System and method for identifying network topology information in multiple areas

Abstract

A system and method identifies topology information of an autonomous system as well as other autonomous systems, and can provide topology information in response to requests.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of identifying least cost path information between at least one source and at least one destination, comprising:
 coupling, to each of a plurality of areas in a network, at least one first device;   at each of the first devices, collecting routing information from at least one router in the respective area coupled to said first device;   at each of the first devices, providing to a second device route information responsive to the routing information collected;   at the second device, receiving the route information from the plurality of route collection devices;   at the second device, identifying at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination responsive to the route information received, the least cost path comprising a plurality of nodes; and   providing identifiers of the plurality of nodes in the at least one least cost path identified.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , additionally comprising receiving the at least one source and the at least one destination. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises at least one of the first devices. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a plurality of portions of the routing information each comprise a type of a plurality of types corresponding to at least one selected from the group comprising whether a metric is internal or external, and the format in which the routing information was received; and   the at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination is identified additionally responsive to the types of at least two of the plurality of portions of the routing information.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of types has a preference order; and   the at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination is identified additionally responsive to the preference of the types of at least two of the plurality of portions of the routing information.   
     
     
         6 . A method of identifying least cost path information between at least one source and at least one destination, comprising:
 a plurality of first devices, each coupled to at least one of a plurality of areas in a network, each of the first devices for collecting via an input/output routing information from at least one router in the respective area coupled to said first device and for providing via an output coupled to a second device route information responsive to the routing information collected;   the second device, for receiving at a first input the route information from the plurality of route collection devices, for identifying at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination responsive to the route information received, the least cost path comprising a plurality of nodes, and for providing at an output identifiers of the plurality of nodes in the at least one least cost path identified.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second device receives the at least one source and the at least one destination at a second input. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second device comprises at least one of the first devices. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 a plurality of portions of the routing information each comprise a type of a plurality of types corresponding to at least one selected from the group comprising whether a metric is internal or external, and the format in which the routing information was received; and   the at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination is identified by the second device additionally responsive to the types of at least two of the plurality of portions of the routing information.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of types has a preference order; and   the at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination is identified by the second device additionally responsive to the preference of the types of at least two of the plurality of portions of the routing information.   
     
     
         11 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for identifying least cost path information between at least one source and at least one destination, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:
 establish communications with route providing devices in each of a plurality of areas in a network, from at least one first device;   at each of the first devices, collect routing information from at least one router in the respective area coupled to said first device;   at each of the first devices, provide to at least one second device route information responsive to the routing information collected;   at at least one of the at least one second device, receive the route information from the plurality of route collection devices;   at at least one of the at least one second device, identify at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination responsive to the route information received, the least cost path comprising a plurality of nodes; and   provide from at least one of the at least one second device identifiers of the plurality of nodes in the at least one least cost path identified.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to receive the at least one source and the at least one destination. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the at least one second devices comprises at least one of the first devices. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein:
 a plurality of portions of the routing information each comprise a type of a plurality of types corresponding to at least one selected from the group comprising whether a metric is internal or external, and the format in which the routing information was received; and   the at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination is identified additionally responsive to the types of at least two of the plurality of portions of the routing information.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein:
 each of the plurality of types has a preference order; and   the at least one least cost path between the at least one source and the at least one destination is identified additionally responsive to the preference of the types of at least two of the plurality of portions of the routing information.