Data transfer control method, relay device, and data transfer control device

• US 10,171,347 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kubota, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fiorillo, James N
• Application Number:
  US14/220,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 709219, 34053922, 370219, 370328, 370221, 370228, 370252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update

Abstract

A transfer path between a sensor and a data processing server is partitioned into at least a first transfer path between the sensor and a first relay device, a second transfer path from the first relay device to a second relay device that transfers the data transmitted from the first sensor, and a third transfer path between the second relay device and the data processing server. A data transfer between each of the sensors and the data processing server is implemented by respectively controlling a pair of the first transfer path and the second transfer path, and a pair of the second transfer path and the third transfer path.

Claims

1. A data transfer control method in a system where a plurality of relay devices that relay a data transfer between a plurality of sensors and one or more data processing servers, and a data transfer control device that controls the plurality of relay devices, are arranged, the method comprising:

partitioning, by a processor of the data transfer control device, a transfer path between a first sensor and a first data processing server into at least a first transfer path, which is a transfer path between the first sensor and a first relay device that initially receives data transmitted from the first sensor, a second transfer path including one or more second relay devices, which is a transfer path from the first relay device to a third relay device that transfers the data transmitted from the first sensor to the first data processing server, and a third transfer path, which is a transfer path between the third relay device and the first data processing server;

managing, by the processor, setting information in which first data and second data are associated with each other, the first data being included in the transferred data and indicating a type of the transferred data, the second data being assigned to each of the third relay devices and identifying the second transfer path;

managing, by the processor, transfer path management information in which the second data is associated with identification information of each of the first, second, and third relay devices included in the second transfer path, wherein one value is set as the second data for identifying a plurality of second transfer paths when an exit of the plurality of second transfer paths is one third relay device;

when a sensor has been added, adding, by the processor, the first data and the second data to the setting information, the first data designating the type of the transferred data from the added sensor, the second data being data that has been assigned to the third relay device that is a destination of the transferred data from the added sensor;

transmitting, by the processor, the setting information to the first relay device;

implementing, by the processor, a data transfer between each of the sensors and the data processing server by respectively controlling a pair of the first transfer path and the second transfer path, and a pair of the second transfer path and the third transfer path;

by the first relay device, selecting the second data corresponding to the first data based on the setting information, adding the selected second data to the transferred data, and transmitting, to the second relay device, the transferred data with the selected second data added thereto;

determining, by the second relay device, a transfer destination for the transferred data based on the second data.

2. The data transfer control method according to claim 1, wherein

when a transfer path for performing the data transfer from the sensor to the data processing server is assumed as the transfer path, the second transfer path is managed, by the processor, for each of a plurality of third relay devices in a case where the plurality of third relay devices connected to one or more data processing servers are present.

3. A relay device in a system where a plurality of relay devices that relay a data transfer between a plurality of sensors and one or more data processing servers, and a data transfer control device that controls the plurality of relay devices, are arranged, the relay device comprising a processor configured to execute a process including:

receiving setting information in which first data and second data are associated with each other, the first data indicating a type of the transferred data, the second data being assigned to each of the relay devices that transmit the data to the data processing servers and identifying a transfer path among the plurality of relay devices, wherein one value is set as the second data for identifying a plurality of transfer paths when transfer path management information indicates that an exit of the plurality of transfer paths is one relay device, the transfer path management information being information in which the second data is associated with identification information of each of the plurality of relay devices included in the transfer path;

when a sensor has been added, receiving the setting information with the first data and the second data added thereto, the first data designating the type of the transferred data from the added sensor, the second data being data that has been assigned to the third relay device that is a destination of the transferred data from the added sensor;

receiving transferred data;

extracting the first data from the received data;

extracting second data different from the first data from the received data;

deciding a transfer destination of the received data based on the first data;

deciding a transfer destination of the received data based on the second data;

validating one of the decision made based on the first data and the decision made based on the second data;

transmitting the received data to the transfer destination the decision of which is validated; and

selecting the second data corresponding to the first data based on the setting information when the decision based on the first data is validated, adding the selected second data to the transferred data, and transmitting the transferred data with the selected second data added thereto.

4. The relay device according to claim 3, wherein

the second data is identified by using the first data, and added to data to be transmitted.

5. The relay device according to claim 3, further comprising

a storage device configured to store transfer management information indicating whether the second data is valid, wherein

when data to which the second data that is not validated in the transfer management information stored in the storage device is added is received, the processor validates the decision made based on the first data.

6. A data transfer control device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute a process including;

setting a first transfer path for transferring data to be transferred based on first data within the data to be transferred on a transfer path between a sensor and a data processing server;

selecting a first relay device that transfers the data based on the first data within the data from among relay devices present in the first transfer path for each first transfer path;

selecting a second relay device that decides a transfer destination of the data based on second data that is extracted from the data and different from the first data from among the relay devices present in the first transfer path for each first transfer path;

selecting a third relay device that extracts the second data from the data and adds, to the data, a transfer destination address made to correspond to the extracted second data from among the relay devices present in the first transfer path for each first transfer path;

making a first setting for transferring the data based on the first data in the first relay device;

making a second setting for deciding the transfer destination of the data based on the second data in the second relay device;

making a third setting for adding, to the data, the transfer destination address made to correspond to the second data in the third relay device;

transmitting, to the first relay device, setting information in which the first data and second data are associated with each other, the first data being included in the transferred data and indicating a type of the transferred data, the second data being assigned to each of the third relay devices and identifying the second transfer path; and

managing transfer path management information in which the second data is associated with identification information of each of the first, second, and third relay devices included in the second transfer path, wherein

one value is set as the second data for identifying a plurality of second transfer paths when an exit of the plurality of second transfer paths is one third relay device;

when a sensor has been added, adding the first data and the second data to the setting information, the first data designating the type of the transferred data from the added sensor, the second data being data that has been assigned to the third relay device that is a destination of the transferred data from the added sensor; and

the memory has the setting information stored therein.

7. The data transfer control device according to claim 6, wherein

the first transfer paths are collectively managed based on a relay device positioned last in the first transfer path, and

a management result of the first transfer paths is reflected on the first, the second, and the third settings.