Discovery of network nodes and routable addresses

• US 8,331,263 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dow, Louis R
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, HOANG-CHUONG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/275,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,514 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/395.54, 370/392, 370/401, 709/223, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function

Abstract

Systems and related methods for discovering network nodes and routable addresses include a scan server, local link segment, an agent coupled to the local link segment, and a router coupled to place the scan server in communication with the agent. The scan server commands the agent to discover a network node coupled to the local link segment. The agent is responsive to commands from the scan server to discover a network node coupled to the local link segment. The agent also obtains a link-local address for the network node, and obtains a routable site-local address to which the link-local address maps. The agent provides the routable site-local address to the scan server.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one scan server within an enterprise network, the scan server configured to locate machines on the enterprise network and determine security states of the machines and services the machines are exposing on the enterprise network;

at least one local link segment within the enterprise network;

at least one agent within the enterprise network coupled to a corresponding one of the at least one local link segment; and

at least one router coupled to place one of the at least one scan server in communication with one of the at least one agent, the communication between the scan server and the agent flowing through the at least one router;

wherein responsive to a request of the scan server to discover at least one network node coupled to the local link segment, the agent is configured to;

send a query message on the local link segment,

maintain one or more responses from one or more network nodes on the local link segment within a predetermined time window after sending the query message, the predetermined time window being adjustable to compensate for noisiness and latency of the local link segment,

obtain a link-local address corresponding to a network node of the one or more network nodes,

convert the link-local address that is valid only within the local link segment to a routable site-local address that is valid within the enterprise network and invalid on a public network, and

provide the routable site-local address to the scan server via the at least one router, and

wherein a time delay between the scan server sending the request to the agent to discover the at least one network node and the agent providing the routable site-local address to the scan server is configured to be less than or equal to a preconfigured response time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the scan server includes a node discovery component adapted to issue commands to the agent and to receive the routable site-local address therefrom.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least a second local link segment and at least a second router placing the scan server in communication with the second local link segment, and further comprising at least a second agent coupled to the second local link segment, wherein the second agent is responsive to the scan server to discover at least a second network node coupled to the second local link segment, to obtain a second link-local address corresponding to the second network node, to obtain at least a second routable site-local address to which the second link-local address maps, and to provide the second routable site-local address to the scan server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the agent is configured to receive an address harvest command from the scan server via at least one of the at least one router, and is configured to issue a neighbor solicitation message to the network node of the one or more network nodes in response thereto.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the agent is configured to receive a neighbor advertisement message from the network node of the one or more network nodes in response to the neighbor solicitation message, wherein the neighbor advertisement message includes at least the link-local address.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bulk resolver component that is configured to receive the link-local address from the agent and to map the link-local address to the routable site-local address.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the routable site-local address includes 64 bits reserved for host addressing.

8. A method comprising:

under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions;

receiving a command to discover a plurality of network nodes coupled to a local link segment on an enterprise network, the command being received from a scan server configured to locate machines on the enterprise network and determine security states of the machines and services the machines are exposing on the enterprise network;

sending a message on the local link segment to discover the plurality of network nodes coupled to the local link segment;

maintaining one or more responses that are received from one or more network nodes within a predetermined time window after sending the message, the predetermined time window being adjustable to compensate for noisiness and latency of the local link segment;

converting one or more link-local addresses included in the one or more responses received from the one or more network nodes into one or more site-local addresses, wherein the one or more link-local addresses are valid only within the local link segment and the one or more site-local addresses are valid within the enterprise network and invalid on a public network; and

sending the one or more site-local addresses associated with the one or more network nodes to the scan server, wherein a time delay between receiving the command to discover the plurality of network nodes from the scan server and sending the one or more site-local addresses to the scan server is configured to be less than or equal to a preconfigured response time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the command includes receiving an address harvest command.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more responses include a neighbor advertisement message.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the message includes a neighbor solicitation message.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an address harvest command from the scan server via a router; and

issuing a neighbor solicitation message to the plurality of network nodes in response thereto.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving one or more neighbor advertisement messages from the one or more network nodes in response to the neighbor solicitation message, wherein the one or more neighbor advertisement messages include at least the one or more link-local addresses.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more site-local addresses include 64 bits reserved for host addressing.

15. One or more computer-usable storage memories for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform acts comprising:

receiving a command to discover a plurality of network nodes coupled to a local link segment on an enterprise network, the command being received from a scan server configured to locate machines on the enterprise network and determine security states of the machines and services the machines are exposing on the enterprise network;

sending a message on the local link segment to discover the plurality of network nodes coupled to the local link segment;

maintaining one or more responses that are received from one or more network nodes within a predetermined time window after sending the message, the predetermined time window being adjustable to compensate for noisiness and latency of the local link segment;

converting one or more link-local addresses included in the one or more responses received from the one or more network nodes into one or more site-local addresses, wherein the one or more link-local addresses are valid only within the local link segment and the one or more site-local addresses are valid within the enterprise network and invalid on a public network; and

sending the one or more site-local addresses associated with the one or more network nodes to the scan server, wherein a time delay between receiving the command to discover the plurality of network nodes from the scan server and sending the one or more site-local addresses to the scan server is configured to be less than or equal to a preconfigured response time.

16. The one or more computer-usable storage memories of claim 15, the acts further comprising:

receiving an address harvest command from the scan server via a router; and

issuing a neighbor solicitation message to the plurality of network nodes in response thereto.

17. The one or more computer-usable storage memories of claim 16, further comprising receiving one or more neighbor advertisement messages from the one or more network nodes in response to the neighbor solicitation message, wherein the one or more neighbor advertisement messages include at least the one or more link-local addresses.

18. The one or more computer-usable storage memories of claim 15, wherein the one or more site-local addresses include 64 bits reserved for host addressing.