Communication system, switch, control apparatus, packet processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016014036-A1
Application number	US-201414772890-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 5, 2014
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication system contains a control apparatus and switch(es). The control apparatus transmits, to a switch, two or more flow entries having an identical match condition but having different processing content to be applied, and a condition for changing application priorities of the two or more flow entries. The switch holds the two or more flow entries, and switches the application priorities in accordance with the condition specified by the control apparatus, to process received packet(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A communication system comprising:
a control apparatus that transmits, to a switch, 2 or more flow entries having an identical match condition but different processing content to be applied, and a condition for changing application priority among said 2 or more flow entries; and a switch that holds said 2 or more flow entries and switches application priority in accordance with a condition specified by said control apparatus, to process received packet(s).

2 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein said control apparatus prescribes, as said condition, content to change said application priority each time a counter value set in each flow entry exceeds a prescribed threshold, for said switch.

3 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein said control apparatus prescribes, as said condition, content to change said application priority each prescribed time period, for said switch.

4 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein said control apparatus determines a switch to transmit said two or more flow entries and said condition, based on a counter value for each flow entry collected from said switch.

5 . The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
said control apparatus collects values of statistical information of packets dropped without being transmitted with regard to respective ports, from said switch; creates, with respect to a flow entry for which output from a port with many of said dropped packets is prescribed, a flow entry to prescribe output from another port having an identical match condition; and transmits said created flow entry and a condition to change application priority among said 2 or more flow entries.

6 . The communication system according to claim 5 , wherein said switch transmits statistical information of packets dropped without being transmitted for each port of said switch, in port units or collectively for each switch, to said control apparatus.

7 . A switch, connected to a control apparatus that transmits to the switch 2 or more flow entries having an identical match condition but different processing content to be applied, and a condition for changing application priority among said 2 or more flow entries,
the switch holding said 2 or more flow entries, and switching application priority in accordance with a condition prescribed by said control apparatus, to process received packet(s).

8 . A control apparatus that transmits to a switch which holds 2 or more flow entries having an identical match condition but different processing content to be applied, and switches application priority among said 2 or more flow entries in accordance with a specified condition, to process received packet(s),
the control apparatus transmitting said 2 or more flow entries and said condition for changing said application priority among said 2 or more flow entries.

9 . A packet processing method comprising:
receiving, from a control apparatus, 2 or more flow entries having an identical match condition but different processing content to be applied, and a condition for changing application priority among said 2 or more flow entries; and holding said 2 or more flow entries and switching application priority in accordance with a condition specified by said control apparatus, to process received packet(s).

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing thereon a program to execute on a computer that controls a switch that holds 2 or more flow entries having an identical match condition but different processing content to be applied, and switches application priority among said 2 or more flow entries in accordance with a specified condition, to process received packet(s), said program executing
a process of creating said 2 or more flow entries and a condition for changing application priority among said 2 or more flow entries; and a process of transmitting said 2 or more flow entries and said condition to said switch.

11 . The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein said control apparatus prescribes, as said condition, content to change said application priority each prescribed time period, for said switch.

12 . The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein said control apparatus determines a switch to transmit said two or more flow entries and said condition, based on a counter value for each flow entry collected from said switch.

13 . The communication system according to claim 3 , wherein said control apparatus determines a switch to transmit said two or more flow entries and said condition, based on a counter value for each flow entry collected from said switch.

14 . The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein
said control apparatus collects values of statistical information of packets dropped without being transmitted with regard to respective ports, from said switch; creates, with respect to a flow entry for which output from a port with many of said dropped packets is prescribed, a flow entry to prescribe output from another port having an identical match condition; and transmits said created flow entry and a condition to change application priority among said 2 or more flow entries.

15 . The communication system according to claim 3 , wherein
said control apparatus collects values of statistical information of packets dropped without being transmitted with regard to respective ports, from said switch; creates, with respect to a flow entry for which output from a port with many of said dropped packets is prescribed, a flow entry to prescribe output from another port having an identical match condition; and transmits said created flow entry and a condition to change application priority among said 2 or more flow entries.

16 . The communication system according to claim 4 , wherein
said control apparatus collects values of statistical information of packets dropped without being transmitted with regard to respective ports, from said switch; creates, with respect to a flow entry for which output from a port with many of said dropped packets is prescribed, a flow entry to prescribe output from another port having an identical match condition; and transmits said created flow entry and a condition to change application priority among said 2 or more flow entries.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Oikawa Seiji

Classifications

• H04L47/2441

  relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ] · CPC title

• H04L47/2466 Primary

  using signalling traffic · CPC title

• H04L45/308

  Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users · CPC title

• H04L45/42

  Centralised routing · CPC title

• H04L45/64

  using an overlay routing layer · CPC title