Communication system, node, statistical information collection device, statistical information collection method and program

• US 9,461,893 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Akiyoshi, Ippei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGUREYEV, VLADISLAV Y
• Application Number:
  US13/811,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20130121170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 first statistical information on a packet according to a first division, which is similar with the matching rule; and

a statistical information collection device that issues an instruction on a second division, different from the matching rule to said node and collects second statistical information according to the second division,

wherein said statistical information collection device issues an instruction to the statistical information recording unit of said node separately from the packet handling operation,

said statistical information recording unit records the second statistical information according to said instruction, and

said statistical information recording unit sends, to a statistical information collection device, end notification indicating said recording of said first and second statistical information ends if said received packet is not received for a predetermined time.

2. The communication system as defined by claim 1, wherein said statistical information recording unit records the second statistical information according to the second division more subdivided than the matching rule.

3. The communication system as defined by claim 2, wherein the second 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 second 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 second statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the second 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 second division.

11. The communication system as defined by claim 2, wherein said node ends recording of the second 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 second 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 second statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the second 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 second statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the second 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 second statistical information is started or ended and, based on the notification, said statistical information collection device controls a collection operation of the second 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 second 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 second 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 second 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 second division.

20. The communication system as defined by claim 1, wherein said statistical information collection device issues an instruction to the statistical information recording unit of said node independently from the packet handling operation.

21. The communication system as defined by claim 1, wherein the statistical information collection device determines an end of collection of the first and second statistical information.

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;

a statistical information recording unit that records first statistical information on a packet according to a first division, which is similar with the matching rule;

a statistical information collection device that issues an instruction on a second division, different from the matching rule to said node and collects second statistical information according to the second division,

wherein said statistical information collection device issues an instruction to the statistical information recording unit of said node separately from the packet handling operation,

said statistical information recording unit records the second statistical information according to said instruction, and

said statistical information recording unit sends, to a statistical information collection device, end notification indicating said recording of said first and second statistical information ends if said received packet is not received for a predetermined time.

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

9. A statistical information collection method comprising:

issuing, by a statistical information collection device, an instruction on a second 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, a first statistical information on a packet according to a first division, which is similar with the matching rule; and

collecting, by said statistical information collection device, the second statistical information according to the second division,

wherein said statistical information collection device issues an instruction to the statistical information recording unit of said node separately from the packet handling operation,

said node records the second statistical information according to said instruction, and

said statistical information recording unit sends, to a statistical information collection device, end notification indicating said recording of said first and second statistical information ends if said received packet is not received for a predetermined time.

10. A program stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium that causes a computer to perform processing, said computer configuring a node comprising:

processing, by a packet processing unit, 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;

processing of recording first statistical information on a packet according to a first division, which is similar with the matching rule, according to an instruction from a predetermined statistical information collection device; and

issuing, by a statistical information collection device, an instruction on a second division, according to which the second statistical information is to be recorded, to said node and collects the second statistical information according to the second division, wherein said statistical information collection device issues an instruction to said node separately from the packet handling operation,

said node records the second statistical information according to said instruction, and

said statistical information recording unit sends, to a statistical information collection device, end notification indicating said recording of said first and second statistical information ends if said received packet is not received for a predetermined time.