Path Controller, Path Control Method, and Program Therefor

A path controller comprising:

• a routing table for storing a plurality of leaves including destination address information and path information corresponding to said destination address information in a tree structure, said tree structure including a plurality of member trees having a common root;
• search device for searching said plurality of member trees by using the destination address information included in a received frame as a search key;
• and
• receiving and transferring means for receiving said frame and transferring said received frame on the basis of the path information included in the leaves searched for by said search device;
• and
• creation means for creating the tree structure comprising the plurality of member trees within said routing table based on information on the number of member trees inputted from the outside;
• wherein said creation means receives a new leaf from the outside, and registers said new leaf with a member tree having the smallest number of registered leaves among said plurality of member trees.

A program product comprising:

• a media on which a computer program is recorded, said computer program including
• a first code module providing a routing table for storing a plurality of leaves including destination address information and path information corresponding to said destination address information in a tree structure said tree structure including a plurality of member trees having a common root;
• a second code module for receiving at least one frame;
• a third code module for extracting the destination address information from said at least one frame;
• a fourth code module for searching, with a search means, said plurality of member trees by using said destination address information extracted as the search key;
• and
• a fifth code module for transferring said frame based on the path information included in said leaf searched for when a leaf corresponding to said search key is searched;
• a sixth code module for receiving a new leaf;
• and
• a seventh code module for registering the new leaf with a member tree having the smallest number of registered leaves among said plurality of member trees.