Patent ID: 8549124

Claim:
A method for building a network map of network devices in a distance-vector network, the method comprising: performing the following in an environment using Internal Border Gateway Protocol (iBGP) sessions between software loopback interfaces: providing a network model of network devices in a distance-vector network, the network model comprising a first network address corresponding to a first network device; querying the first network device for first routing information using the first network address; using the first routing information, identifying a second network address corresponding to a second network device and identifying a first path from the first network device to the second network device; mapping, in the network model, the first and second network devices and the first path therebetween; querying the second network device for second routing information to identify and map subsequent devices and paths; and building, as part of the network model, a node table and a path table, the node table identifying each node in the distance-vector network, and the path table identifying each path in the distance-vector network including physical device ports associated with each path.