# US 2014/0192682 A1 · Inferred Discovery of a Data Communications Device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192682 A1 - Document ID: US20140192682A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/200,624 - Filed: 2014-03-07 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-14 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Matthew E. Duggan; Daniel J. Martin; David M. Roberts - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192682A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L 41/122: of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV] - H04L 45/04: {Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the router comprises a forwarding table and the interface is associated with the forwarding table; the interface address is characterized by a /30 subnet mask. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the router is a provider edge router and the data communications device is a customer edge router. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the router is an EBGP speaker and the data communications device is an EBGP speaker. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 7 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. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 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. ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 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. ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 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. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim at position 14 14-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13 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. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13 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. ### Claim 19 (canceled) ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13 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. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 22 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, 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. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13, 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.