JP7842326B2 - How to configure network systems and connection paths. - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a technique for configuring connection paths between networks.

In network systems that create private networks where multiple locations covering a relatively wide area, such as a municipal government's private network, connect to the external network via multiple external lines (fiber optic, ADSL, mobile phone lines, satellite internet lines, etc.), fiber optic lines, which offer stable communication quality and high bandwidth, are primarily used, while other lines are often used as backups in case of failures.

Methods for selecting an external line during switching to a backup line include using routing protocols such as OSPF and RIP. The technology described in Patent Document 1 is also known.

Patent Document 1 describes a router device that switches between a first line and a second line for communication, comprising: a setting unit that sets a first protection time from the time a line failure in the first line is detected until switching from the first line to the second line, and a second protection time from the time the recovery of the line failure in the first line is detected until switching from the second line to the first line, to times corresponding to the quality status of the first line; and a line switching unit that switches from the first line to the second line if the line failure in the first line is still present after the first protection time has elapsed, or switches from the second line to the first line when the second protection time has elapsed after a line failure in the first line has been detected.

International Publication No. 2012/124099

Conventional technologies have a problem in network systems that realize a private network connecting to an external network via multiple external lines: it is not possible to select or switch external lines for each application.

The present invention aims to provide a mechanism that allows for the selection or switching of external lines for each application in a network with multiple external lines.

A representative example of the invention disclosed in this application is as follows: A network system that connects to an external network via multiple communication lines with different characteristics, and includes a policy management device and multiple communication devices that have the function of autonomously setting connection paths connecting the network system and the external network, wherein a communication device connected only to the communication device measures the communication quality of the communication path connected to the other communication devices, a communication device connected to the communication line measures the communication quality of the communication path connected to the other communication devices and the communication line, the policy management device receives input information including information for identifying an application and the priority order for setting the connection path for each application, obtains the measurement results of the communication quality from the multiple communication devices, and the input information and the communication product A network system characterized in that, based on quality measurement results, a setting rule is generated for each application, including a combination of communication devices and communication lines to be used for the connection path, a setting rule is generated, route setting policy information including the input information and the setting rule is generated and transmitted to the plurality of communication devices, the plurality of communication devices set the connection path based on the route setting policy information , the input information includes information on a method for calculating a metric using the communication quality measurement results for each application, and the policy management device, when generating the setting rule, calculates a metric using the communication quality measurement results for each application, and generates the setting rule based on the metric for each application.

According to the present invention, the communication device of the base station network can select or switch external lines for each application to configure the connection path. Other problems, configurations, and effects will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

This figure shows an example of the network configuration in Example 1. This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the router device in Example 1. This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the gateway device in Example 1. This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the anchor device in Example 1. This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the policy management device in Example 1. This figure shows an example of communication channel monitoring information in Example 1. This figure shows an example of policy definition information input to the policy management device of Example 1. This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the policy management device of Example 1. This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the communication device within the private network in Example 1. This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the communication device within the private network in Example 1. This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the communication device within the private network in Example 1. This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the communication device within the private network in Example 1. This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the communication device within the private network in Example 1.

The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the specific configuration can be modified without departing from the spirit or intent of the present invention.

In the invention described below, identical or similar components or functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

The designations "First," "Second," "Third," etc., used in this specification are for identifying constituent elements and do not necessarily limit their number or order.

The positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges disclosed in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows an example of the network configuration in Example 1.

The network consists of a private network 100 and an external network 101. The private network 100 is a distributed network system comprised of multiple communication devices connected in a mesh configuration. Each communication device has the function of autonomously setting connection paths.

The communication devices constituting the network system realizing the private network 100 are a router device 111 and a gateway device 112. The router device 111 is a communication device that connects the LAN 120 to other communication devices. The gateway device 112 is a communication device that connects the router device 111 to the external network 101. The gateway device 112 connects to the external network 101 via multiple communication lines 102. The communication lines 102 are, for example, optical lines, satellite lines, and mobile phone lines. The number of communication lines 102 connected to the gateway device 112 is arbitrary.

In Figure 1, the connection paths between communication devices within the private network 100 are identified by letters of the alphabet, and the communication lines to which the gateway device 112 connects are identified by Greek letters.

The external network 101 is the internet, etc. In Example 1, the anchor device 113 is included in the external network 101. Note that the external network 101 also includes an application server, etc., but this is omitted here. Note that the anchor device 113 is not necessarily included in the external network 101.

The private network 100 includes a policy management device 110. The policy management device 110 generates route setting policy information for configuring and switching connection routes, and distributes it to communication devices within the private network 100 and anchor devices 113 in the external network 101.

Here, the connection path refers to the path used to forward packets between LAN 120 and the external network 101. As will be described later, multiple paths (node paths) are established between communication devices within the private network 100. For example, node paths are established through VLAN configuration.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the router device 111 in Example 1.

The router device 111 has a hardware configuration comprising a computing unit 200, a storage device 201, and communication devices 202 and 203.

The arithmetic unit 200 is a processor, etc., and performs various calculations according to the program. The arithmetic unit 200 operates as a functional unit (module) that realizes a specific function by executing processing according to the program. In the following description, when a functional unit is described as the subject of processing, it indicates that the arithmetic unit 200 is executing the program that realizes that functional unit. The arithmetic unit 200 operates as a connection path setting unit 210, a communication path monitoring unit 211, a packet forwarding unit 212, an adjacent information exchange unit 213, and an autonomous path generation unit 214. Note that for each functional unit of the router device 111, multiple functional units may be combined into a single functional unit, or a single functional unit may be divided into multiple functional units according to its function.

The connection route setting unit 210 sets connection routes for each application based on the route setting policy information 220 and statistical information 221. Specifically, the connection route setting unit 210 generates forwarding information (not shown). This forwarding information stores data including address, protocol, port number, and destination (IP address and device name, etc.).

The communication channel monitoring unit 211 monitors the connection status of the communication channel between the router device 111 and the connected communication device, and also measures the communication quality of the communication channel. The communication quality of the communication channel can be measured, for example, using measurement packets.

The packet forwarding unit 212 forwards the received packets to the connection path that matches the conditions, based on the forwarding information.

The adjacent information exchange unit 213 transmits and receives communication path information with the communication device connected to the router device 111. This communication path information includes information such as the port being used, the communication speed, and the cost of using the communication path.

The autonomous route generation unit 214 monitors the connection status and communication quality of the communication path and monitors for triggers for switching connection paths. These triggers include communication path disconnection and congestion. When a trigger for switching connection paths is detected, the autonomous route generation unit 214 executes the connection path switching process. Specifically, the autonomous route generation unit 214 updates the forwarding information based on the route setting policy information 220 and statistical information 221.

The storage device 201 is a memory or similar device that stores the program executed by the arithmetic unit 200 and the information used by the program. The storage device 201 is also used as a work area. The router device 111 may also have storage devices such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage device 201 stores route setting policy information 220 and statistical information 221.

The routing policy information 220 stores data including the port numbers used by the application, the source and destination of packets, communication priority, and connection route configuration rules. The connection route configuration rules include combinations of gateway devices 112 and communication lines 102, and a method for calculating metrics used to select node routes. The statistical information 221 stores data including the communication quality of the communication channel.

Communication devices 202 and 203 are Network Interface Cards (NICs), etc., and perform communication via communication channels. Communication devices 202 and 203 include network interfaces (NIs) that connect to each communication channel. Communication device 202 performs communication via the LAN 120 communication channel, and communication device 203 performs communication via the private network 100 communication channel.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the gateway device 112 in Example 1.

The gateway device 112 has a hardware configuration consisting of a computing unit 300, a storage device 301, and communication devices 302 and 303. The computing unit 300, storage device 301, and communication devices 302 and 303 are the same hardware elements as the computing unit 200, storage device 201, and communication devices 202 and 203, so their explanation is omitted. Note that communication device 302 performs communication via a communication path (line) outside the private network 100, while communication device 303 performs communication via a communication path within the private network 100.

The computing unit 300 operates as a connection path setting unit 310, a communication path monitoring unit 311, a packet forwarding unit 312, an adjacent information exchange unit 313, and an autonomous path generation unit 314. Note that for each functional unit of the gateway device 112, multiple functional units may be combined into a single functional unit, or a single functional unit may be divided into multiple functional units according to its function.

The connection path setting unit 310, communication path monitoring unit 311, adjacent information exchange unit 313, and autonomous path generation unit 314 have the same functions as the connection path setting unit 210, communication path monitoring unit 211, adjacent information exchange unit 213, and autonomous path generation unit 214, and therefore their explanation is omitted. The packet forwarding unit 312 has the same functions as the packet forwarding unit 212, but differs in that it has NAT (Network Address Translation).

The storage device 301 stores route setting policy information 320 and statistical information 321. Route setting policy information 320 and statistical information 321 are the same information as route setting policy information 220 and statistical information 221.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the anchor device 113 in Example 1.

The anchor device 113 has a hardware configuration consisting of a computing unit 400, a storage device 401, and a communication device 402. The computing unit 400, storage device 401, and communication device 402 are the same hardware elements as the computing unit 200, storage device 201, and communication devices 202 and 203, so their description is omitted. Note that the communication device 402 communicates via a communication path (line) outside the private network 100.

The arithmetic unit 400 operates as a packet aggregation unit 410, a packet distribution unit 411, an address translation unit 412, a tunnel construction unit 413, a packet forwarding unit 414, and a connection path setting unit 415. Note that for each functional unit of the anchor device 113, multiple functional units may be combined into a single functional unit, or a single functional unit may be divided into multiple functional units according to its function.

The packet forwarding unit 414 and the connection route setting unit 415 have the same functions as the packet forwarding unit 212 and the connection route setting unit 210.

The packet aggregation unit 410 receives packets from multiple connection paths connecting the private network 100 and the anchor device 113, and transmits the packets to other devices in the external network 101.

The packet distribution unit 411 distributes packets to routes connecting to other devices within the external network 101.

The address translation unit 412 translates addresses between other devices in the external network 101 and the private network 100.

The tunnel construction unit 413 constructs a tunnel between the communication equipment of the private network 100 and the anchor device 113.

The storage device 401 stores route setting policy information 420 and address translation information 421. Route setting policy information 420 is identical to route setting policy information 220. Address translation information 421 is information used by the address translation unit 412 to translate addresses.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the policy management device 110 in Example 1.

The policy management device 110 has a hardware configuration consisting of a computing unit 500, a storage device 501, a communication device 502, an input device 503, and an output device 504. The computing unit 500, storage device 501, and communication device 502 are the same hardware elements as the computing unit 200, storage device 201, and communication devices 202 and 203, and therefore their description is omitted. The communication device 502 communicates via the communication path of the private network 100.

The input device 503 is a device for inputting various types of information, such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel. The output device 504 is a device for outputting various types of information, such as a display.

The computing unit 500 operates as a communication channel visualization unit 510, a policy management unit 511, an information collection unit 512, and an information distribution unit 513. Note that the functional units of the policy management device 110 may be combined into a single functional unit, or a single functional unit may be divided into multiple functional units according to its function.

The communication path visualization unit 510 visualizes the network's communication path connections and communication status. The policy management unit 511 generates routing policy information 520. The information collection unit 512 collects statistical information from communication devices within the private network 100. The information distribution unit 513 transmits the routing policy information 520 to communication devices and anchor devices 113 within the private network 100.

The storage device 501 stores routing policy information 520 and communication channel monitoring information 521. The routing policy information 520 is identical to the routing policy information 220. The communication channel monitoring information 521 is information for managing statistical information acquired from communication devices.

Figure 6 shows an example of the communication channel monitoring information 521 in Example 1.

The channel monitoring information 521 stores an entry containing the channel ID 601 and the communication quality 602. One entry exists for each channel. Note that the fields included in the entry are not limited to those described above. It may not include any of the fields described above, or it may include other fields.

The communication channel ID 601 is a field that stores the identification information of the communication channel. It may also store the combination of communication devices connected via the communication channel.

Communication quality 602 is a group of fields that store communication quality. In Figure 6, communication quality 602 includes uplink bandwidth, downlink bandwidth, average delay, and loss rate.

Figure 7 shows an example of policy definition information input to the policy management device 110 in Example 1. The user pre-inputs the policy definition information shown in Figure 7 using the input device 503. The policy definition information includes information for identifying the application, communication priority, and metric calculation method. Note that "default" represents applications other than the specified application.

Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the process performed by the policy management device 110 in Example 1. It is assumed that the policy definition information has already been entered. The policy definition information includes the metric calculation method.

The information collection unit 512 of the policy management device 110 acquires statistical information from communication devices within the private network 100 (step S101). The acquired statistical information is registered in the communication channel monitoring information 521. If data for the same communication channel already exists, the new data overwrites the existing data. The information collection unit 512 may also acquire information other than communication quality, such as charges associated with line usage.

The policy management unit 511 of the policy management device 110 generates route setting policy information 520 based on the policy definition information and communication channel monitoring information 521 (step S102).

For example, the policy management device 110 assigns combinations of gateway devices 112 and communication lines 102 (used lines) to applications in order of priority. Specifically, the policy management unit 511 calculates a metric for each application based on the policy definition information and determines the used lines to be assigned to each application based on the metric. Note that multiple used lines may be assigned to a single application. Also, a single used line may be assigned to multiple applications. The method of assigning used lines is specified in the policy definition information.

The communication channel visualization unit 510 generates route setting policy information 520 using policy definition information and usage line allocation information. Furthermore, connection route setting rules are generated from the metric calculation method of the policy definition information and the usage line allocation information.

The information distribution unit 513 of the policy management device 110 transmits the route setting policy information 520 to the communication devices and anchor devices 113 within the private network 100 (step S103).

Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 are flowcharts illustrating the processes performed by communication devices within the private network 100 of Embodiment 1. Here, the router device 111 is used as an example.

The process shown in Figure 9 is performed periodically by the adjacent information exchange unit 213.

The adjacent information exchange unit 213 exchanges information such as ports, devices, communication quality, and costs required for using the communication path with adjacent communication devices (step S201), and stores it in the statistical information 221. Information may be exchanged only with communication devices for which a node route has been set.

The process shown in Figure 10 is performed periodically by the communication channel monitoring unit 211.

The communication channel monitoring unit 211 measures the connection status and communication quality for each communication channel connected to its own communication device (step S301) and stores them in the statistical information 221. Note that communication quality may be measured for each node path.

The process shown in Figure 11 is executed when the connection route setting unit 210 receives route setting policy information 520.

The connection route setting unit 210 selects a route calculation entity from among the communication devices within the private network 100 (step S401). Here, it is assumed that the unit itself has been selected as the path calculation entity.

The connection path setting unit 210 determines the node path settings for the private network 100 (step S402) and transmits the node path setting information to the communication devices within the private network 100 (step S403). Here, various tree-structured VLANs (node paths) are assumed to be set. Note that node path settings using MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) or similar methods may also be used.

The process shown in Figure 12 is executed when the connection path setting unit 210 receives node path setting information.

The connection route setting unit 210 determines the connection route for each application and generates forwarding information based on the route setting policy information 220 and the node route setting information (step S501).

The process shown in Figure 13 is periodically executed by the autonomous path generation unit 214.

The autonomous route generation unit 214 determines whether or not it has detected a trigger for switching the connection route (step S601).

For example, the autonomous route generation unit 214 refers to the statistical information 221 to determine whether a node connection in the connection path has been disconnected or whether the communication quality has deteriorated. The autonomous route generation unit 214 also determines whether a new communication device has been added to the private network 100, or whether node connections have been updated. The switching trigger may be pre-configured in the autonomous route generation unit 214, or it may be configured via policy definition information.

When a trigger for switching connection paths is detected, the autonomous path generation unit 214 determines a new connection path and updates the forwarding information based on the path setting policy information 220 and the node path setting information (step S602).

When the connection route setting unit 415 of the anchor device 113 receives the route setting policy information 420, it sets a route between the anchor device 113 and the destination in the external network 101 based on the route setting policy information 420, and also sets a tunnel between the anchor device 113 and the private network 100.

(Usage Mode 1) The policy management device 110 generates routing policy information 520 for each application, including the combination of the switching gateway device 112 and the communication line. This allows the communication device to autonomously change the connection route for each application in the event of communication failures or deterioration in communication quality in the private network 100 and the communication line 102.

(Usage Mode 2) The policy management device 110 generates routing policy information 520 for each application, including combinations of gateway devices 112 and communication lines for setting up multiple connection paths between the private network 100 and the anchor device 113. This sets up multiple connection paths between the router device 111 and the anchor device 113 for a single application. The router device 111 and the anchor device 113 manage the multiple connection paths as a single logical connection path. In this case, the router device 111 distributes packets received from the LAN 120 to each connection path and transmits them, while the anchor device 113 integrates and reorders the received packets and transmits them to the destination. Furthermore, the anchor device 113 distributes packets received from the destination to each connection path and transmits them, while the router device 111 integrates and reorders the received packets and transmits them to the LAN 120.

According to this embodiment, connection paths can be set and switched for each application based on the status of the line and communication path, as well as the communication quality. This allows for flexible setting of connection paths according to the communication status. Furthermore, the communication load on the communication devices, particularly the gateway device 112, can be distributed.

Furthermore, the node routes may be reconfigured in conjunction with the reconfiguration of the connection routes. In this case, the autonomous route generation unit 214 selects a computational entity. After receiving the node route configuration information from the computational entity, the autonomous route generation unit 214 determines the new connection route.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. Also, for example, the embodiments described above are detailed explanations of the configuration in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those comprising all the described configurations. In addition, some of the configurations in each embodiment can be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

Furthermore, some or all of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The present invention can also be implemented by software program code that realizes the functions of the embodiments. In this case, a storage medium containing the program code is provided to a computer, and the computer's processor reads the program code stored on the storage medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the embodiments described above, and the program code itself, and the storage medium storing it, constitute the present invention. Examples of storage media used to supply such program code include flexible disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, hard disks, SSDs (Solid State Drives), optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and ROMs.

Furthermore, the program code that implements the functions described in this embodiment can be implemented in a wide range of programming or scripting languages, such as assembler, C/C++, Perl, Shell, PHP, Python, and Java (registered trademark).

Furthermore, the program code for the software that implements the functionality of the embodiment may be distributed via a network and stored in a storage means such as a computer's hard disk or memory, or in a storage medium such as a CD-RW or CD-R. The computer's processor may then read and execute the program code stored in the storage means or storage medium.

In the above-described embodiment, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for illustrative purposes and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the actual product. All components may be interconnected.

100 Private network 101 External network 102 Communication line 110 Policy management device 111 Router device 112 Gateway device 113 Anchor device 120 LAN
210, 310, 415 Connection route setting unit 211, 311 Communication channel monitoring unit 212, 312, 414 Packet forwarding unit 213, 313 Adjacent information exchange unit 214, 314 Autonomous route generation unit 220, 320, 420, 520 Route setting policy information 221, 321 Statistical information 410 Packet aggregation unit 411 Packet distribution unit 412 Address translation unit 413 Tunnel construction unit 421 Address translation information 510 Communication channel visualization unit 511 Policy management unit 512 Information collection unit 513 Information distribution unit 521 Communication channel monitoring information

Claims (6)

A network system,
Connecting to an external network via multiple communication lines with different characteristics,
The system includes a policy management device and a plurality of communication devices that have the function of autonomously setting connection paths between the network configured by the network system and the external network,
A communication device that connects only to the aforementioned communication device measures the communication quality of the communication path that connects to other aforementioned communication devices.
A communication device connected to the aforementioned communication line measures the communication quality of the communication path and the communication line connected to other aforementioned communication devices.
The policy management device is
The system accepts input information including information to identify the application and the priority order for setting the connection path for each application.
The measurement results of the communication quality are obtained from the aforementioned multiple communication devices.
Based on the input information and the measurement results of the communication quality, a setting rule is generated for each application, which includes a combination of communication device and communication line to be used for the connection path.
Generate routing policy information including the input information and the setting rules, and transmit it to the multiple communication devices.
The plurality of communication devices set the connection route based on the routing policy information ,
The input information includes, for each application, information regarding the method for calculating a metric using the measurement results of the communication quality,
When the policy management device generates the setting rules,
For each application, a metric is calculated using the measurement results of the communication quality.
A network system characterized by generating the configuration rules based on the metrics for each application. A network system according to claim 1,
The policy management device is a network system characterized by generating the setting rules for setting the connection path for switching for each application. A network system according to claim 1,
The policy management device is a network system characterized by generating the setting rules for setting up multiple connection paths for each application. A method for configuring connection paths in a network system,
The aforementioned network system is
Connecting to an external network via multiple communication lines with different characteristics,
The system includes a policy management device and a plurality of communication devices that have the function of autonomously setting connection paths between the network configured by the network system and the external network,
The method for setting the connection path is:
A first step involves a communication device connected only to the aforementioned communication device measuring the communication quality of a communication path connected to other aforementioned communication devices,
A second step involves a communication device connected to the aforementioned communication line measuring the communication quality of the communication path and the communication line connected to other aforementioned communication devices.
The policy management device receives input information including information for identifying an application and the priority order for setting the connection path for each application,
The policy management device performs a fourth step of acquiring the measurement results of the communication quality from the plurality of communication devices,
A fifth step in which the policy management device generates a setting rule for each application, including a combination of communication device and communication line to be used for the connection path, based on the input information and the measurement results of the communication quality,
A sixth step in which the policy management device generates route setting policy information including the input information and the setting rules and transmits it to the plurality of communication devices,
The plurality of communication devices include a seventh step of setting the connection route based on the routing policy information,
The input information includes, for each application, information regarding the method for calculating a metric using the measurement results of the communication quality,
The fifth step described above is:
The policy management device performs the steps of calculating a metric for each application using the measurement results of the communication quality,
A method for configuring connection paths, characterized in that the policy management device generates the configuration rules based on the metrics for each application. A method for setting a connection path according to claim 4,
The fifth step is a method for setting connection paths, characterized in that the policy management device generates the setting rules for setting the connection paths for switching for each application. A method for setting a connection path according to claim 4,
The fifth step is a method for setting connection paths, characterized in that the policy management device generates setting rules for setting a plurality of connection paths for each application.