Communication system, integrated controller, control device, and switching method

Abstract

Provided is a communication system comprising a plurality of cloud resources, and a plurality of communication devices that are provided on a path for utilizing any of the plurality of cloud resources. The communication system comprises: a cloud controller that collects cloud information concerning the plurality of cloud resources from each of the plurality of cloud resources, and performs setting change of the plurality of cloud resources; a network controller that collects, from each of the plurality of communication devices, NW information regarding a network that is formed by the plurality of communication devices and the plurality of communication devices, and makes an instruction for a path switch in the plurality of communication devices; and an integrated controller that collects the cloud information from the cloud controller, collects the NW information from the network controller, and, on the basis of the cloud information and the NW information that have been collected, makes an instruction for a setting change of a cloud resource with respect to the cloud controller and / or an instruction for a path switch with respect to the network controller.　

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system, an integrated controller, a control device, and a switching method. This application claims priority based on PCT / JP2022 / 006351 filed in Japan on February 17, 2022, and incorporates its content herein by reference.

Background Art

[0002] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional communication system 1. The communication system 1 includes a terminal device 2, a plurality of communication devices 3-1 to 3-4, and a plurality of cloud resources 4-1 to 4-2. The terminal device 2 is a user terminal used by a user. The plurality of communication devices 3-1 to 3-4 are relay devices that transfer signals between the terminal device 2 and the cloud resources 4-1 to 4-2. The cloud resource 4-1 is a resource for providing a cloud service. For example, the cloud resource 4-1 may be a server, a database, or a storage. The cloud resource 4-2 is a backup resource used when the cloud resource 4-1 becomes unavailable due to a failure or the like.

[0003] In the communication system 1 shown in FIG. 10, when a user uses the cloud resource 4-1, in addition to securing the cloud resource 4-1, it is necessary to secure the network from the usage location (for example, the terminal device 2) to the cloud resource 4-1. Assume that a failure occurs in the section between the communication device 3-1 and the communication device 3-2 in a situation where the user is using the cloud resource via the path indicated by the dotted line 5 (terminal device 2 ⇔ communication device 3-1 ⇔ communication device 3-2 ⇔ cloud resource 4-1). Since this is a network failure, in this case, it is conceivable to search for a bypass route and secure a new communication route, that is, the route of terminal device 2 ⇔ communication device 3-1 ⇔ communication device 3-4 ⇔ communication device 3-3 ⇔ communication device 3-2 ⇔ cloud resource 4-1 to restore communication. However, in some cases, there is a risk that the path delay will increase.

[0004] If communication device 3-2 fails, it will be impossible to secure a path to cloud resource 4-1, and users will be unable to use cloud resource 4-1. Furthermore, if a major failure occurs in cloud resource 4-1 and other resources at that location become unusable, the system will switch to cloud resource 4-2 located at another location. However, in that case, the path will need to be reconfigured separately from the cloud resource switch. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-68139 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In conventional technologies, the redundancy function of cloud resources and the redundancy configuration of the network are independent, resulting in optimization of either the cloud resources or the network individually. Therefore, when a failure occurs or configuration changes are required due to changes in equipment or user usage, the cloud controller, which changes the cloud resource settings, and the network controller, which changes the network settings, must work together to switch the cloud resources and the network. However, in conventional methods, the lack of coordination between the controllers could lead to increased latency and difficulties in providing continuous service.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a technology that can enable the continuous provision of services while suppressing delays. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a communication system comprising a plurality of cloud resources and a plurality of communication devices provided on a path for using any of the plurality of cloud resources, the communication system comprising: a cloud controller that collects cloud information relating to the plurality of cloud resources from each of the plurality of cloud resources and modifies the settings of the plurality of cloud resources; a network controller that collects NW information relating to the plurality of communication devices and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices from each of the plurality of communication devices and gives instructions for route switching to the plurality of communication devices; and an integrated controller that collects the cloud information from the cloud controller and the NW information from the network controller and gives at least one of the instructions to the cloud controller to modify the settings of the cloud resources or to the network controller to switch routes based on the collected cloud information and the NW information.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is an integrated controller comprising: a first information collection unit that collects cloud information relating to a plurality of cloud resources from each of the plurality of cloud resources and collects the cloud information from a cloud controller that changes the settings of the plurality of cloud resources; a second information collection unit that collects NW information relating to a plurality of communication devices provided on a path for using any of the plurality of cloud resources and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices from each of the plurality of communication devices and collects the NW information from a network controller that gives instructions for route switching in the plurality of communication devices; and a switching instruction unit that gives instructions to the cloud controller to change the settings of the cloud resources or instructions to the network controller to switch routes, based on the cloud information collected by the first information collection unit and the NW information collected by the second information collection unit.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is a control device comprising: a switching determination unit that determines whether it is necessary to switch at least one of the cloud resources or the communication path based on both cloud information relating to a plurality of cloud resources and NW information relating to a plurality of communication devices provided on a path for using any of the plurality of cloud resources and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices; a switching destination determination unit that determines the optimal switching destination based on the determination result by the switching determination unit, the cloud information, and the NW information; and a switching instruction unit that gives an instruction to change the settings of the cloud resources or an instruction to switch the communication path in order to switch to the optimal switching destination determined by the switching destination determination unit.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is a switching method in a communication system comprising a plurality of cloud resources and a plurality of communication devices provided on a path for using any of the plurality of cloud resources, the switching method comprising: collecting cloud information relating to the plurality of cloud resources from each of the plurality of cloud resources; changing the settings of the plurality of cloud resources; collecting NW information relating to the plurality of communication devices and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices from each of the plurality of communication devices; issuing instructions for switching paths in the plurality of communication devices; collecting the cloud information and the NW information; and issuing at least one of the instructions for changing the settings of the cloud resources or for switching paths based on the collected cloud information and the NW information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] This invention makes it possible to provide services continuously while suppressing delays. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the communication system in the first embodiment. [Figure 2]This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller, network controller, and integrated controller in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the communication system in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the communication system configuration in a modified example. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller, network controller, and integrated controller in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the communication system in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the switching destination determination process performed by the integrated controller in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller and network controller in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller and network controller in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] This diagram shows an example of a conventional communication system configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a communication system 100 in a first embodiment. The communication system 100 includes a terminal device 10, a plurality of communication devices 20-1 to 20-4, a plurality of cloud resources 30-1 to 30-2, a cloud controller 40, a network controller 50, and an integrated controller 60. In the following description, when the communication devices 20-1 to 20-4 are not particularly distinguished, they are referred to as communication device 20, and when the cloud resources 30-1 to 30-2 are not particularly distinguished, they are referred to as cloud resource 30. The number of terminal devices 10, communication devices 20, and cloud resources 30 included in the communication system 100 is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] In the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the communication devices 20-1 to 20-4 form a ring network, the terminal device 10 is connected to the communication device 20-1, the cloud resource 30-1 is connected to the communication device 20-2, and the cloud resource 30-2 is connected to the communication device 20-4. Further, in the communication system 100, each cloud resource 30 is connected to the cloud controller 40, the network controller 50 is connected to each communication device 20, and the integrated controller 60 is connected to the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50.

[0016] The terminal device 10 is a user terminal used by a user, and is a device that receives, for example, services provided by the cloud resources 30-1 or 30-2.

[0017] The communication device 20 is a relay device that transfers signals between the terminal device 10 and the cloud resource 30. The communication device 20 changes settings such as the signal transfer path in response to an instruction from the network controller 50. Changing the setting of the signal transfer path means, for example, switching the signal transfer path.​​​Cloud resource 30-1 is a resource for providing cloud services. Cloud resource 30-1 may be a server consisting of at least one of the following: CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., or it may be a database or storage with memory. Cloud resource 30-1 can be any resource that performs some kind of processing on the user's communication data. Cloud resource 30-1 changes the resource settings to be allocated to the terminal device 10 in response to instructions from the cloud controller 40. Changing the resource allocation settings means, for example, changing the amount of resources allocated.

[0019] Cloud resource 30-2 is a backup resource used in place of cloud resource 30-1. It is used in place of cloud resource 30-1 when, for example, cloud resource 30-1 fails, a failure occurs in the path to use cloud resource 30-1 (in Figure 1, for example, a failure of communication device 20-2 or a break in the path leading to communication device 20-2), or when using cloud resource 30-2 results in less latency than using cloud resource 30-1, or when the conditions for changing the cloud resource 30's configuration are met, such as when the CPU utilization exceeds a threshold. The conditions for changing the cloud resource 30's configuration are those that cause the termination device 10 to switch from the cloud resource 30 it is using to another cloud resource 30, or to change the amount of resources allocated. Cloud resource 30-2 may be, for example, a server, a database, or storage. Cloud resource 30-2 changes the resource settings allocated to the termination device 10 in response to instructions from the cloud controller 40.

[0020] The cloud controller 40 is a control device that configures and monitors the cloud resources 30. The cloud controller 40 collects information about the cloud resources 30 and notifies the integrated controller 60 of the collected information. The cloud controller 40 may transmit information about the cloud resources 30 to the integrated controller 60 periodically or only when predetermined conditions are met. When the cloud controller 40 receives an instruction from the integrated controller 60 to change the cloud resources 30, it instructs the cloud resources 30 to change their settings. For example, if an instruction is received to change the cloud resources 30 to be used by the termination device 10, the cloud controller 40 configures the cloud resources 30 to be used by the termination device 10 to be allocated to the termination device 10.

[0021] The network controller 50 configures and monitors the communication devices 20 and the network. Configuring the communication devices 20 involves setting the signal forwarding paths. Monitoring the communication devices 20 involves checking whether there are any malfunctions in the communication devices 20 and monitoring their usage status. Monitoring the network involves checking whether there are any malfunctions (e.g., disconnections) or congestion in the network, as well as monitoring bandwidth utilization and forwarding delays. The network controller 50 collects information about the communication devices 20 and the network and notifies the integrated controller 60 of the collected information. The trigger for the network controller 50 to transmit network information to the integrated controller 60 may be periodic or only when predetermined conditions are met. When the network controller 50 receives a route switching instruction from the integrated controller 60, it instructs the communication devices 20 that require route switching to switch routes.

[0022] The integrated controller 60 determines the optimal cloud resource placement and network path based on information obtained from the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50, taking into account the utilization status of the cloud resources 30 and the network utilization status. Based on the determined cloud resource placement and network path, the integrated controller 60 instructs at least one of the cloud controller 40 or the network controller 50 to switch.

[0023] The communication system 100 in the first embodiment is a system for guaranteeing total latency when a user uses cloud resources via a network. Specifically, in a situation where cloud resources and the network are used in conjunction, the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50 work together to switch the cloud resources 30 and the network when a failure occurs or when a configuration change is necessary due to changes in equipment or user usage.

[0024] Here, three patterns can be considered as situations where configuration changes may be necessary. The first pattern is when it becomes necessary to change the cloud resources to a different location. The second pattern is when it becomes necessary to switch the network path. The third pattern is when the communication equipment used changes, such as when the user terminal (e.g., termination device 10) is connected in a wireless environment. In other words, the third pattern is when the communication equipment used (connected to) by the user terminal changes in an environment where the user terminal is connected in a wireless environment.

[0025] In the communication system 100 of the first embodiment, in the case of the first pattern (caused by a cloud resource), the cloud controller 40 notifies the integrated controller 60 of the event, and the integrated controller 60 performs coordinated switching by issuing an instruction to the cloud controller 40 to change the cloud resource and an instruction to the network controller 50 to switch the route. Here, the first pattern (caused by a cloud resource) is when an event occurs that is caused by the cloud resource 30-1, such as the CPU usage rate of the cloud resource 30-1 exceeding a threshold.

[0026] In the communication system 100 of the first embodiment, in the case of the second pattern (network-related), the network controller 50 notifies the integrated controller 60 of the event, and the integrated controller 60 performs coordinated switching by issuing an instruction to the cloud controller 40 to change the cloud resources and an instruction to the network controller 50 to switch routes. Here, the second pattern (network-related) is when an event occurs that is caused by the network path, such as a failure of the communication device 20 (for example, a failure of the communication device 20-2), increased delay in the path due to network congestion, or a break in the path (for example, a failure in the path leading to the communication device 20-2).

[0027] In the communication system 100 of the first embodiment, in the case of the third pattern (user-initiated), the network controller 50 notifies the integrated controller 60 of the event, and the integrated controller 60 performs coordinated switching by issuing an instruction to the cloud controller 40 to change the cloud resource and an instruction to the network controller 50 to switch the route. Here, the third pattern (user-initiated) is when an event caused by the user occurs, such as when the communication device to which the termination device 10 is connected changes from communication device 20-1 to communication device 20-4 via wireless communication.

[0028] As described above, the integrated controller 60 can instruct the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50 to switch over, enabling them to operate in conjunction. As a result, latency can be minimized. Furthermore, if switching over is not required for either the cloud controller 40 or the network controller 50, the integrated controller 60 only needs to instruct the controller that requires switching over. The following describes the specific configuration of the communication system 100 for achieving the above operation.

[0029] Figure 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller 40, network controller 50, and integrated controller 60 in the first embodiment. First, the functional configuration of the cloud controller 40 will be described.

[0030] The cloud controller 40 includes a cloud information collection unit 41 and a switching instruction unit 42. The cloud information collection unit 41 collects cloud information from each cloud resource 30, such as cloud usage status (whether or not it is being used), CPU usage, amount of available resources, and processing delay time.

[0031] The switching instruction unit 42 instructs the cloud resource 30 to change its settings in response to instructions sent from the integrated controller 60.

[0032] Next, we will explain the functional configuration of the network controller 50. The network controller 50 includes an NW information collection unit 51 and a switching instruction unit 52. The NW information collection unit 51 collects NW information from each communication device 20. The NW information is information about the network formed by each communication device 20 and communication devices 20-1 to 20-4, and includes information such as device usage status, bandwidth utilization rate, and transfer delay. The NW information collection unit 51 may also collect end-to-end delay time, including network delay and cloud delay measured by the termination device 10, via the communication device 20.

[0033] The switching instruction unit 52 instructs the communication device 20 to change the settings in response to instructions sent from the integrated controller 60.

[0034] Next, we will describe the functional configuration of the integrated controller 60. The integrated controller 60 includes an information collection unit 61, a switching determination unit 62, an information collection unit 63, a switching determination unit 64, a switching destination determination unit 65, and a switching instruction unit 66.

[0035] The information collection unit 61 collects cloud information from the cloud controller 40. Of the collected cloud information, the information collection unit 61 outputs the decision information necessary for making a switchover decision (for example, failure information of cloud resource 30, delay information for cloud resource 30, and CPU usage rate of cloud resource 30) to the switchover determination unit 62, and outputs the remaining information (for example, configuration information for cloud resource 30 and resource information for redundant equipment (cloud resource 30-2)) to the switchover destination determination unit 65.

[0036] The switching determination unit 62 determines whether a switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the information collection unit 61. If the switching determination unit 62 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 65 that a switch of the cloud resource 30 is necessary. The switching determination unit 62 is one embodiment of the cloud switching determination unit.

[0037] The information collection unit 63 collects NW information from the network controller 50. From the collected NW information, the information collection unit 63 outputs the decision information necessary for making a switching decision (for example, failure information of the communication device 20 or network, network delay information, and CPU usage rate of the communication device 20) to the switching decision unit 64, and outputs the remaining information (for example, setting information of the communication device 20) to the switching destination determination unit 65.

[0038] The switching determination unit 64 determines whether a switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the information collection unit 63. If the switching determination unit 64 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 65 that the settings of the communication device 20 and the route need to be switched. The switching determination unit 64 is one embodiment of the route switching determination unit.

[0039] The switching destination determination unit 65 determines the optimal switching destination based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 61, the switching determination unit 62, the information collection unit 63, and the switching determination unit 64. In determining the optimal switching destination, the switching destination determination unit 65 grasps the usage status of cloud resources and communication equipment 20 and switches at least one of the cloud resources 30 or the communication path. The switching destination determination unit 65 can determine the optimal switching destination by using a method that measures the total delay time or by costing the resources of the cloud and communication equipment and minimizing that cost value.

[0040] Based on the information regarding the optimal switching destination determined by the switching destination determination unit 65 (hereinafter referred to as "switching destination information"), the switching instruction unit 66 notifies the cloud controller 40 of new cloud resource information and the network controller 50 of new route information.

[0041] Figure 3 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the communication system 100 in the first embodiment. The cloud information collection unit 41 of the cloud controller 40 collects cloud information (step S101). The cloud information collection unit 41 notifies the integrated controller 60 of the collected cloud information (step S102). The network information collection unit 51 of the network controller 50 collects network information (step S103). The network information collection unit 51 notifies the integrated controller 60 of the collected network information (step S104).

[0042] The integrated controller 60 collects information notified from either the cloud controller 40 or the network controller 50 (step S105). Specifically, the information collection unit 61 collects cloud information notified from the cloud controller 40. The information collection unit 63 collects NW information notified from the network controller 50. The information collection unit 61 outputs the decision information from the collected cloud information to the switching decision unit 62 and the remaining information to the switching destination determination unit 65. The information collection unit 63 outputs the decision information from the collected NW information to the switching decision unit 64 and the remaining information to the switching destination determination unit 65.

[0043] The switching determination unit 62 and the switching determination unit 64 determine whether or not a switch is necessary based on the determination information. (Step S106). Specifically, the switching determination unit 62 determines whether or not to switch the cloud resource 30 based on the determination information contained in the cloud information obtained from the information collection unit 61, and the switching determination unit 64 determines whether or not to switch the transfer path based on the determination information contained in the NW information obtained from the information collection unit 63. Here, suppose the integrated controller 60 determines that switching of both the cloud resource 30 and the path is necessary.

[0044] In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65 determines the optimal switching destination based on the information output from the information collection unit 61 and the information output from the information collection unit 63 (step S107). Specifically, the switching destination determination unit 65 determines the optimal switching destination as the optimal placement of cloud resources and the optimal network path for utilizing those resources. The switching destination determination unit 65 outputs the switching destination information to the switching instruction unit 66.

[0045] The switching instruction unit 66 generates a switching instruction based on the switching destination information output from the switching destination determination unit 65 (step S108). Specifically, the switching instruction unit 66 uses the information contained in the switching destination information to generate a cloud switching instruction that includes information about the cloud resource 30 and a network switching instruction that includes information about the network path. The switching instruction unit 66 notifies the network controller 50 of the network switching instruction (step S109) and the cloud controller 40 of the cloud switching instruction (step S110).

[0046] The switching instruction unit 52 of the network controller 50 instructs the corresponding communication device 20 to switch the network route in response to the NW switching instruction notified from the integrated controller 60 (step S111). The switching instruction unit 42 of the cloud controller 40 instructs the cloud resource 30 to switch the resource allocation amount in response to the cloud switching instruction notified from the integrated controller 60 (step S112).

[0047] In step S106, the process was explained using the example where the integrated controller 60 determines that switching both the cloud resource 30 and the route is necessary. However, the integrated controller 60 may also determine that switching only one of the cloud resource 30 or the route is necessary. Even when the integrated controller 60 determines that switching only one of the cloud resource 30 or the route is necessary, depending on the optimal switching destination, it may result in switching both the cloud resource 30 and the route. An example of this will be described later.

[0048] If the integrated controller 60 determines that switching of both the cloud resources 30 and the route is not necessary, it terminates the process shown in Figure 3.

[0049] As an example of the processing shown in the sequence diagram in Figure 3, the processing for each of the first to third patterns described above will be explained. Here, it is assumed that the termination device 10 is using the cloud resource 30-1 via a path that goes through communication devices 20-1 and 20-2.

[0050] (Example of the first pattern: When it becomes necessary to move cloud resources to a different location) If an event occurs attributable to cloud resource 30-1, such as the CPU usage of cloud resource 30-1 exceeding a threshold, the switching determination unit 62 of the integrated controller 60 can identify the event attributable to cloud resource 30-1 based on the cloud information collected by the information collection unit 61, and therefore determines that switching of cloud resource 30 is necessary. On the other hand, the switching determination unit 64 of the integrated controller 60 cannot identify the event attributable to cloud resource 30-1 from the NW information collected by the information collection unit 63, and therefore determines that switching of the settings and routes of the communication device 20 is not necessary.

[0051] In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine the following optimal switching destination based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 61, the switching determination unit 62, the information collection unit 63, and the switching determination unit 64. For example, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine cloud resource 30-2 as the optimal switching destination for the cloud resource 30 to be used by the terminal device 10. In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine that the route via communication devices 20-1 and 20-4 is the optimal route for the terminal device 10 to use cloud resource 30-2. The switching destination determination unit 65 will then output switching destination information to the switching instruction unit 66, including information on cloud resource 30-2 as the switching destination cloud resource 30, and information on communication devices 20-1 and 20-4 as the switching destination route.

[0052] The switching instruction unit 66 notifies the cloud controller 40 of new cloud resource information and the network controller 50 of new route information based on the switching destination information output from the switching destination determination unit 65. The switching instruction unit 42 of the cloud controller 40 changes the settings of the cloud resource 30-2 according to the notified cloud resource information. The switching instruction unit 52 of the network controller 50 changes the settings of the communication devices 20-1 and 20-4 according to the notified route information. In this way, the integrated controller 60 takes into account the information obtained from the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50, so that even if it is determined that switching is not necessary on one side, it can still perform a coordinated switch of cloud resources and routes. This makes it possible for the termination device 10 to receive services from the cloud resources 30-2 while reducing latency.

[0053] (Example of the second pattern: When it becomes necessary to switch network routes) If an event occurs that is attributable to the network path, such as a failure of communication device 20 (for example, a failure of communication device 20-2), increased delay in the path due to network congestion, or a break in the path (for example, a failure in the path leading to communication device 20-2), the switching determination unit 62 of the integrated controller 60 determines that there is no need to switch cloud resources 30 because the cloud information collected by the information collection unit 61 cannot identify the event attributable to the network path. On the other hand, the switching determination unit 64 of the integrated controller 60 determines that it is necessary to configure communication device 20 and switch the path because it can identify the event attributable to the network path based on the NW information collected by the information collection unit 63.

[0054] In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine the following optimal switching destination based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 61, the switching determination unit 62, the information collection unit 63, and the switching determination unit 64. For example, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine cloud resource 30-2 as the optimal switching destination for the cloud resource 30 to be used by the terminal device 10. In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine that the route via communication devices 20-1 and 20-4 is the optimal route for the terminal device 10 to use cloud resource 30-2. The switching destination determination unit 65 will then output switching destination information to the switching instruction unit 66, including information on cloud resource 30-2 as the switching destination cloud resource 30, and information on communication devices 20-1 and 20-4 as the switching destination route.

[0055] The switching instruction unit 66 notifies the cloud controller 40 of new cloud resource information and the network controller 50 of new route information based on the switching destination information output from the switching destination determination unit 65. The switching instruction unit 42 of the cloud controller 40 changes the settings of the cloud resource 30-2 according to the notified cloud resource information. The switching instruction unit 52 of the network controller 50 changes the settings of the communication devices 20-1 and 20-4 according to the notified route information. In this way, the integrated controller 60 takes into account the information obtained from the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50, so that even if it is determined that switching is not necessary on one side, it can still perform a coordinated switch of cloud resources and routes. This makes it possible for the termination device 10 to receive services from the cloud resources 30-2 while reducing latency.

[0056] (Example of a third pattern: When the communication equipment used is changed) If an event caused by the user occurs, such as when the communication device to which the termination device 10 is connected via wireless communication changes from communication device 20-1 to communication device 20-4, the switching determination unit 62 of the integrated controller 60 determines that there is no switching of cloud resources 30 because the cloud information collected by the information collection unit 61 cannot identify the event caused by the network path. On the other hand, the switching determination unit 64 of the integrated controller 60 determines that the setting of communication device 20 and the path switching are necessary because it can identify the event caused by the user based on the NW information collected by the information collection unit 63.

[0057] In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine the following optimal switching destination based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 61, the switching determination unit 62, the information collection unit 63, and the switching determination unit 64. For example, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine the cloud resource 30-2 closest to the communication device 20-4 as the optimal switching destination for the cloud resource 30 to be used by the terminal device 10. In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65 will determine that the route via the communication device 20-4 is the optimal route for the terminal device 10 to use the cloud resource 30-2. The switching destination determination unit 65 will then output to the switching instruction unit 66 the switching destination information, which includes the information of the cloud resource 30-2 as the switching destination cloud resource 30, and the information of the communication device 20-4 as the switching destination route.

[0058] The switching instruction unit 66 notifies the cloud controller 40 of new cloud resource information and the network controller 50 of new route information based on the switching destination information output from the switching destination determination unit 65. The switching instruction unit 42 of the cloud controller 40 changes the settings of the cloud resource 30-2 according to the notified cloud resource information. The switching instruction unit 52 of the network controller 50 changes the settings of the communication device 20-4 according to the notified route information. In this way, the integrated controller 60 takes into account the information obtained from the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50, so that even if it is determined that switching is not necessary on one side, it can still perform a coordinated switch of cloud resources and routes. This makes it possible for the termination device 10 to receive services from the cloud resources 30-2 while reducing latency.

[0059] With the communication system 100 configured as described above, the cloud resources and network route switching, which were previously managed separately, are now determined by the integrated controller 60 to select the optimal switching destination. This enables optimal resource allocation and route selection when there are changes in cloud resources, network, user usage, or equipment status. As a result, latency is minimized and communication continuity is ensured, enabling the continuous provision of services.

[0060] The following describes a modified version of the communication system 100. (Variation 1) The above-described embodiment shows a configuration in which the cloud resource 30 is used at one location (for example, terminal device 10). On the other hand, the cloud controller 40, network controller 50, and integrated controller 60 in the first embodiment may perform similar processing even when the cloud resource 30 is used in the process of transferring information from one location (for example, terminal device 10) to another location (for example, terminal device 70), as shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of a modified communication system 100a. The communication system 100a comprises a terminal device 10, a plurality of communication devices 20-1 to 20-4, a plurality of cloud resources 30-1 to 30-2, a cloud controller 40, a network controller 50, an integrated controller 60, and a terminal device 70. The communication system 100a is the same as the communication system 100 in terms of system configuration, except that a terminal device 70 is added. The differences will be explained below. The terminal device 70 is the device that communicates with the terminal device 10.

[0061] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, the integrated controller determined whether or not to switch cloud resources based on cloud information obtained from cloud resources, and determined whether or not to switch networks based on NW information obtained from the network controller. In the second embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the integrated controller determines whether or not to switch by taking into account both cloud information and NW information in addition to the above configuration.

[0062] Figure 5 shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller 40, network controller 50, and integrated controller 60b in the second embodiment. Note that the configuration of the cloud controller 40 and network controller 50 is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description is omitted.

[0063] The integrated controller 60b determines the optimal cloud resource placement and network path by taking into account the utilization status of the cloud resources 30 and the network utilization status, based on at least one or both of the cloud information obtained from the cloud controller 40 or the network information obtained from the network controller 50. The integrated controller 60b instructs at least one of the cloud controller 40 or the network controller 50 to switch based on the determined cloud resource placement and network path. The integrated controller 60b is one embodiment of a control device.

[0064] The communication system 100 in the second embodiment is a system for guaranteeing total latency when a user uses cloud resources via the network. Specifically, in the communication system 100 in the second embodiment, when cloud resources and the network are used in conjunction, the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50 work together to switch the cloud resources 30 and the network when a failure occurs or when a configuration change is necessary due to changes in equipment or user usage.

[0065] In the communication system 100 of the second embodiment, in the case of the first pattern (initiated by cloud resources) or the second pattern (initiated by the network) described above, the integrated controller 60b monitors the status of the cloud resources and the network via the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50, and when it becomes necessary to switch, it performs coordinated switching by issuing an instruction to the cloud controller 40 to change the cloud resources and an instruction to the network controller 50 to switch routes.

[0066] In the communication system 100 of the second embodiment, in the case of the third pattern (user-initiated) described above, the network controller 50 notifies the integrated controller 60b of the event, and the integrated controller 60b performs coordinated switching by issuing an instruction to the cloud controller 40 to change the cloud resources and an instruction to the network controller 50 to switch routes.

[0067] As described above, the integrated controller 60b can control the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50 in conjunction by issuing switching instructions to both the cloud controller 40 and the network controller 50. Furthermore, the integrated controller 60b uses both the collected cloud information and network information to understand each event that has occurred to the cloud resource 30 and the signal transfer path, and then comprehensively determines whether switching is necessary. If it determines that switching is necessary, it issues a switching instruction. Here, comprehensive determination means making a judgment that spans both the cloud resource 30 and the network, for example, by comparing the sum of the processing delay amount in the cloud resource 30 and the transfer delay in the network with predetermined conditions. As a result, delays can be minimized. Note that if switching of either the cloud controller 40 or the network controller 50 is not necessary, the integrated controller 60b only needs to issue a switching instruction to the controller that needs switching. The following describes the specific configuration of the integrated controller 60b that enables the above operation.

[0068] The integrated controller 60b comprises an information collection unit 61b, a switching determination unit 62, an information collection unit 63b, a switching determination unit 64, a switching destination determination unit 65b, a switching instruction unit 66, and a switching determination unit 67. The integrated controller 60b differs from the integrated controller 60 in that it includes information collection units 61b, 63b, and 65b instead of information collection units 61, 63, and 65, and newly includes a switching determination unit 67b. The integrated controller 60b is otherwise the same as the integrated controller 60. The differences from the integrated controller 60 will be explained below.

[0069] The information gathering unit 61b collects cloud information from the cloud controller 40. Of the collected cloud information, the information gathering unit 61b outputs the judgment information necessary for making a switchover decision (for example, failure information of cloud resource 30, delay information in cloud resource 30, and CPU usage rate of cloud resource 30) to the switchover determination unit 62 and the switchover determination unit 67b, and outputs the remaining information (for example, configuration information of cloud resource 30 and resource information of redundant equipment (cloud resource 30-2)) to the switchover destination determination unit 65b.

[0070] The information gathering unit 63b collects NW information from the network controller 50. From the collected NW information, the information gathering unit 63b outputs the decision information necessary for switching decisions (for example, failure information of the communication device 20 or the network, network delay information, and CPU usage rate of the communication device 20) to the switching decision unit 64 and the switching decision unit 67b, and outputs the remaining information (for example, setting information of the communication device 20) to the switching destination determination unit 65b.

[0071] The switching determination unit 67b comprehensively determines whether a switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the information collection unit 61b and the determination information output from the information collection unit 63b. If the switching determination unit 67b determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 65b that a switch is necessary. In this way, the switching determination unit 67b, compared to the switching determination units 62 and 64, determines whether a switch is necessary based on multiple pieces of information (for example, determination information from cloud information that is necessary for deciding whether to switch, and determination information from network information that is necessary for deciding whether to switch) rather than just one piece of information.

[0072] The switching destination determination unit 65b determines the optimal switching destination based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 61b, the switching determination unit 62, the information collection unit 63b, the switching determination unit 64, and the switching determination unit 67b. In determining the optimal switching destination, the switching destination determination unit 65 grasps the usage status of the cloud resources and the communication device 20 and switches at least one of the cloud resources 30 or the communication path.

[0073] The switching destination determination unit 65b selects a switching destination that minimizes the scope of impact caused by the switching, through a switching destination determination process described later. The switching destination determination process determines the optimal switching destination through three steps: network switching search, cloud resource switching search, and network and cloud resource switching search. The order of the three steps for searching for switching destination candidates does not matter. When the objective is to minimize the impact of the switching, if the network route switching is performed faster than the switching of the cloud resource 30, the steps may be performed in the order of network switching search, cloud resource switching search, and network and cloud resource switching search. If the switching of the cloud resource 30 is performed faster than the network route switching, the steps may be performed in the order of cloud resource switching search, network switching search, and network and cloud resource switching search.

[0074] Network switching search is a process that searches for a suitable switching destination candidate by switching only the network path without switching the cloud resources 30, in order to determine whether there is a suitable switching destination candidate for continuous service provision. For example, if there is a switching destination candidate in the network switching search, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that switching destination candidate as the optimal switching destination. If there are multiple switching destination candidates, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines the switching destination candidate that minimizes the transmission distance to the cloud resources 30 used by the termination device 10 as the optimal switching destination. If there are multiple switching destination candidates that minimize the transmission distance to the cloud resources 30 used by the termination device 10, the switching destination determination unit 65b may select any of the switching destination candidates.

[0075] Cloud resource switching search is a process that searches for a suitable switching destination by switching only the cloud resource 30 without switching the network path, in order to determine whether there is a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service. Switching only the cloud resource 30 here refers to cases such as switching between multiple cloud resources 30 built within the same data center. For example, if there is a candidate switching destination in the cloud resource switching search, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that candidate switching destination as the optimal switching destination. If there are multiple candidate switching destinations, the switching destination determination unit 65b may determine the candidate switching destination with the lowest CPU usage as the optimal switching destination, or the candidate switching destination with the lowest latency as the optimal switching destination.

[0076] Network and cloud resource switching search is a process that searches for a suitable switching destination candidate for both network paths and cloud resources 30, with the target of switching. For example, if there is a switching destination candidate in the network and cloud resource switching search, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that candidate as the optimal switching destination. If there are multiple switching destination candidates, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines the optimal switching destination candidate that has the shortest transfer distance to the cloud resources 30 used by the termination device 10, the shortest CPU usage, and the shortest latency.

[0077] The switching destination determination unit 65b uses methods such as evaluating the overall delay time or minimizing the cost value of the cloud resources 30 and communication equipment as indicators for searching for a switching destination candidate in each step of the cloud resource switching search, network switching search, and network and cloud resource switching search. If no switching destination candidate is found after performing all steps, the switching destination determination unit 65b terminates the switching destination determination process without performing a switch. In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65b may notify the higher-level controller that it determined a switch was necessary but could not find a switching destination.

[0078] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the communication system 100 in the second embodiment. In Figure 6, processes similar to those shown in Figure 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals as shown in Figure 3, and their explanation is omitted.

[0079] The integrated controller 60b collects information notified by either the cloud controller 40 or the network controller 50 (step S201). Specifically, the information collection unit 61b collects cloud information notified by the cloud controller 40. The information collection unit 63b collects NW information notified by the network controller 50. The information collection unit 61b outputs the judgment information from the collected cloud information to the switching judgment unit 62 and the switching judgment unit 67b, and outputs the remaining information to the switching destination determination unit 65b. The information collection unit 63b outputs the judgment information from the collected NW information to the switching judgment unit 64 and the switching judgment unit 67b, and outputs the remaining information to the switching destination determination unit 65b.

[0080] The switching determination units 62, 64, and 67b determine whether a switch is necessary based on the determination information (step S202). Specifically, the switching determination unit 62 determines whether the cloud resource 30 needs to be switched based on the determination information contained in the cloud information obtained from the information collection unit 61. The switching determination unit 64 determines whether the transfer path needs to be switched based on the determination information contained in the NW information obtained from the information collection unit 63. The switching determination unit 67b determines whether at least one of the cloud resource 30 or the transfer path needs to be switched based on the determination information contained in the cloud information obtained from the information collection unit 61 and the determination information contained in the NW information obtained from the information collection unit 63. Here, suppose the integrated controller 60b determines that switching of both the cloud resource 30 and the path is necessary.

[0081] In this case, the switching destination determination unit 65b performs a switching destination determination process based on the information output from the information collection unit 61 and the information output from the information collection unit 63 (step S204). As a result, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines the optimal switching destination. The switching destination determination unit 65b outputs the switching destination information to the switching instruction unit 66.

[0082] The switching instruction unit 66 generates a switching instruction based on the switching destination information output from the switching destination determination unit 65b (step S204). Specifically, the switching instruction unit 66 uses the information contained in the switching destination information to generate a cloud switching instruction that includes information about the cloud resource 30 and a network switching instruction that includes information about the network path. After that, the processing from step S109 onwards is executed.

[0083] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the switching destination determination process performed by the integrated controller 60b in the second embodiment. In the explanation of Figure 7, it is assumed that the switching of network routes is performed faster than the switching of cloud resources 30. The switching destination determination unit 65b performs a network switching search based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 63b, the switching determination unit 64, and the switching determination unit 67b (step S301). The switching destination determination unit 65b determines whether or not there are candidate switching destinations as a result of the network switching search (step S302). If the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that there are candidate switching destinations (step S302-YES), it determines the candidate switching destination as the optimal switching destination (step S303).

[0084] On the other hand, if the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that there are no candidates for the switching destination (step S302-NO), it performs a cloud resource switching search based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 61b, the switching determination unit 62, and the switching determination unit 67b (step S304). Based on the results of the cloud resource switching search, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines whether or not there are candidates for the switching destination (step S305). If the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that there are candidates for the switching destination (step S305-YES), it determines the candidate for the switching destination as the optimal switching destination (step S303).

[0085] On the other hand, if the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that there are no candidates for the switching destination (step S305-NO), it performs a network and cloud resource switching search based on the information obtained from the information collection unit 61b, the switching determination unit 62, the information collection unit 63b, the switching determination unit 64, and the switching determination unit 67b (step S306). Based on the results of the network and cloud resource switching search, the switching destination determination unit 65b determines whether or not there are candidates for the switching destination (step S307). If the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that there are candidates for the switching destination (step S307-YES), it determines the candidate for the switching destination as the optimal switching destination (step S303).

[0086] On the other hand, if the switching destination determination unit 65b determines that there are no candidates for the switching destination (step S307-NO), it terminates the switching destination determination process, indicating that there are no candidates for the switching destination.

[0087] The communication system 100 in the second embodiment, configured as described above, can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0088] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the communication system 100 determines whether a switchover is necessary based on multiple decision-making factors (for example, decision-making information from cloud information that is necessary for the switchover decision, and decision-making information from network information that is necessary for the switchover decision). This enables control using end-to-end quality. As a result, more accurate switchover decisions become possible.

[0089] (Variation 1) In the embodiment described above, the switching determination units 62, 64, and 67b are provided as independent functional units, but the functions of the switching determination units 62, 64, and 67b may be configured as one or two functional units. When the functions of the switching determination units 62, 64, and 67b are configured as two functional units, one switching determination unit has two of the functions of the switching determination units 62, 64, and 67b, and the other switching determination unit has the remaining function of the switching determination units 62, 64, and 67b.

[0090] (Third embodiment) In the first and second embodiments, the integrated controller determined whether a switchover was necessary based on information collected from the cloud controller and the network controller. In the third embodiment, a configuration is described in which the communication system does not have an integrated controller, and the network controller determines whether a switchover is necessary, decides the switchover destination, and issues a switchover command.

[0091] The communication system 100 in the third embodiment comprises a termination device 10, a plurality of communication devices 20-1 to 20-4, a plurality of cloud resources 30-1 to 30-2, a cloud controller 40c, and a network controller 50c. The communication system 100 in the third embodiment differs in configuration from the communication system 100 in the first embodiment in that it does not have an integrated controller 60, and instead of the cloud controller 40 and network controller 50, it has a cloud controller 40c and a network controller 50c. The differences will be explained below in detail.

[0092] The cloud controller 40c is a control device that configures and monitors the cloud resources 30. The cloud controller 40c collects information about the cloud resources 30 and notifies the network controller 50c of the collected information. The trigger for the cloud controller 40c to transmit information about the cloud resources 30 to the network controller 50c may be periodic or only when predetermined conditions are met. When the cloud controller 40c receives an instruction from the network controller 50c to change the cloud resources 30, it instructs the cloud resources 30 to change their settings. For example, if an instruction is received to change the cloud resources 30 to be used by the termination device 10, the cloud controller 40c configures the cloud resources 30 to be used by the termination device 10 to be allocated to the termination device 10.

[0093] Furthermore, the cloud controller 40c determines whether or not to switch cloud resources 30 based on the collected cloud information. If the cloud controller 40c determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the network controller 50c that a switch of cloud resources 30 is required.

[0094] The network controller 50c configures and monitors the communication device 20 and the network. The network controller 50c collects information about the communication device 20 and the network. If the network controller 50 determines that a route switch is necessary, it instructs the communication device 20 that requires a route switch to switch routes.

[0095] Furthermore, the network controller 50c determines the optimal cloud resource placement and network path based on the cloud information obtained from the cloud controller 40c, or at least one or both of the collected network information, taking into account the utilization status of the cloud resources 30 and the network utilization status. The network controller 50c instructs the cloud controller 40c to switch based on the determined cloud resource placement and network path. The network controller 50c is one embodiment of a control device.

[0096] Figure 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller 40c and network controller 50c in the third embodiment. First, the functional configuration of the cloud controller 40c will be described.

[0097] The cloud controller 40c comprises a cloud information collection unit 41c, a switching instruction unit 42, a switching determination unit 43, and a switching destination determination unit 44. The cloud controller 40c differs from the cloud controller 40 in that it replaces the cloud information collection unit 41 with a cloud information collection unit 41c, and newly includes a switching determination unit 43 and a switching destination determination unit 44. The differences will be explained below.

[0098] The cloud information collection unit 41c collects cloud information from each cloud resource 30. Of the collected cloud information, the cloud information collection unit 41c outputs the decision information necessary for switching decisions (for example, failure information of cloud resource 30, delay information in cloud resource 30, and CPU usage rate of cloud resource 30) to the network controller 50c and the switching decision unit 43, and outputs the remaining information (for example, configuration information of cloud resource 30 and resource information of redundant equipment (cloud resource 30-2)) to the switching destination determination unit 44.

[0099] The switching determination unit 43 determines whether or not to switch the cloud resource 30 based on the determination information output from the cloud information collection unit 41c. If the switching determination unit 43 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 44 of a switching notification that a switch of the cloud resource 30 is necessary.

[0100] The switching destination determination unit 44 determines the optimal switching destination based on the information obtained from the cloud information collection unit 41c and the switching determination unit 43. In determining the optimal switching destination, the switching destination determination unit 44 grasps the usage status of the cloud resources 30 and determines the switching destination for the cloud resources 30. The switching destination determination unit 65 can determine the optimal switching destination by using a method that measures the total delay time or by costing the cloud resources 30 and minimizing the cost value. The switching destination determination unit 44 notifies the network controller 50c of the information of the determined optimal switching destination candidate.

[0101] Furthermore, if the switching destination determination unit 44 finds a suitable switching destination candidate that is suitable for the continuous provision of services by switching only the cloud resources 30, it may complete the process without coordinating with the switching destination determination unit 56 of the network controller 50c.

[0102] Next, we will explain the functional configuration of the network controller 50c. The network controller 50c comprises an NW information collection unit 51c, a switching instruction unit 52, an information collection unit 53, a switching determination unit 54, a switching determination unit 55, a switching destination determination unit 56, and a switching instruction unit 57. The network controller 50c differs from the network controller 50 in that it replaces the NW information collection unit 51 with an NW information collection unit 51c, and newly includes an information collection unit 53, a switching determination unit 54, a switching determination unit 55, a switching destination determination unit 56, and a switching instruction unit 57. The differences will be explained below in detail.

[0103] The NW information collection unit 51c collects NW information from each communication device 20. The NW information collection unit 51c may also collect end-to-end delay time, including network delay and cloud delay measured by the termination device 10, via the communication device 20. From the collected NW information, the NW information collection unit 51c outputs the decision information necessary for switching decisions (e.g., failure information of the communication device 20 or network, network delay information, CPU usage of the communication device 20) to the switching decision unit 54 and the switching decision unit 55, and outputs the remaining information (e.g., configuration information of the communication device 20) to the switching destination determination unit 56.

[0104] The information gathering unit 53 collects decision information output from the cloud controller 40c. The information gathering unit 53 outputs the collected decision information to the switching determination unit 54.

[0105] The switching determination unit 54 comprehensively determines whether a switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the NW information collection unit 51c and the determination information output from the information collection unit 53. If the switching determination unit 54 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 56 of the need for a switch. In this way, the switching determination unit 54 determines whether a switch is necessary based on multiple pieces of information (for example, determination information from cloud information that is necessary for the switch decision and determination information from NW information that is necessary for the switch decision) rather than just one piece of information, compared to the switching determination unit 55. In other words, the switching determination unit 54 has a function equivalent to the switching determination unit 67b shown in Figure 5.

[0106] The switching determination unit 55 determines whether or not a network route switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the NW information collection unit 51c. If the switching determination unit 55 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 56 of a switching notification that the settings of the communication device 20 and the route switch are necessary.

[0107] The switching destination determination unit 56 determines the optimal switching destination based on the information output from the switching destination determination unit 44 of the cloud controller 40c, the switching notification output from the switching determination unit 54, and the switching notification output from the switching determination unit 55. When switching of the cloud resource 30 is required, the switching destination determination unit 56 determines the final switching destination in cooperation with the switching destination determination unit 44 of the cloud controller 40c. In the third embodiment, the switching destination determined by the switching destination determination unit 56 becomes the optimal switching destination. The switching destination determination unit 56 notifies the switching instruction unit 57 of the information of the determined switching destination.

[0108] The switching instruction unit 57 notifies the switching instruction unit 42 of the cloud controller 40c of new cloud resource information and the switching instruction unit 52 of new route information based on the switching destination information determined by the switching destination determination unit 56. If the switching destination information determined by the switching destination determination unit 56 contains only information regarding the switching of network routes, the switching instruction unit 57 notifies the switching instruction unit 52 of new route information. If the switching destination information determined by the switching destination determination unit 56 contains only information regarding the switching of cloud resources 30, the switching instruction unit 57 notifies the cloud controller 40c of new cloud resource information.

[0109] In the communication system 100 of the third embodiment configured as described above, the network controller 50c acts as the master and the cloud controller 40c acts as the slave. The network controller 50c then determines the final determined switching destination as the optimal switching destination. As a result, the same effects as in the first and second embodiments can be obtained without providing integrated controllers 60 and 60b.

[0110] (Variation 1) The switching determination unit 43, which is provided in the cloud controller 40c, may be configured to be provided in the network controller 50c. In this configuration, the switching determination unit 43 determines whether or not to switch the cloud resource 30 based on the determination information output from the information collection unit 53 provided in the network controller 50c. If the switching determination unit 43 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the cloud controller 40c of a switching notification that a switch of the cloud resource 30 is necessary.

[0111] (Modification 2) The network controller 50c may be configured to have the switching destination determination unit 44 that is provided in the cloud controller 40c. In this configuration, the cloud controller 40c notifies the network controller 50c of configuration information and resource information of redundant equipment in addition to switching notifications.

[0112] (Fourth embodiment) In the fourth embodiment, a configuration is described in which the communication system does not have an integrated controller, and a cloud controller determines whether switching is necessary, determines the switching destination, and issues switching instructions. In other words, the fourth embodiment is a configuration in which the relationship between master and slave is reversed compared to the third embodiment.

[0113] The communication system 100 in the fourth embodiment comprises a termination device 10, a plurality of communication devices 20-1 to 20-4, a plurality of cloud resources 30-1 to 30-2, a cloud controller 40d, and a network controller 50d. The communication system 100 in the fourth embodiment differs in configuration from the communication system 100 in the first embodiment in that it does not have an integrated controller 60, and instead of the cloud controller 40 and network controller 50, it has a cloud controller 40d and a network controller 50d. The differences will be explained below in detail.

[0114] The cloud controller 40d is a control device that configures and monitors the cloud resources 30. The cloud controller 40d collects information about the cloud resources 30. When the network controller 50 determines that a switchover of the cloud resources 30 is necessary, it configures the resources to be allocated to the termination device 10 for use by the termination device 10.

[0115] Furthermore, the cloud controller 40d determines the optimal cloud resource placement and network path based on the cloud information obtained from the network controller 50d, or at least one or both of the collected cloud information, taking into account the utilization status of the cloud resources 30 and the network utilization status. The cloud controller 40d instructs the network controller 50d to switch over according to the determined cloud resource placement and network path.

[0116] The network controller 50d configures and monitors the communication device 20 and monitors the network. The network controller 50d collects information about the communication device 20 and the network and notifies the cloud controller 40d of the collected information. The trigger for the network controller 50d to transmit network information to the cloud controller 40d may be periodic or only when predetermined conditions are met. When the network controller 50d receives a route switching instruction from the cloud controller 40d, it instructs the communication device 20 that requires a route switch to switch routes.

[0117] Furthermore, the network controller 50d determines whether a network route switch is necessary based on the collected network information. If the network controller 50d determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the cloud controller 40d that the communication device 20 settings and route switch are required.

[0118] Figure 9 shows an example of the functional configuration of the cloud controller 40d and network controller 50d in the fourth embodiment. First, the functional configuration of the cloud controller 40d will be described.

[0119] The cloud controller 40d comprises a cloud information collection unit 41d, a switching instruction unit 42, a switching determination unit 43, an information collection unit 45, a switching determination unit 46, a switching destination determination unit 47, and a switching instruction unit 48. The cloud controller 40d differs from the cloud controller 40 in that it replaces the cloud information collection unit 41 with a cloud information collection unit 41d, and newly includes a switching determination unit 43, an information collection unit 45, a switching determination unit 46, a switching destination determination unit 47, and a switching instruction unit 48. The differences will be explained below in detail.

[0120] The cloud information collection unit 41d collects cloud information from each cloud resource 30. Of the collected cloud information, the cloud information collection unit 41d outputs the judgment information necessary for switching decisions (for example, failure information of cloud resource 30, delay information in cloud resource 30, and CPU usage rate of cloud resource 30) to the switching decision unit 43 and the switching decision unit 46, and outputs the remaining information (for example, configuration information of cloud resource 30 and resource information of redundant equipment (cloud resource 30-2)) to the switching destination determination unit 47.

[0121] The switching determination unit 43 determines whether or not to switch the cloud resource 30 based on the determination information output from the cloud information collection unit 41d. If the switching determination unit 43 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 47 of a switching notification that a switch of the cloud resource 30 is necessary.

[0122] The information gathering unit 45 collects decision information output from the network controller 50d. The information gathering unit 45 outputs the collected decision information to the switching determination unit 46.

[0123] The switching determination unit 46 comprehensively determines whether a switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the cloud information collection unit 41d and the determination information output from the information collection unit 45. If the switching determination unit 46 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 47 of the need for a switch. In this way, the switching determination unit 46 determines whether a switch is necessary based on multiple pieces of information (for example, determination information from cloud information that is necessary for the switch decision and determination information from network information that is necessary for the switch decision) rather than just one piece of information, compared to the switching determination unit 43. In other words, the switching determination unit 46 has a function equivalent to the switching determination unit 67b shown in Figure 5.

[0124] The switching destination determination unit 47 determines the optimal switching destination based on the information output from the switching destination determination unit 58 of the network controller 50d, the switching notification output from the switching determination unit 43, and the switching notification output from the switching determination unit 46. When switching of the cloud resource 30 is required, the switching destination determination unit 47 determines the final switching destination in cooperation with the switching destination determination unit 58 of the network controller 50d. In the fourth embodiment, the switching destination determined by the switching destination determination unit 47 becomes the optimal switching destination. The switching destination determination unit 47 notifies the switching instruction unit 48 of the information of the determined switching destination.

[0125] The switching instruction unit 48 notifies the switching instruction unit 42 of new cloud resource information and the switching instruction unit 52 of the network controller 50d of new route information based on the switching destination information determined by the switching destination determination unit 47. If the switching destination information determined by the switching destination determination unit 47 contains only information related to switching network routes, the switching instruction unit 48 notifies the switching instruction unit 52 of the network controller 50d of new route information. If the switching destination information determined by the switching destination determination unit 47 contains only information related to switching cloud resources 30, the switching instruction unit 48 notifies the switching instruction unit 42 of new cloud resource information.

[0126] Next, we will explain the functional configuration of the network controller 50d. The network controller 50d includes a network information collection unit 51d, a switching instruction unit 52, a switching determination unit 55, and a switching destination determination unit 58. The network controller 50d differs from the network controller 50 in that it replaces the network information collection unit 51 with a network information collection unit 51d, and newly includes a switching determination unit 55 and a switching destination determination unit 58. The differences will be explained below in detail.

[0127] The NW information collection unit 51d collects NW information from each communication device 20. The NW information collection unit 51d may also collect end-to-end delay time, including network delay and cloud delay measured by the termination device 10, via the communication device 20. Of the collected NW information, the NW information collection unit 51d outputs the decision information necessary for switching decisions (e.g., failure information of the communication device 20 or network, network delay information, CPU usage rate of the communication device 20) to the switching decision unit 55 and the cloud controller 40d, and outputs the remaining information (e.g., configuration information of the communication device 20) to the switching destination determination unit 58.

[0128] The switching determination unit 55 determines whether or not a network route switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the NW information collection unit 51d. If the switching determination unit 55 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the switching destination determination unit 58 of a switching notification that a network route switch is necessary.

[0129] The switching destination determination unit 58 determines the optimal switching destination based on the information obtained from the NW information collection unit 51d and the switching determination unit 55. In determining the optimal switching destination, the switching destination determination unit 58 grasps the usage status of the communication device 20 and determines the switching destination for the communication path. The switching destination determination unit 58 can determine the optimal switching destination by using a method that measures the total delay time or by costing the cloud resources 30 and minimizing the cost value. The switching destination determination unit 58 notifies the cloud controller 40d of the information of the determined optimal switching destination candidate.

[0130] Furthermore, if the switching destination determination unit 58 finds a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of services by switching only the network path, it may complete the process without coordinating with the switching destination determination unit 47 of the cloud controller 40d.

[0131] In the communication system 100 of the fourth embodiment configured as described above, the cloud controller 40d acts as the master and the network controller 50d acts as the slave. The cloud controller 40d then determines the optimal switching destination, which is ultimately determined by the cloud controller 40d. As a result, the same effects as in the first and second embodiments can be obtained without providing integrated controllers 60 and 60b, as in the first and second embodiments.

[0132] (Variation 1) The switching determination unit 55, which is provided in the network controller 50d, may be configured to be provided in the cloud controller 40d. In this configuration, the switching determination unit 55 determines whether or not a network route switch is necessary based on the determination information output from the information collection unit 45 provided in the cloud controller 40d. If the switching determination unit 55 determines that a switch is necessary, it notifies the network controller 50d of a switching notification that a network route switch is necessary.

[0133] (Modification 2) The network controller 50d may be configured to have a switching destination determination unit 58, which is also provided in the cloud controller 40d. In this configuration, the network controller 50d notifies the cloud controller 40d of configuration information and resource information for redundant equipment, in addition to switching notifications.

[0134] (Modification example 1 common to all embodiments) In each of the above embodiments, the cloud controllers 40, 40c, 40d, network controllers 50, 50c, 50d, and integration controllers 60, 60b are shown as examples where they are configured as different devices. However, the cloud controllers 40, 40c, 40d, network controllers 50, 50c, 50d, and integration controllers 60, 60b may be implemented in the same device using virtualization technology. In this configuration, in the first embodiment, the cloud controller 40, network controller 50, and integration controller 60 are implemented in the same device. In the second embodiment, the cloud controller 40, network controller 50, and integration controller 60b are implemented in the same device. In the third embodiment, the cloud controller 40c and network controller 50c are implemented in the same device. In the fourth embodiment, the cloud controller 40d and network controller 50d are implemented in the same device.

[0135] Some of the functional components of the cloud controllers 40, 40c, 40d, network controllers 50, 50c, 50d, and integrated controllers 60, 60b in the above-described embodiment may be implemented using a computer. In that case, the functionality may be implemented by recording a program for implementing this function on a computer-readable recording medium, loading the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system, and executing it. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices.

[0136] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. In addition, "computer-readable recording media" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs over networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside computer systems that act as servers or clients in such cases. Moreover, the above-mentioned programs may be for the purpose of realizing some of the functions described above, or they may be able to realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system, or they may be realized using programmable logic devices such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0137] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0138] This invention can be applied to communication systems that utilize cloud resources via a network. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0139] 10…Terminal device, 20, 20-1~20-4…Communication device, 30…Cloud resource, 40, 40c, 40d…Cloud controller, 50, 50c, 50d…Network controller, 60, 60b…Integrated controller, 45, 53, 61, 61b, 63, 63b…Information collection unit, 43, 46, 54, 55, 62, 64, 67b…Switching determination unit, 44, 47, 56, 58, 65, 65b…Switching destination determination unit, 66…Switching instruction unit, 48, 57…Switching instruction unit, 41, 41c, 41d…Cloud information collection unit, 42…Switching instruction unit, 51, 51c, 51d…NW information collection unit, 52…Switching instruction unit

Claims

1. A communication system comprising multiple cloud resources and multiple communication devices provided on a path for using any of the multiple cloud resources, A cloud controller that collects cloud information about the multiple cloud resources from each of the multiple cloud resources and performs configuration changes on the multiple cloud resources, A network controller that collects NW information relating to the plurality of communication devices and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices from each of the plurality of communication devices and issues instructions for route switching in the plurality of communication devices, An integrated controller that collects the cloud information from the cloud controller, collects the NW information from the network controller, determines whether a switchover is necessary based on the collected cloud information only, the NW information only, and a combination of the cloud information and the NW information, and, based on the results of each determination, issues at least one of the following instructions to the cloud controller to change the cloud resource settings or to the network controller to switch routes. A communication system equipped with [the following features].

2. The integrated controller determines, based on the cloud information and the network information, one of the multiple cloud resources and the path to access that cloud resource as the optimal switching destination when a user uses a cloud resource. The communication system according to claim 1.

3. The integrated controller determines whether a switch of the cloud resources is necessary based on the collected cloud information, determines whether a route switch is necessary based on the collected network information, and determines the optimal switch destination if a switch is determined to be necessary in either determination result. The communication system according to claim 2.

4. A first information collection unit collects cloud information about multiple cloud resources from each of the multiple cloud resources and collects the cloud information from a cloud controller that makes configuration changes to the multiple cloud resources. A second information collection unit collects NW information from each of the multiple communication devices and from a network controller that issues instructions for route switching in the multiple communication devices, which are located on a path for using any of the multiple cloud resources, and the network information relating to the network formed by the multiple communication devices. A switching determination unit that determines whether a switch is necessary based on only the cloud information collected by the first information collection unit, only the network information collected by the second information collection unit, and a combination of the cloud information and the network information, A switching instruction unit, based on the determination results of the switching determination unit, issues at least one of the following: an instruction to change the cloud resource settings to the cloud controller or an instruction to switch the route to the network controller. An integrated controller equipped with [features / equipment].

5. A switching determination unit that determines whether switching is necessary based on either cloud information relating to multiple cloud resources only, or NW information relating to multiple communication devices provided on a path for using any of the multiple cloud resources and the network formed by the multiple communication devices, and each combination of the cloud information and the NW information, A switching destination determination unit determines the optimal switching destination based on the determination results from the switching determination unit, the cloud information, and the network information. A switching instruction unit provides instructions to change the settings of cloud resources or to switch the communication path in order to switch to the optimal switching destination determined by the switching destination determination unit, A control device equipped with the following features.

6. A cloud switching determination unit that determines whether or not it is necessary to switch the cloud resources based on the aforementioned cloud information, A route switching determination unit determines whether or not the communication route needs to be switched based on the aforementioned NW information, Furthermore, The switching destination determination unit further determines the optimal switching destination based on the determination result by the cloud switching determination unit and the determination result by the route switching determination unit. The control device according to claim 5.

7. The switching destination determination unit determines the optimal switching destination by performing, in a predetermined order, a first process that searches for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the communication path, a second process that searches for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the cloud resources, and a third process that searches for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching both the communication path and the cloud resources. The control device according to claim 5 or 6.

8. A switching method in a communication system comprising multiple cloud resources and multiple communication devices provided on a path for using any of the multiple cloud resources, The cloud controller collects cloud information about the multiple cloud resources from each of the multiple cloud resources, and modifies the settings of the multiple cloud resources. The network controller collects NW information relating to the plurality of communication devices and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices from each of the plurality of communication devices, and issues instructions for route switching to the plurality of communication devices. The integrated controller collects the cloud information and the network information, determines whether a switch is necessary based on the collected cloud information alone, the network information alone, and a combination of the cloud information and the network information, and, based on the results of each determination, issues at least one of the following: an instruction to change the settings of the cloud resource or an instruction to switch the route. Switching method.

9. A communication system comprising multiple cloud resources and multiple communication devices provided on a path for using any of the multiple cloud resources, A cloud controller that collects cloud information about the multiple cloud resources from each of the multiple cloud resources and performs configuration changes on the multiple cloud resources, A network controller that collects NW information relating to the plurality of communication devices and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices from each of the plurality of communication devices and issues instructions for route switching in the plurality of communication devices, An integrated controller that performs, in a predetermined order based on certain conditions, the following in order: a first process which collects the cloud information from the cloud controller and the network information from the network controller, and based on the collected cloud information and network information, searches for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the communication path; a second process which searches for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the cloud resources; and a third process which searches for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching both the communication path and the cloud resources. The integrated controller determines the optimal switching destination by performing these in an order based on predetermined conditions, and issues at least one of the following to the cloud controller: an instruction to change the cloud resource settings or an instruction to the network controller to switch the path, to switch to the determined optimal switching destination. A communication system equipped with [the following features].

10. A first information collection unit collects cloud information about multiple cloud resources from each of the multiple cloud resources and collects the cloud information from a cloud controller that makes configuration changes to the multiple cloud resources. A second information collection unit collects NW information from each of the multiple communication devices and from a network controller that issues instructions for route switching in the multiple communication devices, which are located on a path for using any of the multiple cloud resources, and the network information relating to the network formed by the multiple communication devices. A switching destination determination unit determines the optimal switching destination by performing, in a predetermined order, a first process that searches for whether there are any candidate switching destinations suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the communication path, a second process that searches for whether there are any candidate switching destinations suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the cloud resources, and a third process that searches for whether there are any candidate switching destinations suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching both the communication path and the cloud resources, based on the cloud information collected by the first information collection unit and the network information collected by the second information collection unit. A switching instruction unit provides at least one of the following to the cloud controller: an instruction to change the cloud resource settings or an instruction to the network controller to switch routes, so as to switch to the optimal switching destination determined by the switching destination determination unit. An integrated controller equipped with [features / equipment].

11. A switching determination unit determines whether it is necessary to switch at least one of the cloud resources or the communication path, based on both cloud information relating to multiple cloud resources and NW information relating to multiple communication devices provided on the path for using any of the multiple cloud resources and the network formed by the multiple communication devices. A switching destination determination unit determines the optimal switching destination based on the determination result by the switching determination unit, the cloud information, and the network information. A switching instruction unit provides instructions to change the settings of cloud resources or to switch the communication path in order to switch to the optimal switching destination determined by the switching destination determination unit, Equipped with, The switching destination determination unit is a control device that determines the optimal switching destination by performing, in a predetermined order based on predetermined conditions, a first process that searches for whether there is a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the communication path, a second process that searches for whether there is a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the cloud resources, and a third process that searches for whether there is a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching both the communication path and the cloud resources.

12. A switching method in a communication system comprising multiple cloud resources and multiple communication devices provided on a path for using any of the multiple cloud resources, The cloud controller collects cloud information about the multiple cloud resources from each of the multiple cloud resources, and modifies the settings of the multiple cloud resources. The network controller collects NW information relating to the plurality of communication devices and the network formed by the plurality of communication devices from each of the plurality of communication devices, and issues instructions for route switching to the plurality of communication devices. The integrated controller collects the cloud information and the network information, and based on the collected cloud information and network information, performs a first process to search for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the communication path, a second process to search for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching only the cloud resources, and a third process to search for a candidate switching destination suitable for the continuous provision of the service by switching both the communication path and the cloud resources, in an order based on predetermined conditions, to determine the optimal switching destination, and then issues an instruction to change the settings of the cloud resources or an instruction to switch the path to switch to the determined optimal switching destination. Switching method.

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