Patent ID: 8917626

Claim:
A system for effecting communication management among a plurality of networks and at least one ex-system network employing a plurality of communication protocols; the system comprising: a respective edge network node coupled to serve each respective network of said plurality of networks; each said respective edge network node and coupled respective network using a substantially same respective communication protocol of said plurality of communication protocols; each said respective network carrying out communications with addressees outside said respective network via said respective edge network node; a gateway-capable edge network node communicatingly coupled with each said respective edge network node and communicatingly coupled with said at least one ex-system network; said at least one ex-system network being coupled with each said respective network only via said gateway-capable edge network node; said gateway-capable edge network node being configured for handling communications in each respective communication protocol of said plurality of communication protocols; said gateway-capable edge network node being configured for handling communications in appropriate communication protocols used by said at least one ex-system network; said plurality of networks communicating with each other via said gateway-capable edge network node; each said respective network communicating with said at least one ex-system network via said gateway-capable edge network node, wherein said gateway-capable edge network node is configured to obtain topology information using distributed node discovery mechanisms in a native networking protocol stack and compile and transmit the topology information to at least one said respective edge network node.