Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method thereof for implementing a broadcast or a multicast communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9584568-B2
Application number	US-201314398950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2012
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A communication system includes: a control apparatus that sets broadcast domains or multicast domains respectively for virtual networks configured in a physical network including a forwarding node(s), and sets, in the forwarding node(s), broadcast or multicast control information, associating a packet forwarding destination and a match condition including an identifier for identifying one of the broadcast domains or multicast domains; and the forwarding node(s) that performs a broadcast or multicast using the broadcast or multicast control information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control apparatus, comprising:
a memory storing virtual node information concerning a virtual node, the virtual node information including a virtual network identifier; and
a processor configured to execute program instructions to:
identify, based on the virtual node information, a network domain identifier corresponding to one of a broadcast domain and multicast domain;
identify, based on the network domain identifier, a packet processing instruction for processing a packet according to the virtual network identifier and the network domain identifier; and
send the packet processing instruction to an edge switch apparatus corresponding to the virtual node.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for adding the network domain identifier to a header of a received packet based on the virtual network identifier of the received packet.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for adding the network domain identifier to a Multi-Protocol Label Switching region of a received packet based on the virtual network identifier of the received packet.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for removing the network domain identifier of a received packet.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute program instructions to:
identify, based on the network domain identifier, a packet forwarding instruction; and
send the packet forwarding instruction to a core switch apparatus.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing instruction includes a first flow entry, a second flow entry, and a packet storing instruction which indicates storing the first flow entry into a first table and storing the second flow entry into a second table respectively.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual network identifier corresponds one to one with the one of the broadcast domain and multicast domain to which the edge switch apparatus belongs.

8. A communication system, comprising:
an edge switch apparatus; and
a control apparatus configured to control the edge switch apparatus,
wherein the control apparatus comprises:
a memory storing virtual node information concerning a virtual node, the virtual node information including a virtual network identifier; and
a processor configured to execute program instructions to:
identify, based on the virtual node information, a network domain identifier corresponding to one of a broadcast domain and multicast domain;
identify, based on the network domain identifier, a packet processing instruction for processing a packet according to the virtual network identifier and the network domain identifier; and
send the packet processing instruction to the edge switch apparatus corresponding to the virtual node.

9. The communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for adding the network domain identifier to a header of a received packet based on the virtual network identifier of the received packet.

10. The communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for adding the network domain identifier to a Multi-Protocol Label Switching region of a received packet based on the virtual network identifier of the received packet.

11. The communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for removing the network domain identifier of a received packet.

12. The communication system according to claim 8 , further comprising a core switch apparatus,
wherein the processor is further configured to execute program instructions to:
identify, based on the network domain identifier, a packet forwarding instruction; and
send the packet forwarding instruction to the core switch apparatus.

13. The communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the processing instruction includes a first flow entry, a second flow entry, and a packet storing instruction which indicates storing the first flow entry into a first table and storing the second flow entry into a second table respectively.

14. The communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the virtual network identifier corresponds one to one with the one of the broadcast domain and multicast domain to which the edge switch apparatus belongs.

15. A network control method, comprising:
identifying, based on virtual node information concerning a virtual node, a network domain identifier corresponding to one of a broadcast domain and multicast domain, the virtual node information including a virtual network identifier;
identifying, based on the network domain identifier, a packet processing instruction for processing a packet according to the virtual network identifier and the network domain identifier; and
sending, to an edge switch apparatus corresponding to the virtual node, the packet processing instruction.

16. The network control method according to claim 15 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for adding the network domain identifier to a header of a received packet based on the virtual network identifier of the received packet.

17. The network control method according to claim 15 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for adding the network domain identifier to a Multi-Protocol Label Switching region of a received packet based on the virtual network identifier of the received packet.

18. The network control method according to claim 15 , wherein the packet processing instruction includes an instruction for removing the network domain identifier of a received packet.

19. The network control method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
identifying, based on the network domain identifier, a packet forwarding instruction; and
sending the packet forwarding instruction to a core switch apparatus.

20. The network control method according to claim 15 , wherein the processing instruction includes a first flow entry, a second flow entry, and a packet storing instruction which indicates storing the first flow entry into a first table and storing the second flow entry into a second table respectively.

21. The network control method according to claim 15 , wherein the virtual network identifier corresponds one to one with the one of the broadcast domain and multicast domain to which the edge switch apparatus belongs.

Assignees

• Tanabe Yosuke
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Tanabe Yosuke

Classifications

• H04L49/201

  Multicast operation; Broadcast operation · CPC title

• H04L12/4641 Primary

  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

• H04L69/22

  Parsing or analysis of headers · CPC title

• H04L65/4076 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L65/611 Primary

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title