System and method for inferring connectivity among network segments in the absence of configuration information
View Patent ↗The present system includes a system, method and device for inferring connectivity between unconnected network segments. In operation, unconnected network segments are identified. Configuration data related to the unconnected network segments may be examined to facilitate inferring configuration data for an external network connected between the unconnected network segments. The inferred configuration data may be rendered, such as exported or visualized. The inferred configuration data may be related to a communication protocol and/or may be related to network bandwidth. The examined configuration data may be captured directly from one or more of the unconnected network segments and/or may be retrieved from a configuration data file, such as a network configuration model.
1. A method of inferring connectivity between unconnected network segments, the method comprising:
identifying, by a network analysis system, network segments that, based on available configuration data, are unconnected;
examining, by the network analysis system, the configuration data related to the unconnected network segments;
creating, by the network analysis system, an abstraction of at least one external network that is assumed to connect the unconnected network segments, the abstraction including two or more newly created interfaces and including one or more connections between these interfaces that are not directly identified in the configuration data;
inferring, by the network analysis system, routing protocol configuration data for each of the interfaces based on protocol information in the examined configuration data; and
rendering, by the network analysis system, the abstraction of the at least one external network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rendering includes exporting the inferred routing protocol configuration data to a network model.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rendering includes visually depicting the inferred routing protocol configuration data.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rendering includes altering a network model to include one or more elements that are representative of at least a portion of the external network.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protocol information corresponds to one of Autonomous System (AS), Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) information.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein inferring the configuration data includes generating a step-wise process for interaction with a user.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step-wise process is arranged to prompt the user to assist in making the inference.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein inferring the configuration data includes generating a user interface (UI).
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the UI is arranged comprising a first portion related to inferring the configuration data and a second portion related to associated help and wherein each of the first and second portions are depicted simultaneously within the UI.
10. The method of claim 1 , including retrieving the configuration data related to the unconnected network segments from a configuration file.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein retrieving the configuration data includes retrieving the configuration data from a network model.
12. The method of claim 1 , including retrieving the configuration data related to the unconnected network segments from the unconnected network segments.
13. The method of claim 1 , including inferring an Internet Protocol (IP) interface to the external network in a case wherein the configuration data for an interface of a previously unconnected network segment does not indicate one of Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) peering, Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF), and Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP).
14. The method of claim 13 , including creating and configuring the external network based on the inferred routing protocol configuration data.
15. A non-transient computer readable medium that stores an application that is configured to cause a processing system to:
identify, based on available configuration data, network segments that are unconnected;
examine the configuration data related to the unconnected network segments;
create an abstraction of at least one external network that is assumed to connect the unconnected network segments, the abstraction including two or more newly created interfaces and including connections between these interfaces that are not directly identified in the configuration data;
infer routing protocol configuration data for each of the newly created interfaces based on protocol information in the examined configuration data; and
render the abstraction of the at least one external network.
16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the application is configured to cause the processing system to export the inferred routing protocol configuration data to a network model.
17. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the application is configured to cause the processing system to visually depict the inferred routing protocol configuration data.
18. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the application is configured to cause the processing system to alter a network model to include one or more elements that are representative of at least a portion of the external network.
19. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the communication protocol is one of Autonomous System (AS), Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
20. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the application is configured to cause the processing system to generate a step-wise process.
21. The medium of claim 20 , wherein the step-wise process is arranged to prompt a user to assist in making the inference.
22. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the application is configured to cause the processing system to generate a user interface.
23. The medium of claim 22 , wherein the user interface is arranged comprising a first portion related to inferring the configuration data and a second portion related to associated help and the application is configured to cause the processing system to depict each of the first and second portions simultaneously within the user interface.
24. The method of claim 1 , including inferring an Autonomous System (AS) protocol for the external network in a case wherein the configuration data for an interface of a previously unconnected network segment indicates at least one of Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) peering, Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF), and Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP).
25. The method of claim 24 , including creating the external network and configuring the external network based on the inferred routing protocol configuration data.