Abstract: Communication allowance determination means determines, using information of a packet received by a packet relay unit and based on a policy which is information associating a match condition with communicability information, whether to allow or not to allow communication to a destination unit for the packet that meets the match condition, the match condition being information identifying the packet, and the communicability information indicating whether to allow or not to allow the communication to the destination unit for the packet that meets the match condition. Rule setting means sets, at least in the packet relay unit receiving the packet, a rule of executing a process for suppressing forwarding of the packet to the destination unit, on condition that the communication allowance determination means determines not to allow the communication to the destination unit for the packet that meets the match condition.

Abstract: A communication system includes at least one node that processes a packet, and a control device that receives a request for a transmission of a first processing rule from said node, the first processing rule including a matching rule and a second processing rule that conforms to the matching rule, the matching rule being for comparing with information included in the packet. The control device retrieves a first processing rule which corresponds to an identifier from a database if the identifier for identifying the first processing rule is included in the request.

Abstract: A communication system includes a control device, a forwarding node, and a confirmation unit. The control device sets a forwarding path of a packet and determines processing rules corresponding to the forwarding path. The forwarding node includes a processing unit that processes a received packet by a processing rule transmitted from the control device, and a matching information processing unit that adds matching information, which represents information on processing for the received packet, to the received packet and forwards the received packet. The confirmation unit confirms if the forwarding node and the control device are synchronized according to whether the matching information added to the received packet matches pre-calculated matching information.

Abstract: A communication system includes a node that processes a received packet; and a control device that sets a processing rule, which defines a matching rule and processing for a packet that conforms to the matching rule, in the node. The node holds an identifier in association with a processing rule and determines whether or not to perform processing for a received packet depending upon whether or not an identifier of the received packet corresponds to an identifier associated with a processing rule corresponding to a matching rule that conforms to the received packet, wherein the processing is performed according to the processing rule corresponding to the matching rule that conforms to the received packet.

Abstract: A communication system includes a control device that determines packet processing rules; a forwarding node that processes a received packet using a processing rule that includes one of a plurality of processing rules transmitted from the control device and that corresponds to the received packet; a comparison unit that compares a first value with a second value wherein the first value is calculated from a first processing rule group held in the forwarding node and the second value is calculated from a second processing rule group determined by the control device for transmission to the forwarding node; and a confirmation unit that confirms if the forwarding node and the control device are synchronized based on the comparison result.

Abstract: A technique capable of changing communication services that can be provided by a communication system is provided. A control apparatus includes: first means that receives first information from a management apparatus, which is capable of creating a group of network functions for providing communication services, wherein the first information indicates a connection structure of the network functions in the group; and second means that generates second information based on the first information and sends the second information to the network function, wherein the second information is information for forwarding a packet to which second identification information corresponding to first identification information that is assigned to the group is added.

Abstract: A technique capable of changing communication services that can be provided by a communication system is provided. A communication system according to the present invention includes: first means that is capable of executing a network function for providing a communication service; and second means that adds a label corresponding to a network address that is assigned to a group of network functions, to a packet belonging to the group, and sends the packet to the network function which performs packet forwarding within the group based on the label.

Abstract: A technique capable of changing communication services that can be provided by a communication system is provided. A communication system according to the present invention includes: first means that is capable of executing a network function for providing a communication service; and second means that adds second identification information corresponding to first identification information that is assigned to a group of network functions, to a packet belonging to the group, and sends the packet to the network function, which performs packet forwarding within the group based on the second identification information.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an input unit that receives a requested resource, and a VM arrangement destination computation unit that predicts traffic volume flowing through a network with the physical machines connected thereto in a case wherein the virtual machine is arranged on the physical machine that conform to a condition specified by the requested resource, and based on the predicted traffic volume, and selects the physical machine that balances a link utilization of the network as an arrangement destination of the virtual machine.

Abstract: A communication control apparatus or a communication system in which a plurality of virtual machines each perform a communication function of a hardware appliance used in a communication network includes a control unit that selects a forwarding destination of a packet that is forwarded towards a plurality of paths in order to establish a communication session with the communication function, from a plurality of the virtual machines, and a forwarding unit that forwards the packet to a selected virtual machine.

Abstract: A packet contains an array of processing operations that are to be performed by a node. Each node in a data forwarding network performs the processing it has to perform in accordance with the array of the processing operations contained in the packet.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes: a connection detection unit configured to detect that a virtual machine has newly been connected to one of a plurality of tunnel endpoints each of which functions as an endpoint of a virtual tunnel used for a communication between virtual machines that belong to a virtual network; a virtual network determination unit configured to determine a virtual network to which the detected virtual machine belongs on the basis of information in which virtual machines and virtual networks are associated with each other; and a tunnel endpoint control unit configured to cause, if the tunnel endpoint has not participated in the determined virtual network, the tunnel endpoint to participate in the determined virtual network.

Abstract: A communication system includes: a computational resource(s) allocated to a user; and an allocation unit that allocates at least one of a plurality of communication schemes to the computational resource(s) based on a requested condition concerning a service rendered to the user via the computational resource(s).

Abstract: A control apparatus sets a first entry(ies) for filtering packets received by the switch(es) in a first table(s) included in the switch(es) and sets a second entry(ies) including a rule(s) for processing a packet(s) selected by the first entry(ies) from the received packets in a second table(s) included in the switch(es).

Abstract: A control apparatus includes a packet handling operation setting unit that sets a packet handling operation for processing a packet for a communication node selected from a plurality of communication nodes. The packet handling operation setting unit sets the packet handling operation for communication nodes out of the plurality of communication nodes other than the selected communication node, in response to the fact that it was possible to set the packet handling operation for the selected communication node.

Abstract: A communication system in which multiple communication terminals communicate through a network includes: a control apparatus 4 for controlling packet transfer in the network; and a proxy server 3 for receiving a multicast packet transmitted from a communication terminal and transmitting a unicast packet to each of communication terminals belonging to a group corresponding to the multicast packet, respectively, wherein the control apparatus 4 controls packet transfer in the network so that the multicast packet transmitted by the communication terminal will be transferred to the proxy server 3.

Abstract: A communication system includes a computing unit that transmits communication data with a plurality of packets and a communication unit that performs packet processing for transmitting the packets via a virtual network, and the computing unit adjusts a size of a transmission packet transmitted to the communication unit with a packet size selected from a plurality of packet size candidates based on information regarding a forwarding path of the transmission packet.

Abstract: A path selection method includes: calculating an inter-node traffic forwarding probability from a parameter value relating to path selection; calculating a link cost when the parameter value is used by using the inter-node traffic forwarding probability and a communication amount; calculating a cost that a traffic flow experiences end-to-end by using the inter-node traffic forwarding probability and the link cost; and using an inter-node traffic forwarding probability with which the cost reaches a minimum value.

Abstract: A communication system includes a plurality of control apparatuses that determine a packet handling operation; a plurality of packet processing units that process packets in accordance with the packet handling operation notified by the control apparatus; an assignment unit that assigns, with respect to each of the packet processing unit, a control apparatus that controls the packet processing unit concerned; and a database that is shared by the plurality of control apparatuses and that stores information related to the packet handling operation; wherein each of the control apparatuses refers to the database to determine the packet handling operation.

Abstract: A control device is connected to a node and to a packet processing unit. The node operates according to a processing rule that includes a matching rule, against which a received packet is matched, and processing content applied to a packet that matches the matching rule. The packet processing unit performs packet processing according to a predetermined specification. The control device inputs a packet, received from the node to request to create a processing rule, to the packet processing unit in response to a request from the node. The control device creates a processing rule corresponding to a packet processing result of the packet processing unit obtained as a result of the input and sets the created processing rule in the node.