JP2001223723A - Ethernet (registered trademark) connection controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide Ethernet connection control which can obtain a high transmission rate without increasing traffic nor facility cost unnecessarily by effectively using existent devices. SOLUTION: This controller has Ethernet communication parts 3a to 3c which perform medium access control corresponding to the data link layer (2nd layer) of the OSI reference model and further has a multiple-Ethernet communication part control part 4 which performs logical link control corresponding to the data link layer over the Ethernet communication parts 3 and a transport driver 5 which sends data received from the multiple-Ethernet communication control part 4 to above the transport layer (4th layer of OSI reference model).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to Ethernet connection control, and more particularly, to an Ethernet connection control that realizes a higher transmission speed by applying a conventional technique.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, opportunities for constructing networks in companies and homes have been increasing. This is because information processing devices as terminals have become widespread, and accordingly, information and peripheral devices have to be shared.

A network constructed by a company or a home is generally called a LAN (Local Area Network), and is configured by connecting terminals such as a computer and a printer through a high-speed broadband line in a divided area. I have.

One of the means for configuring such a LAN is a technology called Ethernet. This is a LAN with a bus structure jointly developed by Xerox Corporation of the United States, Digital Equipment Corporation of the United States, and Intel Corporation of the United States.
At present, in addition to a bus type using a 50Ω coaxial cable as a transmission medium, a star type Ethernet using a twisted pair has appeared.

[0005] In Ethernet, several types of maximum transmission speeds are provided in accordance with the type of transmission medium. For a coaxial cable, a maximum transmission speed of 10 [Mbps] such as 10BASE2 or 10BASE5 is used.
For a twisted pair, 10BASE-T or 100BA
Maximum transmission speed such as SE-TX is 10 [Mbp
s] and 100 [Mbps] transmission media.

Recently, Ethernets such as Gigabit Ethernet having a maximum transmission speed exceeding 1 [Gbps] have been developed.

Here, FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a connection form of the computer 100 constructed by the prior art by Ethernet.

Referring to FIG. 7, a computer 100 according to the prior art performs a media access control (Media Ac) corresponding to a data link layer (second layer) in an OSI reference model.
cessControl), an Ethernet communication unit control unit 400 that also performs a logical link control (Logical Link Control) corresponding to the data link layer, and an Ethernet communication unit control unit 40.
And a transport driver 500 for transmitting data received from the transport layer 0 to a transport layer (the fourth layer in the OSI reference model) or higher.

Here, the Ethernet communication unit 300 is constituted by a so-called network interface card (NIC (or LAN board)) or the like.
An AC (Media Access Control) address is set and is stored in a storage medium provided by the user. Also,
The Ethernet communication unit control unit 400 connected to the Ethernet communication unit 300 is a so-called LAN driver.

Further, the transport driver 500
Is used to control the network layer (third layer) and the transport layer (fourth layer) in the OSI reference model for transmitted / received packets. It is configured to add a packet header including an IP address and to transfer a packet received via a network to a designated port.

[0011]

However, as described above, in a conventional LAN using Ethernet, 10
When using BASE2, 10BASE5 and 10BASE-T, 10 [Mbps] and 100B
100 [Mbps] when ASE-TX is used,
Since the maximum transmission speed is fixed, if the user needs a higher communication speed, the user must reconfigure the LAN configuration or wait for the emergence of a technology that allows a higher transmission speed. have.

As a prior art for solving such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-232877 discloses a conventional technique in a network environment in which two or more nodes are connected via a plurality of LANs. A LAN control device provided with a management server for managing traffic and the number of connections is disclosed. In this configuration, when each node performs data transfer, the LAN used for packet transfer is determined by inquiring of the management server. For this reason, in the prior art, the packets forming the same flow are configured to be transferred to the same LAN.

However, the LAN control device disclosed in this publication requires a management server for managing the traffic and the number of connections for each LAN, which complicates the design, and furthermore, the management server and each terminal. This causes a problem that traffic that is not originally required exists on the network due to the communication with the network, and it is not possible to exhibit a sufficiently high speed.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and makes it possible to utilize a conventional device more effectively so that a high transmission speed can be obtained without the need for unnecessary increase in traffic and increase in equipment cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide an Ethernet connection control that can be realized in a computer.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data link layer in an OSI reference model, in which a first media access control is performed.
First multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means for controlling the first Ethernet communication means and performing logical link control in the data link layer in the OSI reference model, and first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means Transport control means for controlling the network layer and the transport layer in the OSI reference model with respect to the packet received through the first multiplexed Ethernet communication unit. It is characterized by controlling Ethernet communication means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the Ethernet connection control device according to the first aspect, the first multiplex Ethernet communication section control means is controlled by the first multiplex Ethernet communication section control means. A first Ethernet communication unit that manages a MAC address set in each of the plurality of first Ethernet communication units as a source MAC address and that actually transfers a packet based on the managed source MAC address It is characterized by selecting.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the Ethernet connection control device according to the second aspect, the first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means controls the source MAC address and the transport control means which are managed. Manages the MAC address set in the first Ethernet communication control means of the destination terminal as the destination MAC address in correspondence with the destination IP address included in the TCP / IP header added in At the time of transmission control, the selected source MAC address and the added TCP
A destination MAC address as a transmission destination is read based on a destination IP address included in a / IP header.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the Ethernet connection control device according to the second or third aspect, the first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means controls the order of the managed source MAC addresses. Have and manage
Lastly, the source MAC address set in the first Ethernet communication unit to which the packet was transferred is stored in the storage unit, and when the first Ethernet communication unit to transmit the next packet is selected, the transmission source MAC address is stored in the storage unit. Source M
The first Ethernet communication unit that transfers the packet is determined by referring to the AC address and selecting a source MAC address having the next order to the source MAC address referred to.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the data link layer of the OSI reference model, a second Ethernet communication means for controlling medium access and a second Ethernet communication means for controlling the second Ethernet communication means are provided. In the link layer, a second multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit that performs logical link control, and a packet received via the second multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit are transmitted to the network layer and the transport layer in the OSI reference model. Transport control means for controlling;
The second Ethernet communication means has a port for connecting a plurality of Ethernet cables to one unit, the port is set with a port identifier for identifying each, and the second multiplex Ethernet communication unit control The means manages a port identifier for identifying each port of the second Ethernet communication means, and selects a port for transferring an actual packet based on the managed port identifier.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the Ethernet connection control device according to the fifth aspect, the second multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means has an order in the managed port identifiers. The port identifier of the port that has managed and transferred the last packet is stored in the storage means, and when selecting a port to transmit the next packet, the port identifier stored in the storage means is referred to, and the referenced port identifier is referred to. By selecting a port identifier having the following order, a port to which a packet is transferred is determined.

[0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific examples to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail for each embodiment. The feature of the Ethernet connection control according to the present invention is that it is possible to multiply the upper limit of the communication speed by the existing technology by multiplexing the Ethernet on one LAN and connecting each node. is there.

(First Embodiment) In consideration of the above, a first embodiment to which the Ethernet connection control of the present invention is applied will be described below. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, computers 1a to 1
d is connected via a plurality of Ethernet cables 2a to 2c. Here, it goes without saying that the number of computers and the number of Ethernet cables are not limited to FIG.

[0023] Also, as a technology using Ethernet,
There are a bus type using a coaxial cable and a star type using a twisted pair cable (twisted pair cable). In the first embodiment, a bus type using a coaxial cable will be described.

Referring to FIG. 2, a computer 1 according to the first embodiment has a plurality of Ethernet communication units 3a to 3c that perform medium access control corresponding to a data link layer (second layer) in an OSI reference model. Further, a multiplexed Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 that performs logical link control corresponding to the data link layer to the Ethernet communication unit 3 and a data received from the multiplexed Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 are transmitted to the transport layer (see OSI). And a transport driver 5 for transmitting the data to the fourth layer or higher in the model.

Here, the Ethernet communication unit 3 is constituted by a so-called network interface card or the like which is widely used, and a MAC (Media Access Controller) is provided for each Ethernet communication unit 3.
l) An address is set and is stored in its own storage medium.

The multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 connected to each of the Ethernet communication units 3a to 3c generally controls a LAN that controls a theoretical link control layer (LLC) corresponding to the data link layer of the OSI reference model. In the present invention, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 is configured to control a plurality of Ethernet communication units 3 at the same time.

Further, the transport driver 5 transmits and receives packets to the network layer (third layer) and the transport layer (fourth layer) in the OSI reference model.
Layer), a packet header including the TCP / IP address of the other computer specified as the destination is added, and the packet received via the network is transferred to the destination port. It is configured as follows.

Here, in the first place, in the Ethernet technology,
As shown in FIG. 3, for a packet transmitted / received in the third layer (network layer) or higher of the OSI reference model, a synchronization signal for another terminal, a start code of this packet, and a header called an Ethernet header , And the FCS indicating the end of the packet are added and transmitted by the LAN driver (the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 in the present invention).

Further, the destination MAC is included in the Ethernet header.
An address, a source MAC address, and information indicating the packet length / type are included, and each Ethernet communication unit 3 refers to the destination MAC address for the received packet, so that the packet is addressed to itself. Is determined.

In consideration of this, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 according to the present invention controls the Ethernet header to be added in accordance with the destination IP address included in the TCP / IP header added in the network layer and the transport layer. Must be selected.

Therefore, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4
Is configured to manage the MAC addresses of all the Ethernet communication units 3 connected to the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 on a table, as shown in FIG. As shown in (b), the destination MAC address is managed corresponding to the source MAC address and the destination IP address.

When the packet transmission is requested from the information processing device 1, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 selects one transmission source MAC address from the table shown in FIG. Further, using the selected source MAC address and the destination IP address included in the TCP / IP header added by the transport driver 5, the destination MAC address shown in FIG. Source MAC address and destination MA
It is configured to add an Ethernet header to a packet to be transmitted based on the C address.

Here, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4
Must select the Ethernet communication unit 3 that actually transfers the packet from the table shown in FIG.

As an example of this selection method, the source M managed in the table shown in FIG.
It is desirable that the AC addresses have a sequence and are assigned in this order. This is because the traffic existing on each Ethernet cable can be averaged by selecting the Ethernet communication unit 3 according to the order as described above.

When the transfer destination route is resolved for different flows, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 finally sets the packet in the multiplexed Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 in order to prevent the packets in the different flows from being transferred to the same Ethernet cable. Is stored in a register or the like of the Ethernet communication unit 3 that has transferred the packet, and when the next packet is transferred, the next source MAC address is selected with reference to the stored MAC address. By doing so, it is possible to further resolve the traffic bias.

In contrast to the operation of the transmitting computer as described above, in the operation of the receiving computer, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 of the receiving computer 1 transmits the packets received from the plurality of Ethernet communication units 3. The transport driver 5 assembles and processes in order by referring to the TCP / IP header as before.
Send to

By being processed in this order,
The transport driver 5 can assemble the input packet and output it to the designated port. Further, the subsequent processing can be realized by a method similar to that disclosed in the related art, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted in the present invention.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a case where the Ethernet communication unit 13 has a plurality of ports into which an Ethernet cable is inserted in the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 5, the Ethernet communication unit 13 according to the present invention is configured to have a plurality of (three in the case shown in FIG. 5) Ethernet cable port.

In this configuration, the Ethernet communication unit 1
The number of MAC addresses set to No. 3 is one. Therefore, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 14 is configured to select which port to use for communication based on the port identifier set for the Ethernet communication unit 13 for identifying each port. ing.

As with the example shown in the first embodiment, which port is used by the multiplexed Ethernet communication unit controller 14 in order to prevent the traffic volume from being biased on each Ethernet cable. It is configured such that whether communication has been performed is managed in a register or the like provided therein.

With such a configuration, in the second embodiment, it is possible to achieve the same effects as in the first embodiment.

(Third Embodiment) Next, in the first and second embodiments, a case where the present invention is applied to a bus type Ethernet using a coaxial cable has been described. A case where the present invention is applied to a star type Ethernet using a cable will be described in detail as a third embodiment with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the third embodiment,
Computers 1a to 1d are connected to hubs (HUBs) 20, 21, and 22 via a plurality of Ethernet cables.

In this configuration, the hubs 20, 21, 22
Can be applied to ordinary commercially available products.

Also in this configuration, the multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 according to the present invention can be realized by a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

For example, when a plurality of Ethernet communication units 3 are provided, the configuration of the first embodiment is applied, and a single Ethernet communication unit 13 has a plurality of Ethernet cable ports. In such a case, the second embodiment is applied.

With the above configuration, the Ethernet connection control of the present invention can be realized by a configuration using a hub.

(Other Embodiments) Although not described in the above embodiments, M in Ethernet technology
There is a method of realizing packet transfer without using an AC address. In this case as well, a plurality of Ethernet communication unit control units 3 to which the multiple Ethernet communication unit control unit 4 is connected are distinguished or the Ethernet communication unit By managing the plurality of port identifiers provided in the server 13 with the same configuration as the configuration shown in each of the above embodiments, it is possible to realize the same operation as in the above embodiments.

[0050]

As described above, according to the Ethernet connection control of the present invention, it is possible to multiplex Ethernet and connect each node on one LAN. It is possible to construct a higher-speed LAN in which the upper limit of the communication speed is multiplied by a sub-number.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a LAN according to first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a packet transmitted and received in the Ethernet technology.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a transfer destination management table held by a multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a LAN configuration according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer using Ethernet using the conventional technology.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a-1d Computer 2, 2a-2c Ethernet cable 3, 3a-3c, 13 Ethernet communication part 4, 14 Multiple Ethernet communication part control part 5 Transport driver 20, 21, 22 Hub

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A first Ethernet communication means for performing medium access control in a data link layer in an OSI reference model, and a logical link control in the data link layer in an OSI reference model for controlling the first Ethernet communication means And a control unit for controlling a network layer and a transport layer in an OSI reference model for a packet received through the first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control unit. An Ethernet connection control device, wherein the first multiplexed Ethernet communication unit control means controls a plurality of the first Ethernet communication means. 2. The first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means transmits a MAC address set in each of the plurality of first Ethernet communication means controlled by the first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means. 2. The Ethernet connection control device according to claim 1, wherein the first Ethernet communication unit that actually manages the packet is selected based on the managed source MAC address. . 3. The first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means includes a source MAC address managed and a TCP / I added by the transport control means.
In accordance with the destination IP address included in the P header, a MAC address set in the first Ethernet communication control means of the terminal as a transmission destination is managed as a destination MAC address. 3. The Ethernet connection control device according to claim 2, wherein the destination MAC address serving as a destination is read based on the source MAC address and the destination IP address included in the added TCP / IP header. . 4. The first multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means manages the managed transmission source MAC addresses in order and manages the transmission source MAC addresses in the first order.
Source MAC set for the Ethernet communication means of
When the address is held in the storage unit and the first Ethernet communication unit for transmitting the next packet is selected, the source MAC address held in the storage unit is referred to, and the referred source MAC address is referred to. 4. The Ethernet connection control device according to claim 2, wherein the first Ethernet communication unit that transfers the packet is determined by selecting a source MAC address having the next order. 5. A second Ethernet communication means for performing medium access control in a data link layer in the OSI reference model, and a logical link control in the data link layer in the OSI reference model for controlling the second Ethernet communication means Multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means, and transport control for controlling a network layer and a transport layer in an OSI reference model for a packet received via the second multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means Means, the second Ethernet communication means has a port for connecting a plurality of Ethernet cables to one unit, the port is set with a port identifier for identifying each, The multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means of And managing the port identifier for identifying each port that, based on the port identifier the management, Ethernet connection control device and selects the port to forward actual packet. 6. The second multiplex Ethernet communication unit control means manages the managed port identifiers in order, and stores the port identifier of the last port to which a packet was transferred in a storage means. When selecting the port for holding and transmitting the next packet, refer to the port identifier held in the storage unit and select the port identifier having the next order to the referenced port identifier. The Ethernet connection control device according to claim 5, wherein the port to which the packet is transferred is determined.