Communication control device, communication control method, and program

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to achieve various service grades, including realizing deterministic communication in a communication service that requires deterministic communication.　To achieve the foregoing, the present disclosure is a communication control device that performs communication control in a communication network, the communication control device comprising: a management unit that manages, in a storage unit, a service grade, an identifier for the service grade, and information on a transmission path, in association with each other; a transmission path control unit that sets a transmission path corresponding to the service grade, for an edge router and a transmission device, by referring to the service grade and the transmission path information; an identifier control unit that sets a transmission path for communicating, to the edge router, the identifier included in a packet, in accordance with the service grade; and a response unit that, in response to an inquiry about an identifier for a prescribed service grade from a communication terminal, responds to the communication terminal with a prescribed identifier corresponding to the prescribed service grade .

Description

Communication control device, communication control method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for communication (transfer) control in a communication network.

[0002] 7, an IP (Internet Protocol) network has conventionally been constructed by terminals and devices, such as a source side (terminal 5a, edge router 7a, and transmission device 9a), a relay unit (relay router 7b and transmission device 9b), a first destination side (terminal 5c, edge router 7c, and transmission device 9c), and a second destination side (terminal 5d, edge router 7d, and transmission device 9d). In the IP network, a transmission path is set between the edge routers 7a, 7c, and 7d, and packet communication is performed between the terminals (5a, 5c, and 5d) by routing between the edge routers 7a, 7c, and 7d.

[0003] 8, an APN (All Photonics Network) that makes full use of photonics-electronic convergence technology is constructed by, for example, terminals and devices on the source side (terminal 5a, edge router 7a, and transmission device 9a), relay unit (transmission device 9b), first destination side (terminal 5c, edge router 7c, and transmission device 9c), and second destination side (terminal 5d, edge router 7d, and transmission device 9d). In the APN network, the relay router 7b is eliminated as much as possible, and transmission paths are set in a full mesh between the edge routers 7a, 7c, and 7d, thereby achieving low latency, low jitter, and low power consumption through deterministic communication, which is a feature of the APN (see Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] Here, the transmission paths are assumed to be wavelength paths or ODU (Optical-channel Data Unit) paths based on an OTN (Optical Transport Network). Conventionally, in IP networks, a statistical multiplexing effect has been achieved using a relay router 7b. Also, in APNs, a similar effect can be achieved by making the bandwidth of the transmission path variable and increasing or decreasing the bandwidth of the transmission path according to the traffic volume. Specifically, for wavelength paths, there is FlexibleGrid (see Non-Patent Document 2), and for ODU paths, there is ODUflex (see Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4).

[0005] NTT Technical Journal Articles: Network Technology Realized by APN (https: / / journal.ntt.co.jp / article / 14878), Future Innovative Optical Transport Network Technology (https: / / journal.ntt.co.jp / backnumber2 / 1103 / files / jn201103032.pdf), Recommendation G.709, Recommendation G.7044 / Y.1347

[0006] However, with the conventional method, even if an attempt is made to increase or decrease the number of transmission paths, there is a possibility that resources will be insufficient if the overall traffic is increasing. In such a case, there arises a problem that it becomes difficult to achieve low latency, low jitter, and low power consumption by the deterministic communication that is a feature of APN.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to realize various service grades, such as realizing definite communication for communication services that require definite communication.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides a communication control device that controls communications in a communication network, the communication control device having: a management unit that associates information on a service grade, an identifier for that service grade, and a transmission path and manages them in a memory unit; a transmission path control unit that sets a transmission path corresponding to the service grade for an edge router and a transmission device by referring to the information on the service grade and the transmission path; an identifier control unit that sets a transmission path for communicating the identifier included in a packet to the edge router according to the service grade; and a response unit that responds to a communication terminal with a specified identifier corresponding to the specified service grade in response to an inquiry from the communication terminal about an identifier for the specified service grade.

[0009] As described above, according to the present disclosure, various service grades can be realized, such as realizing deterministic communication for communication services that require deterministic communication.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an electrical hardware configuration diagram of each device and terminal; FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of a communication control device; FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a service grade management table; FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining basic processing of a communication system according to an embodiment; FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for explaining update processing of a communication system according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional IP network; and FIG. 8 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional APN network.

[0011] The communication system 1 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the communication system 1 according to the embodiment is not limited to a specific system.

[0012] [Overall Configuration of Communication System] First, an overall configuration diagram of a communication system 1 will be described using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes a communication control device 3, multiple communication terminals (hereinafter referred to as "terminals") 5a, 5c, and 5d, multiple edge routers 7a, 7c, and 7d, and multiple transmission devices 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d. As with FIG. 8, the communication system 1 builds an all-photonics network (APN) that makes full use of photonics-electronic convergence technology. The APN is an example of a communication network. The communication network also includes an IP network.

[0013] 1, the communication system 1 is constructed by terminals and devices, for example, a source side (terminal 5a, edge router 7a, and transmission device 9a), a relay unit (transmission device 9b), a first destination side (terminal 5c, edge router 7c, and transmission device 9c), and a second destination side (terminal 5d, edge router 7d, and transmission device 9d). In the communication system 1, the relay router 7b is also eliminated as much as possible, and transmission paths are set in a full mesh between the edge routers 7a, 7c, and 7d, thereby realizing low latency, low jitter, and low power consumption through deterministic communication, which is a feature of APN.

[0014] For the sake of convenience, only three communication terminals (hereinafter referred to as "terminals") 5a, 5c, and 5d are shown, but the number is not limited to this. The terminals 5a, 5c, and 5d are collectively referred to as "terminals 5." The terminals 5 are, for example, personal computers (PCs), smartphones, or tablet terminals.

[0015] For the sake of convenience, only three edge routers 7a, 7c, and 7d are shown, but the number is not limited to three. The edge routers 7a, 7c, and 7d are collectively referred to as "edge router 7." The edge router 7 is a router that forwards IP packets, and forwards received unicast or multicast IP traffic based on the destination address of the received unicast or multicast IP traffic and route information stored internally.

[0016] Furthermore, for the sake of convenience, only four transmission devices 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d are shown, but the number is not limited to four. The transmission devices 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d are collectively referred to as "transmission device 9." The transmission device 9 is, for example, a device such as a BOADM (Bidirectional Optical Add / Drop Multiplexer) or a ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add / Drop Multiplexer) that converts IP traffic into an optical signal and transmits it. It should be noted that the transmission device is not limited to a BOADM or a ROADM, and other types of transmission devices may also be used.

[0017] The communication control device 3 remotely controls the terminal 5, edge router 7, and transmission device 9 via wired or wireless communication, using a service grade management table shown in FIG. 4, which will be described later.

[0018] 2 is a diagram showing the electrical hardware configuration of each device (communication control device 3, edge router 7, transmission device 9) and terminal (terminal 5). Since the configurations of the communication control device 3, edge router 7, transmission device 9, and terminal 5 are similar, only the configuration of the communication control device 3 will be described here, and descriptions of the edge router 7, transmission device 9, and terminal 5 will be omitted.

[0019] The communication control device 3 is a computer having a processor 1001 , a memory 1002 , an auxiliary storage device 1003 , an input / output device 1004 , and a transmission / reception unit 1005 , all of which are connected by a bus 1010 .

[0020] For example, the auxiliary storage device 1003 stores a program that realizes the operation of the communication control device 3 .

[0021] When the communication control device 3 is operating, the program is loaded into the memory 1002, and the processor 1001 reads and executes the program from the memory 1002. The input / output device 1004 performs, for example, input and output of data.

[0022] [Functional Configuration of Communication Control Device] Next, the functional configuration of the communication control device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the communication control device.

[0023] The communication control device 3 has a service grade management unit 30, a transmission path control unit 31, an identifier control unit 32, and a service identifier inquiry response unit 33. The service grade management unit 30 is constructed in the memory 1002 or the auxiliary storage device 1003 shown in Fig. 2. The service grade management unit 30, the transmission path control unit 31, the identifier control unit 32, and the service identifier inquiry response unit 33 are functions realized by instructions from the processor 1001 shown in Fig. 2 based on a program.

[0024] (Service Grade Management Table) A service grade management table such as that shown in Fig. 4 is constructed in the memory 1002 or the storage unit serving as the auxiliary storage device 1003 of the communication control device 3. Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram of the service grade management table. As shown in Fig. 4, the service grade management table manages information on service grades, service grade identifiers, and transmission paths in association with each other.

[0025] The service grade indicates the grade of service provided to a user. Examples of the service grade include a normal transmission path and a confirmed communication. The service grade is set by a contract between each user and an operator (such as a telecommunications carrier) that operates the communication control device.

[0026] A service grade identifier (hereinafter referred to as "identifier") is information for identifying a service grade. Examples of identifiers include an IPv6 flow label and SRv6 (Reference 1) Network Programming (e.g., End.DT46). <Reference 1> RF8986, "Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) Network Programming". Note that the service grade is not limited to the content shown in FIG. 4, and various service grades may be managed.

[0027] The identifier may also be updated periodically. In this case, the terminal 5 periodically inquires about the identifier, and if there is an update, updates the identifier to be added to the IP packets to be transmitted.

[0028] The transmission path may be set individually for each VPN.

[0029] <Functional Configuration> (Service Grade Management Unit) The service grade management unit 30 manages data by storing it in a service grade management table.

[0030] (Transmission Path Control Unit) The transmission path control unit 31 performs transmission path control by setting transmission paths for the edge router 7 and the transmission device 9 according to the service grade. Examples of transmission path control include increasing / decreasing the bandwidth or changing the route according to traffic or a failure. For example, the transmission path control unit 31 adjusts the bandwidth of normal transmission paths with low priority and adjusts the bandwidth of transmission paths for confirmed communication with high priority. Furthermore, when resources are insufficient, the transmission path control unit 31 prioritizes increasing the bandwidth of the transmission paths for confirmed communication and does not increase the bandwidth of normal transmission paths. Alternatively, the transmission path control unit 31 reduces the bandwidth or changes the route, and performs control such as giving up resources to the transmission paths for confirmed communication. The transmission path control unit 31 may provide separate transmission paths for each VPN (Virtual Private Network).

[0031] (Identifier Control Unit) The identifier control unit 32 controls identifiers according to the service grade for the edge router 7. For example, the identifier control unit 32 sets a transmission path for communicating the identifier included in the received packet to the edge router 7. The identifier control unit 32 may also set a buffer in the edge router 7 for the edge router 7.

[0032] (Service Identifier Inquiry Response Unit) The service identifier inquiry response unit 33 responds (transmits) a corresponding predetermined identifier in response to an inquiry from the terminal 5 about an identifier for a predetermined service grade related to the contract details with the user of the terminal 5. Note that the service identifier inquiry response unit 33 may have means for confirming and authenticating whether the terminal 5 that made the inquiry is authorized to use the service grade.

[0033] (Other) The source terminal 5a and destination terminals 5c and 5d permitted to use each service grade may be limited. In this case, the service grade management unit 30 also manages the IP addresses of the source terminal 5a and destination terminals 5c and 5d for each service grade. The identifier control unit 32 also sets the IP address of the source terminal 5a and the IP addresses of the destination terminals 5c and 5d in the edge router 7 in addition to the identifier corresponding to the service grade. When an IP packet arrives, the edge router 7 checks the IP address of the source terminal 5a and the IP addresses of the destination terminals 5c and 5d in addition to the identifier. If the IP address of the source terminal 5a and the IP addresses of the destination terminals 5c and 5d are permitted, the edge router 7 forwards the packet according to the identifier. This allows the use of a service grade only between specific terminals.

[0034] The terminal 5 transmits an IP packet with an identifier added thereto. When the IP packet reaches the edge router 7 and the transmission device 9, packet forwarding is performed according to the identifier (use of a buffer in the edge router 7, a transmission path to be used, etc.).

[0035] [Processing of the embodiment] Next, processing of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0036] <Basic Processing> First, the basic processing of the communication system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the basic processing of the communication system according to the embodiment. Note that Fig. 5 shows that there are multiple terminals 5, edge routers 7, and transmission devices 9.

[0037] S10: The transmission path control unit 31 of the communication control device 3 sets a transmission path for each edge router 7 according to the service grade by referring to the information on the service grade and transmission path in the service grade management table shown in FIG.

[0038] S11: The transmission path control unit 31 also sets a transmission path for each transmission device 9 according to the service grade by referring to the information on the service grade and transmission path in the service grade management table shown in FIG.

[0039] After steps S10 and S11, the transmission path control unit 31 controls the transmission path (changing the bandwidth or route depending on the traffic, or changing the bandwidth or route depending on a failure, etc.) periodically or in response to an event.

[0040] S12: The identifier control unit 32 of the communication control device 3 performs identifier control to enable the edge router 7 to transfer (queue, selection of a destination transmission path) according to the service grade by referring to the information on the service grade, identifier, and transmission path in the service grade management table shown in Fig. 4. At this time, in addition to identifier control, the identifier control unit 32 may also set the permitted IP address of the source terminal 5a and the IP addresses of the destination terminals 5c and 5d.

[0041] S13: After the above-mentioned transmission path control and identifier control are completed, the terminal 5 inquires (transmits) to the communication control device 3 about an identifier according to the service grade.

[0042] S14: The service identifier inquiry response unit 33 responds (transmits) the identifier to process S13. At this time, the service identifier inquiry response unit 33 may have means for confirming and authenticating whether the use of the service grade is permitted for the inquiring terminal 5. At this time, the service identifier inquiry response unit 33 may simultaneously set whether the IP address of the terminal 5a that is the sender of the IP packet and the IP addresses of the destination terminals 5c and 5d are permitted to use the corresponding service grade.

[0043] S15: The terminal 5 assigns an identifier to the IP packet and forwards the packet. When the IP packet arrives at the edge router 7, the edge router 7 forwards the packet according to the identifier (using the buffer at the edge router 7 and the transmission path to be used). At this time, if the identifier control unit 32 has set the IP address of the source terminal 5a and the IP addresses of the destination terminals 5c and 5d in process S12, the edge router 7 checks whether the IP address of the source terminal 5a and the IP addresses of the destination terminals 5c and 5d of the arriving IP packet are permitted to use the corresponding service grade.

[0044] Furthermore, the edge router 7 transfers the IP packet (including the identifier) ​​received from the terminal 5 to the transmission device 9 .

[0045] This allows the communication control device 3 to provide the user of each terminal 5 with a service according to the grade.

[0046] If the identifier is to be updated periodically, the following process is further performed.

[0047] <Update Process> The update process when periodically updating the identifier will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the update process of the communication system according to the embodiment. Note that Fig. 6 shows that there are multiple terminals 5, edge routers 7, and transmission devices 9.

[0048] S21: The service grade management unit 30 periodically updates the identifiers in the service grade management table shown in FIG.

[0049] S22: Based on the update in step S21, the identifier control unit 32 updates the identifier for the edge router 7. At this time, both the old identifier and the new identifier are temporarily made available for use (updating), and the identifier control unit 32 deletes the old identifier so that it becomes unavailable after a certain period of time has passed.

[0050] S23: After or during the above update, the terminal 5 inquires of (transmits) the communication control device 3 about an identifier corresponding to the service grade.

[0051] S24: The service identifier inquiry response unit 33 responds (transmits) the updated predetermined identifier to the process S23 in the same manner as the process S14.

[0052] S25: If the identifier has been updated, the terminal 5 updates the identifier to be added to the IP packet and performs the same process as in step S15.

[0053] The identifiers will be updated periodically thereafter.

[0054] As a result, it is possible to limit the impact of unauthorized use in the event that the identifier is leaked to a terminal 5 that cannot use the service grade.

[0055] [Major Effects of the Embodiment] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the communication control device 3 provides a transmission path according to the service grade, assigns an identifier corresponding to the service grade to an IP packet, and performs communication using the transmission path according to the service grade, thereby realizing definite communication for services that require definite communication and realizing various service grades.

[0056] [Others] As mentioned above, instead of querying the communication control device 3 for an identifier, there is a conventional method of using a CoS (Class of Service) value. However, with this method, the terminal 5 arbitrarily assigns a CoS value, which can result in a COS value being assigned to communications that are not actually permitted. To prevent this, there is a method of combining session control. In this case, the terminal 5 needs to request the network to prioritize specific communications, and the network needs to permit the use of a specific COS value for the specific communications, so session management is required in the network.

[0057] [Supplementary Note] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible, for example, as shown below.

[0058] (1) The communication control device 3 can be realized by a computer and a program, but this program can also be recorded on a (non-transitory) recording medium or provided via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0059] (2) The hardware (micro)processor may be a single processor or multiple processors.

[0060] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Communication system 3 Communication control device 5 Communication terminal (terminal) 7 Edge router 9 Transmission device 30 Service grade management unit (an example of a management unit) 31 Transmission path control unit 32 Identifier control unit 33 Service identifier inquiry response unit (an example of a response unit)

Claims

1. A communication control device that controls communications in a communication network, comprising: a management unit that manages information on service grades, identifiers for the service grades, and transmission paths in a memory unit in association with each other; a transmission path control unit that sets a transmission path corresponding to the service grade for an edge router and a transmission device by referring to the information on the service grades and the transmission paths; an identifier control unit that sets a transmission path for communicating the identifier included in a packet to the edge router in accordance with the service grade; and a response unit that responds to a communication terminal with a specified identifier corresponding to the specified service grade in response to an inquiry from the communication terminal about an identifier for the specified service grade.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the management unit periodically updates the identifier managed in the memory unit, the identifier control unit updates the identifier for the edge router based on the update, and the response unit responds with the updated predetermined identifier.

3. A communication control method executed by a communication control device that controls communication in a communication network, the method comprising: a management process for associating information on a service grade, an identifier for that service grade, and a transmission path and managing them in a storage unit; a transmission path control process for setting a transmission path corresponding to the service grade for an edge router and a transmission device by referring to the information on the service grade and the transmission path; an identifier control process for setting a transmission path for the edge router to communicate the identifier included in a packet according to the service grade; and a response process for responding to a communication terminal with a specified identifier corresponding to the specified service grade in response to an inquiry from the communication terminal about an identifier for the specified service grade.

4. A program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 3.

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