Network element discovery using a network routing protocol

• US 7,991,864 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koripalli, Rajeev, Appala, Syam Sundar, Zhang, Kui, Roy, Abhay, Patel, Alpesh, Joshi, Praveen
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, HASSAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/429,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/03 by updating link state protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users

Abstract

A data processing apparatus comprises instructions to perform sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a network routing protocol, such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF); obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities of the apparatus; creating a particular routing protocol message comprising an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and sending the particular message on one of the network interfaces. For example, a router or switch that implements a network routing protocol can use OSPF Opaque Link State Advertisements to advertise and discover services and capabilities of other routers or switches.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more network interfaces coupled to the processors and communicatively coupled to a telecommunications network;

a computer-readable medium comprising one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform;

sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a link state network routing protocol that uses advertisement messages;

obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities of the apparatus, wherein the one or more information elements comprise;

a policy used by a software element hosted on the apparatus; and

a digital certificate for a software element hosted on the apparatus;

creating a particular message that conforms to a network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

sending the particular message on one or more network interfaces.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:

receiving, from a node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe one or more capabilities of the node;

storing, in a data repository of the apparatus, an identification of the node in association with the one or more second information elements;

determining one or more capabilities that the one or more second information elements describe; and

creating and sending to the node, a request for the one or more capabilities.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more information elements describe a processing load metric for the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network routing protocol is any of Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System/Intermediate System (IS/IS).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more information elements describe any of:

a role of the apparatus or one or more compression algorithms available on the apparatus.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

means for sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a link state network routing protocol that uses advertisement messages;

means for obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities of the apparatus, wherein the one or more information elements comprise;

a policy used by a software element hosted on the apparatus; and

a digital certificate for a software element hosted on the apparatus;

means creating a particular message that conforms to a network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

means for sending the particular message on one or more network interfaces.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for receiving, from a node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe one or more capabilities of the node;

means for storing, in a data repository of the apparatus, an identification of the node in association with the one or more second information elements;

means for determining one or more capabilities that the one or more second information elements describe; and

means for creating and sending to the node, a request for the one or more capabilities.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more information elements describe a processing load metric for the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more information elements describe any of:

a role of the apparatus or one or more compression algorithms available on the apparatus.

10. A machine-implemented method comprising:

sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a link state network routing protocol that uses advertisement messages;

obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more capabilities of a first node, wherein the one or more information elements comprise;

a policy used by a software element hosted on the first node; and

a digital certificate for a software element hosted on the first node;

creating a particular message that conforms to a network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

sending the particular message on one or more network interfaces;

wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from a second data processing node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe one or more capabilities of a second node;

storing, in a data repository of the first node, an identification of the second node in association with the one or more second information elements;

determining one or more services that the one or more second information elements describe; and

creating and sending to the second node, a request for the one or more capabilities.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the network routing protocol is any of Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System/Intermediate System (IS/IS).

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more information elements describe any of:

a role of the apparatus or one or more compression algorithms available on the apparatus.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising volatile or non-volatile media, storing one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

sending and receiving one or more messages conforming to a link state network routing protocol that uses advertisement messages;

obtaining one or more information elements that specify one or more services of a first node, wherein the one or more information elements comprise;

a policy used by a software element hosted on the first node; and

a digital certificate for a software element hosted on the first node;

creating a particular message that conforms to a network routing protocol and comprises an opaque advertisement that includes the one or more information elements; and

sending the particular message on one or more network interfaces.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising sequences of instructions which, when performed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving, from a second data processing node that is coupled to the network, a second particular message comprising a second opaque advertisement that includes one or more second information elements that describe one or more services of a second node;

storing, in a data repository of the first node, an identification of the second node in association with the one or more second information elements;

determining one or more capabilities that the one or more second information elements describe; and

creating and sending to the second node, a request for the one or more capabilities.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more information elements describe any of:

a role of the apparatus or one or more compression algorithms available on the apparatus.