Patent ID: 6205122
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A system for automatic physical topology detection of a plurality of network elements on a network, comprising:(a) a plurality of agents, each of said plurality of agents being operated by a network element, said network element being an end node, wherein said end node operating each of said plurality of agents is a computer and each of said plurality of agents is a software module, said computer being connected to the network through a network connector device, at least a portion of said plurality of agents receiving at least one received message, such that each of said plurality of agents receiving said at least one received message is a receiving agent, said receiving agent analyzing said at least one received message to determine a source address of said at least one received message, each agent comprising:(i) a network monitor for binding to said network connector device of said computer and for detecting information received by said network connector device;(ii) a network parser for filtering said information detected by said network monitor according to at least one characteristic of said information; and(iii) a data transfer module for transferring said information to said CME; and(iv) a database for storing a list of known source addresses and known destination addresses for said information, such that if at least one of a source address or a destination address of said information is not known, said data transfer module sends an event to said CME with said unknown address; and(b) a central management engine (CME) for obtaining said source address of each received message, for determining a relative location of each of said receiving agents according to said source address of each received message, and for determining a physical topology map of the network according to at least said relative location of each of said receiving agents.