Communication system, node, control server, communication method and program

• US 20110307628A1
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Chiba, Yasunobu
• Application Number:
  US13/137,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307628A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/253 using establishment or release of connections between ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/355 Application aware switches, e.g. for HTTP

Abstract

A communication system comprises a node that receives a packet with a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on a data transfer network, and sets a process rule in the process rule storage unit of own node according to the process rule sequence.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising a node that receives a packet with a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on a data transfer network, extracts a process rule that should be set in a process rule storage unit of own node from the process rule sequence, and sets the process rule therein.

2. The communication system as defined in claim 1, wherein the process rule sequence includes a plurality of process rules that a plurality of nodes on a data transfer network should set in a respective process rule storage unit.

3. The communication system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nodes specifies a process rule that should be set by each node based on a node identifier associated with each process rule in the process rule sequence.

4. The communication system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nodes transfers a packet with the process rule sequence based on output destination information attached to the process rule sequence.

5. The communication system as defined in claim 1, wherein the packet includes information of a node of the last hop, and the node of a last hop deletes the process rule sequence or terminates transfer of the packet.

6. The communication system as defined in claim 2, wherein a plurality of process rules included in the process rule sequence are arranged in the order of nodes on a transfer path of the packet,

and each of the plurality of nodes specifies a process rule that should be set therein by sequentially deleting from the packet a process rule already set in the process rule storage unit of own node or writing into a predetermined region of the packet that the process rule is already used.

7. The communication system as defined in claim 1, wherein the process rule sequence is added to a user packet in a form of an additional header.

8. The communication system as defined in claim 1, wherein an electronic signature validating the process rule sequence or each of the plurality of process rules is added to the packet;

and

each of the plurality of nodes verifies validity of an electronic signature of the process rule sequence or each of the plurality of process rules and sets the process rule when the validity is confirmed.

9. The communication system as defined in claim 1, comprising a controller that generates the process rule sequence or a packet with the process rule sequence and transmits the process rule sequence or the packet with the process rule sequence to a node that is a starting point of the packet with the process rule sequence.

10. The communication system as defined in claims 9, wherein the controller generates a process rule sequence including a process rule that should be set in a single node or a packet with a process rule sequence that should be set in the single node, and transmits the process rule sequence or the packet to a plurality of nodes on a path of the packet.

11. A node disposed on a data transfer network, receiving a packet with a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on the data transfer network, extracting a process rule that should be set in a process rule storage unit of own node from the process rule sequence, and setting the process rule therein.

12. The node as defined in claim 11, wherein the process rule sequence includes a plurality of process rules that a plurality of nodes on a data transfer network should set in a process rule storage unit of a respective node.

13. The node as defined in claim 11, specifying a process rule that should be set in the own node based on a node identifier associated with each of the plurality of process rules in the process rule sequence.

14. The node as defined in claim 11, transferring a packet with the process rule sequence based on output destination information attached to the process rule sequence.

15. The node as defined in claim 11, deleting the process rule sequence or terminates transfer of the packet when the information of a node of the last hop included in the packet indicates that the own node is a node of a last hop.

16. The node as defined in claim 12, wherein the plurality of process rules included in the process rule sequence are arranged in the order of a plurality of nodes on a transfer path of the packet, and each of the plurality of nodes specifies a process rule that should be set therein by sequentially deleting a process rule from the process rule sequence or writing into a predetermined region of the packet that the process rule is already used.

17. The node as defined in claim 11, extracting a process rule that should be set in a process rule storage unit thereof from a process rule sequence stored in an additional header added to a user packet and setting the process rule therein.

18. The node as defined in claim 11, verifying validity of an electronic signature of the process rule sequence added to the packet or a process rule that should be set in the own node, and setting the process rule when the validity is confirmed.

19. A control server that generates a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on a data transfer network based on information included in an input packet received from a node disposed on the data transfer network, and

transmits a packet with the process rule sequence to the node transmitting the input packet.

20. The control server as defined in claim 19, generating a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that a plurality of nodes on the data transfer network should set in a process rule storage unit of own node.

21. The control server as defined in claim 19, transmitting a packet associating a process rule with a node identifier of the node in which the process rule should be set as the process rule sequence.

22. The control server as defined in claim 19, attaching to the process rule sequence output destination information indicating a transfer destination of a packet with the process rule sequence.

23. The control server as defined in claim 19, transmitting a packet including information for causing a node of a last hop to delete the process rule sequence or terminate transfer of the packet.

24. The control server as defined in claim 20, generating a process rule sequence in which a plurality of process rules are arranged in the order of nodes on a transfer path of the packet.

25. The control server as defined in claim 19, adding the process rule sequence to a user packet in a form of an additional header.

26. The control server as defined in claim 19, transmitting a packet to which an electronic signature indicating validity of the process rule sequence or each of the plurality of process rules is added.

27. The control server as defined in claim 19, that generates a process rule sequence including a process rule that should be set in a single node or a packet with a process rule sequence that should be set in the single node, and transmits the process rule sequence or the packet to a plurality of nodes on a path of the packet.

28. A communication method, comprising:

inserting in an input packet a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on a data transfer network; and

by the node on the data transfer network, extracting a process rule that should be set in a process rule storage unit of own node from the process rule sequence included in the input packet and setting the process rule therein.

29. A communication method, comprising:

by a node on a data transfer network, receiving a packet with a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on the data transfer network; and

by the node, extracting a process rule that should be set in a process rule storage unit of own node from a process rule sequence included in the input packet, and setting the process rule therein.

30. A communication method, comprising:

by a controller that controls nodes disposed on a data transfer network, inserting in an input packet a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on the data transfer network; and

by the controller, transmitting a packet with the process rule sequence to a node on the data transfer network.

31. A program causing a computer that constitutes a node disposed on a data transfer network to execute:

receiving a packet with a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in a process rule storage unit of a node on the data transfer network and extracting a process rule that should be set in a process rule storage unit of own node from the process rule sequence; and

setting the extracted process rule in a process rule storage unit of the own node.

32. A program causing a computer that constitutes a controller controlling a node disposed on a data transfer network to execute:

generating a process rule sequence including a plurality of process rules that should be set in each process rule storage unit of nodes on the data transfer network based on information included in an input packet received from a node disposed on the data transfer network; and

transmitting a packet with the process rule sequence to the node transmitting the input packet.