JP2003283516A - Slave terminal control method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To continue control from a master terminal even when the prescribed hierarchy address of a slave terminal is changed by any method except for the control from the master terminal. <P>SOLUTION: In a slave terminal control method and system in which the master terminal and the slave terminal are connected to the same network, the master terminal is equipped with a function for applying the prescribed hierarchy address of the slave terminal and the master terminal controls the slave terminal by transmitting control information thereto, the master terminal inserts a broadcast address as a destination of the control information with respect to a prescribed hierarchy and inserts an address peculiar for a slave terminal related to any hierarchy except for the prescribed hierarchy as well. The slave terminal captures communication information into which the broadcast address is inserted with respect to the prescribed hierarchy and the address peculiar for itself is inserted as an address related to any hierarchy except for the prescribed hierarchy as control information from the master terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slave terminal control method and system, for example, a method of continuing slave control by a master installed between devices having master-slave master-slave relationships installed in the same network environment. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 2, a master and a slave are installed between devices installed in the same network environment (for example, LAN devices having the same LAN interface such as a personal computer and a router). There are systems that need to maintain a master-detail relationship. That is, a master terminal (for example, a personal computer) on the same network 1
There is a system in which the master terminal 2 controls the slave terminal 3 by connecting the slave terminal 3 to the slave terminal 3 (for example, a router). Note that, in general, the network 1 also includes terminals 4 other than the master terminal 2 and the slave terminal 3 that are not related to the master-slave relationship.

Conventionally, a method of controlling the slave terminal 3 by the master terminal 2 is, for example, TCP / IP (transm).
session control protocol / i
If the network complies with the Internet protocol, the sequence shown in FIG. 3 is used.

The master terminal 2 sets an IP address in the slave terminal 3 at a predetermined timing, for example, when the power of the self terminal is turned on or a reset operation is performed, and the slave terminal 3 holds the IP address. Then, the grant response is returned to the master terminal 2 (T1
0, T11). The method of setting the IP address in the slave terminal 3 may be arbitrary, for example, SNMP.
(Simple network management
t protocol) setting method can be applied.

When controlling the slave terminal 3, the master terminal 2 transmits a control packet in which the IP address set for the slave terminal 3 is inserted in the destination field to the network 1 (T12).

The slave terminal 3 monitors the destination field of the control packet flowing through the network 1, takes in the control packet in which the IP address given to itself is inserted in the destination field, and takes it in. At that timing, or at the timing when the control process indicated by the packet ends, a control response is returned to the master terminal 2 and the master terminal 2 completes the control operation this time (T13).

[0007]

However, in the control method of the slave terminal 3 by the master terminal 2 described above, when the IP address of the slave terminal 3 is changed by a method other than the control from the master terminal 2, the master terminal 2 is changed. There is a problem in that communication from the terminal 2 to the slave terminal 3 is disabled and control cannot be performed.

As a case where the IP address of the slave terminal 3 is changed by a method other than the control from the master terminal 2, for example, the following two cases C1 and C2 can be considered.

Case C1: Slave terminal 3 is DHCP
(Dynamic host configurati
on protocol; BOOTP (bootstr
Equipped with an IP address acquisition protocol such as approtocol)), power supply OFF / O for the slave terminal 3
A case where only N operations or operations are executed (the master terminal 2 is not executed), and an IP granting action from an external IP granting device (for example, a DHCP server) existing in the same network 1 is performed on the slave terminal 3. C2: When the slave terminal 3 is subjected to change control from another terminal 4 which is not the master terminal 2 using the SNMP setting application software, etc. FIG. 4 shows a sequence in the case of the above-mentioned case C1 which causes a problem. Before the sequence part shown in FIG. 4, the IP address (xxx.xxx.xxx.x) from the master terminal 2 to the slave terminal 3 as described in FIG.
xxx. The setting operation of (xxx) is performed.

When the slave terminal 3 is in a state in which it can be controlled by the master terminal 2, if the power off operation and the subsequent on operation are performed only for the slave terminal 3 (T20), for example, the slave terminal DHCP, which is an IP address acquisition protocol in 3, is activated, and the DHCP server 5 gives an IP address (yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy) to the slave terminal 3 (T21, T22).

Thereafter, when the master terminal 2 needs to control the slave terminal 3, the IP address (xxx.xx) set in the slave terminal 3 is set in the destination field.
x. xxx. The control packet in which "xxx" is inserted is transmitted to the network 1 (T23).

For the control packet, the slave terminal 3 receives the IP address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) inserted in the destination field of the IP address (yyy. yyy.y
yy. Since it is different from (yyy), it is not captured and no response is returned to the master terminal 2 (T2
3).

That is, the communication from the master terminal 2 to the slave terminal 3 is disabled and cannot be controlled.
It should be noted that the master terminal 2 can recognize that the slave terminal 3 cannot be controlled because, for example, after the control packet is transmitted, no response is returned even after a predetermined time has elapsed.

Therefore, there is a demand for a slave terminal control method and system capable of further guaranteeing the situation in which the master terminal can control the slave terminals.

[0015]

In order to solve such a problem, the first aspect of the present invention is that a master terminal and a slave terminal are connected to the same network, and the master terminal assigns an address in a predetermined layer of the slave terminal. A slave terminal control method in which the master terminal transmits control information to the slave terminal to control the slave terminal, wherein (1) the master terminal is a destination of the control information, For the predetermined layer, an address for broadcast is inserted, and an address unique to the slave terminal related to a layer other than the predetermined layer is inserted. (2) The slave terminal has, among the communication information flowing in the network, For the above-mentioned predetermined layer, an address for broadcasting is inserted and The address related to the hierarchy other than the layer, the communication information unique address self terminal is inserted, and wherein the incorporation as the control information to the self from the master terminal.

Further, in the second aspect of the present invention, the master terminal and the slave terminal are connected to the same network, and the master terminal has a function of giving an address in a predetermined hierarchy of the slave terminal, and the master terminal is also provided. In a slave terminal control system for controlling the slave terminal by transmitting control information to the slave terminal,
(1) Control in which the master terminal inserts a broadcast address for the predetermined layer as a destination and forms the control information in which an address unique to the slave terminal related to a layer other than the predetermined layer is inserted (2) In the communication information flowing through the network, the slave terminal is provided with an information forming means, and a broadcast address is inserted in the communication information flowing through the network, and an address relating to a layer other than the predetermined layer. Is characterized by comprising control information fetching means for fetching communication information in which a unique address is inserted into the self terminal as control information for the self from the master terminal.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (A) First Embodiment Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a slave terminal control method and system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The first embodiment relates to a TCP / IP-compliant network.

(A-1) Configuration of the First Embodiment The arrangement itself of each device on the network in the slave terminal control system of the first embodiment is the same as the conventional one, and can be represented by FIG. 2 described above. it can. That is, a master terminal 2 and a slave terminal 3 having a master-slave relationship, and another terminal 4 are connected to the network 1.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conceptual internal functional configuration of the LAN interface units 2R and 3R having a function of connecting the master terminal 2 and the slave terminal 3 to the network 1 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 1A shows the configuration of the LAN interface unit 2R of the master terminal 2, and FIG. 1B shows the configuration of the LAN interface unit 3R of the slave terminal 3.

The LAN interface unit 2R of the master terminal 2 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 10, a packet assembling / disassembling unit 11, a slave address storage unit 12, and a MAC (media acc.
Ess control; medium access control) Address setting unit 13 and own terminal address storage unit 14 are provided.

The transmission / reception unit 10 transmits a control packet or the like to the network 1 and temporarily holds a packet from the network 1, and the destination of the packet is stored in its own terminal address storage unit 14. It is taken in when it matches with the address.

The packet assembling / disassembling unit 11 assembles, for example, a control packet to the slave terminal 3 and transmits / receives the data to / from the transmitting / receiving unit 1.
The packet is given to 0 or the packet given from the transmission / reception unit 10 is decomposed. Packet assembling / disassembling unit 11
Inserts the address of the slave terminal 3 stored in the slave address storage unit 12 as the destination of the control packet when assembling the control packet to the slave terminal 3.

In the case of the first embodiment, the address inserted as the destination of the control packet is the broadcast IP address (255.2) related to the network layer.
55.255.25) and the MAC address (unicast MAC address) of the slave terminal 3 in the lower sublayer of the data link layer. The position in the control packet in which the broadcast IP address is inserted, and M
It may be separated from the position in the control packet in which the AC address is inserted, and a plurality of the latter may be inserted discretely.

Incidentally, in the case of a general packet which is not a control packet to the slave terminal 3, I
The P address may be the same as the above, or may be the IP address given to the slave terminal 3.

As described above, the control packet includes the broadcast IP address and the M of the slave terminal 3.
Since the AC address is inserted as the destination, the MAC address of the slave terminal 3 is set to the slave address storage unit 12
There is provided a MAC address setting unit 13 to be stored in.

The MAC address setting unit 13 may be, for example, one that takes in and sets the input of the MAC address by the manual operation of the operator, and by communicating with the slave terminal 3, the MAC address is set from the slave terminal 3 to the MAC address.
The address may be collected and set. That is, the method of setting the MAC address does not matter.

The LAN interface section 3R of the slave terminal 3 includes a transmitting / receiving section 20, a packet assembling / disassembling section 21, and a MA.
It has a C address storage unit 22, an own IP address storage unit 23, and the like.

The transmission / reception unit 20 transmits a packet to the network 1 and temporarily holds a control packet from the network 1, and the destination of the packet is stored in its own IP address storage unit 23. It is taken in when it matches with the one (however, the one for broadcasting is treated as matching).

The packet assembling / disassembling unit 21 assembles, for example, a response packet to the master terminal 2 and transmits / receives the packet.
Or to decompose the packet given from the transmitting / receiving unit 20. The packet assembling / disassembling unit 21
When the packet in which the broadcast IP address is inserted is given from the transmission / reception unit 20, whether or not the own MAC address stored in the MAC address storage unit 22 is inserted in the packet is paraphrased. Then, it is determined whether the packet is a control packet from the master terminal 2. The transmitter / receiver 20 may also have this determination function.

(A-2) Operation of the First Embodiment FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram in the first embodiment in the case (C1) in which the IP address of the slave terminal 3 is changed on the way. Before the sequence part shown in FIG. 5, the IP address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) from the master terminal 2 to the slave terminal 3 as described in FIG.
The setting operation of (xxx) is performed.

When controlling the slave terminal 3, the master terminal 2 inserts the broadcast IP address (255.255.255.255) and the MAC address of the slave terminal 3 as a destination as a control packet. Is transmitted to the network 1 (T31).

The slave terminal 3 monitors the destination of the packet flowing through the network 1. As the destination, the slave terminal 3 takes in the packet in which the IP address for broadcasting is inserted, and further, its own MAC address is inserted. If the packet is inserted, the packet is fetched as a control packet from the master terminal 2 and the timing of fetching it, or
At the timing when the control process indicated by the control packet is completed, a control response (packet) is returned to the master terminal 2, and the master terminal 2 completes the control operation this time (T32).

The control packet transmitted from the master terminal 2 is a broadcast communication (broadcast) to all the terminals 3 and 4 on the same network 1, but only the slave terminal 3 having the same MAC address. Will send a response. As the source information of the control response packet,
The IP address (xx
x. xxx. xxx. xxx) or MAC address is inserted.

After that, when the power supply OFF operation and the subsequent ON operation are performed only for the slave terminal 3 (T33), for example, DHCP which is an IP address acquisition protocol in the slave terminal 3 is activated and DH
From the CP server 5 to the slave terminal 3, the IP address (yy
y. yyy. yyy. yyy) is added (T34,
T35). As a result, the IP address given to the slave terminal 3 is changed.

When the need for control of the slave terminal 3 arises again, the master terminal 2 again uses the broadcast IP address (255.25) as the destination information.
5.25.255) and the MAC address of the slave terminal 3 are transmitted to the network 1 (T36).

As in the case described above, only the slave terminal 3 fetches the control packet from the master terminal 2 and at the timing of fetching it, or at the timing when the control process indicated by the control packet ends. Returns a control response (packet) to the master terminal 2 (T3
7).

As the transmission source information of the control response packet at this time, the changed IP address (yyy.yyy.yyy.y) given to the slave terminal 3 at that time.
yy) or MAC address is inserted.

The master terminal 2 uses the IP address (xxx.xxx.xx.xx) assigned to the slave terminal 3 by itself as the source IP address of the returned control response packet.
x. It can be recognized that it is different from xxx). In this case, no processing needs to be executed, a flag indicating that the IP address has been changed may be set, and the stored IP address of the slave terminal 3 may be rewritten. You can

(A-3) Effects of the First Embodiment As described above, according to the first embodiment, the control packet having the IP address for broadcasting as the destination is transmitted from the master terminal. Slave terminal I
Even if the P address is changed by a method other than the control from the master terminal, the control from the master terminal can be continued.

(B) Other Embodiments In the operation description of the first embodiment, the IP of the slave terminal 3
The case where the setting of the address is changed by a method other than the control from the master terminal 2 is due to the execution of the IP address acquisition protocol such as DHCP, but the slave terminal 3 is transmitted to the other terminal 4 other than the master terminal 2. SNMP
Even if the change control is performed using the setting application software or the like, the master terminal 2 to the slave terminal 3
Control can be continued.

In the first embodiment, the destination IP address of the control packet is always the broadcast IP address.
Although the address is used as the address, the IP address assigned to the slave terminal may be inserted until the control fails, and after the failure, the broadcast IP address may be inserted. Further, the IP address of the destination may be used as the broadcast IP address only for the retransmission packet when the control packet is retransmitted.

The present invention is not limited to the network as in the above-described first embodiment, but can be widely applied to a system having devices such as a master and a slave that need to maintain a master-slave relationship. For example, the network does not have to be a packet transfer system. The layers of the two types of addresses may be those of other layers.

[0044]

As described above, according to the slave terminal control method and system of the present invention, the control information having the destination as the broadcast address for the predetermined layer is transmitted from the master terminal. Even if the address of the slave terminal in the predetermined layer is changed by a method other than the control from the master terminal, the control from the master terminal can be continued.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of LAN interface units of a master terminal and a slave terminal according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conceptual configuration of a network system having a master terminal and a slave terminal.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining a conventional slave terminal control method.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining a conventional problem.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining a slave terminal control method according to the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Network, 2 ... Master terminal, 3 ... Slave terminal.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A master terminal and a slave terminal are connected to the same network, the master terminal has a function of assigning an address in a predetermined layer of the slave terminal, and the master terminal has control information for the slave terminal. In a slave terminal control method for controlling the slave terminal by transmitting a broadcast address for the predetermined layer as a destination of the control information, in addition to a layer other than the predetermined layer. An address unique to the slave terminal is inserted, and the slave terminal has a broadcast address inserted for the predetermined layer in the communication information flowing through the network and is related to a layer other than the predetermined layer. As the address, the unique address of the self terminal is inserted. Is communication information is, slave terminal control method characterized by taking as control information to the self from the master terminal. 2. An address in the predetermined layer is an IP address, and an address in a layer other than the predetermined layer is MA.
The slave terminal control method according to claim 1, wherein the slave terminal control method is a C address. 3. A master terminal and a slave terminal are connected to the same network, the master terminal has a function of giving an address in a predetermined layer of the slave terminal, and the master terminal sends control information to the slave terminal. In the slave terminal control system for controlling the slave terminal, the master terminal inserts a broadcast address for the predetermined layer as a destination,
The slave terminal is provided with control information forming means for forming the control information in which an address peculiar to the slave terminal related to a layer other than the predetermined layer is inserted. In addition to the broadcast address being inserted, the communication information in which the address unique to the self terminal is inserted as the address related to the layers other than the predetermined layer is taken in as control information from the master terminal to itself. A slave terminal control system comprising control information fetching means. 4. An address in the predetermined layer is an IP address, and an address in a layer other than the predetermined layer is MA.
The slave terminal control system according to claim 1, wherein the slave terminal control system is a C address.