Patent ID: 7272644

Claim:
A method comprising: formulating an Extensible Markup Language (XML) discovery information query at a console, the console includes a managing device to manage network devices, wherein the XML discovery information query is initiated in one or more of the following ways automatically, and by a client; sending the XML discovery information query to a plurality of Internet content search engines to facilitate searching of discovery information relevant to the network devices, wherein at least one of the network devices includes an XML discovery information file, wherein at least one of the network devices does not include an XML discovery information file; in response to sending the XML discovery information query, receiving the following through the plurality of Internet content search engines: discovery information from the network devices that include an XML discovery information file, and discovery information from a proxy device for the network devices that do not include XML discovery information files; and using the retrieved discovery information to generate a network topology map for the network devices.