Method and system for consolidating network topology in duplicate IP networks

• US 7,734,739 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Darren D., Natarajan, Srikanth
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, PELING ANDY
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn; William
• Application Number:
  US09/838,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20020156883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,336 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/221, 345734-736, 370/254
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092

Abstract

A method and system are described for managing a computer network. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a collection computer is assigned a management domain identifier uniquely associated with a management domain in which each collection computer resides. Information that includes the management domain identifier is received in at least one management computer from the collection computer. A database of the information accessed using the management domain identifier is maintained within the at least one management computer.

Claims

1. A method of managing a computer network, comprising the steps of:

assigning to at least one collection computer a management domain identifier uniquely associated with a management domain in which each collection computer resides;

receiving, in at least one management computer, information from the at least one collection computer that includes the management domain identifier and a trust flag to indicate a binary setting;

deciding whether the at least one management computer should resolve a hostname being reported by the at least one collection computer based on the binary setting of the trust flag; and

maintaining within the at least one management computer a database of the information accessed using the management domain identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning comprises the step of:

establishing at least one management domain, wherein each management domain includes at least one collection computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the management domain identifier is a domain name of the management domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is network topology information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving comprises the steps of:

receiving first information from a first collection computer, wherein the first information includes a first network address and a first management domain identifier;

receiving second information from a second collection computer, wherein the second information includes a second network address and a second management domain identifier, wherein the second network address is identical to the first network address;

comparing the second network address to the first network address using the second management domain identifier and the first management domain identifier;

assigning a network element associated with the second network address as a primary network element when the second network address belongs to a different management domain than the first network address; and

assigning the network element associated with the second network address as a secondary network element when the second network address belongs to a same management domain as the first network address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of maintaining comprises the step of:

using management domain identifiers to consolidate network topology information from collection computers having identical network addresses and belonging to different management domains.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of:

managing, by each collection computer, at least one network object; and

resolving, by each collection computer, a network address of each network object into a resolved network address included in the information received at the at least one management computer.

8. A system for managing a computer network, comprising:

a plurality of collection computers, wherein each collection computer is assigned a management domain identifier uniquely associated with a management domain in which each collection computer resides;

at least one management computer for receiving information, from the plurality of collection computers, that includes the management domain identifier and a trust flag to indicate a binary setting, the at least one management computer being capable of deciding whether to resolve a hostname in the information being reported by the collection computers based on the binary setting of the trust flag; and

at least one computer database for maintaining within the at least one management computer information accessed using the management domain identifier.