US Patent 7953845 Network-specific estimation in network node discovery

Network node discovery is implemented using parameters reflecting network-specific characteristics. Estimates of the number of active nodes in a network are computed based on the presence of dead time (e.g., due to clock latency, device driver delays, etc.), network topology, packet size, network capacity, a tolerable network overload threshold, and other characteristics. A network node enumeration process is therefore parameterized to incorporate consideration of such characteristics. A damping factor that incorporates dead time to set a lower bound for an estimate of remaining active nodes in a network is one example of a network-specific parameter.