Transmission path controlling apparatus and transmission path controlling method as well as medium having transmission path controlling program recorded thereon

A transmission path controlling apparatus for use with an internet protocol network which includes a source communication apparatus, a destination communication apparatus, a plurality of transmission paths capable of being set between said source communication apparatus and said destination communication apparatus, and at least one intermediate communication apparatus each interposed in any one of said transmission paths, said transmission path controlling apparatus being provided in said source communication apparatus, comprising:

• a traffic characteristic collection section for collecting traffic characteristics of those of said transmission paths connected to said source communication apparatus or the other communication apparatus,
• a load calculation section for calculating load based on the traffic characteristics collected by said traffic characteristic collection section,
• a decision section for deciding addition or deletion of a transmission path based on the load information determined by said load calculation section, and
• a load equalization section for equalizing the load determined by said load calculation section among said plurality of transmission paths.

A transmission path controlling method for an internet protocol network which includes a source communication apparatus, a destination communication apparatus, a plurality of transmission paths capable of being set between said source communication apparatus and said destination communication apparatus, and at least one intermediate communication apparatus each interposed in any one of said transmission paths, the method comprising:

• (a) collecting traffic characteristics of those of said transmission paths connected to other communication apparatus, and
• (b) notifying said source communication apparatus of the traffic characteristics collected by step (a),
• steps (a) and (b) being performed by a communication apparatus other than said source communication apparatus of said internet protocol network, and
• (c) collecting traffic characteristics of those of said transmission paths connected to said source communication apparatus,
• (d) calculating load based on one or both of the traffic characteristics collected by the traffic characteristic collection step and the traffic characteristics obtained from the other communication apparatus,
• (e) deciding whether or not a transmission path should be added or deleted based on the load information determined by the load calculation step, and
• (f) equalizing the load determined by the load calculation step among said plurality of transmission paths,
• steps (d), (e), and (f) being performed by said source communication apparatus.

A medium on which a transmission path controlling program for use with an internet protocol network which includes a source communication apparatus, a destination communication apparatus, a plurality of transmission paths capable of being set between said source communication apparatus and said destination communication apparatus, and at least one intermediate communication apparatus each interposed in any one of said transmission paths is recorded, said transmission path controlling program being used by one of said communication apparatus, said transmission path controlling program causing a computer to function as

• traffic characteristic collection means for collecting traffic characteristics of those of said transmission paths connected to the communication apparatus or the other communication apparatus,
• traffic characteristic notification means for notifying the other communication apparatus of the traffic characteristics collected by said traffic characteristic collection means,
• load calculation means for calculating load based on the traffic characteristics collected by said traffic characteristic collection means,
• decision means for deciding whether or not a transmission path should be added or deleted based on the load information determined by said load calculation means, and
• load equalization means for equalizing the load determined by said load calculation means among said plurality of transmission paths.

A network load balancing apparatus which balances the traffic load among transmission paths set between an ingress node and an egress node in a network having a plurality of network nodes, said network having a plurality of transmission paths capable of being set between said ingress node and said egress node, comprising:

• a traffic characteristic collection section for determining traffic characteristics of said transmission paths set between said ingress node and said egress node,
• a traffic characteristic notification section for notifying network nodes of results of said traffic characteristic collection section,
• a load calculation section for calculating traffic load based on the traffic characteristics collected by said traffic characteristic collection section, and
• a means for causing transmission of a packet on a transmission path set between said ingress node and said egress node depending upon said traffic load calculation.

A network load balancing apparatus which balances the traffic load among transmission links which link node devices in a network, and where at least one transmission link defines a transmission path between an ingress node and an egress node, and said network having a plurality of transmission paths capable of being set between said ingress node and said egress node, comprising:

• a traffic characteristic collection section for collecting traffic characteristics of said transmission links being portions of transmission paths set between said ingress node and said egress node,
• a traffic characteristic notification section for providing results of said traffic characteristic collection section,
• a load calculation section for calculating traffic load based on the traffic characteristics collected by said traffic characteristic collection section, and
• a means for causing transmission of a packet on a transmission path set between said ingress node and said egress node depending upon said traffic load calculation.

A transmission path controlling apparatus for use with an internet protocol network which includes a source router, a destination router, a plurality of transmission paths capable of being set between said source router and said destination router, said internet protocol network having a plurality of network devices including said source and destination routers, said transmission path controlling apparatus comprising;

• a traffic characteristic collection section for collecting traffic characteristics of those of said transmission paths set between said source router and said destination router,
• a traffic characteristic notification section for notifying network devices of results from said traffic characteristic collection section,
• a load calculation section for calculating load based on the traffic characteristics collected by said traffic characteristic collection section, and
• a means for causing transmission of a packet on a transmission path set between said source router and said destination router depending upon said traffic load calculation.