Patent attributes
A system and method for discovering network topology by various switch training and probing methods. Segments are discovered by having computers enter a promiscuous mode and determining from packets sent to a selected computer which computers see which other computers in the network. From the segments, various switch interconnections are determined, by having different computers train switches as to a training address and seeing which computers receive probe packets sent to that training address from another computer. Various training and probing methods are described that locate intermediate segments, deep switches, switch interconnections, and edge and singleton cases. In one implementation, a master computer coordinates the other computers (and devices) in the network to send the training and probing packets, and report on received packets, in order to determine the network topology.
