A system, method, and network node for discovering network nodes and management information distributed in different strongly connected components, SCCs, in a traffic network. When a network node in a first SCC receives a request at an application layer for network management information, the node determines whether it can reach other nodes at the application layer. If not, the node utilizes a functional overlay layer known as the Data Discovery and Distribution, D3, layer to identify and select a set of neighboring nodes to receive the request. The selection procedure provides good probabilistic guarantees that the selected neighbors will include at least one neighbor in a different SCC. The node sends the request to the selected neighboring nodes at the D3 layer.