Network manager, nodes and network management system

A network management system having edge nodes and a relay node constituting a communication network, and a network manager for managing said edge nodes and said relay node;

• wherein said network manager comprises a logical connection setting request unit that:
• determines a communication route comprised of at least one logical connection in said communication network;
• and
• requests setting said logical connection from said edge nodes and/or said relay node at both ends of said logical connection;
• and
• wherein said relay node and/or said edge nodes comprise a logical connection setting unit that sets said logical connection responsive to said request,
• wherein at least one of said edge nodes of said communication route further comprises a packet transfer unit that transfers a received packet;
• wherein said network manager further comprises a distributing unit that distributes IP-logical conversion information to said at least one edge node,
• wherein, referring to said IP-logical conversion information, said packet transfer unit of said at least one edge node as an ingress node of said communication route adds a logical connection identifier to an appropriate packet out of said received packet and outputs said packet to an appropriate logical connection;
• and
• wherein, referring to said IP-logical conversion information, said packet transfer unit of said at least one edge node as an egress node of said communication route removes said logical connection identifier added at said ingress node from the packet and transmits said packet to the destination thereof,
• wherein said network manager further comprises:
• a conversion information distributing unit that distributes QoS parameter conversion information to said relay node and/or one of said edge nodes, said conversion information being used when a node independent QoS parameter is converted into a node dependent QoS parameter;
• and
• a parameter distributing unit that distributes said node independent QoS parameter to said relay node and/or one of said edge nodes;
• wherein said relay node and/or one of said edge nodes further comprises a conversion unit that converts said distributed node independent QoS parameter into said node dependent QoS parameter by referring to said distributed conversion information;
• and
• wherein said network manager may define a parameter computing function to set said QoS parameter conversion information to said relay node and each of said edge nodes.