Provided is a topology discovery method for an Ethernet network that can
effectively discover a physical topology with respect to the Ethernet
network of a mesh structure without developing and using a separate
control protocol. The topology discovery method in an Ethernet network
includes the steps of: acquiring an interface management information base
(MIB) and a bridge MIB; defining and storing information for discovering
a physical topology; discovering an edge bridge that divides a boundary
between a bridge network and a host network; discovering the physical
topology with respect to the bridge network by using the schema;
discovering the connection relationship with the host network by using an
address learning address forwarding table (AFT) with respect to the edge
bridge included in the bridge network; and outputting the connection
relationship of the bridge network and the host network as a graph.