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

a networking system that includes a port that is directly connected to the target system and that is configured to;

receive the information that facilitates communication with the service from the registration system;

snoop the information to determine a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN); and

associate the VLAN to the port.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein the discovery message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address that is not registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

8. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a communication system that is configured to couple to a network;

a processing system that is coupled to the communication system; and

a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to;

receive a first registration from a first service through the network;

receive a first discovery message from a first target through the network; and

determine that the first discovery message corresponds to the first service from which the first registration was received and, in response, send the first target information that facilitates communication with the first service through the network.

9. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:

determine that the first service is designed to register for discovery by the first target and, in response, store the registration.

10. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:

determine that the first service is authorized to register for discovery by the target and, in response, store the registration.

11. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:

receive a second registration from a second service through the network;

receive a second discovery message from a second target through the network; and

determine whether the second discovery message corresponds to at least one the first service from which the first registration was received and the second service from which the second registration was received and, if so, send the second target information that facilitates communication with the at least one of the first service and the second service through the network.

12. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:

determine that the second discovery message does not correspond to the at least one the first service from which the first registration was received and the second service from which the second registration was received and, in response, forward the second discovery message through the network.

13. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the first discovery message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address that is not registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

14. A method for facilitating communication between a target and a service, comprising:

receiving, by a registration system through a network, a registration from a service that is included on a service system;

receiving, by the registration system through the network, a discovery message from a target that is included in a target system; and

determining, by the registration, that the discovery message corresponds to the service from which the registration was received and, in response, sending the target information that facilitates communication with the service through the network.

15. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

using, by the target, the information to communicate with the service through the network.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the registration system, that the service is designed to register with the registration system and, in response, storing the registration.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the registration system, that the service is authorized to register with the registration system and, in response, storing the registration.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by a networking system that is directly connected to the target system through a port, the information that facilitates communication with the service from the registration system;

snooping, by the networking system, the information to determine a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN); and

associating, by the networking system, the VLAN to the port.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the discovery message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address that is not registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

16. The method of claim 16, wherein the service is configured to manage the target in response to the communication between the target and the service.