Method and apparatus for automatic discovery of network devices with data forwarding capabilities
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for automatic discovery of network devices within a managed network comprising the steps of:
- selecting a first network address from a first set comprising a plurality of network addresses;
sending a first message to said first network address requesting information about any device associated with said first network address;
awaiting a first appropriate response to said first message;
receiving a first appropriate response from a first device associated with said first network address;
determining if said first device provides routing capabilities;
if said first device provides routing capabilities, making said first device available for selection for management by a network management system;
selecting a second address from said first set of network addresses;
repeating said sending, and awaiting steps for said second network address.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, the present invention sends SNMP queries to sets and/or ranges of IP numbers to determine whether a network device exists at each IP number and whether the network device has IP forwarding capabilities. The set of IP numbers searched may be specified by specifying ranges or subnets or by providing a list of discrete IP numbers. When a new network device with IP forwarding capabilities is discovered, that network device is added to a list of discovered network devices. The list is displayed to the network manager. In one embodiment, in addition to discovering newly added devices via IP number polling, the invention also discovers newly added devices from SNMP messages (“traps”) broadcast by a newly added device. In one embodiment, each network device discovered as a result of a SNMP trap is added to the newly discovered device list.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for automatic discovery of network devices within a managed network comprising the steps of:
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selecting a first network address from a first set comprising a plurality of network addresses; sending a first message to said first network address requesting information about any device associated with said first network address; awaiting a first appropriate response to said first message; receiving a first appropriate response from a first device associated with said first network address; determining if said first device provides routing capabilities; if said first device provides routing capabilities, making said first device available for selection for management by a network management system; selecting a second address from said first set of network addresses; repeating said sending, and awaiting steps for said second network address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of managing from a network management system (NMS), network devices added to a communication network, comprising:
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discovering from the NMS a network device newly connected to said communication network; determining if said network device has routing capabilities; if said network device has routing capabilities, adding the network device to a list of detected devices and setting the status of said network device in said list set to uncommitted; and removing said network device from said list upon receiving confirmation that said network device should be managed from said NMS. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification