Automated network service discovery and communication

• US 9,923,978 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Cuong, Perusse, Jr., Charles T., Hass, Jon Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): FOUD, HICHAM B
• Application Number:
  US14/682,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A network switch includes a service registration database and a service discovery engine that is coupled to the service registration database. The service discovery engine receives a first service registration over a network from a first service included on a first service device and, in response, stores the first service registration in the service registration database. The service discovery engine then receives a multicast service discovery message over the network from a target device. The service discovery message includes a service identification. The service discovery engine then determines that the service identification is associated with the first service registration stored in the service registration database and, in response, sends a unicast service communication message over the network to the target device. The service communication message includes communication information for the first service. The service registration database may store a plurality of different service registrations for respective different services.

Claims

1. A networked system, comprising:

a service system;

a target system; and

a first network switch that is coupled to the service system and the target system through a network, wherein the first network switch performs operations including;

receiving a registration from a service included on the service system;

receiving a discovery message from the target system;

determining that the discovery message corresponds to the service from which the registration was received; and

sending, in response to determining that the discovery message corresponds to the service from which the registration was received, information to the target system that facilitates communication by the target system through the network with the service via the service system.

2. The networked system of claim 1, wherein the target system includes a target that is configured to cause a first remote access controller included in the target system to perform operations including:

using the information to communicate through the network with the service via the service system.

3. The networked system of claim 2, wherein the service is configured to cause a second remote access controller included in the service system to perform operations including:

managing the target in response to the communication between the target and the service.

4. The networked system of claim 1, wherein the first network switch performs operations including:

determining that the service is designed to register with the first network switch and, in response, storing the registration.

5. The networked system of claim 1, wherein the first network switch performs operations including:

determining that the service is authorized to register with the network switch and, in response, storing the registration.

6. The networked system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second network switch that includes a port that is directly connected to the target system, and the second network switch performs operations including;

receiving, from the first network switch, the information that facilitates communication through the network with the service via the service system;

snooping the information to determine a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN); and

associating the VLAN to the port.

7. The networked system of claim 1, wherein the discovery message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address that is not registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

8. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a network switch chassis housing a plurality of network switch ports;

a processor that is housed in the network switch chassis that is coupled to the plurality of network switch ports; and

a memory system that is housed in the network switch chassis that is coupled to the processor and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, through a network via at least one of the plurality of network switch ports, a first registration from a first service included on a first service system;

receive, through the network via at least one of the plurality of network switch ports, a first discovery message from a first target included on a first target system; and

determine that the first discovery message corresponds to the first service from which the first registration was received;

send, through the network via at least one of the plurality of network switch ports and in response to determining that the first discovery message corresponds to the first service from which the first registration was received, information to the target system that facilitates communication by the target system through the network with the first service via the first service system.

9. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine that the first service is designed to register for discovery by the first target and, in response, store the first registration.

10. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine that the first service is authorized to register for discovery by the first target and, in response, store the first registration.

11. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive, through the network via at least one of the plurality of network switch ports, a second registration from a second service included on a second service system;

receive, through the network via at least one of the plurality of network switch ports, a second discovery message from a second target included on a second target system; and

determine whether the second discovery message corresponds to at least one of the first service from which the first registration was received and the second service from which the second registration was received; and

send, through the network via at least one of the plurality of network switch ports and in response to determining that the second discovery message corresponds to the at least one the first service from which the first registration was received and the second service from which the second registration was received, information to the second target that facilitates communication through the network with the at least one of the first service via the first service system and the second service via the second service system.

12. The IHS of claim 11, wherein the memory system includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine that the second discovery message does not correspond to the at least one the first service from which the first registration was received and the second service from which the second registration was received; and

forward, through the network via at least one of the plurality of network switch ports and in response to determining that the second discovery message does not correspond to the at least one the first service from which the first registration was received and the second service from which the second registration was received, the second discovery message.

13. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the first discovery message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address that is not registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).

14. A method for facilitating communication between a target and a service, comprising:

receiving, by a first network switch through a network, a registration from a service that is included on a service system;

receiving, by the first network switch through the network, a discovery message from a target that is included in a target system;

determining, by the first network switch, that the discovery message corresponds to the service from which the registration was received; and

sending, by the first network switch in response to determining that the discovery message corresponds to the service from which the registration was received, information to the target that facilitates communication by the target system through the network with the service via the service system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

using, by a first remote access controller associated with the target, the information to communicate through the network with the service via the service system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

managing, by a second remote access controller associated with the service, the target in response to the communication between the target and the service.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the first network switch, that the service is designed to register with the first network switch and, in response, storing the registration.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the first network switch, that the service is authorized to register with the first network switch and, in response, storing the registration.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by a second network switch that is directly connected to the target system through a port from the first network switch, the information that facilitates communication through the network with the service via the service system;

snooping, by the second network switch, the information to determine a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN); and

associating, by the second network switch, the VLAN to the port.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the discovery message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address that is not registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).