Mechanism for determining actual physical topology of network based on gathered configuration information representing true neighboring devices

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The foregoing needs, and other needs and objects that will become apparent from the following description, are achieved in the present invention, which comprises, in one aspect, a method for determining a physical topology of a network, comprising the computer-implemented steps of discovering a plurality of devices that are located in the network based on each address within a set of network addresses and creating and storing information representing the plurality of devices; determining possible neighboring devices for each device in the plurality of devices; processing the configuration information to eliminate, from among the possible neighboring devices, each device that is not actually a neighbor of the plurality of devices to create information representing true neighboring devices and each link between them; and creating and storing information that represents the topology based on the information representing the plurality of devices and the information representing the true neighboring devices and each link.
One feature involves eliminating, from among the information representing the plurality of devices, information associated with each device that is incorrectly identified as a known device.
Another feature involves receiving Layer 2 and Layer 3 configuration information from each device in the plurality of devices.
Still another feature relates to determining possible neighboring devices includes the step of sending information requests to collect Layer 2 and Layer 3 configuration information from the plurality of devices.
A related feature is that the configuration information identifies what network addresses are received on what ports of each device among the plurality of devices.
According to another feature, the method features receiving one or more ranges of network addresses.
A related feature relates to receiving one or more ranges of IP addresses, wherein the one or more ranges of IP addresses are associated with IP addresses that correspond to one or more local area networks