Inferred discovery of a data communications device

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products for inferred discovery of a data communications device connected to a router, unreachable by a management module, and characterized by a device address are disclosed that include querying, by the management module, the router for connection data and identifying, by the management module in dependence upon the connection data, the device address.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of inferred discovery of a data communications device connected to a router, unreachable by a management module, and characterized by a device address, the method comprising:
 querying, by the management module, the router for connection data, wherein the connection data comprises an interface address of an interface of the router; 
 generating, by the management module in dependence upon the connection data, the device address at least by performing an operation on the interface address to generate the device address from the interface address; and 
 monitoring, by the management module, the data communications device based upon the device address. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the router comprises a forwarding table and the interface is associated with the forwarding table, and 
 the interface address is characterized by a /30 subnet mask. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein the router is a provider edge router and the data communications device is a customer edge router. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the router is part of an autonomous system that is managed by the management module, the data communications device is part of an autonomous system that is not managed by the management module, the router further comprises a management information base that includes information describing devices in the autonomous system that is not managed by the management module. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the router is an EBGP speaker and the data communications device is an EBGP speaker. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein monitoring the data communications device further comprises:
 creating, in a network model by the management module, a representation of the data communications device; and 
 monitoring, by the management module, the data communications device based on the network model. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation performed on the interface address comprises a bit inversion operation, and wherein the operation performed on the interface address comprises inverting the last two bits of the interface address to generate the device address for a /30 subnet. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation performed on the interface address comprises an operation performed on bits of the interface address that results in generation of the device address from the interface address. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus for inferred discovery of a data communications device connected to a router, unreachable by a management module, and characterized by a device address, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to:
 query, by the management module, the router for connection data, wherein the connection data comprises an interface address of an interface of the router; 
 generate, by the management module in dependence upon the connection data, the device address at least by performing an operation on the interface address to generate the device address from the interface address; and 
 monitor, by the management module, the data communications device based upon the device address. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein:
 the router comprises a forwarding table and the interface is associated with the forwarding table, and 
 the interface address is characterized by a /30 subnet mask. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the router is part of an autonomous system that is managed by the management module, the data communications device is part of an autonomous system that is not managed by the management module, the router further comprises a management information base that includes information describing devices in the autonomous system that is not managed by the management module; and
 querying the router for connection data further comprises: 
 retrieving, by the management module from the management information base as part of the connection data, information describing devices in the autonomous system that is not managed by the management module. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 9  further comprises computer program instructions to monitor the data communications device that cause the apparatus to:
 create, in a network model by the management module, a representation of the data communications device; and 
 monitor, by the management module, the data communications device based on the network model. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the operation performed on the interface address comprises a bit inversion operation, and wherein the operation performed on the interface address comprises inverting the last two bits of the interface address to generate the device address for a /30 subnet. 
     
     
       14. A computer program product for inferred discovery of a data communications device connected to a router, unreachable by a management module, and characterized by a device address, the computer program product disposed in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:
 query, by the management module, the router for connection data, wherein the connection data comprises an interface address of an interface of the router; 
 generate, by the management module in dependence upon the connection data, the device address at least by performing an operation on the interface address to generate the device address from the interface address; and 
 monitor, by the management module, the data communications device based upon the device address. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer program product of  claim 14  wherein:
 the router comprises a forwarding table and the interface is associated with the forwarding table, and 
 the interface address is characterized by a /30 subnet mask. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer program product of  claim 14  wherein the router is part of an autonomous system that is managed by the management module, the data communications device is part of an autonomous system that is not managed by the management module, the router further comprises a management information base that includes information describing devices in the autonomous system that is not managed by the management module; and
 querying the router for connection data further comprises: 
 retrieving, by the management module from the management information base as part of the connection data, information describing devices in the autonomous system that are not managed by the management module. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer program product of  claim 14  further comprises computer program instructions to monitor the data communications device that further cause the computing device to:
 create, in a network model by the management module, a representation of the data communications device; and 
 monitor, by the management module, the data communications device based on the network model. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the operation performed on the interface address comprises a bit inversion operation, and wherein the operation performed on the interface address comprises inverting the last two bits of the interface address to generate the device address for a /30 subnet.