Communication System, Communication Apparatus, Control Apparatus, Communication Apparatus Control Method and Program

• US 20150043587A1
• Filed: 03/26/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Uchida, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,454,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/036 Updating the topology between route computation elements, e.g. between OpenFlow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/17 Interaction among intermediate nodes, e.g. hop by hop

Abstract

A communication system includes: a plurality of communication apparatuses that process a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information; and a plurality of control apparatuses that set the communication control information in the plurality of communication apparatuses. At least one of the plurality of communication apparatuses includes a control information notification unit that notifies, when a first control apparatus that sets the communication control information in the at least one communication apparatus is replaced by a second control apparatus, the second control apparatus of the communication control information set in the at least one communication apparatus. The second control apparatus takes over control of the at least one communication apparatus by using the notified communication control information.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of communication apparatuses that process a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information; and

a plurality of control apparatuses that set the communication control information in the plurality of communication apparatuses, wherein

at least one of the plurality of communication apparatuses comprises a control information notification unit that notifies, when a first control apparatus that sets the communication control information in the at least one communication apparatus is replaced by a second control apparatus, the second control apparatus of the communication control information set in the at least one communication apparatus, and

the second control apparatus takes over control of the at least one communication apparatus by using the notified communication control information.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of control apparatuses further comprise a communication control information validity determination unit that determines whether the notified communication control information is consistent with communication control information that has already been set in the plurality of communication apparatuses, and

if the notified communication control information is not consistent with communication control information that has already been set in the plurality of communication apparatuses, the plurality of control apparatuses discard the notified communication control information.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein

the communication control information validity determination unit makes the determination based on whether a loop or non-arrival of a packet is caused by using the notified communication control information.

4. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein

the communication control information validity determination unit makes the determination based on whether communication corresponding to the notified communication control information is continuing.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein

the communication control information validity determination unit makes the determination based on whether an identifier included in the communication control information matches an identifier in communication control information that has already been set in the plurality of communication apparatuses.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication control information is configured to comprise communication determination information for determining a communication to be controlled and a processing content(s) applied to a packet(s) matching the communication determination information, the communication control information and the processing content(s) being associated with each other.

8. The communication system according to of claim 1, wherein

the communication determination information is configured to comprise a combination of identifiers representing end nodes of communication.

9. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication determination information comprises station information.

6. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of communication apparatuses that process a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information; and

a plurality of control apparatuses that are connected to the plurality of communication apparatuses and capable of setting the communication control information, wherein at least one of the plurality of communication apparatuses comprises a control information notification unit that notifies, when change is caused in communication control information set in the at least one communication apparatus, a control apparatus(es), other than a control apparatus that sets the communication control information in the at least one communication apparatus, of the communication control information set in the at least one communication apparatus, and

the plurality of control apparatuses share a state of communication control information set in the at least one communication apparatus via the at least one communication apparatus.

10. A communication apparatus, connected to a plurality of control apparatuses setting communication control information in the communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

a packet processing unit that processes a received packet(s) based on communication control information set by at least one of the plurality of control apparatuses; and

a control information notification unit that notifies, when the at least one control apparatus, which sets the communication control information in the communication apparatus, is replaced by another control apparatus, the another control apparatus as replaced of the communication control information set in the communication apparatus.

11. A communication apparatus, connected to a plurality of control apparatuses setting communication control information in the communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

a packet processing unit that processes a received packet(s) based on communication control information set by at least one of the plurality of control apparatuses; and

a control information notification unit that notifies, when change is caused in communication control information set in the communication apparatus, a control apparatus(es), other than the at least one control apparatus setting the communication control information, of the communication control information set in the communication apparatus.

12. A control apparatus,

configured to be connected to a plurality of communication apparatuses processing a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information, and configured to take over control of a communication apparatus by using communication control information that is set in the communication apparatus by another control apparatus and notified to the control apparatus by the communication apparatus.

13. A control apparatus,

configured to be connected to a plurality of communication apparatuses processing a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information, and

configured to update, based on communication control information that is set by another control apparatus and notified by at least one of the plurality of communication apparatuses, a state of communication control information that is stored in the control apparatus and that is set for the at least one communication apparatus.

14. A method for controlling a communication apparatus processing a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information, the method comprising:

by a first control apparatus, setting the communication control information in the communication apparatus;

by the communication apparatus, notifying, when the first control apparatus, which sets the communication control information in the communication apparatus, is replaced by a second control apparatus, the second control apparatus of the communication control information set in the communication apparatus; and

by the second control apparatus, starting control of the communication apparatus by using the notified communication control information.

15. A method for controlling a communication apparatus processing a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information, the method comprising:

by a first control apparatus, setting the communication control information in the communication apparatus;

by the communication apparatus, notifying, when change is caused in communication control information set in the communication apparatus, the second control apparatus of the communication control information set in the communication apparatus; and

by the second control apparatus, updating a state of communication control information that is stored in the second control apparatus and that is set for the communication apparatus.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, storing a program that causes a computer, which is mounted on a communication apparatus that is connected to a plurality of control apparatuses setting communication control information in the communication apparatus and that processes a received packet(s) based on communication control information set by at least one of the plurality of control apparatuses, to execute:

detecting whether the at least one control apparatus, which sets the communication control information in the communication apparatus, is replaced; and

notifying, when the at least one control apparatus, which sets the communication control information in the communication apparatus, is replaced by another control apparatus, the another control apparatus as replaced of the communication control information set in the communication apparatus.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, storing a program that causes a computer, which is mounted on a communication apparatus that is connected to a plurality of control apparatuses setting communication control information in the communication apparatus and that processes a received packet(s) based on communication control information set by at least one of the plurality of control apparatuses, to execute:

detecting whether change is caused in communication control information set in the communication apparatus; and

notifying, when change is caused in the communication control information set in the communication apparatus, a control apparatus(es), other than the at least one control apparatus setting the communication control information, of the communication control information set in the communication apparatus.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, storing a program, that causes a computer, which is mounted on a control apparatus connected to a plurality of communication apparatuses processing a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information, to execute:

receiving communication control information from a communication apparatus controlled by another control apparatus; and

starting control of the communication apparatus by using the communication control information.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, storing a program that causes a computer, which is mounted on a control apparatus connected to a plurality of communication apparatuses processing a received packet(s) based on externally-set communication control information, to execute:

receiving communication control information from a communication apparatus; and

updating a state of communication control information that is stored in the control apparatus and that is set for the communication apparatus.