JP2008263279A - Communication network system and inter-terminal communication method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable communication terminals to communicate data in real time to each other while increasing secrecy of addresses. <P>SOLUTION: A communication network system is equipped with a plurality of relay servers which are interconnected to each other. Each of the relay servers includes a plurality of communication terminals connected to the relay server. Each relay server stores names and addresses of communication terminals connected to the relay server to communicate data. The relay server stores addresses of the other relay servers and names of communication terminals connected to the other relay servers. A communication terminal transmits transmission data and the communication terminal name of a transmission destination to the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected. The relay server when storing the address of the communication terminal at the transmission destination transmits data to the communication terminal having the address (step S76). When the address of the other relay server to which the communication terminal at the transmission destination is connected is stored, the data and the communication terminal name of the transmission destination are transmitted to the relay server (step S80). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication network system that transmits and receives data between a plurality of communication terminals, and a communication method between communication terminals of the communication network system.

A communication network system that transmits and receives data between a plurality of communication terminals using a telephone line, an intranet, or the like is known. For example, a communication network system of the TnsEx method (storage exchange method) is known as a communication network system used when ordering a desired part from an assembly factory to a parts factory.
In a TnsEx communication network system, when data is transmitted and received between communication terminals, data is transmitted from a transmission-side communication terminal (for example, a communication terminal arranged in an assembly factory) to a storage switch, and the data is transmitted to the storage switch. Accumulate. A communication terminal on the receiving side (for example, a communication terminal arranged in a parts factory) inquires of the storage switch and receives data stored from the storage switch when there is data to be received by itself. In the communication network system of the TnsEx system, data communication between communication terminals is performed for the first time when a communication terminal on the receiving side makes an inquiry to the storage switch. Therefore, the communication terminal on the receiving side needs to make an inquiry to the storage exchange periodically. In addition, the TnsEx communication network system has a problem that data communication between communication terminals cannot be performed in real time.

As a communication network system that solves the problems of the TnsEx system, for example, there are a DNS communication network system and a communication network system of Patent Document 1.
In a DNS communication network system, when data is transmitted from a certain communication terminal to another communication terminal, first, the transmission source communication terminal makes an inquiry to the DNS server, and the transmission destination communication terminal of the transmission terminal intends to transmit the data. Get the address. When acquiring the address of the destination communication terminal from the DNS server, the source communication terminal transmits data to the destination communication terminal using the acquired address. Therefore, the communication terminal can perform data communication in real time.

  In the communication network system of Patent Document 1, peer-to-peer communication is performed between communication terminals. In this network system, each communication terminal includes address management means for managing the address of one parent communication terminal and the addresses of a plurality of child communication terminals. Each child communication terminal manages the addresses of a plurality of communication terminals in the network, so that a tree-structured address management system is constructed in the entire network. In this communication network system, each communication terminal manages the addresses of other communication terminals by itself, so that data can be exchanged between the communication terminals without going through a specific server or storage switch. Therefore, data communication between communication terminals can be performed in real time.

JP-A-6-21964

  In the communication system of the DNS system or Patent Document 1, each communication terminal acquires the address of a destination communication terminal from a DNS server or another communication terminal and performs data communication. Therefore, the communication terminal can easily acquire the addresses of other communication terminals in the communication network system (including addresses of communication terminals other than the transmission destination). However, in the communication network system, it is necessary to increase the security of the communication terminal in order to prohibit unauthorized access to each communication terminal. In order to increase the security of the communication terminal, it is preferable that the address of each communication terminal is not known to other communication terminals.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of performing data communication between each communication terminal in real time while maintaining the confidentiality of the address of the communication terminal. is there.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a communication network system (hereinafter referred to as a network) according to the present invention is capable of data communication with a plurality of relay servers connected so as to be capable of data communication with each other and each relay server. A plurality of connected communication terminals are provided. Each communication terminal of this network stores a storage means for storing the address of a relay server to which the communication terminal is connected, and an input means for inputting data to be transmitted and ID information of a destination communication terminal to which the data is transmitted. And terminal data transmission means for transmitting the data and ID information input by the input means to the relay server whose address is stored in the storage means, and data transmitted from the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected Terminal data receiving means. Then, each relay server relays the first relay server storage unit that stores the address and ID information of each communication terminal connected to the relay server and the relay server to which the relay server is connected. Second relay server storage means for storing the server address and ID information of each communication terminal connected to the relay server, and data transmitted from the communication terminal connected to the relay server and other relay servers And relay data receiving means for receiving ID information, and relay data transmitting means for transmitting data received by the relay data receiving means and ID information to another communication terminal or relay server. When the relay data transmitting means receives data and ID information by the relay data receiving means, (1) when the address of the communication terminal of the received ID information is stored in the first relay server storage means, When data is transmitted to the communication terminal of the stored address and (2) the address of the relay server to which the communication terminal of the received ID information is connected is stored in the second relay server storage means, the storage Data and ID information are transmitted to the relay server at the specified address.

In this network, a transmission source communication terminal first inputs data to be transmitted from the input means and ID information of the transmission destination communication terminal. Next, the transmission source communication terminal transmits the input data and the ID information of the transmission destination communication terminal to the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected so that data communication is possible. For this reason, the transmission source communication terminal need only input the ID information of the transmission destination communication terminal, and does not need to input the address of the transmission destination communication terminal. That is, the transmission source communication terminal only needs to manage only the address of the relay server connected to the communication terminal so that data communication is possible.
When the relay server connected to the transmission source communication terminal receives the data and the ID information transmitted from the transmission source communication terminal, the relay server confirms the received transmission destination communication terminal ID information. When the address of the destination communication terminal is stored, the data is transmitted to the destination communication terminal. On the other hand, when the address of the relay server to which the destination communication terminal is connected is stored, the data and ID information are transmitted to the relay server. The relay server to which the destination communication terminal is connected stores the address of the destination communication terminal. For this reason, when the data and ID information transmitted from the relay server are received, the data is transmitted to the communication terminal specified by the ID information. As a result, data is transmitted from the transmission source communication terminal to the transmission destination communication terminal.
As is clear from the above description, each communication terminal only needs to manage the address of the relay server connected to the communication terminal so as to perform data communication. Each relay server only needs to store only the communication terminal connected to the relay server so that data communication is possible and the addresses of other relay servers in the network. That is, the address of each communication terminal is stored only in the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected, so that data communication can be performed between the communication terminals. Accordingly, data communication between communication terminals can be performed in real time, and the confidentiality of the address of the communication terminal can be increased.

  In this network, each relay server has a third relay server storage unit that stores, for each communication terminal connected to the relay server, a combination of the communication terminal and a communication terminal capable of transmitting data. The relay data transmission means of each relay server transmits data when the destination communication terminal of the received data and the source communication terminal are stored in the third relay server storage means as a transmittable combination. However, it is preferable not to transmit data when it is not stored as a transmittable combination in the third relay server storage means.

  In this network, each communication terminal can transmit data only to the communication terminal stored in the third relay server storage unit of the relay server in association with the communication terminal. Thereby, it is possible to limit the communication terminals that can perform data communication with each communication terminal of the network. In addition, by limiting the data that the relay server transmits to the communication terminals, it is possible to block unnecessary data from being transmitted to each communication terminal.

The network may further include a management server connected to each relay server so as to be able to perform data communication. In this case, each relay server transmits a communication history information including a combination of a transmission source communication terminal and a transmission destination communication terminal to the management server when the relay server transmits and / or receives data. A transmission means is provided. The management server preferably includes a management server receiving unit that receives the communication history information transmitted from the relay server, and a storage unit that stores the received communication history information.
According to this configuration, the status of data communication between communication terminals in the network can be collectively managed by the management server.

The management server also includes first management server storage means for storing the address of each relay server, ID information and address of each communication terminal, and for each relay server, the relay server and the communication terminal connected to the relay server. A second management server storage means for storing the combination; a third management server storage means for storing a combination of the communication terminal and the communication terminal capable of transmitting data for each communication terminal; and first, second and third It is preferable that a management server update unit that updates information stored in the management server storage unit and a management data transmission unit that transmits information updated by the management server update unit to a predetermined relay server. Each relay server connected to the management server includes management server reception means for receiving information transmitted from the management data transmission means of the management server, and first, second and third relay servers based on the received information. It is preferable to include a relay server update unit that updates information stored in the storage unit.
According to this configuration, when a network is constructed, or when a relay server or communication terminal in the network is added or changed, the information stored in each relay server is updated by inputting the information to the management server. be able to. Thereby, it is not necessary to update the content memorize | stored in the some relay server for every relay server.

The present invention provides a novel communication method for performing data communication between communication terminals. That is, a network in which the inter-terminal communication method of the present invention is used includes a plurality of relay servers connected to each other so that data communication is possible, and a plurality of communication terminals connected to each relay server so that data communication is possible. ing. Each relay server is connected to the address and ID information of each communication terminal connected to the relay server and to the relay server address and the relay server for each relay server to which the relay server is connected. ID information of each communication terminal is stored. Each communication terminal stores the address of the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected.
The communication method between terminals of this communication network system includes a step of inputting data to be transmitted and ID information of a transmission destination communication terminal that transmits the data at the transmission source communication terminal, and an input at the transmission source communication terminal. Transmitting the received data and the ID information of the destination communication terminal to the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected, and communicating with the transmitted data at the relay server to which the source communication terminal is connected. In the step of receiving the ID information of the terminal and the relay server that has received the data and the ID information, (1) if the address of the communication terminal of the ID information received by the relay server is stored, the address is stored. (2) Address of the relay server to which the communication terminal of the ID information received by the relay server is connected If stored, the step of transmitting the data and the ID information of the communication terminal to the relay server storing the address, and the transmission source communication terminal in the relay server to which the destination communication terminal is connected Receiving data transmitted from the connected relay server and ID information of the communication terminal, and transmitting data from the relay server connected to the destination communication terminal to the communication terminal specified by the ID information And receiving the data and the ID information transmitted from the relay server in the communication terminal of the transmission destination.
In this inter-terminal communication method, the communication terminal does not need to know the address of another communication terminal and can perform data communication with other communication terminals in the network.

The network used for this inter-terminal communication method may have a management server connected to each relay server so that data communication is possible. In such a case, the relay server that has transmitted and / or received data transmits to the management server communication history information including a combination of the communication terminal that is the data transmission source and the communication terminal that is the transmission destination, and the management server is transmitted from the relay server. It is preferable to further include a step of receiving the communication history information.
In this inter-terminal communication method, data communication between communication terminals can be collectively managed by the management server.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the communication terminal in the communication network system can transmit data in real time without knowing the address of the communication terminal that transmits the data.
According to the invention of claim 2, the communication between the communication terminals is restricted by the relay server, and the security of the communication network system can be further improved.
According to the third and fourth aspects of the invention, the entire communication network system can be collectively managed by the management server. Also, by constructing and updating the communication network system in one place, costs and time for that can be reduced.

The main features of the techniques described in the following examples are listed.
(Mode 1) The relay server includes a main relay server and a backup relay server. Normal data communication between communication terminals is performed via the main relay server. When the main relay server stops due to a down or the like, the backup relay server relays data communication between communication terminals instead of the primary relay server.
(Mode 2) The relay server has message creation means for creating a message indicating the completion of transmission when the received data is transmitted to the destination communication terminal. In addition, the relay server includes a transmission unit that transmits the created message to a transmission source communication terminal or a relay server to which the transmission source communication terminal is connected.
(Mode 3) The message creation means of the relay server is a message indicating that transmission is not possible when the destination communication terminal of the received data is not found or when the source communication terminal cannot transmit data to the destination communication terminal. Create

  A communication network system according to an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication network system 1 (hereinafter referred to as a network 1) of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the network 1 includes a management server 10, relay servers 20a and 20b connected to the management server 10 so as to be able to perform data communication, and communication terminals connected to the relay servers 20a and 20b so as to be able to perform data communication ( (Hereinafter referred to as terminals) 22, 24, 26, relay servers 30a, 30b connected to the management server 10 so as to be capable of data communication, terminals 32, 34 connected to the relay servers 30a, 30b so as to be capable of data communication, Relay servers 40a and 40b are connected to the management server 10 so as to be able to perform data communication, and terminals 42 are connected to the relay servers 40a and 40b so as to be able to perform data communication. Here, the relay servers 20a, 30a, and 40a are main relay servers, and the relay servers 20b, 30b, and 40b are backup relay servers. The relay server 20a (20b) is connected to the relay servers 30a (30b) and 40a (40b) so as to be able to perform data communication with each other, and the relay server 30a (30b) performs data communication with the relay server 40a (40b). Connected as possible.

This network 1 can be used, for example, for a part ordering system in a factory. In this case, the management server 10 is installed in the head office or the like, and the terminals 22, 24, and 26 are installed in each department in the factory that orders the parts. The terminals 32 and 34 and the terminal 42 are installed in each department where the parts are ordered. Each relay server is installed between the management server 10 and each terminal. When security 7 such as a firewall (Fire Wall) is set in the network 1, it is set between the management server 10 and the relay server and between each relay server and a terminal connected to the relay server so that data communication is possible. Is done.
The number of relay servers and terminals installed in the network 1 is not limited, but in this embodiment, for the sake of simplification of explanation, the number of relay servers is three, and the number of terminals connected to each relay server. The number is also limited.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the management server 10. The management server 10 includes an input device 11, an input / output circuit 13, a display device 15, a CPU 17, and a memory 19.
The input device 11 is operated by an operator. The operator can search the information stored in the memory 19 and update the information by operating the input device 11. The input device 11 can be a general-purpose keyboard, mouse, or the like.
The input / output circuit 13 performs data input and output to the CPU 17. An input device 11, a display device 15, and a CPU 17 are connected to the input / output circuit 13. Information input by the input device 11 is taken into the CPU 17 via the input / output circuit 13. Information obtained by the CPU 17 executing various processes is output to the display device 15 via the input / output circuit 13. The display device 15 displays the information output from the input / output circuit 13. The input / output circuit 13 is connected to a cable 3 for connecting to a telephone line, an optical fiber line or the like. The input / output circuit 13 is connected to a relay server in the network 1 via the cable 3. The cable 3 may be a wireless communication device such as a wireless LAN.

The memory 19 stores a network management file 102, a terminal management file 104, and a communication history management file 106.
As shown in FIG. 3, the network management file 102 includes a “name (ID information) for specifying the device in the network 1 for each of the management server 10, each relay server 20 a to 40 b, and each terminal 22 to 42. ”,“ Address ”of the device, and“ terminal classification ”for distinguishing whether the device is a management server, a relay server, or a terminal. The network management file 102 further stores “server name” indicating the relay server to which each terminal 22 to 42 is connected. In the present embodiment, the names of the management server 10, the relay servers 20a to 40b, and the terminals 22 to 42 are the same as the reference numerals assigned thereto. For example, the name of the terminal 22 is “22”, and the name of the relay server 30a is “30a”. In “terminal classification”, the management server 10 is “1”, the main relay server is “2”, the backup relay server is “3”, and the terminal is “4”. Thereby, the management server 10 can confirm information of all relay servers and terminals in the network 1 by confirming the network management file 102.
Here, the setting of “name”, “address”, and “terminal classification” can be appropriately performed by a user (for example, a network administrator) other than those shown in FIG. In this embodiment, names are also given to the management server 10 and each relay server, but it is not always necessary to give names to the management server 10 and each relay server. In this case, the “server name” indicating the relay server to which each terminal is connected directly stores the address of the relay server to which the terminal is connected.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal management file 104 stores combinations of terminals that can communicate with the terminals for each terminal. Specifically, the left column of the terminal management file 104 stores the “name” of the transmission source terminal that is the data transmission side. In the right column of the terminal management file 104, the “name” of the destination terminal on the data receiving side is stored. For example, when the terminal 22 can transmit data to the terminal 42, the terminal name “22” is stored in the left column of the terminal management file 104, and the terminal name “42” is stored in the right column. Conversely, in order for the terminal 42 to transmit data to the terminal 22, the terminal name “42” needs to be stored in the left column of the terminal management file 104, and the terminal name “22” needs to be stored in the right column. Therefore, the terminal name “22” is stored in the left column, the terminal name “42” is stored in the right column, the terminal name “42” is stored in the left column, and the terminal name “22” is stored in the right column. If there is not, only data transmission from the terminal 22 to the terminal 42 is possible, and data transmission from the terminal 42 to the terminal 22 is not possible. The management server 10 can confirm the terminal to which the terminal can transmit data for all terminals in the network 1 by checking the terminal management file 104.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5, the communication history management file 106 stores the “name” of the transmission source terminal, the “name” of the transmission destination terminal, and the transmission result for each data transmission / reception performed between the terminals. In addition, the transmission date and time when data transmission was performed is also stored. As the transmission result, “OK” is input when the data transmission is completed, and “NG” is input when the data transmission cannot be performed. The management server 10 can confirm the history of data transmission / reception for all terminals in the network 1 by confirming the communication history management file 106.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the relay server 20 a includes an input / output circuit 202, a CPU 204, and a memory 206.
The input / output circuit 202 performs data input and output to the CPU 204. The CPU 204 performs various processes based on the input data. The cable 3 and the cable 5 are connected to the input / output circuit 202. The input / output circuit 202 is connected to the management server 10 via the cable 3. The input / output circuit 202 is connected to the terminals 22, 24, and 26 via the cable 5. Note that the cable 5 may be a wireless communication line such as a wireless LAN, similarly to the cable 3.
The memory 206 stores a communication management file 208, a terminal management file 210, and a communication history management file 212.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the communication management file 208 includes a “name” for identifying the device in the network 1 for each of the management server 10, each relay server 20 a to 40 b, and each terminal 22 to 42, The “terminal classification” of the device is stored. In addition, the communication management file 208 is an apparatus to which the relay server 20a is connected so as to be able to perform data communication (that is, the management server 10, all relay servers in the network 1, and terminals 22, 24, which are connected so as to be able to perform data communication). 26) is stored. Further, the communication management file 208 stores, for each of all terminals in the network 1, the “server name” of the relay server to which the terminal is connected.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal management file 210 stores combinations of terminals connected to the relay server 20a (that is, terminals 22, 24, and 26) and terminals that can communicate with the terminals. Similarly to the terminal management file 104, the terminal management file 210 stores the “name” of the transmission source terminal on the left column. In the right column of the terminal management file 104, the “name” of the destination terminal on the data receiving side is stored.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the communication history management file 212 stores the “name” of the transmission source terminal, the “name” of the transmission destination terminal, and the transmission result for each data transmission of the terminal connected to the relay server 20a. Remember. In addition, the transmission date and time when data transmission was performed is also stored. As the transmission result, “OK” is input when the data transmission is completed, and “NG” is input when the data transmission cannot be performed.

The relay server 20b has the same configuration as the relay server 20a. The relay server 20b is a backup relay server that is used in place of the relay server 20a when the relay server 20a cannot perform processing because it is down. Accordingly, the relay server 20 b is connected to the management server 10 via the cable 3 and is connected to the terminals 22, 24, and 26 via the cable 5, similarly to the relay server 20 a. As a result, the terminals 22, 24, and 26 can perform data communication via the relay server 20b even when the relay server 20a becomes incapable of processing.
Since the relay servers 30a, 30b, 40a, and 40b are configured in the same manner as the relay server 20a, detailed description thereof is omitted here. The memory of the relay servers 30a, 30b, 40a, and 40b stores a communication management file similar to the communication management file 208 described above. In the communication management file of each relay server, the address of a terminal connected to the relay server so that data communication can be performed is stored, and the addresses of other terminals are not stored. Further, the memory of the relay servers 30a, 30b, 40a, and 40b stores a communication management file similar to the terminal management file 210 and a communication history management file similar to the communication history management file 212. The communication management file of each relay server stores a combination of the name of each terminal connected to the relay server so that data communication is possible and the name of a terminal that can communicate with the terminal. The communication history management file of each relay server contains the “name” of the source terminal, the “name” of the destination terminal, and the transmission result when each terminal connected to the relay server for data communication transmits data. Remember. In addition, the transmission date and time when data transmission was performed is also stored.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the terminal 22 includes an input device 221, an input / output circuit 223, a display device 225, a CPU 227, and a memory 229.
The input device 221 is operated by an operator. The operator can search the information stored in the memory 229 of the terminal 22 or update the information by operating the input device 221. As the input device 221, a general-purpose keyboard, mouse, or the like can be used.
The input / output circuit 223 performs data input and output to the CPU 227. The input device 221, the display device 225, and the CPU 227 of the terminal 22 are connected to the input / output circuit 223. Information input by the input device 221 is taken into the CPU 227 via the input / output circuit 223. Each information obtained by the CPU 227 executing various processes is output to the display device 225 via the input / output circuit 223. The display device 225 displays information output from the input / output circuit 223. Further, the cable 5 is connected to the input / output circuit 223. The input / output circuit 223 is connected to the relay servers 20a and 20b via the cable 5.

The memory 229 stores a relay server information file 230. As shown in FIG. 11, the relay server information file 230 stores “relay server names”, “addresses”, and “server classifications” of the relay servers 20a and 20b to which the terminal 22 is connected. The “server classification” is used for recognizing which of the relay servers 20a and 20b connected to the terminal 22 is main and which is for backup. The “server classification” may be the same as the “terminal classification” in the network management file 102, and as shown in FIG. 11, the relay server 20a as the main server is set to “1” and is a backup server. The relay server 20b may be set to “0”. The “server category” can be set as appropriate by the user other than the one shown in FIG. When no name is given to the relay server, the “relay server name” is not stored in the relay server information file 230.
Since the terminals 24, 26, 32, 34, and 42 are configured in the same manner as the terminal 22, detailed description thereof is omitted here. The terminals 24, 26, 32, 34, and 42 have a relay server information file similar to the relay server information file 230 described above. The relay server information file of each terminal stores “relay server name”, “address”, and “server classification” of the relay server to which the terminal is connected.

Next, a procedure for constructing the network 1 described above will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a procedure at the time of network construction.
As shown in FIG. 12, first, an operator connects each relay server 20a, 30a, 40a, which is a main server, and 20b, 30b, 40b, which are backup relay servers, to the management server 10 so that data communication is possible (step). S12). At this time, the operator may set security 7 such as a firewall from the management server 10 between the management server 10 and the relay server. The security 7 may be set after the network 1 is constructed. In addition, the relay servers are connected to each other so that data communication is possible (step S14). Next, an operator connects a terminal to each relay server so that data communication is possible (step S16). Each terminal is connected to the main relay server and the backup relay server so that data communication is possible. For example, the terminal 22 is connected to the relay server 20a and the relay server 20b so that data communication is possible. At this time, the operator may set security 7 such as a firewall from each terminal between the relay server and the terminal. The security 7 may be set after the network 1 is constructed.

  When the connection between each relay server and the terminal is completed, the operator operates the input device 11 to input data to the network management file 102 of the management server 10 (step S18). The input data includes the “name” of the management server 10, the relay servers 20a to 40b and the terminals 22 to 42, the “address” of the device, and the “terminal classification”. Subsequently, the operator operates the input device 11 of the management server 10 to input data to the terminal management file 104 (step S20). The input data is a combination of communicable terminals for each terminal, and is the “name” of the transmission source terminal and the “name” of the transmission destination terminal. Next, data to be transmitted to each relay server is created from the data input to the network management file 102 (step S22). The data to be transmitted to each relay server is connected to the management server 10, the relay servers 20 a to 40 b and the terminals 22 to 42, the device “terminal classification”, and the relay servers so that data communication is possible. The “address” of the connected device and the “server name” of the relay server to which the terminal is connected for each of all the terminals. Further, data to be transmitted to each relay server is created from the data input to the terminal management file 104 (step S24). Specifically, a combination of a terminal connected to each relay server so that data communication is possible and a terminal capable of communicating with the terminal is created as data to be transmitted to each relay server. Creation of data to be transmitted to the relay server may be performed by the operator using the input device 11, or may be performed by the CPU 17 in accordance with a program stored in advance in the memory 19 of the management server 10.

  The management server 10 transmits the created data to each relay server (step S26). The CPU of each relay server that has received the transmitted data creates a communication management file and a terminal management file, respectively, and stores the data in the respective files (step S28). In each terminal, the operator inputs the relay server name, address, and server classification of the relay server that is connected so that data communication is possible using the input device of the terminal, thereby creating a relay server information file (step S30). . The CPU of each terminal stores the created relay server information file in the memory (step S32) and ends the process. As a result, various files are stored in the management server, each relay server, and each terminal, and data communication is possible. In the network 1, since the network 1 can be constructed by the above-described processing, it is not necessary to set each of a plurality of relay servers in the network 1. Therefore, the operator can easily construct the network 1.

Next, a procedure for communicating data between terminals in the network 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, a case where data is transmitted from the terminal 22 to another terminal will be described as an example. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a data transmission procedure in the terminal 22.
As shown in FIG. 13, in order to transmit data from the terminal 22 to other terminals, first, the data to be transmitted and the “name” of the destination terminal to which the data is transmitted are input to the terminal 22 (step S42). ). Specifically, the operator operates the input device 221 to input data to be transmitted and a destination terminal name.
When data and a terminal name are input to the terminal 22, the CPU 227 of the terminal 22 reads the address of the relay server 20a from the relay server information file 230 (step S44). Next, the data and terminal name input in step S42 are transmitted to the read address (step S46).
When data is transmitted to the relay server 20a, a message from the relay server 20a is waited for a predetermined time (step S48). If the message is received within the predetermined time (YES in step S48), the transmission process is terminated. On the other hand, when the message cannot be received within the predetermined time (for example, when the relay server 20a is down) (NO in step S48), the address of the relay server 20b is read from the relay server information file 230 (step S50). The data and the terminal name input in step S42 are transmitted to the relay server 20b (step S52).
When data is transmitted to the relay server 20b, a message from the relay server 20b is waited for a predetermined time (step S54). If the message is received within the predetermined time (YES in step S54), the process ends. On the other hand, when the message cannot be received within a predetermined time (for example, when the relay server 20b is also down) (NO in step S54), that effect is displayed on the display device 225 (step 56), and the process is terminated. To do. Since the fact is displayed on the display device 225, a countermeasure can be taken immediately.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the relay server 20a when the terminal 22 transmits data to another terminal.
When data is transmitted from the terminal 22, the input / output circuit 202 of the relay server 20a receives the transmitted transmission data via the cable 5 (step S62). The input / output circuit 202 of the relay server 20a inputs the received transmission data to the CPU 204. The CPU 204 confirms the destination terminal name included in the transmission data (step S64). Next, the CPU 204 confirms the terminal management file 210 in the memory 206 (step S66), and confirms whether or not the terminal 22 and the destination terminal are stored in association with each other (step S68). Specifically, the CPU 204 checks whether the terminal name of the terminal 22 is stored in the left column of the terminal management file 210 and whether the destination terminal name is stored in the right column.
If the destination terminal name is not associated and stored (NO in step S68), the CPU 204 transmits a message indicating that communication is impossible to the terminal 22 (step S70), and proceeds to step S86.

  If the destination terminal name is associated and stored (YES in step S68), the CPU 204 checks the communication management file 208 in the memory 206 (step S72), and the address of the destination terminal is stored. (Step S74). If the address is stored (YES in step S74), the CPU 204 transmits data to the destination terminal based on the address in the communication management file 208 (step S76). When the data transmission is completed, the CPU 204 transmits a message indicating that the data transmission is completed to the terminal 22 (step S78), and proceeds to step S86.

When the destination terminal name is not stored in association with each other and the address of another relay server to which the destination terminal is connected is stored in the communication management file 208 (NO in step S74), the CPU 204 Based on the address in the communication management file 208, the data and the destination terminal name are transmitted to the relay server to which the destination terminal is connected (step S80). At this time, first, data transmission is attempted to the main relay server (one of the relay servers 30a and 40a). When data cannot be transmitted to the main relay server (that is, when a message is not returned from the main relay server within a predetermined time), the data is transmitted to the backup relay server (one of the relay servers 30b and 40b). The CPU 204 receives a message indicating whether data transmission is completed or data transmission is impossible from the relay server that transmitted the data (step S82). The CPU 204 transmits the message received from the other relay server to the transmission source terminal 22 (step S84), and proceeds to step S86.
In step S86, the CPU 204 stores the message transmitted to the terminal 22, the transmission source terminal name, and the transmission destination terminal name in the communication history management file 212 as communication history information. Further, the CPU 204 transmits communication history information to the management server 10 via the input / output circuit 202 (step S88), and ends the process.

In the network 1 described above, the relay server 20a stores the communication history information and simultaneously transmits the communication history information to the management server 10. However, the relay server 20a may accumulate communication history information for a predetermined period (for example, one day), and collectively transmit the communication history information accumulated for each predetermined period to the management server 10. The timing at which the relay server 20a transmits the communication history information can be set as appropriate by the user.
Further, the communication history information may include contents other than the message transmitted to the terminal 22, the transmission source terminal name, and the transmission destination terminal name. For example, the transmitted data may be included. According to this, the operator can confirm the content of the data communicated between the terminals in the network 1 by confirming the communication history information of the management server 10. Moreover, the relay server name which relayed communication may be included. According to this, when the operator confirms the communication history information of the management server 10 and the stored relay server name is a backup relay server, the main relay server is incapable of processing. It can be judged.

Next, processing of another relay server that has received the data and the destination terminal name from the relay server will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, a case where data is transmitted from the relay server 20a that has received data from the terminal 22 to the relay server 30a and the relay server 30a transmits data to the terminal 32 will be described as an example. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the relay server 30a.
The input / output circuit of the relay server 30a receives the data transmitted from the relay server 20a via the cable 3 (step S92). The input / output circuit of the relay server 30a inputs the received transmission data to the CPU. The CPU of the relay server 30a confirms the destination terminal name included in the transmission data (step S94). The CPU of the relay server 30a confirms the communication management file in the memory, and confirms whether or not the transmission destination terminal (that is, the terminal 32) is connected to itself (step S96). Specifically, the CPU of the relay server 30a checks whether the “server name” corresponding to the transmission destination terminal (terminal 32) in the communication management file is the relay server 30a. Alternatively, the CPU of the relay server 30a confirms the “address” in the communication management file, and confirms whether the address of the destination terminal (terminal 32) is stored. If the destination terminal is not connected (NO in step S96), the process proceeds to step S106.

If the destination terminal is connected (YES in step S96), the CPU of the relay server 30a checks the terminal management file in the memory (step S98), and the terminal 32 and the source terminal (ie, terminal 22). ) Is stored in association with each other (step S100). Specifically, the CPU of the relay server 30a checks whether the terminal name of the transmission source (terminal 22) is stored in the left column of the terminal management file and whether the terminal 32 is stored in the right column. When the transmission source terminal name (terminal 22) is stored in association with the terminal 32 (YES in step S100), the CPU of the relay server 30a uses the address of the terminal 32 stored in the communication management file. Then, data is transmitted to the terminal 32 (step S102). When the data transmission is completed, the CPU of the relay server 30a transmits a message indicating the completion of transmission to the relay server 20a that transmitted the data, using the address of the relay server 20a stored in the communication management file (step S104). ), The process is terminated.
When the terminal name of the transmission source (namely, terminal 22) is not stored in association with terminal 32 (NO in step S100), the process proceeds to step S106. In step S106, using the address of the relay server 20a stored in the communication management file, the CPU of the relay server 30a transmits a message indicating that transmission is not possible to the relay server 20a that transmitted the data, and ends the processing. .

In the network 1, each relay server relays communication between terminals. When data is transmitted from a terminal to another terminal in the network 1, the transmission source terminal transmits data by designating only the terminal name of the transmission destination terminal. Therefore, the source terminal does not need to store the address of the destination terminal. Thereby, the confidentiality of the address of a terminal can be made high.
Also, the relay server to which the transmission source terminal is connected confirms the terminal name of the transmission destination terminal transmitted from the transmission source terminal. This relay server transmits data to the relay server to which the destination terminal is connected based on the communication management file. Therefore, the relay server only needs to store the address of another relay server, and does not need to store the address of a terminal connected to the other relay server. The other relay server to which the data is transmitted transmits the data based on the address of the destination terminal. For these reasons, each relay server need only store the terminals connected to the relay server and the addresses of other relay servers.
In addition, communication history information between terminals is transmitted from each relay server to the management server 10. Therefore, data communication between terminals in the communication network 1 can be collectively managed by the management server 10.

Next, processing of the management server 10 when a new terminal is added to the network 1 (here, when the terminal 44 is added under the relay servers 40a and 40b) will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 16 is a block diagram of the network 1 when a terminal 44 is added to the relay servers 40a and 40b of the network 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the management server 10 when the terminal 44 is added to the relay servers 40a and 40b.
As shown in FIG. 17, when adding the terminal 44 to the network 1, first, the operator adds the “name”, “address”, “terminal” of the terminal 44 newly added to the CPU 17 using the input device 11 of the management server 10. The “classification” and “server name” are input (step S112). The CPU 17 updates the network management file 102 based on the input information (step S114). FIG. 18 shows a network management file 102 ′ updated from the network management file 102 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the “name”, “address”, “terminal classification”, and “server name” of the terminal 44 are stored in the network management file 102 ′.
Next, the operator inputs a terminal name that enables communication with the terminal 44 to the CPU 17 using the input device 11 of the management server 10 (step S116). The CPU 17 updates the terminal management file 104 based on the input information (step S118). FIG. 19 shows a terminal management file 104 ′ updated from the terminal management file 104 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 19, the terminal 44 can transmit data to the terminals 22, 32 and 42, and can receive data from the terminals 22 and 42.

  Based on the updated network management file 102 ′ and terminal management file 104 ′, the CPU 17 sends the “terminal name”, “address”, “terminal classification”, “server” of the terminal 44 input to the relay servers 40a and 40b. "Name" and the terminal name that can communicate with the terminal 44 are transmitted (step S120). The CPUs of the relay servers 40a and 40b update the respective terminal management files and communication management files based on the information transmitted from the management server 10. Next, the CPU 17 of the management server 10 sends the “terminal name”, “terminal classification”, and “server” of the terminal 44 to the other relay servers in the communication network 1 (that is, the relay servers 20a, 20b, 30a, and 30b). Name "is transmitted (step S122). The CPU 17 also has a relay server (that is, a relay server connected to the terminals 22 and 32) having a terminal capable of data communication with the terminal 44 based on the updated network management file 102 ′ and terminal management file 104 ′. 20a, 20b, 30a, 30b), the update information in the terminal management file 104 ′ corresponding to the terminal (terminal 22 or 32) is transmitted (step S124), and the process is terminated. Here, since the terminal 44 can transmit and receive data to and from the terminal 22, the CPU 17 sets the information indicating that the “transmission source terminal” is the terminal 22 and the “transmission destination terminal” is the terminal 44, and the “transmission source terminal” is the terminal. 44, and information indicating that the “destination terminal” is the terminal 22 is transmitted to the relay servers 20a and 20b. Similarly, since the terminal 44 can transmit data to the terminal 32, information indicating that the “transmission source terminal” is the terminal 44 and the “transmission destination terminal” is the terminal 32 is transmitted to the relay servers 30a and 30b.

  The operator inputs the address and server classification of the relay servers 40a and 40b to which the terminal 44 is connected to the terminal 44 added to the network 1. Thereby, the terminal 44 can transmit data to the relay servers 40a and 40b. Further, the operator can change the security 7 setting from the terminal 44.

In this network 1, when a new terminal is added to the network 1, only the information of the management server 10 needs to be updated. The management server 10 transmits information necessary for data communication to each relay server. Therefore, it is possible to update the relay server information without directly operating a plurality of relay servers. Therefore, a new terminal can be easily added to the network 1.
In the network 1, security 7 such as a firewall is set between the relay server and the terminal. When adding a terminal, it is only necessary to change the setting of the security 7 set between the terminal and the relay server to which the terminal is connected. Therefore, it is not necessary to change all the security 7 of the network 1.

Next, processing of the management server 10 when adding the relay servers 50a and 50b and the terminals 52 and 54 connected to the relay servers 50a and 50b to the network 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. 20 is a block diagram showing a network 1 in which terminals 52 and 54 and relay servers 50a and 50b are added to the network 1 of FIG. Security 7 is set between the relay servers 50 a and 50 b and the terminals 52 and 54. FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the management server 10 when the terminals 52 and 54 and the relay servers 50a and 50b are added.
As shown in FIG. 21, first, the operator uses the input device 11 of the management server 10 to input the “terminal name”, “address”, and “terminal classification” of the relay servers 50a and 50b to be newly added to the CPU 17 ( Step S202). Next, the operator uses the input device 11 of the management server 10 to “terminal name”, “address”, “terminal classification”, and “server name” of the terminals 52 and 54 connected to the relay server 50 a and 50 b by the CPU 17. Is input (step S204). The CPU 17 updates the network management file 102 based on the information input in steps S202 and S204 (step S206). Subsequently, the operator uses the input device 11 of the management server 10 to input a terminal name that enables data communication with the terminals 52 and 54 to the CPU 17 (step S208). The CPU 17 updates the communication management file 104 based on the information input in step S208 (step S210).

The CPU 17 adds the “terminal name”, “address” and “terminal classification” of the relay servers 50a and 50b to the relay servers 50a and 50b, and the “terminal name” and “terminal classification” of the terminals 52 and 54. And “server name” are transmitted (step S212). The CPU of each relay server updates each terminal management file based on the transmitted information. Next, the CPU 17 transmits the “address” of the terminals 52 and 54 and the terminal name that can communicate with the terminals 52 and 54 to the relay servers 50a and 50b (step S214). The relay servers 50a and 50b update the terminal management file and the communication management file based on the transmitted information.
Next, the CPU 17 transmits the combination of the terminals 52 and 54 and the terminals that can communicate with the terminals 52 and 54 to the relay server to which the terminals that can communicate with the terminals 52 and 54 are connected (step S216). ), The process is terminated. The relay server to which the combination information is transmitted from the management server 10 updates the terminal management file based on the received combination information.
In this network 1, when a relay server is added, settings in the network can be updated only by updating information in the management server 10, as in the case of adding a terminal. Therefore, the network 1 can be easily changed.

Specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.
In addition, the technical elements described in the present specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology exemplified in this specification or the drawings achieves a plurality of objects at the same time, and has technical utility by achieving one of the objects.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a communication network system. The block diagram which shows the structure of a management server. Network management file that the management server has. Terminal management file that the management server has. Communication history management file that the management server has. The block diagram which shows the structure of a relay server. Communication management file that the relay server has. Terminal management file that the relay server has. Communication history management file that the relay server has. The block diagram which shows the structure of a communication terminal. Relay server information file that the communication terminal has. The flowchart which shows the construction procedure of a communication network system. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the communication terminal which transmits data to a relay server. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the relay server which received data from the communication terminal. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the relay server which received data from the relay server. Schematic which shows a communication network system at the time of adding a communication terminal to the communication network system of FIG. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the management server in the case of adding a communication terminal to a communication network system. The network management file which the management server of the communication network system shown in FIG. 16 has. The terminal management file which the management server of the communication network system shown in FIG. 16 has. Schematic which shows a communication network system at the time of adding the relay server to which the communication terminal was connected to the communication network system of FIG. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the management server in the case of adding the relay server to which the communication terminal was connected to the communication network system.

Explanation of symbols

1: Communication network system 10: Management server 11: Input device 13: Input / output circuit 15: Display device 17: CPU
19: Memory 20a, 20b, 30a, 30b, 40a, 40b, 50a, 50b: Relay server 22, 24, 26, 32, 34, 42, 44, 52, 54: Communication terminal 102: Network management file 104, 210: Terminal management files 106 and 212: Communication history management file 208: Communication management file 230: Relay server information file

Claims (6)

A plurality of relay servers connected to each other for data communication;
For each relay server, a plurality of communication terminals connected to the relay server for data communication,
With
Each communication terminal
Storage means for storing the address of the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected;
Input means for inputting data to be transmitted and ID information of a destination communication terminal to which the data is transmitted;
Terminal data transmission means for transmitting the data and ID information input by the input means to the relay server whose address is stored in the storage means;
Terminal data receiving means for receiving data transmitted from a relay server to which the communication terminal is connected;
Have
Each relay server
First relay server storage means for storing the address and ID information of each communication terminal connected to the relay server;
Second relay server storage means for storing the address of the relay server and the ID information of each communication terminal connected to the relay server for each of the relay servers to which the relay server is connected;
Relay data receiving means for receiving data and ID information transmitted from a communication terminal connected to the relay server and other relay servers;
When data and ID information are received by the relay data receiving means, (1) when the address of the communication terminal of the received ID information is stored in the first relay server storage means, communication of the stored address When data is transmitted to the terminal and (2) the address of the relay server to which the communication terminal of the received ID information is connected is stored in the second relay server storage means, the relay server of the stored address Relay data transmission means for transmitting data and ID information to
A communication network system comprising: Each relay server has a third relay server storage unit that stores, for each communication terminal connected to the relay server, a combination of the communication terminal and a communication terminal capable of transmitting data.
The relay data transmission means of each relay server transmits data when the communication terminal that is the transmission destination of the received data and the communication terminal that is the transmission source are stored as a combination that can be transmitted to the third relay server storage means, The communication network system according to claim 1, wherein data is not transmitted when it is not stored in the third relay server storage means as a transmittable combination. It further has a management server connected to each relay server for data communication,
Each relay server includes management server transmission means for transmitting communication history information including a combination of a transmission source communication terminal and a transmission destination communication terminal to the management server when the relay server transmits and / or receives data. And
The communication server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management server includes a management server receiving unit that receives the communication history information transmitted from the relay server, and a storage unit that stores the received communication history information. Network system. The management server includes a combination of a first management server storage unit that stores an address of each relay server, ID information and an address of each communication terminal, and a communication server connected to the relay server for each relay server. Second management server storage means for storing, third management server storage means for storing a combination of the communication terminal and the communication terminal capable of transmitting data for each communication terminal, and first, second and third management servers A management server update unit that updates information stored in the storage unit; and a management data transmission unit that transmits information updated by the management server update unit to a predetermined relay server.
Each relay server receives management server reception means for receiving information transmitted from the management server, and relay for updating information stored in the first, second and third relay server storage means based on the received information 4. The communication network system according to claim 3, further comprising server update means. A plurality of relay servers connected to each other so as to be able to perform data communication, and a plurality of communication terminals connected to the relay server so as to be able to perform data communication for each relay server. The address and ID information of each connected communication terminal and the relay server address and the ID information of each communication terminal connected to the relay server for each relay server connected to the relay server In each communication terminal, a communication network system that performs data communication between communication terminals in a communication network system in which the address of a relay server to which the communication terminal is connected is stored. There,
In the communication terminal of the transmission source, inputting the data to be transmitted and the ID information of the communication terminal of the transmission destination that transmits the data;
In the communication terminal of the transmission source, the step of transmitting the input data and the ID information of the communication terminal of the transmission destination to the relay server to which the communication terminal is connected;
Receiving the transmitted data and the ID information of the communication terminal in the relay server to which the communication terminal of the transmission source is connected;
In the relay server that has received the data and the ID information, (1) when the address of the communication terminal of the ID information received by the relay server is stored, the data is transmitted to the communication terminal that stores the address; (2) When the address of the relay server to which the communication terminal of the ID information received by the relay server is connected is stored, the data and the ID information of the communication terminal are transmitted to the relay server storing the address. And steps to
In the relay server to which the destination communication terminal is connected, receiving data transmitted from the relay server to which the source communication terminal is connected and the ID information of the communication terminal;
Transmitting data from the relay server to which the communication terminal of the transmission destination is connected to the communication terminal specified by the ID information;
Receiving the data and ID information transmitted from the relay server at the destination communication terminal;
A terminal-to-terminal communication method comprising: The communication network system has a management server connected to each relay server so that data communication is possible.
A relay server that transmits and / or receives data transmits communication history information including a combination of a communication terminal that is a data transmission source and a communication terminal that is a transmission destination to the management server;
The management server receiving communication history information transmitted from the relay server;
The inter-terminal communication method according to claim 5, further comprising:

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