Patent ID: 7039696

Claim:
A method for generating a tuple representing relationships among connectors in a network, the method comprising: identifying a link directly coupling a host to a first port of a first connector; identifying an intermediate connection which indirectly couples the host to an intermediate port of an intermediate connector, wherein the intermediate connector is not aware of a connection to the first connector and the first connector is not aware of a connection to the intermediate connector; generating a new tuple identifying a relationship between the first connector and the intermediate connector based on the identified intermediate connection and the direct link between the host and the first port of the first connector, wherein the new tuple indicates that the first connector is directly coupled to the intermediate connector; determining whether the host is heard only by the first port of the first connector; if the host is heard only by the first port of the first connector, classifying the new tuple as a singly-heard host link tuple; determining if another connector hears the host as a singly-heard host; if another connector hears the host, classifying the new tuple as a singly-heard conflict link tuple; and resolving a conflict associated with the host between the first connector and the another connector.