Computer system, communication control server, communication control method, and program

• US 9,571,379 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US14/407,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/122 of virtualised topologies, e.g. software-defined networks [SDN] or network function virtualisation [NFV]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A computer system comprises: a forwarding node(s) that processes a packet received from any other apparatus based on a packet handling operation; a communication control server that controls the packet handling operation stored in the forwarding node(s); and a physical server(s) on which a virtual server operates, wherein the communication control server stores a topology of a communication network including the forwarding node(s) and the physical server(s) and an operating status of a virtual server(s) connected to the communication network, requests resuming an operation of a virtual server(s) in a suspended state upon occurrence of a communication request to the suspended virtual server(s), and sets a communication path for forwarding a packet for the communication request in the forwarding node(s), based on a location at which the suspended virtual server(s) is connected to the communication network after resumption of the operation.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a forwarding node that stores a flow and a packet handling operation defining processing for a packet belonging to the flow in association with each other, and processes a packet received from any other apparatus based on the packet handling operation;

a communication control server that controls the packet handling operation stored in the forwarding node; and

a physical server on which a virtual server operates, wherein

the communication control server comprises;

a memory that stores a set of instructions; and

a hardware processor configured to execute the set of instructions to;

store a topology of a communication network including the forwarding node and the physical server, and an operating status of a virtual server(s) connected to the communication network;

request resuming an operation of a virtual server in a suspended state upon occurrence of a communication request to the suspended virtual server; and

set a communication path for forwarding a packet for the communication request in the forwarding node, based on a location at which the suspended virtual server is connected to the communication network after resumption of the operation.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the set of instructions to:

control so that the packet for the communication request is transmitted to the suspended virtual server after completion of resumption of the operation of the suspended virtual server.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein

the suspended virtual server is suspended by releasing a physical resource of the physical server due to not receiving any communication request for a predetermined period.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the set of instructions to:

set a communication path for forwarding the packet for the communication request in the forwarding node in a case where a communication based on the communication request is permitted by the suspended virtual server, and otherwise discards the packet for the communication request.

5. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual environment control server that selects a physical server that resumes an operation of the suspended virtual server from a plurality of physical servers, based on a state of each of the plurality of physical servers providing a virtual server and a topology of a communication network including the forwarding node and the plurality of physical servers, wherein the hardware processor of the communication control server is configured to execute the set of instructions to request the virtual environment control server to resume an operation of the suspended virtual server.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein

the virtual environment control server collects availability of a physical resource of each of the plurality of physical servers from each physical server.

7. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein

the virtual environment control server preferentially selects a physical server on which the suspended virtual server had operated before being suspended as a physical server that resumes the operation of the suspended virtual server.

8. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein

the virtual environment control server selects a physical server with most available physical resources as a physical server that resumes the operation of the suspended virtual server.

9. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein

the virtual environment control server selects a physical server suitable for the communication with a client terminal that has transmitted the communication request as a physical server that resumes the operation of the suspended virtual server.

10. A communication control server, controlling a packet handling operation stored in a forwarding node that stores a flow and the packet handling operation in association with each other and processes a packet received from any other apparatus based on the packet handling operation, the packet handling operation defining processing for a packet belonging to the flow, the communication control server comprising:

a memory that stores a set of instructions; and

a hardware processor configured to execute the set of instructions to;

store a topology of a communication network including the forwarding node and a physical server(s) on which a virtual server operates, and an operating status of a virtual server connected to the communication network;

resume an operation of a virtual server in a suspended state upon occurrence of a communication request to the suspended virtual server; and

set a communication path for forwarding a packet for the communication request in the forwarding node, based on a location at which the suspended virtual server is connected the communication network after resumption of the operation.

11. The communication control server according to claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the set of instructions to control so that the packet for the communication request Is transmitted to the suspended virtual server after completion of resumption of the operation of the suspended virtual server.

12. The communication control server according to claim 10, wherein

the suspended virtual server is suspended by releasing a physical resource of the physical server due to not receiving any communication request for a predetermined period.

13. The communication control server according to claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the set of instructions to set a communication path for forwarding the packet with the communication in the forwarding node in a case where a communication based on the communication request is permitted by the suspended virtual server, and otherwise discards the packet for the communication request.

14. The communication control sever according to claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the set of instructions to:

request a virtual environment control server to resume an operation of the suspended virtual server, and

select a physical server that resumes an operation of the suspended virtual server from a plurality of physical servers, based on a state of each of the plurality of physical servers providing a virtual server and a topology of a communication network including the forwarding node and the plurality of physical servers.

15. A communication control method, comprising:

by a communication control server that controls a packet handling operation stored in a forwarding node that stores a flow and the packet handling operation in association with each other and processes a packet received from any other apparatus based on the packet handling operation, the packet handling operation defining processing for a packet belonging to the flow,

storing in a storage unit a topology of a communication network including the forwarding node and a physical server providing a virtual server, and an operating status of a virtual server connected to the communication network;

requesting resuming an operation of a virtual server in a suspended state upon occurrence of a communication request to the suspended virtual server; and

setting a communication path for forwarding a packet for the communication request in the forwarding node, based on a location at which the suspended virtual server is connected the communication network after resumption of the operation.

16. The communication control method according to claim 15, wherein

the communication control sever controls so that the packet for the communication request is transmitted to the suspended virtual server after completion of resumption of the operation of the suspended virtual server.

17. The communication control method according to claim 15, wherein

the suspended virtual server is suspended by releasing a physical resource of the physical server due to not receiving any communication request for a predetermined period.

18. The communication control method according claim 15, wherein

the communication control server sets a communication path for forwarding the packet with the communication in the forwarding node in a case where a communication based on the communication request is permitted by the suspended virtual server, and otherwise discards the packet for the communication request.

19. The communication control method according claim 15, further comprising:

requesting a virtual environment control server to resume an operation of the suspended virtual server, wherein

the virtual environment control server selects a physical server that resumes an operation of the suspended virtual server from a plurality of physical servers, based on a state of each of the plurality of physical servers providing a virtual server and a topology of a communication network including the forwarding node and the plurality of physical servers.