Communication system, control apparatus, communication apparatus, communication control method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9935876-B2
Application number	US-201314389309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2013
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A communication system, includes: a node that requests a processing rule for processing a packet; and a control apparatus that notifies the node of the processing rule in response to the request. The control apparatus, upon being notified of change of a connection relationship between a communication apparatus to which a packet is addressed and the node, determines a forwarding path for a packet addressed to the communication apparatus and notifies the node of a processing rule for realizing the forwarding path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system, comprising:
at least one node that is configured to request a processing rule for processing a packet; and
a controller, comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor configured to execute program instructions to:
notify the node of the processing rule in response to the request, wherein, upon being notified of a change of a network topology between a communication apparatus to which a packet is addressed and the node, the processor:
establishes the network topology based on information about a forwarding node and a virtual forwarding node;
determines a forwarding path for a packet addressed to the communication apparatus; and
notifies the node of a processing rule for processing the packet based on the forwarding path,

the processor further executing a communication apparatus management apparatus configured to manage the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node,
wherein the communication apparatus management apparatus, upon changing the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node, notifies the processor of a change of the network topology,
wherein the communication apparatus comprises a virtual machine(s) arranged in a virtual resources(s) by the communication apparatus management apparatus,
wherein the communication apparatus management apparatus, upon arranging the virtual machine(s) in the virtual resource(s), notifies the controller of a change of a connection relationship between the virtual machine(s) and the node,
the processor further executing:
a user terminal configured to request a creation of the virtual machine(s); and
a communication policy management apparatus configured to manage an access rule indicating connectivity between the virtual machine(s), creation of which is requested the user terminal, and another virtual machine(s),

wherein, based on the access rule supplied from the communication policy management apparatus, the processor determines a forwarding path for a packet, addressed to the virtual machine(s) and previously notifies the node of a processing rule for realizing the forwarding path.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor, upon being notified of the change of the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node, previously notifies the node of the processing rule for realizing the forwarding path.

3. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus management apparatus, upon moving the virtual machine(s) from the virtual resource(s), notifies the controller of the change of the connection relationship between the virtual machine(s) and the node.

4. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller notifies the node of the processing rule for realizing the forwarding path before the node receives the packet addressed to the communication apparatus.

5. A control apparatus, comprising:
a first processor that generates a processing rule for processing a packet and transmitting the processing rule to at least one node; and
a second processor that, upon being notified of a change of a network topology between a communication apparatus to which a packet is addressed and the node:
establishes the network topology based on information about a forwarding node and a virtual forwarding node;
determines a forwarding path for a packet addressed to the communication apparatus; and
notifies the node of a processing rule for processing the packet based on the forwarding path,

wherein the second processor is notified of a change of the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node from a communication apparatus management apparatus that changes network topology,
wherein the communication apparatus comprises a virtual machine(s) arranged in a virtual resource(s) by the communication apparatus management apparatus,
wherein the communication apparatus management apparatus that has arranged the virtual machine(s) in the virtual resource(s) notifies the second processor of a change of a connection relationship between the virtual machine(s) and the node, and
wherein, based on an access rule indicating connectivity between the virtual machine(s), creation of which is requested by a user terminal, and another virtual machine(s), the second processor determines a forwarding path for a packet addressed to the virtual machine(s) and previously notifies the node of a processing rule for realizing the forwarding path.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the second processor, upon being notified of the change of the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node, previously notifies the node of the processing rule for realizing the forwarding path.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the communication apparatus management apparatus that has moved the virtual machine(s) from the virtual resource(s) notifies the second processor of the change of the connection relationship between the virtual machine(s) and the node.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second processor notifies the node of the processing rule for realizing the forwarding path before the node receives the packet addressed to the communication apparatus.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second processor is notified of the change of the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node from a communication apparatus management apparatus that changes the network topology.

10. A communication control method, comprising:
by a controller, generating a processing rule for processing a packet;
notifying at least one node of the generated processing rule;
upon being notified of a change of a network topology between a communication apparatus to which a packet is addressed and the node:
establishing the network topology based on information about a forwarding node and a virtual forwarding node;
determining a forwarding path for a packet addressed to the communication apparatus;
notifying the node of a processing rule for realizing the forwarding path; and
managing by the communication apparatus management apparatus, the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node,
wherein the communication apparatus management apparatus, upon changing the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node, notifies the controller of a change of the network topology,
wherein the communication apparatus comprises a virtual machine(s) arranged in a virtual resource(s) by the communication apparatus management apparatus,
wherein the communication apparatus management apparatus, upon arranging the virtual machine(s) in the virtual resource(s), notifies the controller of a change of a connection relationship between the virtual machine(s) and the node;

requesting, by a user terminal, a creation of the virtual machine(s); and
managing, by a communication policy management apparatus, an access rule indicating connectivity between the virtual machine(s), creation of which is requested by the user terminal, and another virtual machine(s),
wherein, based on the access rule supplied from the communication policy management apparatus, a forwarding path is determined for a packet addressed to the virtual machine(s) and the node of a processing rule for realizing the forwarding path is previously notified.

11. The communication control method according to claim 10 , wherein the controller, upon being notified of the change of the network topology between the communication apparatus and the node, previously notifies the node of the p

Assignees

• Sonoda Kentaro
• Shimonishi Hideyuki
• Koide Toshio
• Hatano Yoichi
• Nakae Masayuki
• Yamagata Masaya
• Morita Yoichiro
• Sasaki Takayuki
• Ashino Yuki
• Ohno Takeo
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Sonoda Kentaro
• Shimonishi Hideyuki
• Koide Toshio
• Hatano Yoichi
• Nakae Masayuki
• Yamagata Masaya
• Morita Yoichiro
• Sasaki Takayuki
• Ashino Yuki
• Ohno Takeo

Classifications

• H04L45/70

  Routing based on monitoring results · CPC title

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title

• G06F2009/45595

  Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• H04L45/02

  Topology update or discovery · CPC title