Method for diagnosing the availability of network subscribers in an IP-based network

A network subscriber for an internet-protocol (IP) based network, in which each of a plurality of network subscribers is allocated, in one or more address ranges, at least one respective address at which the each network subscriber is available to another network subscriber, wherein the network (100) includes:

• a first network subscriber including a first diagnostic application and having at least one respective first address allocated in at least one of the address ranges, a first guideline stored in the first network subscriber stipulating which of the allocated first addresses needs to be used for communication with other network subscribers;
• a second network subscriber including a first diagnostic application and having at least one respective second address allocated in at least one of the address ranges, a second guideline stored in the second network subscriber stiuplating which of the allocated second addresses needs to be used for communication with the other network subscribers, the network subscriber being the first network subscriber (101) and comprising:
• a) a name resolver which resolves a name of the second network subscriber, the result obtained for the name resolution being addresses of address ranges allocated to the second network subscriber (102);
• b) an address list producer which produces an address list from the obtained addresses;
• c) an examiner which performs, for each of the addresses in the address list, a separate examination of communication capability between the first network subscriber and the second network subscriber;
• and
• d) an evaluator which evaluates and provides a result of the performed examination.

An internet-protocol (IP) based network having a plurality of network subscribers, in which each of the network subscribers is allocated, in one or more address ranges, at least one respective address at which the each network subscriber is available to another network subscriber, the network comprising:

• a first network subscriber including a first diagnostic application and having a respective first address allocated in at least one of the address ranges, a first guideline stored in the first network subscriber stipulating which of the allocated first addresses needs to be used for communication with other network subscribers;
• and
• a second network subscriber including a first diagnostic application and having a respective second address allocated in at least one of the address ranges, a second guideline stored in the second network subscriber stipulating which of the allocated second addresses needs to be used for communication with the other network subscribers;
• wherein the first network subscriber (101) comprises:
• a) a name resolver which
• resolves a name of the second network subscriber,
• the result obtained for the name resolution being addresses of address ranges allocated to the second network subscriber;
• b) an address list producer which produces an address list from the obtained addresses;
• c) an examiner which performs, for each of the addresses in the address list, a separate examination of communication capability between the first network subscriber and the second network subscriber;
• and
• d) an evaluator which evaluates and provides a result of the performed examination.