Network multi-path discovery
View Patent ↗Potential paths between a source and destination of a network are identified based on trace-route information, then filtered to eliminate paths or links that are not supported by ancillary information associated with the network so as to identify feasible/actual paths between the source and destination. The ancillary information includes, for example, routing tables and ARP tables. If a feasible path cannot be identified based on the ancillary information, supplemental information regarding nodes further along the potential path is assessed to provide a basis for inferring the nodes that may provide a feasible path. The determined feasible paths are displayed for review, and provided to serve as filters for subsequent path-analysis tools.
1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
access first and second trace results related to each of a first and a second trace operation that each define one or more hops of at least a portion of a path between a source node to a destination node;
identify a pair of corresponding hops in the first and second trace results that include a first node in the first trace result that is different from a second node in the second trace result;
determine a first identified path from the source node toward the destination node that includes the first node, and a second identified path from the source node toward the destination node that includes the second node; and
store the first and second identified paths in a non-transitory computer-readable memory for subsequent analysis and display.
2. The medium of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second identified paths includes a last element associated with a given hop, and the program cause the processor to:
identify each of the nodes associated with a next hop after the given hop from the trace results, and
for each of the first and second identified paths:
identify each connected node of the nodes associated with the next hop that is connected to the last element of the identified path,
augment the identified path to include a first connected node associated with the next hop, and
for each other connected node, if any:
create a new identified path that includes the identified path up to the given hop, and the other connected node.
3. The medium of claim 2 , wherein the program causes the processor to identify at least one of the connected nodes by assessing configuration information associated with at least one of: the last element, and one or more nodes associated with the next hop.
4. The medium of claim 2 , wherein the program causes the processor to identify at least one of the connected nodes by obtaining subsequent trace results that are based on a trace operation that identifies the last element of the identified path.
5. The medium of claim 2 , wherein the program causes the processor to identify at least one of the connected nodes by assessing one or more previously determined paths in the network.
6. The medium of claim 2 , wherein, if no connected nodes are found, the program causes the processor to resolve this lack of connectivity by finding at least one element at a subsequent hop after the next hop that is connected to the last element, and inferring an identity of a node at the next hop that provides connectivity between the last element and the element at the subsequent hop.
7. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the program causes the processor to determine at least one of the first and second identified paths by a process that includes obtaining subsequent trace results based on a trace operation that identifies a last element of the first identified path immediately prior to the first node.
8. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the program causes the processor to determine at least one of the first and second identified paths by a process that includes assessing one or more previously determined paths in the network.
9. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the program causes the processor to determine at least one of the first and second identified paths by a process that includes resolving a lack of connectivity to at least one of the first and second nodes by finding at least one element at a subsequent hop after the same hop that is connected to an element prior to the at least one of the first and second nodes, and inferring an identity of the element prior to the at least one hop that provides connectivity to the at least one of the first and second nodes.
10. A method comprising:
accessing, by a network analysis system, first and second trace results related to each of a first and a second trace operation that each define one or more hops of at least a portion of a path between a source node to a destination node;
identifying, by the network analysis system, a pair of corresponding hops in the first and second trace results that include a first node in the first trace result that is different from a second node in the second trace result;
determining, by the network analysis system, a first identified path from the source node toward the destination node that includes the first node, and a second identified path from the source node toward the destination node that includes the second node; and
storing, in a memory of the network analysis system, the first and second identified paths for subsequent display and analysis.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second identified paths includes a last element associated with a given hop, and the method includes:
identifying each of the nodes associated with a next hop after the given hop from the trace results, and
for each identified path:
identifying each connected node of the nodes associated with the next hop that is connected to the last element of the identified path,
augmenting the identified path to include a first connected node associated with the next hop, and
for each other connected node, if any:
creating a new identified path that includes the identified path up to the given hop, and the other connected node.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method includes identifying at least one of the connected nodes by assessing configuration information associated with at least one of: the last element, and one or more nodes associated with the next hop.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein, if no connected nodes are found, the method includes resolving this lack of connectivity by finding at least one element at a subsequent hop after the next hop that is connected to the last element, and inferring an identity of a node at the next hop that provides connectivity between the last element and the element at the subsequent hop.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes determining at least one of the first and second identified paths by a process that includes assessing one or more previously determined paths in the network.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes determining at least one of the first and second identified paths by a process that includes resolving a lack of connectivity to at least one of the first and second nodes by finding at least one element at a subsequent hop after the same hop that is connected to an element prior to the at least one of the first and second nodes, and inferring an identity of the element prior to the at least one hop that provides connectivity to the at least one of the first and second nodes.
16. A network analysis system comprising:
a controller that is configured to access first and second trace results related to each of a first and a second trace operation that each define one or more hops of at least a portion of a path between a source node to a destination node;
one or more analysis tools that are configured to:
identify a pair of corresponding hops in the first and second trace results that include a first node in the first trace result that is different from a second node in the second trace result; and
determine a first identified path from the source node toward the destination node that includes the first node, and a second identified path from the source node toward the destination node that includes the second node;
a non-transitory computer-readable memory that is configured to store the first and second identified paths; and
a display that is configured to illustrate the first and second identified paths.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the analysis tools is configured to assess configuration information associated with the first node to facilitate determining the first identified path.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the analysis tools is configured to obtain subsequent trace results to facilitate determining at least one of the first and second identified paths.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the analysis tools is configured to assess one or more previously determined paths in the network to facilitate determining at least one of the first and second identified paths.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the analysis tools is configured to determine at least one of the first and second identified paths by a process that includes resolving a lack of connectivity to at least one of the first and second nodes by finding at least one element at a subsequent hop after the same hop that is connected to an element prior to the at least one of the first and second nodes, and inferring an identity of the element prior to the at least one hop that provides connectivity to the at least one of the first and second nodes.