Indirect addressing method and system for locating a target element in a communication network

• US 20050071456A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InfoVista SAS
• Original Assignee: InfoVista S.A.
• Inventors: Mathieu, Loic Pierre Alfred, Adda, Serge Henri Moise
• Granted Patent: US 7,412,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method of guaranteeing that a communication network server can reach an element that is remote from the network using a path or link which is automatically updated when the remote element is moved within the network. The method employs indirect addressing (lookup table), and is used, in particular, in network performance measuring systems.

Claims

1. Indirect addressing method for locating a target element in a communication network by means of a link composed of a first index and a descriptive name, characterized in that it comprises an updating process in which:

on the basis of said description name, the value of at least one description parameter is determined by means of a description table,

on the basis of the description parameter value thus determined, a second index is determined by means of an indexing table, and

the link henceforth composed of this second index and of the description name is updated.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it furthermore comprises a consultation process in which:

on the basis of a reference value of the description parameter, a new description name is determined by means of the description table,

on the basis of a reference index, a new value of the description parameter is determined by means of the indexing table, and

it is checked if the new description name and the new value of the description parameter thus determined respectively correspond to a reference description name and to said reference value of the description parameter;

in the affirmative, the target element is accessed via a reference link;

in the negative, the updating process is executed.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said description name is defined in the server as a value that can be assigned to a description variable, said description variable being defined by at least said description parameter.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said index is defined in the server as a value that can be assigned to an indexing variable, said indexing variable being defined by a set of indexing parameters, this set being at least a subset of the description parameters.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said index corresponds to an interface of a router to which said target element is connected.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the reference value of the description parameter, the reference description name, the reference index and the reference link correspond to the data used during a preceding consultation.

9. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said description name is defined in the server as a value that can be assigned to a description variable, said description variable being defined by at least said description parameter.

7. Indirect addressing system for locating a target element connected to a router of a communication network by means of a link composed of a first index and a description name, the server comprising means for retrieving information relating to said target element on the router, characterized in that the server furthermore comprises, during an updating process:

means for determining, on the basis of the description name and within a description table, the value of at least one description parameter,

means for determining, on the basis of the description parameter value thus determined and within an indexing table, a second index by means of the indexing table, and

means for updating said link henceforth composed of this second index and of said description name.

8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the server furthermore comprises, during a consultation process:

means for determining, on the basis of a reference value of said description parameter, a new description name by means of the description table,

means for determining, on the basis of a reference index, a new value of the description parameter by means of the indexing table, and

means for checking if the new description name and the new value of the description parameter thus determined respectively correspond to a reference description name and to said reference value of the description parameter;

in the affirmative, means for accessing the said target element via a reference link;

in the negative, means for executing the updating process.