Abstract: In a network of a plurality of machines and a server, the machines have self-organized into a linearly ordered sequence in accordance with a predefined order of their respective machine identifiers. The linearly ordered sequence includes one or more local segments each include a first machine followed by a sequence of second machines. A query regarding management information of a local segment is injected into the network at the first machine of the local segment. The query is forwarded along the local segment, and each machine in the local segment responds to the query by adding its own local information to any answers already accumulated in the payload of the query. A second machine in the local segment sends a report message containing aggregated management information that has been collected in the payload of the query to the server.

Abstract: Decoupling of a first machine from a plurality of machines in a network is disclosed. Each machine has a machine identifier. The plurality of machines are organized into a linearly ordered sequence in accordance with a predefined order of the machine identifiers. The first machine is configured to receive a query from a preceding machine and propagate the query to a succeeding machine in the linearly ordered sequence. Prior to decoupling from the network, the first machine informs respective presence of a first subset of machines to a second subset of machines that are not overlapping with the first subset of machines. The first subset of machines includes a machine having a lower machine identifier relative to the machine identifier of the first machine, and the second subset of machines includes a machine having a higher machine identifier relative to the machine identifier of the first machine.