Communication apparatus, operation procedure management method, and computer readable medium

A communication apparatus operating as a PANA (Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access) authentication client, the communication apparatus comprising:

• processing circuitry to
• if any of a plurality of events associated with PANA authentication occurs, activate a timer among a plurality of timers that corresponds to the event that has occurred, and
• when the timer activated expires, refer to management information which describes an operation procedure to be taken at timer expiration for each of the plurality of events, and to execute the operation procedure described in the management information regarding the event that has occurred,
• wherein the management information describes, as one of the plurality of events, a sequence contention event that is an event by which a second communication sequence is requested to be initiated before a first communication sequence is completed, the second communication sequence being different from the first communication sequence, and as an operation procedure to be taken when the timer activated by the occurrence of the sequence contention event expires, an operation procedure that the second communication sequence is initiated if the first communication sequence has been completed when the timer expires,
• wherein the processing circuitry, if the first communication sequence is initiated with the communication destination device operating as the PANA authentication agent and the second communication sequence is requested to be initiated before the first communication sequence is completed, determines that the sequence contention event has occurred, and activates the timer that corresponds to the sequence contention event, and
• wherein the processing circuitry, when the timer that corresponds to the sequence contention event expires, determines whether the first communication sequence has been completed with the communication destination device, and, if the first communication sequence has been completed, initiates the second communication sequence with the communication destination device.

An operation procedure management method comprising:

• a timer management process of activating, if any of a plurality of events associated with PANA authentication occurs, a timer among a plurality of timers that corresponds to the event that has occurred, by a communication apparatus operating as a PANA (Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access) authentication client, and
• an operation procedure execution process of referring to, when the activated timer expires, management information which describes an operation procedure to be taken at timer expiration for each of the plurality of events, and executing the operation procedure described in the management information regarding the event that has occurred, by the communication apparatus,
• wherein the management information describes a PANA authentication initiation event as one of the plurality of events, by which a PANA authentication sequence is initiated, the PANA authentication sequence being a communication sequence for the PANA authentication, and an operation procedure, as an operation procedure to be taken when the timer activated by the occurrence of the PANA authentication initiation event expires, that authentication information used for the PANA authentication sequence is discarded and a status of the communication apparatus is restored to an IDLE status,
• wherein, in the timer management process, when the PANA authentication sequence is initiated with a communication destination device operating as a PANA authentication agent, the communication apparatus determines that the PANA authentication initiation event has occurred, and activates the timer that corresponds to the PANA authentication initiation event, and
• wherein, in the operation procedure execution process, when the timer that corresponds to the PANA authentication initiation event expires, the communication apparatus discards the information used for the PANA authentication sequence, and restores the status of the communication apparatus to the IDLE status.

An operation procedure management method comprising:

• a timer management process of activating, if any of a plurality of events associated with PANA authentication occurs, a timer among a plurality of timers that corresponds to the event that has occurred, by a communication apparatus operating as a PANA (Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access) authentication client, and
• an operation procedure execution process of referring to, when the activated timer expires, management information which describes an operation procedure to be taken at timer expiration for each of the plurality of events, and executing the operation procedure described in the management information regarding the event that has occurred, by the communication apparatus,
• wherein the management information describes, as one of the plurality of events, a sequence contention event that is an event by which a second communication sequence is requested to be initiated before a first communication sequence is completed, the second communication sequence being different from the first communication sequence, and as an operation procedure to be taken when the timer activated by the occurrence of the sequence contention event expires, an operation procedure that the second communication sequence is initiated if the first communication sequence has been completed when the timer expires,
• wherein, in the timer management process, if the first communication sequence is initiated with the communication destination device operating as the PANA authentication agent and the second communication sequence is requested to be initiated before the first communication sequence is completed, the communication apparatus determines that the sequence contention event has occurred, and activates the timer that corresponds to the sequence contention event, and
• wherein, in the operation procedure execution process, when the timer that corresponds to the sequence contention event expires, the communication apparatus determines whether the first communication sequence has been completed with the communication destination device, and, if the first communication sequence has been completed, initiates the second communication sequence with the communication destination device.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing an operation procedure management program which causes a communication apparatus operating as a PANA (Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access) authentication client to execute:

• a timer management process, if any of a plurality of events associated with PANA authentication occurs, of activating a timer among a plurality of timers that corresponds to the event that has occurred, and
• an operation procedure execution process, when the timer activated by the timer management process expires, of referring to management information which describes an operation procedure to be taken at timer expiration for each of the plurality of events and, executing the operation procedure described in the management information regarding the event that has occurred,
• wherein the management information describes a PANA authentication initiation event as one of the plurality of events, by which a PANA authentication sequence is initiated, the PANA authentication sequence being a communication sequence for the PANA authentication, and an operation procedure, as an operation procedure to be taken when the timer activated by the occurrence of the PANA authentication initiation event expires, that authentication information used for the PANA authentication sequence is discarded and a status of the communication apparatus is restored to an IDLE status,
• wherein, in the timer management process, when the PANA authentication sequence is initiated with a communication destination device operating as a PANA authentication agent, the communication apparatus is caused to determine that the PANA authentication initiation event has occurred, and activate the timer that corresponds to the PANA authentication initiation event, and
• wherein, in the operation procedure execution process, when the timer that corresponds to the PANA authentication initiation event expires, the communication apparatus is caused to discard the information used for the PANA authentication sequence, and restore the status of the communication apparatus to the IDLE status.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing an operation procedure management program which causes a communication apparatus operating as a PANA (Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access) authentication client to execute:

• a timer management process, if any of a plurality of events associated with PANA authentication occurs, of activating a timer among a plurality of timers that corresponds to the event that has occurred, and
• an operation procedure execution process, when the timer activated by the timer management process expires, of referring to management information which describes an operation procedure to be taken at timer expiration for each of the plurality of events and, executing the operation procedure described in the management information regarding the event that has occurred,
• wherein the management information describes, as one of the plurality of events, a sequence contention event that is an event by which a second communication sequence is requested to be initiated before a first communication sequence is completed, the second communication sequence being different from the first communication sequence, and as an operation procedure to be taken when the timer activated by the occurrence of the sequence contention event expires, an operation procedure that the second communication sequence is initiated if the first communication sequence has been completed when the timer expires,
• wherein, in the timer management process, if the first communication sequence is initiated with the communication destination device operating as the PANA authentication agent and the second communication sequence is requested to be initiated before the first communication sequence is completed, the communication apparatus is caused to determine that the sequence contention event has occurred, and activate the timer that corresponds to the sequence contention event, and
• wherein, in the operation procedure execution process, when the timer that corresponds to the sequence contention event expires, the communication apparatus is caused to determine whether the first communication sequence has been completed with the communication destination device, and, if the first communication sequence has been completed, initiate the second communication sequence with the communication destination device.