Network manager, nodes and network management system

• US 6,539,432 B1
• Filed: 05/18/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Taguchi, Yuichi, Miyamoto, Takanori, Nishikado, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/313,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227-230, 370/235, 370/252, 370/351, 370/409, 370/232, 370/254
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a communication network constituted of relay nodes and edge nodes interconnected by communication lines and a network manager, the network manager manages relay nodes and edge nodes connected to the network manager by operation management communication lines. The network manager requests to set a logical connection between an ingress and an egress of the connection, and in response to this request, relay nodes and edge nodes set a logical connection specifying at least one of a transmission source and a destination.

Claims

1. A network management system having edge nodes and a relay node constituting a communication network, and a network manager for managing said edge nodes and said relay node;

wherein said network manager comprises a logical connection setting request unit that;

determines a communication route comprised of at least one logical connection in said communication network; and

requests setting said logical connection from said edge nodes and/or said relay node at both ends of said logical connection; and

wherein said relay node and/or said edge nodes comprise a logical connection setting unit that sets said logical connection responsive to said request,

wherein at least one of said edge nodes of said communication route further comprises a packet transfer unit that transfers a received packet;

wherein said network manager further comprises a distributing unit that distributes IP-logical conversion information to said at least one edge node,

wherein, referring to said IP-logical conversion information, said packet transfer unit of said at least one edge node as an ingress node of said communication route adds a logical connection identifier to an appropriate packet out of said received packet and outputs said packet to an appropriate logical connection; and

wherein, referring to said IP-logical conversion information, said packet transfer unit of said at least one edge node as an egress node of said communication route removes said logical connection identifier added at said ingress node from the packet and transmits said packet to the destination thereof,

wherein said network manager further comprises;

a conversion information distributing unit that distributes QoS parameter conversion information to said relay node and/or one of said edge nodes, said conversion information being used when a node independent QoS parameter is converted into a node dependent QoS parameter; and

a parameter distributing unit that distributes said node independent QoS parameter to said relay node and/or one of said edge nodes;

wherein said relay node and/or one of said edge nodes further comprises a conversion unit that converts said distributed node independent QoS parameter into said node dependent QoS parameter by referring to said distributed conversion information; and

wherein said network manager may define a parameter computing function to set said QoS parameter conversion information to said relay node and each of said edge nodes.

2. A network management system according to claim 1,

wherein said conversion information distributing unit of said network manager sets a field of said IP-logical conversion information with valid/invalid and/or the value of the field, the field includes a sub-field for limiting a transmission source and a sub-field for limiting a destination and said network manager specifies at least one of the sub-fields.

3. A network management system according to claim 2,

wherein said field of said IP-logical conversion information indicates a destination IP address, an IP sub-net mask, a destination transport layer protocol type or a destination application port number.

4. A network management system according to claim 2, wherein said field of said IP-logical conversion information indicates a transmission source IP address, a transmission source IP sub-net mask, and a transmission source transport layer protocol type or a transmission source application port number.