JP2016092521A - Relay device and communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique capable of achieving high-speed control of a relay device, with the reduction of a packet memory use capacity for storing a control packet.SOLUTION: A relay device includes a function mounting unit and a transfer unit. The function mounting unit includes a first control unit and a first storage unit, whereas the transfer unit includes a second control unit and a second storage unit. The first storage unit stores, as a list, a plurality of types of control packets to cope with a plurality of control states associated with a function. The second storage unit stores setting information associated with each control state. According to the control state, the first control unit reads out a set of a plurality of control packets from the list in the first storage unit, to transmit to the second control unit. The second control unit rewrites the setting information in the second storage unit, according to the plurality of control packets in the set.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology of a relay device in a communication network, and more particularly to a technology of a memory that stores a control packet.

  A relay device constituting a communication network such as a ring network has a control function corresponding to a protocol. The relay device sets internal setting information according to the control state related to the control function. The conventional relay apparatus rewrites internal setting information by software processing when switching the control state.

  JP, 2013-46173, A (patent documents 1) is mentioned as a prior art example about a memory which stores a packet in a communication apparatus. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 relates to TCP / IP processing in a control device of a communication device, and reduces the amount of memory by a configuration in which header information is accumulated in a queue, and packets are combined and transmitted in combination with a payload. Is described.

JP 2013-46173 A

  The conventional relay apparatus is difficult to realize high-speed control in the case where the internal setting information is rewritten by software processing. In order to realize high-speed control, it is possible to employ a configuration in which internal setting information is rewritten by hardware processing.

  In the case of a configuration in which internal setting information is rewritten by hardware processing, the relay device stores a plurality of control packets in an internal memory in advance so that it can cope with a plurality of control states. Note that a memory that stores control packets may be referred to as a packet memory. The relay device reads the control packet from the packet memory according to the control state, and rewrites the setting information using the control packet.

  However, the capacity of the packet memory is limited. When the configuration is such that a plurality of control packets are stored in the packet memory, the use capacity of the packet memory increases.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can realize high-speed control and reduce the use capacity in a packet memory that stores control packets, with respect to a relay device.

  A typical embodiment of the present invention is a relay apparatus and a communication system, and has the following configuration.

  A relay apparatus according to an embodiment includes a function mounting unit in which a function related to frame transfer is mounted, and a transfer unit that transfers a frame between a plurality of ports. The function mounting unit is a first control unit. And the first storage unit, the transfer unit has a second control unit and a second storage unit, and the first storage unit has a plurality of types to correspond to a plurality of control states related to the function. The control packet is stored as a list, the second storage unit stores setting information according to the control state, and the first control unit stores a plurality of control packets from the list of the first storage unit according to the control state. A set of packets is read and transmitted to the second control unit, and the second control unit rewrites the setting information in the second storage unit in accordance with the plurality of control packets of the set.

  A communication system according to an embodiment is a communication system including a first relay device and a second relay device, and the first relay device includes a function mounting unit in which a function related to frame transfer is mounted. The function implementation unit includes a first control unit and a first storage unit, and the second relay device includes a transfer unit that transfers frames between a plurality of ports, and the transfer unit includes a second control unit. And a second storage unit, wherein the first storage unit stores a plurality of types of control packets to correspond to a plurality of control states related to the function as a list, and the second storage unit The setting information corresponding to the state is stored, and the first control unit of the first relay device reads a set of a plurality of control packets from the list of the first storage unit according to the control state, and the second relay The second control unit of the second relay device transmits a plurality of sets to the device. According your packet, it rewrites the setting information in the second storage unit.

  According to the representative embodiment of the present invention, high-speed control can be realized for the relay device, and the used capacity in the packet memory storing the control packet can be reduced.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the communication system containing the relay apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the relay apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control LSI of the relay device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a processing example until a selection table is referred to as a processing example of the first control unit of the control LSI in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a packet memory in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a processing example of reading a control packet from a packet memory as a processing example of a first control unit of a control LSI in the first embodiment. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a filter in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of switching of filter settings in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the packet memory in the relay apparatus of a comparative example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
A relay apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Communications system]
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a communication system including a relay device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The communication system is a ring network composed of four relay devices 100A to 100D that are the relay devices of the first embodiment. A ring network may be referred to as a ring.

  The relay apparatus according to the first embodiment is a switch that relays layer 2 frames, and includes a ring redundancy function as a control function according to a protocol. The ring redundancy function is a function for controlling the state of the ring based on the ring configuration including the redundant path, and realizes high-speed path switching at the time of failure. The ring redundancy function configures a normal route and an alternative route in the event of a failure by controlling each port of each relay device of the ring to a predetermined state. The ring redundancy function sets a path in which no data loop occurs.

  The relay device 100A has a plurality of ports including the ports 4a and 4b. The relay device 100B has a plurality of ports including the ports 4c and 4d. The relay device 100C has a plurality of ports including the ports 4e and 4f. The relay device 100D has a plurality of ports including the ports 4g and 4h.

  In the four relay apparatuses 100A to 100D, the ports are connected by links 9a to 9d. The port 4a of the relay device 100A and the port 4c of the relay device 100B are connected by a link 9a. The port 4d of the relay device 100B and the port 4f of the relay device 100C are connected by a link 9b. The port 4e of the relay device 100C and the port 4g of the relay device 100D are connected by a link 9c. The port 4h of the relay device 100D and the port 4b of the relay device 100A are connected by a link 9d.

  Each relay device 100A to 100D transmits and receives a frame at each port. The frame includes a control frame and a user data frame. In FIG. 1, a dashed arrow indicates a control frame, and a solid arrow indicates a user data frame.

  Each of the relay apparatuses 100A to 100D includes filters 6a to 6d related to the ring redundancy function. For example, the filter 6a is setting information that defines filtering related to a plurality of ports including the ports 4a and 4b of the relay device 100A. In the filter, an open / close state related to the frame is set for each port. In each of the filters 6a to 6d, the contents corresponding to the control state by the ring redundancy function are set.

  A filter setting example corresponding to a normal route is as follows. The filter 6a sets the port 4a of the relay device 100A as a forwarding port and the port 4b as a blocking port. By the filters 6b to 6d, the port 4c and the port 4d of the relay device 100B, the port 4e and the port 4f of the relay device 100C, and the port 4g and the port 4h of the relay device 100D are set as forwarding ports, respectively.

  The forwarding port is open for control frames and user data frames. The blocking port is open for control frames and closed for user data frames. The open state is a state in which a frame passes through the port. The closed state is a state in which no frame is allowed to pass through the port, in other words, a state in which the frame is discarded.

  In the normal route, since the port 4b of the relay device 100A is a blocking port, transmission / reception of the user data frames 106 and 108 is prohibited at the port 4b. This prevents data loops in the ring.

[Ring redundancy function]
The ring redundancy function includes a function for detecting a ring failure, a function for notifying a ring failure to another relay device, a function for switching a route according to a ring failure and recovery thereof, and the like. The function of switching the route includes a function of switching the filter setting and a function of updating the transfer DB. The ring redundancy function switches from a normal route to an alternative route by switching the state of each port of each ring relay device when a failure is detected. The ring redundancy function switches from an alternative route to a normal route by switching the state of each port of each relay device of the ring when a failure is recovered.

  In the first embodiment, the ring redundancy function includes a function 51 and a function 52 as functions using a filter.

  The function 51 is a function of detecting a link failure at a port between adjacent relay devices, and switching an open / close state related to a frame for each port of the relay device using a filter according to a normal or failure state of the link. .

  A processing example by the function 51 is as follows. Description will be made by paying attention to the filter 6d of the relay device 100D. In the normal route, the relay device 100D monitors the state of the link 9c with the adjacent relay device 100C using the opened port 4g. The relay device 100D periodically transmits the control frame 101 from the port 4g to the link 9c. Similarly, the relay device 100C periodically transmits the control frame 103 from the port 4e to the link 9c.

  In FIG. 1, it is assumed that a failure 110 has occurred in the ring. When the control frame 103 from the link 9c cannot be received at the port 4g, the relay device 100D detects the failure 110 of the link 9c. When the relay device 100D detects the failure 110 of the link 9c, the relay device 100D switches the setting of the filter 6d so as to switch the port 4g from the open state to the closed state. As a result, the relay apparatus 100D enters a state in which frame transmission / reception with respect to the link 9c is stopped.

  The function 52 is a function for switching a route using a filter according to a ring state based on a notification of a ring failure or its recovery. The function 52 switches the open / close state related to various frames for each port of the relay device so that the ring is in a control state including a predetermined route in switching the route. The various frames are distinguished from control frames and user data frames. That is, the function 52 includes a control function related to the control frame and a control function related to the user data frame. Control by these control functions can be performed independently.

  A processing example by the function 52 is as follows. Description will be made by paying attention to the filter 6a of the relay device 100A. In the normal route, the port 4b is a blocking port. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that a failure 110 has occurred in the ring. The relay device 100D detects the failure 110 in the link 9c with the relay device 100C using, for example, the function 51 described above. When the relay device 100D detects the failure 110, the relay device 100D transmits a control frame 107 for notifying the failure from the port 4h to the link 9d. When the relay device 100A receives the control frame 107 at the port 4b, the relay device 100A recognizes the failure of the ring and switches from the normal route to the alternative route by switching the setting of the filter 6a. That is, the relay device 100A switches the port 4b from the blocking port to the forwarding port, thereby enabling the transmission / reception of the user data frames 106 and 108 with respect to the link 9d.

  Similarly, when the failure recovery of the ring is notified, the relay device 100A switches from the alternative route to the normal route by switching the setting of the filter 6a. That is, the relay device 100A switches the port 4b from the forwarding port to the blocking port, thereby prohibiting transmission / reception of the user data frames 106 and 108 for the link 9d.

  As in the above example, control frames are transmitted and received between the relay apparatuses 100A to 100D for control by the ring redundancy function. And each relay apparatus 100A-100D switches the setting of a filter using a control packet according to the control state by a ring redundancy function inside.

[Relay device]
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the relay apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a so-called box-type relay device. The relay apparatus according to the first embodiment includes a control LSI 1, an interface LSI 2, and a plurality of ports 4. The control LSI 1 and the interface LSI 2 are connected to each other through a path 211 and can communicate through the path 211. Although not shown, the control LSI 1 and the plurality of ports 4 are connected to each other through a path 212 and can communicate with each other through the path 212. The interface LSI 2 and the plurality of ports 4 are connected to each other through a path 213 and can communicate with each other through the path 213.

  The control LSI 1 is a function mounting unit on which a specific function of the relay device is mounted. The control LSI 1 performs relay control processing in cooperation with the interface LSI 2. In the first embodiment, the functions implemented in the control LSI 1 include the ring redundancy function of FIG. The control LSI 1 includes a first control unit 10 and a packet memory 30. The control LSI 1 has a function of rewriting setting information inside the interface LSI 2 using a control packet.

  The first control unit 10 performs control processing related to functions. The first control unit 10 is configured by a hardware circuit and performs hardware processing. The first control unit 10 is configured by, for example, an application specific IC (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The process of the first control unit 10 includes a process of reading a control packet stored in the list 7 of the packet memory 30 and transmitting it to the second control unit 20 of the interface LSI 2. This control packet is a control packet for the second control unit 20 of the interface LSI 2, and more specifically, a control packet for switching the setting of the filter 6 of the memory 40.

  The packet memory 30 is a first storage unit that is directly accessible from the first control unit 10 and stores a plurality of lists 7. The packet memory 30 has a predetermined capacity, and a certain capacity is used to store a plurality of lists 7. The list 7 is a list for each group. A group is a group associated with a function. The plurality of lists 7 in the packet memory 30 store a plurality of types of control packets for dealing with all the plurality of control states related to the ring redundancy function. The control packet is a packet for setting the filter 6 according to the control state. The plurality of lists 7 store a minimum number of types of control packets that are classified and arranged so as not to overlap. A plurality of types of control packets are configured by combinations of elements set in the filter 6.

  The interface LSI 2 is a transfer unit that controls frame transfer between a plurality of ports 4 by processing of a hardware circuit. The interface LSI 2 includes a second control unit 20, a memory 40, and a transfer DB 5. The interface LSI 2 controls transfer between a plurality of ports 4 while reading and writing information in the transfer DB 5 for the frame 203 received at the port 4 and the frame 204 transmitted from the port 4. The frames 203 and 204 include a control frame and a user data frame.

  The second control unit 20 performs control processing related to frame transfer. The second control unit 20 is configured by a hardware circuit and performs hardware processing. The second control unit 20 is composed of, for example, an ASIC or FPGA. The process of the second control unit 20 includes a process of reading and writing setting information including the filter 6 stored in the memory 40. The second control unit 20 rewrites the information of the filter 6 according to the control packet received from the first control unit 10.

  The memory 40 is a second storage unit that is directly accessible from the second control unit 20, and stores various setting information including the filter 6. The memory 40 is composed of a register and a RAM, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 7 to be described later, the filter 6 is set to open / close states related to various frames at the entrance and the exit for each port 4 according to the control state by the ring redundancy function. The filter 6 is constituted by a specific register or table, for example.

  The plurality of ports 4 correspond to external interfaces such as Ethernet (registered trademark), have a function of transmitting and receiving frames, and are connected to ports of other relay apparatuses through links as shown in FIG.

  The transfer DB 5 is a database in which information on correspondence between ports and MAC addresses is stored as learning information. The interface LSI 2 has a function of writing, searching, erasing, etc., learning information with respect to the transfer DB 5.

  When the interface LSI 2 receives the frame 203 from the outside at the port 4, it learns by storing the information on the correspondence between the port ID of the port 4 that received the frame 203 and the transmission source MAC address of the frame 203 in the transfer DB 5. To do. The interface LSI 2 searches the transfer DB 5 using the destination MAC address of the frame 203 as a key. When the port ID associated with the destination MAC address is obtained, the interface LSI 2 transfers the frame 203 to the port 4 of the port ID. 4 to send to the outside.

  Further, the interface LSI 2 and the control LSI 1 transmit internally generated control frames from the port 4 to the outside through paths 212 and 213. Further, the interface LSI 2 and the control LSI 1 receive the control frame received at the port 4 through the paths 212 and 213 and perform processing according to the contents of the control frame.

  The interface LSI 2 refers to the filter 6 and applies predetermined filtering to the frame 203 received at the port 4 and the frame 204 transmitted from the port 4. The interface LSI 2 discards the frame 203 received at the port 4 when the entry side of the port 4 is closed in the setting contents of the filter 6, for example, and transmits from the port 4 when the exit side of the port 4 is closed. The frame 204 to be discarded is discarded.

  The outline of processing inside the relay apparatus is as follows. The first control unit 10 of the control LSI 1 selects a set of a plurality of control packets necessary for switching the setting of the filter 6 from the list 7 of the packet memory 30 according to the control state by the ring redundancy function. Read out. The first control unit 10 transmits the read set as a request packet 201 to the second control unit 20 of the interface LSI 2 through the path 211. This request corresponds to an instruction to rewrite the information in the table of the filter 6 for switching the setting according to the control state.

  The second control unit 20 of the interface LSI 2 receives the request packet 201 from the first control unit 10 of the control LSI 1 through the path 211. The second control unit 20 switches to the setting state corresponding to the control state by rewriting the information of the filter 6 of the memory 40 according to the plurality of sets of control packets in the received request packet 201.

  When the switching of the setting of the filter 6 is successful, the second control unit 20 transmits a response packet 202 indicating success to the first control unit 10 of the control LSI 1 through the path 211. The first control unit 10 receives the response packet 202 indicating success and recognizes the completion of a series of processes.

  If the process of switching the setting of the filter 6 fails, the second control unit 20 transmits a response packet 202 indicating the failure to the first control unit 10 of the control LSI 1 through the path 211. When receiving the response packet 202 indicating failure, or when the first control unit 10 cannot receive the response packet 202, the first control unit 10 performs a retry by retransmitting the request packet 201. When the second control unit 20 receives the retry request packet 201, the second control unit 20 retries the setting switching process.

  The relay device has a user interface corresponding to the setting function, although not shown. For example, the administrator can access the relay device from a terminal for operation management maintenance, and can check the setting state of the relay device and change the setting on the screen provided by the setting function.

  As described above, the relay apparatus according to the first embodiment is configured to rewrite the information of the filter 6 of the interface LSI 2 with the control packet read from the packet memory 30 of the control LSI 1. Thereby, the relay apparatus of Embodiment 1 can switch a setting and operation | movement at high speed corresponding to a ring redundancy function.

[Control LSI]
FIG. 3 shows a configuration of the control LSI 1 of the relay apparatus according to the first embodiment. The control LSI 1 includes a first control unit 10, a packet memory 30, and a ring redundancy function processing unit 15.

  The ring redundancy function processing unit 15 is a part on which processing corresponding to the ring redundancy function of FIG. 1 is implemented. The ring redundancy function processing unit 15 performs control processing corresponding to the ring redundancy function according to a control frame received from the outside of the relay device and information generated inside the relay device. The ring redundancy function processing unit 15 outputs information on the control state 301. The information of the control state 301 is information indicating what control state is based on which of the ring redundancy functions.

  The control state is divided into a plurality of groups for each independent function. In the first embodiment, the following three functions are divided into three groups GR0 to GR2. The first group GR0 is a group related to the function 51. The second group GR1 is a group related to the control frame in the function 52. The third group GR2 is a group related to the user data frame in the function 52.

  In the first embodiment, the packet memory 30 stores three lists 71 to 73. The three lists 71 to 73 are associated with the three groups GR0 to GR2. The list 71 stores a plurality of types of control packets corresponding to the first group GR0. The list 72 stores a plurality of types of control packets corresponding to the second group GR1. The list 73 stores a plurality of types of control packets corresponding to the third group GR2.

  The relay apparatus according to the first embodiment selects the corresponding group list 7 according to the ring redundancy function and the control state thereof, reads a set of a plurality of control packets, and switches the setting of the filter 6. Switching between settings using the list 7 of each group can be performed independently.

  The first control unit 10 includes a transmission control unit 11, a transmission unit 12, and a setting unit 13. The transmission control unit 11 includes a group division unit 11A, a detection unit 11B, and a priority control unit 11C. The transmission unit 12 includes a selection signal generation unit 12A, a selection table 8, and a packet transmission unit 12C.

  The first control unit 10 inputs information on the control state 301 from the ring redundancy function processing unit 15 to the transmission control unit 11. The transmission control unit 11 inputs information on the control state 301 to the group division unit 11A.

  The group division unit 11A divides the control state 301 into predetermined groups, and outputs it as a conversion signal 302 representing the state of each group. This conversion is necessary for processing in the transmission unit 12 and includes mapping for selecting information in the selection table 8 according to the control state 301. The conversion signal 302 is input to the detection unit 11B.

  The detection unit 11B detects a state change for each group based on the conversion signal 302, and outputs the conversion signal 302 and a group signal 306 that designates the group.

  The conversion signal 302 and the group signal 306 are input to the priority control unit 11C. The priority control unit 11C selects a signal of the highest priority group from the converted signal 302 according to the group signal 306 and a predetermined priority, and outputs the converted signal 302. As the predetermined priority, specifically, the priority is higher in the order of the groups GR0, GR1, and GR2. For example, the group GR0 has priority over the group GR1. The transmission control unit 11 outputs the converted signal 302 and the group signal 306 to the transmission unit 12.

  The transmission unit 12 inputs the conversion signal 302 and the group signal 306 corresponding to the control state 301 to the selection signal generation unit 12A. The selection signal generation unit 12 </ b> A generates a selection signal 304 representing an index of the selection table 8 based on the converted signal 302 and the group signal 306.

  In addition, when an instruction 310 regarding function or group designation is input from the outside, the first control unit 10 performs a selection signal generation unit 12A (setting register 12B in FIG. 4 described later) by the setting unit 13 in accordance with the instruction 310. In addition, it is possible to specify a group corresponding to a specific function. Examples of the instruction 310 include an instruction from the ring redundancy function processing unit 15, an instruction from another part in the relay device, and an instruction by an administrator.

  The transmission unit 12 refers to the selection table 8 using the selection signal 304 and obtains the address of the list 7 in the packet memory 30 from the selection table 8. Then, the transmission unit 12 selects and reads out the set 305 including a plurality of control packets from the addresses in the list 7.

  The packet transmission unit 12 </ b> C configures the read set 305 as the request packet 201 in FIG. 2, and transmits the packet to the second control unit 20 of the interface LSI 2 through the path 211.

  The relay apparatus according to the first embodiment is provided with a selection table 8 in accordance with the configuration of the packet memory 30. In the selection table 8, association information for selecting and reading out control packets from the list 7 of the packet memory 30 according to the control state 301 is set. The association information in the selection table 8 is information for selecting a group list 7 corresponding to the function and selecting a necessary control packet set corresponding to the control state from the list 7.

  Furthermore, the relay apparatus according to the first embodiment provides a setting function for variably setting the contents of the packet memory 30 and the selection table 8. The setting unit 13 also includes a processing function corresponding to this setting function. The setting unit 13 can set control packets to be registered in the list 7 of the packet memory 30 and information in the selection table 8 corresponding to the control packets. For example, when the ring redundancy function or the configuration of the filter 6 is updated, the configuration of the control packet necessary for switching the setting of the filter 6 may change accordingly. In that case, the administrator uses the setting function. The administrator can access the relay apparatus from the terminal and display and check the control packet in the list 7 and the information in the selection table 8 on the screen provided by the setting function. Then, the administrator changes the control packet registered in the list 7 of the packet memory 30 and the information in the selection table 8 on the screen, and executes the setting update. In accordance with this, the setting unit 13 performs a process of updating the setting of the control packet in the list 7 and the information in the selection table 8 in the packet memory 30.

[Processing example of first control unit (1)]
FIG. 4 shows a processing example until the selection table 8 is referred to as a processing example of the first control unit 10. In this processing example, the control state 301 is a control state of the two ports 4g and 4h of the relay apparatus 100D by the function 51 of FIG. 1, and changes from the “first state” to the “second state”. . The “first state” is a control state in which the port 4g is opened in the normal state according to the normal state of the link 9c. The “second state” is a control state in which the port 4g is closed according to the state of the failure 110 of the link 9c. Note that the opening / closing state of the port 4h is also controlled in accordance with the control of the opening / closing state of the port 4g. In the present processing example, the “first state” makes the port 4g open and the port 4h open, and the “second state” makes the port 4g closed and the port 4h open.

  The “second state” by the function 51 is input as the control state 301 from the ring redundancy function processing unit 15 to the transmission control unit 11. The transmission control unit 11 converts the “second state” into the converted signal 302 by the group dividing unit 11A and outputs the converted signal 302 to the detecting unit 11B. At this time, it is assumed that only the first group GR0 in the group associated with the function 51 changes due to the change from the “first state” to the “second state”. The detection unit 11B detects the change in the first group GR0 and outputs a group signal 306 that designates the first group GR0. The detection unit 11B outputs the converted signal 302 as it is. The conversion signal 302 and the group signal 306 are input to the priority control unit 11C. Since this group signal 306 indicates the first group GR0, only the converted signal 302 of the first group GR0 of the converted signals 302 is output to the transmitting unit 12 by the priority control unit 11C. A group signal 306 indicating the first group GR0 is also output to the transmission unit 12 accordingly.

  The selection signal generation unit 12A of the transmission unit 12 includes a setting register 12B and an addition unit 12D.

  A conversion signal 302 and a group signal 306 corresponding to the “second state” are input to the selection signal generation unit 12A of the transmission unit 12. The conversion signal 302 corresponds to the port control state and has a format of “GRn_REF_STAT (P2, P1)”. P1 and P2 indicate port IDs. For example, in the relay device 100D of FIG. 1, it is assumed that the port ID of the port 4g is “P1” and the port ID of the port 4h is “P2”. As the state value for each port, for example, a value 0 is an open state and a value 1 is a closed state. A state value for each port is stored at the position of each port ID of “STAT (P2, P1)”. In the case of the “first state”, the state of “P1” is 0, and the state of “P2” is 0. In the case of the “second state”, the state of “P1” is the value 1 and the state of “P2” is the value 0. The conversion signal 302 in the “second state” is like “GRn_REF_STAT (0, 1)”, and this value is, for example, 1 in decimal.

  Group signal 306 includes a group ID indicated by “GRn”. The group ID is GR0 to GR2. The group signal 306 is designated as one of GR0 to GR2. In this example, the group signal 306 designates the first group GR0 corresponding to the function 51.

  The transmission unit 12 reads the offset signal 303 of the index of the selection table 8 corresponding to the first group GR0 from the setting register 12B according to the input group signal 306. The offset signal 303 has a format such as “GRn_SEL_TBL_OFFSET”. For example, the value of the offset signal 303 corresponding to the first group GR0 is 0 in decimal, and the value of the offset signal 303 corresponding to the second group GR1 is 4 in decimal.

  In the setting register 12B of the selection signal generating unit 12A, the setting unit 13 can set an offset signal 303 corresponding to the group designation in advance. For example, when the relay device is activated or necessary, the first control unit 10 performs setting for specifying a group corresponding to a specific function in the setting register 12B by the setting unit 13.

  In the selection table 8, the correspondence between the value of the selection signal 304 corresponding to the control state 301 and the group and the address of the list 7 of the packet memory 30 is set as a bitmap. The selection table 8 includes an index 81 column and a packet selection bit 82 column. One row for each index 81 is information corresponding to one control state. The index 81 is indicated by a decimal number. The value of the selection signal 304 is a value for selecting the index 81. The packet selection bit 82 is information indicating a plurality of addresses in the list 7 of the packet memory 30.

  In the selection table 8, information corresponding to a plurality of control states that need to be covered is set as row information for each index 81. The plurality of control states are mapped to the plurality of values of the index 81 of the selection table 8. The conversion in the transmission control unit 11 includes this mapping. For example, there are four control states for function 51. In these four control states, the index 81 in the table 401 of the group GR0 corresponding to the function 51 is mapped to the rows “0” to “3”.

  The selection table 8 has a configuration in which tables for each group are linked. The selection table 8 in FIG. 4 shows two table parts, a table 401 of the first group GR0 and a table 402 of the second group GR1. The value of the offset signal 303 is a value indicating the head index 81 of the table for each group in the selection table 8. The transmission unit 12 adds the conversion signal 302 and the offset signal 303 by the addition unit 12D, thereby generating an index of the selection table 8 for the conversion signal in each group, and setting it as the selection signal 304.

  The transmission unit 12 searches the index 81 of the selection table 8 based on the value of the selection signal 304, and reads the value of the packet selection bit 82 from the row of the corresponding index 81. In this example, the value of the conversion signal 302 is 1, the value of the offset signal 303 is 0, and the value of the selection signal 304 is 1 according to the “second state”. In accordance with the value of the selection signal 304, the row in which the index 81 in the table 401 of the first group GR0 is “1” is selected, and the value (0, 1, 0, 1) of the packet selection bit 82 is read out.

[Configuration of packet memory]
FIG. 5 shows a configuration of the packet memory 30 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5A shows the configuration of the list 71 corresponding to the first group GR0. FIG. 5B shows the configuration of the list 72 corresponding to the second group GR1. The packet memory 30 stores a control packet 32 in a storage area for each address 31. The size of the control packet 32 to be stored is a predetermined size according to the control content and the configuration of the filter 6.

  The list 71 stores eight control packets of eight types indicated by packets “A” to “H” in four blocks 511 to 514. In the first block 511, the packet “A” is stored in the storage area whose address 31 is “0-0”, and the packet “B” is stored in the storage area “0-1”. Packets “A” and “B” are two types of related control packets. The packet “A” is a control packet 501 for “setting invalidation”, and the packet “B” is a control packet 502 for “setting validating”. This “setting” is a predetermined setting of the filter 6 in the first embodiment, and specifically refers to discard of a frame at a port. “Disabling the setting” corresponds to disabling discarding, that is, opening. The “validation of setting” is equivalent to setting the discarding to a valid state, that is, a closed state.

  Similarly, the other blocks 512 to 514 store other packets “C” to “H”. These packets “A” to “H” are roughly classified into two types, ie, “setting invalidation” control packets and “setting validation” control packets. The “setting invalidation” control packet is indicated by a solid square, and the “setting validating” control packet is indicated by a dashed square.

  In the list 72, eight types of eight control packets indicated by packets “I” to “P” are stored in four blocks 515 to 518. Although not shown, similarly, the list 73 stores eight types of eight control packets in four blocks. Similarly, these packets are roughly classified into two types: a “setting invalidation” control packet and a “setting validation” control packet.

  FIG. 5C is a table showing specific examples of contents of a plurality of types of control packets 32 in the case of the list 71 of the first group GR0. This table includes, as columns, “packet”, “port ID”, “ingress / egress”, and “setting invalidation / setting validation”. “Packet” indicates packets “A” to “H”. “Port ID” indicates, for example, a distinction between two ports “P1” and “P2” of the relay apparatus. “Ingress / Egress” indicates a distinction between ingress and egress at the port. Ingress corresponds to the entrance and reception side, and egress corresponds to the exit and transmission side. “Invalidation of setting / validation of setting” indicates “invalidation of setting” with a value of 0 and “validation of setting” with a value of 1.

  Packets “A” to “H” are eight types of control packets based on combinations of open / close states related to frames at the entrance and exit of the two ports “P1” and “P2” of the relay apparatus. There are 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 states in combination of three elements of “P1” / “P2”, inlet / outlet, open state (0) / closed state (1). The frame includes a control frame and a user data frame without distinction.

  The packet “A” is a control packet for invalidating discard on the entrance side of “P1”, and the packet “B” is a control packet for validating discard on the entrance side of “P1”. The packet “C” is an invalidation control packet on the entrance side of “P2”, and the packet “D” is an validation control packet on the entrance side of “P2”. The packet “E” is an invalidation control packet on the exit side of “P1”, and the packet “F” is an validation control packet on the exit side of “P1”. The packet “G” is an invalidation control packet on the exit side of “P2”, and the packet “H” is an validation control packet on the exit side of “P2”.

  Similarly, in the lists 72 and 73, a plurality of types of control packets corresponding to the control contents of the function 52 are stored. The list 72 of the second group GR1 includes eight types of packets according to combinations of open / close states (invalidation / validation of discard) regarding the control frame at the entrance and exit of the two ports “P1” and “P2” of the relay apparatus. “I” to “P” are stored. The list 73 of the third group GR2 stores eight types of packets according to combinations of open / close states related to user data frames at the entrance and exit of the two ports “P1” and “P2” of the relay device.

  The used capacity of the packet memory 30 is determined according to the number of necessary control packets. The used capacity in the case of the list 71 is a capacity of [size of one control packet] × 8.

[Processing example of first control unit (2)]
FIG. 6 shows a processing example of reading the control packet set 305 from the packet memory 30 based on the selection table 8 as a processing example by the first control unit 10 following FIG.

  The transmission unit 12 of the first control unit 10 controls a plurality of controls from the list 71 of the packet memory 30 according to the value (0, 1, 0, 1) of the packet selection bit 82 read from the selection table 8 as shown in FIG. Select and read a packet. In the storage area from the block 511 that is the block SB at the start position of the list 71 to the block 514 that is the block EB at the end position, the transmission unit 12 stores each address 31 indicated by the value of each bit of the packet selection bit 82. The control packet 32 being read is read out.

  The packet selection bit 82 includes a plurality of bits that are valid / invalid selection bits 83. In the first embodiment, the packet selection bit 82 has a 4-bit configuration corresponding to selecting four packets from the list 7. Each bit points to a block in list 7. The first bit in the rightmost column of the packet selection bit 82 indicates the first block that is the block SB at the start position of the list 7, and the fourth bit in the leftmost column indicates the fourth block that is the block EB at the end position. Point to.

  The valid / invalid selection bit 83 is information for selecting one of two types of control packets of one block, a “setting invalidation” control packet and a “setting validating” control packet. A value 0 in the valid / invalid selection bit 83 indicates a control packet of “setting invalidation” in an odd row whose lower order of the address 32 is “0”, and a value 1 is an even number whose lower order of the address 32 is “1”. Refers to the control packet for “validate settings” on the line.

  In this example, among the packet selection bits 82 in the row “1” of the table 401, the first bit indicates the first block 511 of the list 71. Since the first bit has the value 1, it indicates the packet “B” stored in the storage area in which the address 31 in the first block 511 is “0-1”. Similarly, the value 0 of the second bit indicates the packet “C” of “1-0” in the second block 512. The value 1 of the third bit indicates the packet “F” of “2-1” in the third block 513. The value 0 of the fourth bit indicates the packet “G” of “3-0” of the fourth block 514.

  The transmission unit 12 sequentially reads four packets “B”, “C”, “F”, and “G” as a set 305 from the list 71 of the packet memory 30. This set 305 is a set necessary for switching the setting of the filter 6 in accordance with the “second state”. That is, this set 305 is a set for setting the filter 6d of the relay device 100D to be closed at the entrance and exit of “P1” and to be open at the entrance and exit of “P2”.

  When the row whose index 81 is “0” is selected, the value of the packet selection bit 82 is (0, 0, 0, 0), and the packets “A”, “C”, “E”, and “G” are selected. Is done. This set opens “P1” and “P2”. When the row “2” is selected, the value of the packet selection bit 82 is (1, 0, 1, 0), and packets “A”, “D”, “E”, and “H” are selected. In this set, “P1” is opened and “P2” is closed. When the row “3” is selected, the value of the packet selection bit 82 is (1, 1, 1, 1), and packets “B”, “D”, “F”, and “H” are selected. This set closes “P1” and “P2”.

  The processing is the same when other lists 72 and 73 are selected. For example, in accordance with a predetermined control state related to a control frame using the function 52, a row having an index 81 of “4” in the table 402 of the second group GR1 is selected. The value of the packet selection bit 82 in this row is (1, 1, 0, 0), and packets “I”, “K”, “N”, and “P” are selected from the list 72. This set is open for the control frames on the inlet side of “P1” and “P2” and closed for the control frame on the outlet side.

  Note that the size of the selection table 8 depends on the number of control packets and the number of groups in the packet memory 30. For example, when 8 control packets are used in the list 7 of one group, the packet selection bit 82 needs 4 bits. The size of the index 81 depends on the number of control states to be covered. In the case of the table 401 of the first group GR0, the number of control states is four, 2 bits are required as the index 81, and 4 × 4 = 16 bits are required as the packet selection bit 82. Further, when there are three groups and four control states in each group, the selection table 8 requires 3 × 16 = 48 bits as the packet selection bits 82. The size of the selection table 8 is sufficiently smaller than the size of the packet memory 30.

  The packet transmission unit 12C gives a transaction ID to each control packet in the read set 305. The transaction ID is an ID for control inside the relay apparatus, and is a serial number by increment, for example. For example, the transaction ID = “1” is assigned to the packet “B” that is the first packet, and the transaction ID = “4” is assigned to the packet “G” that is the fourth packet. The packet transmission unit 12C transmits the set 305 composed of a plurality of control packets to which the transaction IDs are assigned as a single request packet 201 in FIG. The second control unit 20 receives a plurality of control packets in the order of transaction IDs and uses them for rewriting the setting information.

  As a modification, the relay apparatus may sequentially transmit each control packet in the set 305 as an individual request packet 201 in transmission of the request packet 201. Further, the relay apparatus may omit the transaction ID.

[Example of filter configuration]
FIG. 7 shows a table which is a configuration example of the filter 6 in the first embodiment. 7A shows a setting example of the filter 6d of the relay device 100D, and FIG. 7B shows a setting example of the filter 6a of the relay device 100A. The table of the filter 6 in FIG. 7 includes “port ID”, “FP / BP”, “ingress / egress”, and “open / closed state” as columns. The “open / closed state” column includes an “all frames” column, a “control frame” column, and a “user data frame” column. “All frames” includes both control frames and user data frames. “FP / BP” indicates a distinction between a forwarding port indicated by FP and a blocking port indicated by BP. Note that the information “FP / BP” is provided for easy understanding, but may be omitted. The “open / closed state” is distinguished by “control frame” and “user data frame”, and stores a value indicating invalidity or validity of discard of the frame. A value of 0 corresponds to an invalid discarding state, that is, an open state. A value of 1 corresponds to a state in which discarding is effective, that is, a closed state.

  The setting example of the filter 6d in FIG. 7A corresponds to the “first state” related to the function 51 described above. A row 701 shows a setting example of the port 4g whose port ID of the relay device 100D is “P1”. “P1” is the state of the forwarding port and is open for both control frames and user data frames at both ingress and egress. A row 702 shows a setting example of the port 4h whose port ID is “P2”. “P2” is also the state of the forwarding port.

  The setting example of the filter 6a in FIG. 7B corresponds to the normal path state related to the function 52 described above. A row 703 shows a setting example of the port 4a in which the port ID of the relay device 100A is “P1”. “P1” is the state of the forwarding port and is open for both control frames and user data frames at both ingress and egress. A row 704 shows a setting example of the port 4b whose port ID is “P2”. “P2” is the state of the blocking port, and is open for the control frame and closed for the user data frame at both the entrance and exit. In the setting state of “P2”, the value “0” is set in the “all frames” column and the value 1 is set in the “user data frame” column. In such a case, discarding with a value of 1 is preferentially applied to the user data frame as filtering.

[Example of switching filter settings]
FIG. 8 shows an example of switching the setting of the filter 6 of FIG. FIG. 8A shows an example corresponding to the control by the function 51. This example corresponds to switching from the “first state” to the “second state” according to the state of the failure 110 of the link 9c of the relay device 100D of FIG. From the setting state corresponding to the “first state” in FIG. 7A, the setting corresponding to the “second state” shown in the rows 801 and 802 by the control packet set 810 of the list 71 of the first group GR0. Switch to state. The set 810 is the packets “B”, “C”, “F”, and “G” in FIG. At this time, the target location for setting invalidation / validation of discard, that is, the location where the value can be changed is the “all frames” column. A broken line frame shows a different part before and after switching.

  Port “P1” in row 801 is closed for both control and user data frames at both the ingress and egress. More specifically, all frames received from the link 9c are discarded on the entrance side of the port 4g in FIG. 1, and all frames transmitted to the link 9c are discarded on the exit side of the port 4g. The setting state of the port “P2” in the row 802 is the same as that in 702.

  FIG. 8B is an example corresponding to control related to a control frame by the function 52. This example corresponds to a case where the relay apparatus 100A in FIG. 1 switches from a normal path to an alternative path according to the state of the ring failure 110. The setting state shown in FIG. 7B before switching is switched to the setting state shown in the rows 803 and 804 by the control packet set 820 in the list 72 of the second group GR1. The four control packets in the set 820 are packets for invalidating discards related to control frames on the entrance side and the exit side of “P1” and “P2”. The target location is a “control frame” column.

  The setting state of the port “P1” in the row 803 is the same as that in 703. The setting state of the port “P2” in the row 804 is the same as that in 704. In this processing example, the control frame remains open, and as a result, the setting state is the same as FIG.

  (C) of FIG. 8 is an example corresponding to the control regarding the user data frame by the function 52. This processing example is the same as the processing example of FIG. 8B, and the target is not a control frame but a user data frame. The setting state shown in FIG. 7B before switching is switched to the setting state shown in the rows 805 and 806 by the control packet set 830 in the list 73 of the third group GR2. The four control packets in set 830 are: “P1” entry-side discard invalidation, “P2” entry-side discard validation, “P1” exit-side discard invalidation, and “P2” This packet is used to validate discard on the egress side. The target location is a “user data frame” column.

  The setting state of the port “P1” in the row 805 is the same as that in 703. The setting state of the port “P2” in the row 806 has been changed from the blocking port 704 to the forwarding port, and is open for both the control frame and the user data frame at both the entrance and the exit.

  As in the above example, in order to realize a predetermined state of the ring, each relay device switches the setting state of the filter 6 so that a plurality of internal ports are in a predetermined control state having a predetermined relationship. At that time, the relay device rewrites the information in the filter 6 in accordance with the configuration of the filter 6. For this reason, the relay apparatus uses a set of a plurality of control packets according to one control state.

[Effects]
As described above, according to the relay apparatus of the first embodiment, high-speed control can be realized and the used capacity of the packet memory 30 can be reduced.

  The relay apparatus according to the first embodiment is configured to switch settings from the control LSI 1 to the interface LSI 2 by hardware processing. As a result, the first embodiment can switch the setting at a higher speed than the configuration in which the setting is switched by software processing for the interface LSI in the conventional relay device. In the first embodiment, high-speed path switching by the ring redundancy function is possible even when a failure occurs in the ring network.

  The relay apparatus according to the first embodiment has a configuration in which a plurality of minimum necessary types of control packets that do not overlap are provided in the group list 7 corresponding to the ring redundancy function in the packet memory 30 of the control LSI 1. A plurality of types of control packets in the list 7 are configured by a combination of filter 6 setting elements so as to cover the filter 6 setting states corresponding to all necessary control states. In the selection table 8, information corresponding to a necessary control state is set. Thereby, the relay apparatus of Embodiment 1 can reduce the use capacity of the limited packet memory 30, and can increase free capacity. It becomes easy to use the free space for other functions.

  Furthermore, since the control packet in the packet memory 30 and the setting in the selection table 8 can be updated by the setting function, the first embodiment can flexibly cope with the update of the control function and setting information according to the protocol.

(Comparative example)
The configuration related to the packet memory 30B in the relay device of the comparative example with respect to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 shows a configuration example for storing a plurality of control packets in the packet memory 30B. The relay device of the comparative example includes a packet memory 30B in the control LSI. The first control unit of the control LSI reads a set of a plurality of control packets necessary for switching the setting from the packet memory 30B when switching the setting state of the filter according to the control state by the function. It transmits to the 2nd control part. Other configurations of the comparative example are the same as the configurations of the first embodiment.

  The packet memory 30B stores in advance a set of a plurality of control packets for each “state” corresponding to the control state. The packet memory 30B stores a plurality of sets for each group associated with the function.

  In the first group 910, there are “state A” to “state D” as the four control states. There are sets 901 to 904 as sets for each control state. Packets “A” to “H” indicate control packets. For example, the set 901 for “state A” includes four packets “A”, “E”, “C”, and “G” stored in addresses “0” to “3”. A set 902 for “state B” includes packets “B”, “F”, “C”, and “G”. A set 903 for “state C” includes packets “A”, “E”, “D”, and “H”. A set 904 for “state D” includes packets “B”, “F”, “D”, and “H”. The contents of the packet “A” and the like correspond to the contents of the packet “A” and the like in FIG.

  A specific example of the contents of the set of control packets is as follows. The four packets “A”, “E”, “C”, and “G” in the set 901 for “state A” are opened at the entrance and exit at the two ports “P1” and “P2” of the relay device. Control packet. Similarly, the four packets “B”, “F”, “C”, and “G” in the set 902 for “state B” close the entrance and exit of “P1” and set the entrance and exit of “P2”. Open. The four packets “A”, “E”, “D”, and “H” in the set 903 for “state C” open the entrance and exit of “P1” and close the entrance and exit of “P2”. To do. The four packets “B”, “F”, “D”, and “H” in the set 904 for “state D” are closed at the entrance and exit of “P1” and “P2”.

  In the first group 910, “state A” to “state D” are necessary four control states among the combinations of the opening and closing states of the inlets and outlets of the two ports “P1” and “P2”. In the first group 910, the packet memory 30B stores four sets 901 to 904, a total of 16 control packets, in order to cover “state A” to “state D”.

  Similarly, in the second group 920, there are four control states “state E” to “state H”, and there are four sets 905 to 908 to cover these. The second group 920 stores a total of 16 control packets using the packets “I” to “P”.

  The control packets stored in the packet memory 30B have overlapping control packets. For example, in the set 901 for “state A” and the set 903 for “state C”, the packets “A” and “E” are the same control packet. In the set 901 for “state A” and the set 902 for “state B”, the packets “C” and “G” are the same control packets that overlap. The use capacity of the packet memory 30B increases due to the overlap of control packets.

  As described above, the relay device of the comparative example has a configuration in which a set of a plurality of control packets is stored in the packet memory 30B in advance for each control state. Thereby, the comparative example can realize high-speed setting switching. However, in the comparative example, a necessary set increases in proportion to the number of control states to be covered. Thereby, the used capacity of the packet memory 30B increases.

  On the other hand, the relay apparatus according to the first embodiment stores, as a list 7, a plurality of types of control packets classified and arranged so as not to overlap in the packet memory 30 as shown in FIG. In the first embodiment, even if the number of functions, control states, and setting states to be covered increases, the necessary control packets do not increase proportionally, and can be suppressed to the minimum necessary. Compared with the packet memory 30B of the comparative example, the packet memory 30 according to the first embodiment has a smaller number of control packets to be stored and uses only certain entries, so that the used capacity can be saved.

  In the case of the packet memory 30B of the comparative example, with respect to the four control states of the first group 910, a use capacity for storing 16 control packets is required. On the other hand, in the case of the packet memory 30 according to the first embodiment, the use capacity for storing the eight control packets in the list 71 is sufficient for the four control states of the first group GR0.

(Embodiment 2)
A communication system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. The transmission / reception of the control packet is not limited to a single relay apparatus, and may be performed across a plurality of relay apparatuses. In this case, it is the structure of the communication system of Embodiment 2 as follows.

  The communication system according to the second embodiment is a communication system including a first relay device and a second relay device. The first relay device includes a function mounting unit in which a function related to frame transfer is mounted. The function implementation unit includes a first control unit and a first storage unit. The second relay device includes a transfer unit that transfers the frame between a plurality of ports. The transfer unit includes a second control unit and a second storage unit. The first storage unit stores, as a list, a plurality of types of control packets that correspond to a plurality of control states related to functions. The second storage unit stores setting information corresponding to the control state. The first control unit of the first relay device reads a set including a plurality of control packets from the list of the first storage unit according to the control state, and transmits the set to the second relay device. The second control unit of the second relay device rewrites the setting information in the second storage unit according to the plurality of control packets in the set.

  For example, the first relay device controls switching of the filter setting of the second relay device according to the control state of the ring. In this case, the first control unit of the first relay device reads a set including a plurality of necessary control packets from the packet memory, as in the first embodiment, and sends a request packet based on this to the second packet from the port. A control frame is transmitted to the relay apparatus. The second relay device receives the request packet by the control frame at the port. The second control unit of the second relay device switches the setting state by rewriting the filter information in accordance with the plurality of control packets in the request packet. Then, the second relay device transmits a response packet to the first relay device as a control frame.

  According to the communication system of the second embodiment, high-speed control can be realized by transmitting and receiving control packets between a plurality of relay apparatuses, and the used capacity in the packet memory can be reduced.

(Other embodiments)
The following is mentioned as a relay apparatus of other embodiment.

  The technique of Embodiment 1 is applicable not only to a box-type relay device but also to a chassis-type relay device. The chassis type relay device is configured to connect a plurality of cards including a line card and a management card. For example, you may have the structure similar to FIG. 2 inside a line card.

  As a relay apparatus according to another embodiment, a configuration in which the list 7 for each group is not provided is also possible. In that case, only one list 7 is stored in the packet memory 30, and means for designating a group is unnecessary.

  The technique of the first embodiment can be applied to a use in which a setting state is switched using a control packet according to a control state in a relay device. The technique of the first embodiment is applicable not only to the configuration of the filter 6 in FIG. 7 but also to other filter configurations. The technique of the first embodiment is not limited to the case of controlling the setting of the filter 6, but can be applied to the case of controlling the setting of other setting information.

  The technique of Embodiment 1 is applicable not only to the relay apparatus which comprises a ring, but a ring redundancy function. The technique of the first embodiment can also be applied to functions corresponding to Ethernet OAM. Ethernet OAM is an extended specification of Ethernet, and is a function that supports network operation management maintenance.

  Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control LSI, 2 ... Interface LSI, 4 ... Port, 5 ... Transfer DB, 6 ... Filter, 7, 71, 72, 73 ... List, 8 ... Selection table, 10 ... 1st control part, 11 ... Transmission control part , 11A ... group dividing unit, 11B ... detecting unit, 11C ... priority control unit, 12 ... transmitting unit, 12A ... selection signal generating unit, 12B ... setting register, 12C ... packet transmitting unit, 12D ... adding unit, 13 ... setting , 15 ... Ring redundancy function processing unit, 20 ... Second control unit, 30 ... Packet memory, 40 ... Memory, 51, 52 ... Function, 100A to 100D ... Relay device, 201, 202 ... Packet, 203, 204 ... Frame , 301 ... Control state, 302 ... Conversion signal, 303 ... Offset signal, 304 ... Selection signal, 305 ... Set, 306 ... Group signal

Claims (8)

A function implementation unit that implements functions related to frame transfer;
A transfer unit for transferring the frame between a plurality of ports;
With
The function implementation unit includes a first control unit and a first storage unit,
The transfer unit includes a second control unit and a second storage unit,
The first storage unit stores, as a list, a plurality of types of control packets to correspond to a plurality of control states related to the function,
The second storage unit stores setting information according to the control state,
The first control unit reads a set of a plurality of control packets from the list of the first storage unit according to the control state, and transmits the set to the second control unit,
The second control unit rewrites the setting information of the second storage unit according to the plurality of control packets of the set;
Relay device. The relay device according to claim 1,
The first control unit includes a transmission control unit and a transmission unit,
The transmission control unit outputs a conversion signal corresponding to the control state,
The transmitter includes a selection table;
In the selection table, association information for selecting and reading the set from the address of the list of the first storage unit according to the value of the conversion signal is set.
Relay device. The relay device according to claim 2,
The function implementation unit is implemented with a plurality of functions,
The first storage unit stores a plurality of lists,
The list is a list for each group in a plurality of groups associated with a plurality of functions,
The transmission unit includes a setting register in which an offset signal that specifies the group is set;
In the selection table, association information for selecting a list of designated groups from a plurality of lists in the first storage unit according to the value of the offset signal is set.
Relay device. The relay device according to claim 2,
The plurality of types of control packets in the list are classified into two types of control packets, that is, a control packet for validating a predetermined setting and a control packet for invalidating in the setting information,
The selection table includes a valid / invalid selection bit for selecting the control packet for validation or the control packet for invalidation,
Relay device. The relay device according to claim 1,
The setting information includes a filter that defines filtering related to transfer of the frame at the port,
The list includes a control packet for rewriting the filter.
Relay device. The relay device according to claim 5,
The function of the function implementation unit includes a ring redundancy function for performing control processing including switching of a route in a ring network,
In the filter, depending on the control state by the ring redundancy function, the frame discard valid or invalid state for each port is set,
The list includes a control packet for enabling the discarding of the frame and a control packet for disabling.
Relay device. The relay device according to claim 2,
The first control unit has a setting unit,
The setting unit sets a control packet stored in the list and information stored in the selection table;
Relay device. A communication system comprising a first relay device and a second relay device,
The first relay device includes a function mounting unit in which a function related to frame transfer is mounted;
The function implementation unit includes a first control unit and a first storage unit,
The second relay device includes a transfer unit that transfers the frame between a plurality of ports,
The transfer unit includes a second control unit and a second storage unit,
The first storage unit stores, as a list, a plurality of types of control packets to correspond to a plurality of control states related to the function,
The second storage unit stores setting information according to the control state,
The first control unit of the first relay device reads a set including a plurality of control packets from the list of the first storage unit according to the control state, and transmits the set to the second relay device.
The second control unit of the second relay device rewrites the setting information of the second storage unit according to the plurality of control packets of the set;
Communications system.

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