Method for discovering network device

• US 7,729,294 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameo Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cameo Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Yu, Ming Hsien
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck; Gregory B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmoudzadeh; Nima
• Application Number:
  US11/790,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery

Abstract

A method for discovering a network device is disclosed for executing a discovery procedure of the network device in a Data Link Layer (i.e. Layer 2 of OSI 7 Layers Model) via a Network Management Server (NMS) within a Local Area Network (LAN) system to discover other network devices within the LAN. Firstly, sending a discovery packet from a Network Management Server (NMS), wherein the discovery packet comprises a command for requesting the network device to send back a corresponding Media Access Control (MAC) address. Then, receiving the discovery packet by at least one of the network device, and generating a response packet corresponding to the discovery packet for sending the response packet, wherein the response packet comprises the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the network device. Then, receiving the response packet from the NMS for collecting the MAC address while ignoring an IP address in the response packet, and updating a device information table according to the MAC address for identifying the network device.

Claims

1. A method for discovering a network device, wherein a discovery procedure is executed via a Network Management Server (NMS) to discover at least one of the other network devices within a network system, the method executed by the NMS comprising:

(A) starting the discovery procedure;

(B) generating a discovery packet which comprises a command for requesting a network device to send back a corresponding Media Access Control (MAC) address;

(C) transmitting the discovery packet;

(D) receiving a response packet which is sent back by the network device corresponding to the discovery packet;

(E) analyzing the response packet for collecting the MAC address in the response packet; and

(F) updating a device information table according to the MAC address for identifying the network device;

wherein the step (E) further comprises the following steps;

(E1) checking if a signature included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E2);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E2) checking if a protocol version included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E3);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E3) checking if an interface version included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E4);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E4) collecting the MAC address included in the response packet, and going to the step (F); and

(E5) discarding the response packet.

2. The method for discovering the network device of claim 1, wherein the discovery procedure is executed in a communication protocol of a MAC layer, and wherein when the step (E) of analyzing the response packet is executed, an IP address in the response packet is omitted.

3. The method for discovering the network device of claim 1, further comprising a step between the steps (A) and (B), the step comprising:

(A1) clearing a content of the device information table.

4. The method for discovering the network device of claim 1, further comprising a step between the steps (B) and (C), the step comprising:

(B1) checking if the network system is ready to transmit the discovery packet;

if yes, go to the step (C);

if not, generating a transmission fault announcement.

5. The method for discovering the network device of claim 1, wherein the method executed by the network device further comprises:

(1) receiving the discovery packet;

(2) analyzing the discovery packet;

(3) generating the response packet according to the discovery packet which comprises the MAC address of the network device; and

(4) sending the response packet.

6. The method for discovering the network device of claim 5, wherein the step (2) further comprises a step, and the step comprises:

(2a) checking if a signature included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2b);

if not, go to step (2f);

(2b) checking if a protocol version included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2c);

if not, go to step (2f);

(2c) checking if a family type included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2d);

if not, go to step (2f);

(2d) checking if a command included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2e);

if not, fill a fault status into the response packet and then go to the step (4);

(2e) filling at least one device information of the network device including the MAC address into the response packet, and then go to step (4); and

(2f) discarding the discovery packet.

7. A method for discovering a network device, comprising:

sending a discovery packet from a Network Management Server (NMS);

receiving the discovery packet by at least one network device, and said network device generating a response packet corresponding the discovery packet for sending the response packet, wherein the response packet comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the network device; and

said NMS receiving the response packet for collecting the MAC address while ignoring an IP address in the response packet, and updating a device information table according to the MAC address for identifying the network device

wherein a process for sending the discovery packet executed by the NMS comprises;

(A) starting the discovery procedure;

(B) generating the discovery packet which comprises a command for requesting the network device to send back the corresponding Media Access Control (MAC) address; and

(C) transmitting the discovery packet;

wherein a process for collecting the MAC address comprises;

(E1) checking if a signature included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E2);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E2) checking if a protocol version included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E3);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E3) checking if an interface version included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E4);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E4) collecting the MAC address included in the response packet, and updating the device information table according to the MAC address for identifying the network device; and

(E5) discarding the response packet.

8. The method for discovering the network device of claim 7, further comprising a step between the steps (A) and (B), the step comprising:

(A1) clearing a content of the device information table.

9. The method for discovering the network device of claim 7, further comprising a step between the steps (B) and (C), the step comprising:

(B1) checking if the network system is ready to transmit the discovery packet;

if yes, go to the step (C);

if not, generating a transmission fault announcement.

10. The method for discovering the network device of claim 7, wherein the process for generating the response packet executed by the network device further comprises:

(a) checking if a signature included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (b);

if not, go to step (f);

(b) checking if a protocol version included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (c);

if not, go to step (f);

(c) checking if a family type included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (d);

if not, go to step (f);

(d) checking if a command included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (e);

if not, fill a fault status into the response packet and then send the response packet;

(e) filling at least one device information of the network device including the MAC address into the response packet, and then send the response packet; and

(f) discarding the discovery packet.

11. A method for discovering a network device, wherein a discovery procedure is executed via a Network Management Server (NMS) to discover at least one of other network devices within a network system, the method executed by the network device comprising:

(1) receiving a discovery packet which comprises a command for requesting the network device to send back a corresponding Media Access Control (MAC) address;

(2) analyzing the discovery packet;

(3) generating a response packet according the discovery packet which comprises the MAC address of the network device; and

(4) sending the response packet;

wherein the discovery procedure executed by the NMS comprises;

(A) starting the discovery procedure;

(B) generating the discovery packet which comprises the command for requesting the network device to send back the corresponding Media Access Control (MAC) address;

(C) transmitting the discovery packet;

(D) receiving the response packet which is sent back by the network device corresponding to the discovery packet;

(E) analyzing the response packet for collecting the MAC address in the response packet; and

(F) updating a device information table according to the MAC address for identifying the network device;

wherein step (E) further comprises the following steps;

(E1) checking if a signature included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E2);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E2) checking if a protocol version included in the response packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (E3);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E3) checking if an interface version included in the response packet is valid if yes go to step (E4);

if not, go to step (E5);

(E4) collecting the MAC address included in the response packet, and going to the step (F); and

(E5) discarding the response packet.

12. The method for discovering the network device of claim 11, wherein the step (2) further comprises:

(2a) checking if a signature included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2b);

if not, go to step (2f);

(2b) checking if a protocol version included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2c);

if not, go to step (2f);

(2c) checking if a family type included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2d);

if not, go to step (2f);

(2d) checking if a command included in the discovery packet is valid;

if yes, go to step (2e);

if not, fill a fault status into the response packet and then go to the step (4);

(2e) filling at least one device information of the network device including the MAC address into the response packet, and then go to step (4); and

(2f) discarding the discovery packet.

13. The method for discovering the network device of claim 11, wherein the discovery procedure is executed in a communication protocol of a MAC layer, and wherein when the step (E) of analyzing the response packet is executed, an IP address in the response packet is omitted.

14. The method for discovering the network device of claim 11, further comprising a step between the steps (A) and (B), the step comprising:

(A1) clearing a content of the device information table.

15. The method for discovering the network device of claim 11, wherein the response packet comprises a Data Link Layer (DLL) Header field, an IP header field, a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) header field, a version field, a MAC information field, a control code field, and a control data field.