Prediction apparatus, communication control apparatus and prediction method

A communication control apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor connected to the memory, the processor being configured to perform:
• classify communication traffic input during a predetermined period into a plurality of flows on a basis of a characteristic of the communication traffic;
• predict a future traffic amount of the flow using a first prediction method on a basis of a current traffic amount of the flow;
• predict a future traffic amount of the flow using a second prediction method having a smaller calculation amount than the first prediction method on the basis of the current traffic amount of the flow;
• determine a prediction method to be used for each of the flows on the basis of the characteristic of the communication traffic;
• calculate a total value of the traffic amount for each of the flows predicted by the first prediction unit and the traffic amount for each of the flows predicted by the second prediction unit;
• predict presence or absence of occurrence of congestion in a future on a basis of the total value, and determine necessity of switching of a communication path on a basis of a prediction result;
• and
• issue a switching instruction to a switching apparatus that executes the switching of a communication path in a case where the it is determined that the switching of a communication path is necessary.

A prediction method executed by a computer, the prediction method comprising:

• classifying communication traffic input during a predetermined period into a plurality of flows on a basis of a characteristic of the communication traffic;
• predicting a future traffic amount of the flow using a first prediction method on a basis of a current traffic amount of the flow;
• predicting a future traffic amount of the flow using a second prediction method having a smaller calculation amount than the first prediction method on the basis of the current traffic amount of the flow;
• determining a prediction method to be used for each of the flows on the basis of the characteristic of the communication traffic;
• and
• calculating a total value of the traffic amount for each of the flows predicted and the traffic amount for each of the flows predicted.