Control apparatus, communication apparatus, communication method and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9549413-B2
Application number	US-201314388203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2013
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A communication apparatus selects, among a plurality of control information, the control information matching a packet received and which is highest in a priority level. The communication apparatus processes a packet received based on the selected control information. The control apparatus includes a control information generation unit that generates a plurality of control information having match conditions overlapping at least partially one with another, a ranking in a priority level different one from another and processing contents different one from another, and a control unit that sets the plurality of control information in the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus performs the processing of modifying the control information, among the plurality of control information, which is highest in a priority level, based on a modifying condition previously set on the control information basis. Communication policies may be changed over by modifying the priority level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control apparatus, comprising:
a control information generation unit that generates a plurality of control information pieces having match conditions overlapping at least partially one with another, a ranking in a priority level different one from another and processing contents different one from another; and
a control unit that sets the plurality of control information pieces in a communication apparatus; the communication apparatus selecting, among the plurality of control information pieces, the control information piece matching a packet received and having the match condition highest in a priority level; the communication apparatus processing a received packet based on the selected control information piece; wherein,
the control apparatus causes the communication apparatus to modify the control information piece, highest in a priority level, among the plurality of control information pieces, based on a modifying condition set in advance on the control information piece basis, whereby switching is made from one of communication policies to another; and
wherein,
the control information generation unit generates, in accordance with a communication policy that, if preset time has elapsed as from a time of occurrence of communication between given hosts, a forwarding destination of a packet is to be modified,
a first control information piece that forwards a packet between the given hosts, with the preset time as a time period of validity, and
a second control information piece lower in the priority level than the first control information piece; the second control information piece forwarding, after lapse of the preset time, a packet having another forwarding destination as an address, to the another forwarding destination.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
the control apparatus causes the communication apparatus to delete the control information piece, among the plurality of control information pieces, which is highest in the priority level, when the modifying condition has become valid, so as to modify the control information piece highest in the priority level among the plurality of control information pieces.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
when the modifying condition has become valid, the control apparatus causes the communication apparatus to rewrite the priority level of the plurality of control information pieces so as to modify the control information piece highest in the priority level among the plurality of control information pieces.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
a third control information piece to drop a packet addressed to other than the another forwarding destination is generated.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
the control information generation unit generates, in accordance with a second communication policy that, in communication between preset hosts, bandwidth limitation is to be applied in dependence upon a traffic volume,
a third control information piece that forwards a packet to an address thereof as long as the traffic volume is less than a first threshold value; and
a fourth control information piece that, when the traffic volume is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, forwards a packet to the address thereof by applying a preset bandwidth limitation.

6. A communication apparatus, comprising:
a packet processing unit that selects, among a plurality of control information pieces, such control information piece matching a packet received and having a match condition highest in a priority level; the packet processing unit processing a received packet based on the selected control information piece; and
a control information piece management unit that, based on a condition specified in advance by a control apparatus, modifies the control information piece, among the plurality of control information pieces, which is highest in a priority level, whereby switching is made from one of communication policies to another;
wherein,
the control information generation unit generates, in accordance with a communication policy that, if preset time has elapsed as from a time of occurrence of communication between given hosts, a forwarding destination of a packet is to be modified,
a first control information piece that forwards a packet between the given hosts, with the preset time as a time period of validity, and
a second control information piece lower in the priority level than the first control information piece; the second control information piece forwarding, after lapse of the preset time, a packet having another forwarding destination as an address, to the another forwarding destination.

7. A method for communication, comprising:
generating a plurality of control information pieces having match conditions overlapping at least partially one with another, a ranking in a priority level different one from another and processing contents different one from another;
setting the plurality of control information pieces in a communication apparatus; the communication apparatus selecting, among the plurality of control information pieces, the control information piece matching a packet received and having the match condition highest in a priority level; the communication apparatus processing a received packet based on the selected control information piece; and
specifying, for the communication apparatus, in advance, a condition to modify the control information piece having a highest priority level among the plurality of control information pieces;
wherein,
the control information generation unit generates, in accordance with a communication policy that, if preset time has elapsed as from a time of occurrence of communication between given hosts, a forwarding destination of a packet is to be modified,
a first control information piece that forwards a packet between the given hosts, with the preset time as a time period of validity, and
a second control information piece lower in the priority level than the first control information piece; the second control information piece forwarding, after lapse of the preset time, a packet having another forwarding destination as an address, to the another forwarding destination.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a computer loaded on a control apparatus; the control apparatus controlling a communication apparatus; the communication apparatus selecting, among a plurality of control information pieces, such control information piece matching a packet received and having a match condition highest in a priority level, and processing a received packet based on the selected control information piece; to execute a processing of:
generating the plurality of control information pieces having match conditions overlapping at least partially one with another, a ranking in a priority level different one from another and processing contents different one from another;
setting the plurality of control information pieces in the communication apparatus; and
specifying, for the communication apparatus, in advance, a condition to modify the control information piece having a highest priority level among the plurality of control information pieces, whereby switching is made from one of communication policies to another;
wherein,
the control information generation unit generates, in accordance with a communication policy that, if preset time has elapsed as from a time of occurrence of communication between given hosts, a forwarding destination of a packet is to be modified,
a first control information piece that forwards a packet between the given hosts, with the preset time as a time period of validity, and

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Aida Takafumi

Classifications

• H04L47/20 Primary

  Traffic policing · CPC title

• H04L45/308

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

• H04L45/54

  Organization of routing tables · CPC title

• H04L45/22

  Alternate routing · CPC title

• H04W72/10 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic