COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, NODE, STATISTICAL INFORMATION COLLECTION DEVICE, STATISTICAL INFORMATION COLLECTION METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20130121170A1
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Akiyoshi, Ippei
• Granted Patent: US 9,461,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/20 the monitoring system or the monitored elements being virtualised, abstracted or software-defined entities, e.g. SDN or NFV

Abstract

For use in a communication system where communication is carried out by setting a packet handling operation (flow entry) in the nodes by a control device, the present invention provides a configuration in which statistical information may be collected at a desired information granularity level without increasing the control load of the control device. A node of the communication system includes a packet processing unit that processes a received packet according to a packet handling operation defining a matching rule and processing of a packet that matches the matching rule; and a statistical information recording unit that records statistical information on a packet according to a division different from the matching rule, and a statistical information collection device is provided that issues an instruction on a division, according to which the statistical information is to be recorded, to the node and collects the statistical information.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a node comprising;

a packet processing unit that processes a received packet according to a packet handling operation, the packet handling operation defining a matching rule and processing of a packet that matches the matching rule; and

a statistical information recording unit that records statistical information on a packet according to a division different from the matching rule; and

a statistical information collection device that issues an instruction on a division, according to which the statistical information is to be recorded, to said node and collects the statistical information.

2. The communication system as defined by claim 1 wherein

said statistical information recording unit records statistical information according to a division more subdivided than the matching rule.

3. The communication system as defined by claim 2 wherein

the statistical information recording division is indicated by specifying a header field when the packet handling operation is set, the header field being a field in the matching rule not used for matching.

4. The communication system as defined by claim 1 wherein

said node ends recording of the statistical information if a packet, for which the statistical information is to be recorded, is not received for a predetermined time.

5. The communication system as defined by claim 1 wherein

said node notifies said statistical information collection device that the recording of the statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the statistical information.

6. The communication system as defined by claim 1 wherein

information in a header or a data area of a higher-level layer may be specified as the statistical information recording division.

11. The communication system as defined by claim 2 wherein

said node ends recording of the statistical information if a packet, for which the statistical information is to be recorded, is not received for a predetermined time.

12. The communication system as defined by claim 3 wherein

said node ends recording of the statistical information if a packet, for which the statistical information is to be recorded, is not received for a predetermined time.

13. The communication system as defined by claim 2 wherein

said node notifies said statistical information collection device that the recording of the statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the statistical information.

14. The communication system as defined by claim 3 wherein

said node notifies said statistical information collection device that the recording of the statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the statistical information.

15. The communication system as defined by claim 4 wherein

said node notifies said statistical information collection device that the recording of the statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the statistical information.

16. The communication system as defined by claim 2 wherein

information in a header or a data area of a higher-level layer may be specified as the statistical information recording division.

17. The communication system as defined by claim 3 wherein

information in a header or a data area of a higher-level layer may be specified as the statistical information recording division.

18. The communication system as defined by claim 4 wherein

information in a header or a data area of a higher-level layer may be specified as the statistical information recording division.

19. The communication system as defined by claim 5 wherein

information in a header or a data area of a higher-level layer may be specified as the statistical information recording division.

7. A node comprising:

a packet processing unit that processes a received packet according to a packet handling operation, the packet handling operation defining a matching rule and processing of a packet that matches the matching rule; and

a statistical information recording unit that records statistical information on a packet according to a division different from the matching rule.

8. A statistical information collection device that issues an instruction on a division, different from the matching rule, to the node as defined by claim 7 as a statistical information recording division and collects the statistical information.

9. A statistical information collection method comprising:

issuing, by a statistical information collection device, an instruction on a division, different from a matching rule, to a node as a statistical information recording division, said statistical information collection device connected to said node comprising a packet processing unit that processes a received packet according to a packet handling operation, the handling operation defining the matching rule and processing of a packet that matches the matching rule;

recording, by said node, statistical information on a packet according to the instructed division; and

collecting, by said statistical information collection device, the statistical information.

10. A program that causes a computer to perform processing, said computer configuring a node comprising a packet processing unit that processes a received packet according to a packet handling operation, the packet handling operation defining a matching rule and processing of a packet that matches the matching rule wherein

said program causes said computer to perform processing of recording statistical information on a packet according to a division, different from the matching rule, according to an instruction from a predetermined statistical information collection device.