# US 9,521,043 B2 · Modeling computer network topology based on dynamic usage relationships

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- Number: US 9,521,043 B2
- Document ID: US9521043B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/165,684
- Filed: 2014-01-28
- Published: 2015-05-07
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-07
- Assignees: International Bussiness Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Ashish Billore; Divya K. Konoor; Nanjangud C. Narendra
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521043B2

## CPC

- H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies
- H04L 41/145: {involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network}
- H04L 43/045: for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
- H04L 43/0882: Utilisation of link capacity
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A method for modeling dependencies in a computing system including a plurality of resources, the method includes monitoring data communications made between the resources of the plurality of resources; modeling dependencies, at least among and between the resources, based, at least in part, upon the monitored data communications; and generating a set of topology graph(s), including at least a first topology graph, based upon the modeled dependencies.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
monitoring data communications between a plurality of resources in a computing environment;
generating usage data, based on the data communications, for a plurality of resources;
defining a resource pair from the plurality of resources, the resource pair including a first resource and a second resource, the data communications including a communication between the first resource and the second resource;
determining resource relationship data including the usage data corresponding to the resource pair;
computing a measure of bonding between the first resource and the second resource based, at least in part, on recency of the communication between the first resource and the second resource;
generating a set of topology graph(s) based upon the measure of bonding between the first resource and the second resource; and
displaying the set of topology graph(s), wherein the topology graph(s) indicate the measure of bonding between the pair of resources.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the measure of bonding between the resource pair is dynamically updated.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
the computing environment comprises a plurality of users; and
the monitoring of data communications further includes monitoring of data communications made between resources and users and between users and users.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
computing the measure of bonding is additionally based upon a member of a group consisting of:
volume of data communicated in data communication(s) in the pair; and
frequency of communications in the pair.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
computing the measure of bonding is additionally based upon a member of a group consisting of:
the entities involved in the data exchange; and
the characteristics of data exchanged.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of resources in the computing environment includes a sub-system virtual machine.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the resource relationship data includes transitive dependencies among resources and users.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein:
monitoring data communication occurs during a monitoring period; and
the recency of communication is with respect to an end of the monitoring period.