JPH1028130A - Mac address managing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely inform address change by providing a table for managing an MCA address and a communication destination IP address in pair at every IP address and informing the changed MCA address to the communication destination IP address. SOLUTION: Address registering process 12 registers the IP address and the MAC address of a host. The host issues an MCA address obtaining request 13 when data transfer with another host is started. Communication destination registering process 14 responds the MAC address of the applying host which is previously registered. Then, when the IP address or the MAC address of the host is changed, an address registering request 11 is re-issured. Address managing process 15 inspects the host to which the inspection of the coincident address and the change of the address are reported. When the communication destination host becomes clear, process 15 transmits the change report 16 of the MAC address to the host. Thus, communication is instantaneously restarted even when the address is changed by moving PC.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a system for interconnecting a plurality of networks, and relates to an address management system which is generated by switching a failure of a communication device or transferring a PC.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In communication by TCP / IP, a MAC address generally uses a global address uniquely given to a device, and when starting data transfer, each host obtains a MAC address of a communication destination host by an ARP request. . Therefore, the user can communicate without knowing the MAC address. On the other hand, communication equipment breaks down,
When the IP address is changed due to the relocation of the PC, communication cannot be performed unless each host erases the MAC address obtained by the ARP request and newly obtains the MAC address. For this reason, as a means for the host to determine the changed MAC address, a method of erasing the MAC address of the communication destination at regular intervals and reissuing the ARP request, or a method of notifying the address when the power is turned on is used. ing. Regarding address management, a method of collectively registering MAC addresses described in JP-A-3-64153 and a method of broadcasting registered addresses to each host described in JP-A-6-131283 are used. It manages addresses and resolves addresses.

[0003]

In a system operated online on a network constructed by a LAN, if an IP address or a MAC address is changed due to a failure of a communication device or a transfer of a PC, the host to which the connection is to be made is sent to a destination host. Communication must be resumed immediately after the change is notified. Also, since the broadcast has an effect on all the hosts, a method of notifying each host of the address change by means other than the broadcast is required. In this regard, in the conventional method, even if the MAC address notified from each host is registered collectively, the MAC address is immediately transmitted to the corresponding host.
No means of notification of address change has been established. In addition, there is a problem that a load is imposed on the host on the LAN due to the notification by the broadcast.

Second, the configuration of the trunk LAN generally has a double relay route for failure countermeasures, and when one fails, changes to the other relay route for communication.
In such a configuration, the detection of a failure in the relay path and the change of the relay path are performed using a path control protocol such as RIP, RIP2, and OSPF. However, since the routing control protocol has become more complicated such as security management and distance information, some hosts cannot cope with it. Further, the method of detecting a failure in the relay path may be different for each host, and may not function as the entire network system. Therefore, in the present invention, by managing the routing protocol information sent from the router, and having the router failure and address information addressed to other networks, even if the host does not have the routing protocol, the optimum route can be determined. The purpose is to be able to choose.

[0005]

A MAC address management device is prepared on a LAN, and an address is registered when each host is started. Acquisition and notification of the MAC address is realized by defining an interface for request and notification between each host and the MAC address management device. The address management method manages address changes by having a table for managing a pair of a MAC address and a communication destination host for each IP address of each host. By adopting this method, it is possible to reliably notify each host of a change in MAC address without imposing a load on the host.

[0006] The MAC address information addressed to another network is obtained by selecting an optimum route from a route control message broadcast from the router, and determining the MA of the router on the optimum route.
It is managed by registering the C address. Further, when a router failure occurs, an invalid address notification or another route change notification is performed, thereby enabling automatic switching at the time of router failure.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an interface for registration, acquisition, and notification of a MAC address and an IP address. When the host is started, an address registration request 11 is issued to the MAC address management device. The address registration process 12 of the MAC address management device registers the IP address and the MAC address of the host. The host issues a MAC address acquisition request 13 when starting data transfer with another host. The communication destination registration process 14 of the MAC address management device responds with the MAC address of the corresponding host already registered. Next, the IP address or MAC of the host
When the address is changed, the address registration request 11 is reissued. The address management process 15 of the MAC address management device checks the matching address and checks the notification destination host that notifies the address change. When the communication destination host is determined, the address management process 15 transmits a MAC address change notification 16 to the host. If a router fails, an address change notification 16 is sent to the destination host when a replacement router exists, and an address invalidation notification 17 is sent when there is no replacement router.

FIG. 2 shows a request format for registration, acquisition, and notification of a MAC address and an IP address. The request format includes a request type 21 and address information 22, and the corresponding address is set in the address information.

FIG. 3 shows address management information in the MAC address management device. The IP address and the MAC address are managed and configured by an address management table 31.
In the management table, for each IP address, a MAC address and an IP address of a communication destination with which the host has communicated in the past are registered. Further, information on other networks is obtained from the routing protocol information, and the MAC address of the router is registered in order to obtain an optimal route. This registration allows each host to know the optimum route without performing the operation of knowing the route to the other network.

[0011]

According to the present invention, even if the IP address or the MAC address is changed due to the failure of the communication device or the relocation of the PC, the communication can be immediately resumed. Also, when a change in the relay route occurs in a network system having a double relay route, each host can continue communication without being aware of the switch.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows registration and acquisition of a MAC address and an IP address.
It is a figure showing the interface of the notice.

FIG. 2 shows registration and acquisition of a MAC address and an IP address.
It is a figure showing a request format of a notice.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing address management information in a MAC address management device.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: Address registration request, 12: Address registration process, 13: MAC address acquisition request, 14: Communication destination registration process, 15: Address management process,
16: notification of address change, 17: notification of invalid address, 21: request type field, 22: address information field. 31 ... Address management table.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a MAC address management method for a system for interconnecting networks constructed by a LAN, an IP address
It has a table for managing the MAC address and the communication destination IP address in pairs for each address, and when the IP address or the MAC address of the router is changed, reports the changed MAC address to the communication destination IP address. MAC address management method.