USING LINK STATE INFORMATION TO DISCOVER IP NETWORK TOPOLOGY

摘要

A system for determining a topology associated with a network such as an enterprise network (100). The system includes a data collection agent (204) configured to (a) identify a first set of routers (104c) from among a larger , second set of routers (104a-g) in an enterprise network (100), (b) contact each of the routers in the first set of routers (104c) but not each of the routers in the second set of routers (104a-g), and (c) load network information maintained by at least some of the contacted routers in the firs t set of routers (104c). The loaded network information can then be used to fo rm a network or routing topology of the enterprise network (100).