Communication system, logical channel control device, control device, communication method and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9525613-B2
Application number	US-201213350611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2012
Priority date	Jun 9, 2010
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A configuration having a control device that sets a processing rule in a forwarding node, the configuration being capable of forwarding control of duplicated packets in private IP address spaces. At least one forwarding node among forwarding nodes operates as a logical channel control device that establishes a logical channel to an external node, generate or delete a virtual port information associated with said logical channel established to said external node, and gives notification thereof to the control device, and the control device computes a forwarding path of a packet using the notified port information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication system comprising:
a control device that sets a processing rule in a forwarding node; and
a plurality of forwarding nodes provided with a packet processing device that performs processing of a received packet based on said set processing rule,
wherein at least one forwarding node among said forwarding nodes operates as a logical channel control device that establishes a logical channel to an external node having a private address, generates a virtual port associated with said logical channel established to said external node, and gives notification thereof to said control device, the notification including a correspondence between the virtual port and a network to which the external node belongs,
wherein said control device establishes, according to the notified correspondence between the virtual port and the network, a forwarding path corresponding to the logical channel established between the external node and a user terminal device,
wherein the logical channel control device comprises:
a logical channel management device that establishes the logical channel to the external node having a private address, and generates the virtual port associated with the logical channel; and
a virtual flow switch device that performs processing of a received packet based on the processing rule set by the control device and gives notification of creation of the virtual port to the control device, and

wherein the logical channel management device includes a table which stores a logical channel number, a network attribute, flow information, and an internal interface (IF) number.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein
said forwarding node that operates as said logical channel control device gives a notification of creation or deletion of said virtual port with network attribute information of said logical channel, to said control device, and
said control device computes a forwarding path of a packet based on said notified network attribute information.

3. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein said control device causes a first forwarding node in said computed packet forwarding path to execute processing of embedding in a packet an identifier based on said network attribute information, and causes a final forwarding node in said packet forwarding path to execute processing of removing said identifier from said packet.

4. The communication system according to of claim 3 , wherein said forwarding node that operates as said logical channel control device associates a plurality of logical channels having a common parameter, with one virtual port, and manages said virtual port.

5. The communication system according to claim 4 , wherein network attribute information of said logical channels is used as said common parameter.

6. The communication system according to of claim 2 , wherein said forwarding node that operates as said logical channel control device associates a plurality of logical channels having a common parameter, with one virtual port, and manages said virtual port.

7. The communication system according to claim 6 , wherein network attribute information of said logical channels is used as said common parameter.

8. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein said forwarding node that operates as said logical channel control device associates a plurality of logical channels having a common parameter, with one virtual port, and manages said virtual port.

9. The communication system according to claim 8 , wherein network attribute information of said logical channels is used as said common parameter.

10. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises:
a communication terminal location management device that manages a network to which a communication terminal and a packet data network belong, and manages a port of the logical channel control device and forwarding nodes to which the communication terminal and the packet data network are connected.

11. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein the communication terminal location management device includes a table which stores information on the communication terminal and the packet data network, including terminal identification information, location information, network attribute information, and flow information.

12. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device further comprises:
a port attribute management device which manages port attribute information, and includes a table which stores switch numbers, port numbers, and network attributes.

13. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device controls the plurality of forwarding nodes.

14. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device and the plurality of forwarding nodes other than the at least one forwarding node that operates as a logical channel control device, form a data forwarding network.

15. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises:
a node communication device that performs communication with the plurality of forwarding nodes and the logical channel control device.

16. A communication system comprising:
a control device that sets a processing rule in a forwarding node; and
a plurality of forwarding nodes provided with a packet processing device that performs processing of a received racket based on said set processing rule,
wherein at least one forwarding node among said forwarding nodes operates as a logical channel control device that establishes a logical channel to an external node having a private address generates a virtual sort associated with said logical channel established to said external node, and gives notification thereof to said control device, the notification including a correspondence between the virtual port and a network to which the external node belongs,
wherein said control device establishes, according to the notified correspondence between the virtual port and the network, a forwarding path corresponding to the logical channel established between the external node and a user terminal device,
wherein the logical channel control device comprises:
a logical channel management device that establishes the logical channel to the external node having a private address, and generates the virtual port associated with the logical channel; and
a virtual flow switch device that performs processing of a received packet based on the processing rule set by the control device and gives notification of creation of the virtual port to the control device, and

wherein the virtual flow switch device includes:
a virtual port management function of generating a virtual port corresponding to respective logical channels in response to an event of generating a logical channel notified by the logical channel management device, and performing virtual port management; and
a port event notification function of giving notification of an event of generation of the virtual port to the control device.

Assignees

• Akiyoshi Ippei
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Akiyoshi Ippei

Classifications

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L12/462 Primary

  LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone · CPC title

• H04L12/4641

  Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272) · CPC title

• H04L45/38

  Flow based routing · CPC title

• H04L45/02 Primary

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title