JP3017092B2 - Packet communication system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a packet communication system, and more particularly, to a packet communication system capable of tracking the passage of a packet in a packet switch constituting a packet network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a packet network, when a packet passes through a packet switch, the information of the passing packet is stored in the packet switch itself, and the information accumulated from all the packet switches in the packet network is monitored through its own packet network. Had been transferred to the center. The network monitoring center merges the transferred packet information with the source packet switch information and searches for the merged information to determine a packet communication route in the packet network (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-208,1992). No. 111682).

[0003]

A first problem of the prior art is that, when a problem occurs due to a packet network, a communication route of a packet is specified, and a trouble portion is specified based on the communication route. However, it takes time to identify the communication route. The reason is that the packet information stored in all the packet switches in the packet network is searched to specify the communication route of the packet.

[0004] The second problem is that packet information effective for specifying a communication route of a packet may not be collected. The reason is that the area where packet information of the packet switch is stored is limited and information is cyclically stored.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to easily identify a defective portion caused by a relay node (relay packet switch) in a packet network when a packet passes through a node adjacent to a terminal device of the network and a relay node. In this case, it is possible to collect passing packet information, edit the packet information at a monitoring center such as a network management center, and specify a communication (packet passing) route.

With the above configuration, each packet switch does not need to store the passing packet information in the switch itself. Since information effective for specifying a communication route is transmitted to the network monitoring center from the packet switch itself through which the packet has passed, information on all packet switches is not required.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a packet switch of a calling side, a called side, and a relay, and a network monitoring center for controlling and monitoring these packet switches. In a packet communication system to which a packet communication terminal is connected and performs packet communication via one or more packet switches, when a packet is received from a packet communication terminal of an originating packet switch, a packet is transferred to a predetermined area in the packet. Setting means for setting information for collecting packet information ; sending a packet to the packet communication terminal of the destination packet switch
Is set to a predetermined area in the packet when transmitting.
To delete the information to collect the collected packet information
And information indicating that packet information of the relay packet switch is to be collected.
Search means for searching for a packet;
Collects packet information when passing and collects packets
Network information and packet switching equipment information
Transfer to a network monitoring center via another public network
Transfer means for performing the transfer from each packet switch by the network monitoring center
Packet communication in packet networks based on information
Output means for tracing and outputting a route; and a network monitor for instructing the start and end of packet information collection.
Having a collection start / end instruction means to be performed from the visual center
It is characterized by .

[0008]

[0009]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a packet communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a packet communication terminal 11 is a packet communication terminal connected to a packet network and transmitting a packet. The packet communication terminal 12 is a packet communication terminal connected to a packet network and receiving a packet. The network monitoring center 13 monitors and controls the packet network. The packet switches 21 to 2F are packet switches for transmitting and receiving packets in a packet network. In particular, the packet switch 21 is a packet switch for connecting the packet communication terminal 11 for transmitting packets, and the packet switch 25 is a packet communication terminal for receiving packets. 12 is a packet switch. The public network 3 transmits packet tracking information from the packet switch to the network monitoring center 1.
3, for example, an INS network. In addition, a packet communication terminal used for normal packet communication-a packet switch, a packet switch-
Each of the packet switch, the packet switch and the network monitoring center is connected by a dedicated line (a line indicated by a solid line in the figure).

Next, the operation of the packet communication system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A shows the operation when the packet switch 21 receives the packet 41 from the packet communication terminal 11. The packet switch 21 receives the packet 41 from the packet communication terminal 11 based on an instruction from the network monitoring center 13. Then, the packet 42 in which the request for collecting the tracking information is set is transmitted to the packet switch 22. At the same time, it also sends the source side packet tracking information 51 in which its own information and the information of the packet 42 are set to the network monitoring center 13 via the public network 3.

FIG. 2B shows the operation when the packet switch 23 receives the packet 42 in which the request for collecting the tracking information is set.
When the packet 42 is received from the server, the packet 42 is examined, and if a request for collecting the tracking information is set, the packet monitoring information 52 of the relay in which the own information and the information of the packet 42 are set are transmitted to the network monitoring center 13. .
At the same time, the packet 42 is transmitted to the packet switch 24.

FIG. 2C shows the operation when the packet switch 25 transmits the packet 41 to the packet communication terminal 12. When the packet switch 25 receives the packet 42 from the packet switch 28, the packet switch 25 examines the packet 42. If a request to collect tracking information has been set, the destination packet tracking information 53 in which the own information and the information of the packet 42 are set is transmitted to the network monitoring center 13 via the public network 3. At the same time, the packet 41 from which the trace information collection request is deleted is transmitted to the packet communication terminal 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the network monitoring center 13 analyzes the packet tracking information 5 from the packet switch received by the public network 3 and, in real time, from the packet communication terminal 11 on the originating side to the packet communication terminal 12 on the destination side. The communication route through which the packet 41 and the packet 42 have passed is output.

[0015]

As a first effect of the present invention, when a problem such as an infinite loop or an excessive number of relay stages occurs in a packet network, a defective portion can be specified. The reason is that the network monitoring center can output a packet communication route in the packet network in real time based on transfer information from each packet switch.

The second effect is that it is easy to calculate the equipment amount of the packet network. The reason is that the network monitoring center can verify the traffic in the packet network by editing the transfer information from each packet switch.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a packet communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an operation of the packet communication system shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation of the network monitoring center shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 11 packet communication terminal (calling side) 12 packet communication terminal (calling side) 13 network monitoring center 21-2F packet switch (21: calling side, 25: call side) 3 public network (INS net) 41 packet (no collection request) 42 packets (with collection request) 5 packet tracking information (51: originating side, 52: relay, 5
3: arrival side)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A packet communication terminal comprising an originating side, a terminating side, and a relay packet exchange, and a network monitoring center for controlling and monitoring these packet exchanges. A packet communication terminal is connected to the originating side and the terminating side of the packet exchange. In a packet communication system in which a packet is communicated via one or more packet switches, when a packet is received from a packet communication terminal of an originating packet switch, packet information is collected in a predetermined area in the packet. Setting means for setting information ; sending a packet to the packet communication terminal of the destination packet switch
Is set to a predetermined area in the packet when transmitting.
To delete the information to collect the collected packet information
And information indicating that packet information of the relay packet switch is to be collected.
Search means for searching for a packet;
Collects packet information when passing and collects packets
Network information and packet switching equipment information
Transfer to a network monitoring center via another public network
Transfer means for performing the transfer from each packet switch by the network monitoring center
Packet communication in packet networks based on information
Output means for tracing and outputting a route; and a network monitor for instructing the start and end of packet information collection.
A packet communication system, comprising: a collection start / end instruction unit that is performed from a viewing center .