Dynamic discovery of ISO layer-2 topology

• US 7,548,540 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Roche, Willy, Vandenberghe, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thong H
• Application Number:
  US11/487,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 370/487, 370/254, 370/330, 370/389, 370/535, 370/258, 370/360, 370/416, 370/395
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A method is provided of determining a layer-2 topology of an IT infrastructure which includes layer-2 interconnect devices having ports. A list of layer-2 interconnect devices available in the IT infrastructure is obtained. Uplink and non-uplink ports of layer-2 interconnect devices are determined. All the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices are assigned to one initial group. The initial group is iteratively refined by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device and assigning all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.

Claims

1. A method of determining a layer-2 topology of an IT infrastructure comprising layer-2 interconnect devices having ports, the method comprising:

obtaining a list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure,

determining uplink and non-uplink ports of the layer-2 interconnect devices, wherein the uplink and non-uplink ports are determined by information stored in forward tables of the layer-2 interconnect devices, wherein the uplink ports of the layer-2 interconnect devices are the ports via which a root device is reachable and the non-uplink ports are all other ports,

assigning all the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices to one initial group, and

iteratively refining the initial group by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device of the initial group and assigning all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure is obtained from an external documentation database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure is obtained by sending a broadcast ping.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IT infrastructure has a tree structure or a tree structure is calculated on the IT infrastructure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forward tables are filled according to a backward learning algorithm and traffic is created by polling individual layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the forward table of a layer-2 interconnect device stores which other devices are reachable via which port.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the root device is a default gateway.

8. A computer system for determining a layer-2 topology of an IT infrastructure comprising layer-2 interconnect devices having ports, the computer system being programmed to:

obtain a list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure,

determine uplink and non-uplink ports of the layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices, wherein the uplink and downlink ports are determined by information stored in forward tables of the layer-2 interconnect devices, wherein the uplink ports of the layer-2 interconnect devices are the ports via which a root device is reachable and the non-uplink ports are all other ports,

assign all the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices to one initial group, and

iteratively refine the initial group by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device of the initial group and assign all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

obtaining a list of layer-2 interconnect devices and end devices available in the IT infrastructure,

determining uplink and non-uplink ports of the layer-2 interconnect devices, wherein the uplink and downlink ports are determined by information stored in forward tables of the layer-2 interconnect devices, wherein the uplink ports of the layer-2 interconnect devices are the ports via which a root device is reachable and the non-uplink ports are all other ports,

assigning all the, or a subset of the, layer-2 interconnect devices to one initial group, and

iteratively refining the initial group by selecting a layer-2 interconnect device of the initial group and assigning all layer-2 interconnect devices reachable via its non-uplink ports to new subgroups.