APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR DETERMINING NETWORK TOPOLOGY OF A NETWORK-BASED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY FOR OVERCOMING DEFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH AN EXISTING SNMP-BASED ACCESS

摘要

PURPOSE: An apparatus and method for determining a network topology are provided to offer operation topology information based on actual traffic flows and avoid shortcomings associated with an existing SNMP-based access. CONSTITUTION: At least one communication is generated between a selected pair of end point devices(102-1-102-M) associated with a network(106). The communication is transmitted from the first end point device(102-1) to the second end point device(102-2), and then, returned from the second end point device(102-2) to the first point device(102-1). In order to determine network topology information featuring at least a portion of the network(106), information included in the communication received from the second end point device(102-2) to the first end point device(102-1) is processed. The network topology information includes nodes and edges of the network(106). The communication includes at least one packet.