JPH03283850A - Computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To relay a packet in a network layer even in a computer system which executes protocol processing up to a transport layer by performing the protocol processing below the transport layer of a packet received via a mutual connection means, and executing the relay of the packet in the network layer. CONSTITUTION:The protocol processing is performed at the network layer 3b of a communication processing layer 3 receiving the packet from a network 6, and the relay of the packet is performed by transmitting to the network layer 4b of communication processing equipment 4 connected to a transfer destination network without interposing a host computer 2 via the mutual connection means 5. Thereby, it is possible to execute the relay of the packet in the network layers 3b, 4b even in the computer system which executes the protocol processing up to the transport layers 3a, 4a in plural communication processing equipment 3, 4, and also, to perform communication processing according to an OSI reference model, which reduces a load on the host computer required for the relay.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention is applied to a computer system configured by a host computer and a communication processing device. The present invention relates to a processing method for executing a network layer routing function within a communication processing device.

〔overview〕

The present invention includes a host computer and a plurality of communication processing devices,
In a computer system connected to multiple networks, each communication processing device is equipped with a protocol processing means for the transport layer and below, which relays packets at the network layer, and by interconnecting the communication processing devices, up to the transport layer. Even in a computer system that executes protocol processing, packets can be relayed at the network layer to reduce the load on the host computer.

[Conventional technology]

A communication processing device is a computer dedicated to communication-related processing.
It is mainly used to reduce the load on the host computer. For this reason, when controlling multiple networks, multiple communication processing devices are used to further distribute the load, and functions up to the upper layer are executed within the communication processing device as much as possible. It is common for a communication processing device to handle up to the transport layer, which is the point of contact between a communication application and a communication infrastructure.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

If multiple communication processing devices that execute up to the transport layer are connected to a host computer, the functions of the network layer will become incomplete. The relay that sends data received from one of multiple networks connected to a computer system to the other is O.
According to the 3I reference model, packet relay is performed at the network layer, but if the other network to be relayed is connected to another communication processing device, packet relay is performed at the network layer as shown in Figure 2. In order to relay data, it must be done at an upper layer within the host computer or at a higher level, but in that case, a new protocol for relaying must be set at the upper level. , an application program is required to run it. Furthermore, since the processing capacity of the host computer is required, it becomes less meaningful to introduce a communication processing device for load distribution.

The present invention solves these problems, and aims to provide a system that can relay packets at the network layer even in a computer system that executes protocol processing up to the transport layer.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention has a host computer having an application means as an upper layer, and a transport layer as a lower layer.
In a computer system including a plurality of communication processing devices each having a network layer and a data link layer in descending order of the hierarchy, each of the communication processing devices has the communication,
An interconnection means for interconnecting processing devices and transmitting packets, and a protocol processing means for performing protocol processing below the transport layer of packets received via the interconnection means and relaying the same at the network layer. It is characterized by having

When the final destination of the received packet is not the own system, the protocol processing means determines whether or not it can be accessed by the communication processing device connected by the interconnection means, and if it is accessible, the protocol processing means receives the packet. A means for transmitting the packet may be included.

[Effect]

A communication processing device that receives packets from the network,
Protocol processing is performed in the network layer, and the data is transmitted and relayed to the network layer of the communication processing device connected to the transfer destination network via the interconnection means without going through the host computer.

As a result, even in a computer system that executes protocol processing up to the transport layer within multiple communication processing devices, packets can be relayed at the network layer, and communication processing can be performed according to the O3I reference model. , it is possible to reduce the load placed on the host computer due to relaying.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention, 1, a host computer 2 having an application means 2A and an upper layer 2a is an upper layer, and a transport layer 3a is a lower layer.

4a, network layers 3b, 4b, and data link layers 3c, 4c in descending hierarchical order. An interconnection means 5 connects to the interconnection means 5 to transmit packets, and performs protocol processing on transport layers 3a and 4a of packets received via the interconnection means 5, and relays the packets to network layers 3b and 4a.
The protocol processing means 3A and 4A are executed by the protocol processing means 4b.

The protocol processing means 3A, 4A includes an interconnection means 5 when the final destination of the received packet is not the own system.
It includes means for determining whether or not it is accessible by the communication processing device 3.4 connected thereto, and for transmitting the received packet if it is accessible.

Communication processing device 3 is connected to network 6 , and communication processing device 4 is connected to network 7 .

Within each communication processing device 3.4 is a transport layer 3a.

4a, network layers 3b, 4b, data link layers 3c, 4c protocol processing means 3A, 4A, and provides transport services to the upper layer in the host computer 2 and the application means 2A.

Normally, the application means 2A in the host computer 2 communicates with application means in other host computers (not shown) connected directly or indirectly through the network 6 or 7. In this case, since the packets received and taken by each communication processing device 3.4 are ultimately intended for the host computer 1, the network layers 3b and 4
In the protocol processing of b, the transport layer 3a is used as is.
, 4a.

On the other hand, the computer system 1
A case will be explained in which a router is used as a relay node like a so-called router.

In this case, the final destination of the packet received from the network 6 is not the host computer 2. When the network layer 3b in the communication processing device 3 determines that the final destination is accessible by the communication processing device 4, the interconnection means 5
is used to pass the packet to the network layer 4b of the communication processing device 4.

The network layer 4b in the communication processing device 4 processes the packet from the communication processing device 3 in the same way as the packet passed from the transport layer 4a, and sends the packet to the appropriate data link layer 4.
Give it to C. In this way, packets from network 6 are relayed to network 7. Packets in the opposite direction are similarly relayed via the interconnection means 5.

The host computer system 1 and the communication processing device 3.4 are usually connected by a channel and are not geographically far apart. Further, since it is not very common to use a large-scale computer system equipped with a dedicated communication processing device as a relay node, the capacity of the interconnection means 5 does not need to be very large. Therefore, a low-speed channel or a LAN such as Ethernet may be used as the interconnection means 5, but any medium that can transmit and receive data may be used.

In this way, a group of communication control devices and a host computer that are interconnected via a LAN or the like can perform processing as if they were a single host computer that has a relay function.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, even in a computer system that executes protocol processing up to the transport layer within a plurality of communication processing devices, packet relay can be executed in the network layer, and O3I Communication processing can be performed according to the reference model, and furthermore, the increase in load on the host computer due to relaying can be suppressed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional example. 1... Computer system, 2... Host computer, 2A
...Application means, 3.4...Communication processing device, 3A, 4A...Protocol processing means, 3a, 4
a... Transport layer, 3b, 4b... Network layer, 3C14C... Data link layer, 5... Interconnection means, 6.7... Network.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A computer equipped with a plurality of communication processing devices having a host computer having application means as an upper layer and a transport layer, a network layer, and a data link layer as lower layers in descending order of the layers. In the system, each of the communication processing devices includes interconnection means for interconnecting the communication processing devices and transmitting packets, and performing protocol processing below the transport layer of packets received via the interconnection means. A computer system comprising: a protocol processing means for executing relaying at a network layer. 2. When the final destination of the received packet is not the own system, the protocol processing means determines whether or not it can be accessed by the communication processing device connected by the interconnection means, and if it is accessible, 2. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting the received packet.