Communication network system and method for controlling services in a communication network system

• US 6,810,421 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishizaki, Takeshi, Yoshida, Kenichi, Setoyama, Tohru, Takihiro, Masatoshi, Takada, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/480,199
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/238, 709/200, 709/242, 709/217, 709/240, 709/241, 709/203, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a communication network system that reduces the burden of entering settings for the network system. A service directory server in the communication network system provides unified management of the service information of the service-providing server installed in the network. The service information managed by the service directory server is distributed to the communication nodes either automatically or in response to requests from a communication node. The communication nodes receive packets and, for received packets that are addressed to itself, a service-providing server destination is determined based on the service information provided by the service directory server and the packet is transferred to the server to receive the service.

Claims

1. A communication network system comprising:

at least one communication node, having a routing function, transferring a received packet to a destination affixed to said packet;

a plurality of servers providing a predetermined service

a directory server;

said directory server including a database storing a plurality of service information relating to conditions for receiving a service provided by each of said servers, and an information providing unit providing said service information to said communication node; and

said communication node including means for determining a server among said plurality of servers for processing a packet of a predetermined type, out of all received packets, based on said service information provided by said directory server, and means for transferring said packets of said predetermined type to said server determined by said determining means.

2. A communication network system as described in claim 1 wherein:

a query is sent to said directory server regarding a server for processing said packet of said predetermined type if, for said packet of said predetermined type, said determining means determines that a server for processing said packet is not contained in said service information provided by said directory server; and

said information providing means of said directory server searches service information relating to a server associated with said query sent from said query sent from said communication node and sends results of said search to said communication node that sent said query.

3. A communication network system as described in claim 2 wherein queries to said directory server regarding processing of said packet of said predetermined type are blocked for a predetermined time if said determining means of said communication node did not obtain information from said directory server in response to said query sent to said directory server regarding a server to process said packet of said predetermined type.

4. A communication network system as described in claim 2 wherein:

said server notifies said directory server of information about services provided by said server when said server is newly connected to said communication network system; and

said directory server stores said service information from said newly connected server and uses said information providing means to notify said plurality of communication nodes of said service information.

5. In a communication network system including a plurality of servers providing a predetermined service and a directory server,

a communications node, having a routing function, transferring received packets to a destination affixed to said packet comprising:

means for determining a server for processing a packet of a predetermined type, out of all received packets, based on a plurality of service information, provided by said directory server, relating to conditions for receiving services provided by said servers; and

means for transferring said packets of said predetermined type to said server determined by said determining means.

6. A communication node as described in claim 5 wherein queries to said directory server regarding processing of said packet of said predetermined type are blocked for a predetermined time if said determining means of said communication node did not obtain information from said directory server in response to said query sent to said directory server regarding a server to process said packet of said predetermined type.

7. A communication node as described in claim 5 wherein said means for determining a server is further comprised of comprises:

an input/output control unit receiving information from an input/output device;

a settings information storage unit storing IP address information and settings information needed for IP transfer based on information from said input/output control unit;

a network interface receiving packets from said network;

a route storage unit storing a transfer destination for a packet received from said network interface in association with a destination address, a netmask, a gateway address, and an interface;

a service storage unit storing information provided by said directory server in the form of a service type provided by a server connected to said network associated with an address of said server;

a packet processing unit determining a gateway associated with a destination address of a packet received from said network interface; and

wherein said means for transferring said packets comprises;

an assigning unit assigning a packet received from said network interface to either be transferred to said server or to be processed internally based on information from said service storage unit;

an automatic processing unit processing received packets assigned by said assigning unit; and

a server communication unit for transferring said received packet to said server based on the assignment by said assigning unit.

8. In a communication network system including:

at least one communication node, having a routing function, transferring a received packet to a destination affixed to said packet and, of said received packets, transferring packets of a predetermined type to a server for processing; and

a plurality of servers providing a predetermined service,

a directory server comprising;

means for storing a plurality of service information, provided by said servers, related to conditions for receiving services; and

means for providing said plurality of service information stored in said storing means to said communication node either automatically or in response to a request from said communication node.

9. A directory server as described in claim 8 wherein said service information from a newly connected server is stored in said storing means and said information providing means notifies said plurality of communication nodes of said service information.

10. A method for controlling a packet as a service provided by a server node, the packet being received by a communication node, the communication node and the server node being coupled with a directory server node and with each other via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing, by the directory server node, service information to the communication node, the service information being related to a condition for providing a service by at least one server node;

receiving, by the communication node, a packet to be processed;

determining, by the communication node, a server that is requested to process the packet based on a type of the received packet and the service information received from the directory server;

transferring, by the connection node, the packet to the determined server node;

processing, by the server node, the packet as service that the server provides; and

notifying, by the server node, the communication node of the resulting process.

11. A method for controlling services in a communication network system as described in claim 10 wherein:

said communication node sends a query to said directory server, said query regarding a server for processing a packet of said type if said communication node determines that a server for processing said packet of said type is not designated in said service information provided by said directory server; and

said directory server searches for service information relating to a server associated with said query sent from said communication node and provides results of said search to said communication node.

12. A method for controlling services in a communication network system as described in claim 11 wherein:

said server notifies said directory server of information about services provided by said server when said server is newly connected to said communication network system; and

said directory server stores said service information from said newly connected server and notifies said plurality of communication nodes of said service information.

13. A method for controlling services in a communication network system as described in claim 11 wherein:

said communication node blocks, for a predetermined time, queries to said directory server regarding processing of said packet of said predetermined type if said communication node did not obtain information from said directory server in response to said query sent to said directory server regarding a server to process said packet of said predetermined type.

14. A method for controlling services in a communication network system as described in claim 10 wherein said communication node blocks, for a predetermined time, queries to said directory server regarding processing of said packet of said predetermined type if said communication node did not obtain information from said directory server in response to said query sent to said directory server regarding a server to process said packet of said predetermined type.

15. A method for controlling services according to claim 10, wherein the service information is provided, in response to a request of the communication node, or when it is decided that the service information should be revised.