COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, CONTROL DEVICE, METHOD FOR SETTING PROCESSING RULES, AND PROGRAM

• US 20130195110A1
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kojima, Eiichirou
• Application Number:
  US13/878,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20130195110A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/72 Routing based on the source address
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A communication system includes: a plurality of nodes provided with a packet processing unit that processes a received packet in accordance with a processing rule associating a process to be applied to a packet and a matching rule for identifying a packet to which the process is to be applied; a trunk port management unit that manages a trunking link in a network including the nodes; and a path control unit that determines whether or not to use the trunking link, in accordance with a characteristic of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by a given node, and in a case of using the trunking link, selects some trunking link according to a prescribed rule. The control device calculates a packet forwarding path including the selected link, and sets a processing rule to implement the packet forwarding path for nodes on the packet forwarding path.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of nodes provided with a packet processing unit that processes a received packet in accordance with a processing rule associating a process to be applied to a packet and a matching rule for identifying a packet to which said process is to be applied;

a trunk port management unit that manages a trunking link in a network including said nodes; and

a path control unit that determines whether or not to use said trunking link, in accordance with a characteristic of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by a given node, and in a case of using said trunking link, selects any trunking link according to a prescribed rule; and

including

a control device that calculates a packet forwarding path including said selected link, based on topology of said network, and sets a processing rule to implement said packet forwarding path for a node in said packet forwarding path.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said control device determines whether or not to use said trunking link according to whether or not an output port of a packet, for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by said given node, is a trunk port.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said control device, in response to a load or a failure in said trunking link, performs an operation to switch a link in said packet forwarding path to another trunking link.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said control device determines whether or not to use a trunking link, based on information written to a prescribed field of a header of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by said given node.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said control device determines whether or not to use a trunking link, based on a transmission source or destination of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by said given node.

11. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein said control device, in response to a load or a failure in said trunking link, performs an operation to switch a link in said packet forwarding path to another trunking link.

12. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein said control device determines whether or not to use a trunking link, based on information written to a prescribed field of a header of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by said given node.

13. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein said control device determines whether or not to use a trunking link, based on information written to a prescribed field of a header of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by said given node.

14. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein said control device determines whether or not to use a trunking link, based on a transmission source or destination of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by said given node.

15. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein said control device determines whether or not to use a trunking link, based on a transmission source or destination of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by said given node.

6. A control device, connected to a plurality of nodes provided with a packet processing unit that processes a received packet in accordance with a processing rule associating a process to be applied to a packet and a matching rule for identifying a packet to which said process is to be applied, said control device comprising:

a trunk port management unit that manages a trunking link in a network including said nodes; and

a path control unit that determines whether or not to use said trunking link, in accordance with a characteristic of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by a given node, and in a case of using a trunking link, selects some trunking link according to a prescribed rule;

wherein

a packet forwarding path including said selected link is calculated based on topology of said network, and a processing rule to implement said packet forwarding path is set for a node in said packet forwarding path.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein a determination is made as to whether or not to use said trunking link according to whether or not an output port of a packet, for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by the given node, is a trunk port.

8. The control device according to claim 6, wherein, in response to a load or a failure in said trunking link, an operation to switch a link in said packet forwarding path to another trunking link is performed.

16. The control device according to claim 7, wherein, in response to a load or a failure in said trunking link, an operation to switch a link in said packet forwarding path to another trunking link is performed.

9. A method of setting a processing rule in a communication system including:

a plurality of nodes provided with a packet processing unit that processes a received packet in accordance with a processing rule associating a process to be applied to a packet and a matching rule for identifying a packet to which said process is to be applied; and

a control device comprising a trunk port management unit that manages a trunking link in a network including said nodes;

said method comprising;

determining whether or not to use said trunking link, in accordance with a characteristic of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by a given node;

in a case of using said trunking link, of selecting any trunking link according to a prescribed rule; and

calculating a packet forwarding path including said selected link, based on topology of said network, and setting a processing rule to implement said packet forwarding path for a node in said packet forwarding path.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program to be executed in a control device connected to a plurality of nodes provided with a packet processing unit that processes a received packet in accordance with a processing rule associating a process to be applied to a packet and a matching rule for identifying a packet to which said process is to be applied, and provided with a trunk port management unit that manages a trunking link in a network including said nodes;

said program executing;

a process of determining whether or not to use said trunking link, in accordance with a characteristic of a packet for which a setting of a processing rule is requested by a given node;

a process, in a case of using said trunking link, of selecting any trunking link according to a prescribed rule; and

a process of calculating a packet forwarding path including said selected link, based on topology of said network, and setting a processing rule to implement said packet forwarding path for a node in said packet forwarding path.