Path setting method and communication device in network segmented into plurality of areas

A communication device among a plurality of communication devices in a network system that is managed separately divided into a transmission network for transferring real data on a data plane and a control network for conducting transfer control of the real data on a control plane, and is segmented into a plurality of areas in which any communication devices exists, each of the plurality of communication devices managed as both a transmission node in the transmission plane and a control node in the control network, the communication device comprising:

• a control link collecting unit to collect link information for each link disposed between respective control nodes in the control network and within a first area, in which a control node of the communication device itself exists, using a control plane routing protocol, and to collect summary link information for each link disposed between a control node of at least one first boundary communication device and control nodes, which exist in each of other areas one of which is a second area, using a control plane routing protocol, the at least one first boundary communication device being located at a boundary between the first area and the second area;
• a transmission link collecting unit to collect detailed link information for each link disposed between respective transmission nodes in the transmission network and within the first area using a data plane routing protocol, the detailed link information having more information than the link information and the summary link information;
• a selection unit to select, when determining a route from a transmission node of the communication device itself to a transmission node as a terminating node existing in one of the other areas, an egress node becoming an egress of the first area in a direction of the area in which the terminating node exists from the control node of the at least one first boundary communication device based on the summary link information collected using the control plane routing protocol;
• and
• a determination unit to determine a route to the egress node, which is selected based on the summary link information collected using the control plane routing protocol, based on the detailed link information collected using the data plane routing protocol,
• wherein the control link collecting unit collects, as the link information within the first area, link information on a virtual link between the control node of the first boundary communication device and a control node of a second boundary communication device located at a boundary between the second area in which the first boundary communication device exists and a third area in which the first boundary communication device does not exist, and collects the summary link information on each link between a control node of the second boundary communication device and control nodes within the third area,
• the selection unit includes:
• a route determining unit to determine, as a virtual egress node, the control node of the second boundary communication device based on the summary link information collected by the control link collecting unit and determine a route to the virtual egress node by use of the link information of the control network collected by the control link collecting unit;
• and
• a changing unit to change the determined virtual egress node with the control node of the first boundary communication device connected by a real link, not the virtual link, when detecting the control node of the first boundary communication device connected by the real link by searching the link information of the control network collected by the control link collecting unit in a direction from the virtual egress node toward the control node of the communication device itself along the route determined by the route determining unit.

A path setting method executed by a communication device among a plurality of communication devices in a network system that is managed separately divided into a transmission network for transferring real data on a data plane and a control network for conducting transfer control of the real data on a control plane, and is segmented into a plurality of areas in which any communication devices exists, each of the plurality of communication devices managed as both a transmission node in the transmission network and a control node in the control network, the path setting method including:

• collecting link information for each link disposed between respective control nodes in the control network and within a first area, in which a control node of the communication device itself exists, using a control plane routing protocol, and collecting summary link information for each link disposed between the control node of at least one first boundary communication device and control nodes, which exist in each of other areas one of which is a second area, using the control plane routing protocol, the at least one first boundary communication device being located at a boundary between the first area and the second area;
• collecting detailed link information for each link disposed between respective transmission nodes in the transmission network and within the first area using a data plane routing protocol, the detailed link information having more information than the link information and the summary link information;
• selecting, when determining a route from a transmission node of the communication device itself to a transmission node as a terminating node existing in one of the other areas, an egress node becoming an egress of the first area in a direction of the area in which the terminating node exists from the control node of the at least one first boundary communication device based on the summary link information collected using the control plane routing protocol;
• and
• determining a route to the egress node, which is selected based on the summary link information collected using the control plane routing protocol, based on the detailed link information collected using the data plane routing protocol,
• wherein the collecting the link information collects, as the link information within the first area, link information on a virtual link between the control node of the first boundary communication device and a control node of a second boundary communication device located at a boundary between the second area in which the first boundary communication device exists and a third area in which the first boundary communication device does not exist, and collects the summary link information on each link between a control node of the second boundary communication device and control nodes within the third area,
• the selecting includes:
• determining, as a virtual egress node, the control node of the second boundary communication device based on the collected summary link information and determining a route to the virtual egress node by use of the collected link information of the control network;
• and
• changing the determined virtual egress node with the control node of the first boundary communication device connected by the virtual link when detecting the control node of the first boundary communication device connected by the virtual link by searching the collected link information of the control network in a direction from the control node of the communication device itself toward the virtual egress node along the determined route.

A path setting method executed by a communication device among a plurality of communication devices in a network system that is managed separately divided into a transmission network for transferring real data on a data plane and a control network for conducting transfer control of the real data on a control network, and is segmented into a plurality of areas in which any communication devices exists, each of the plurality of communication devices managed as both a transmission node in the transmission network and a control node in the control network, the path setting method including:

• collecting link information for each link disposed between respective control nodes in the control network and within a first area, in which a control node of the communication device itself exists, using a control plane routing protocol, and collecting summary link information for each link disposed between the control node of at least one first boundary communication device and control nodes, which exist in each of other areas one of which is a second area, using the control plane routing protocol, the at least one first boundary communication device being located at a boundary between the first area and the second area;
• collecting detailed link information for each link disposed between respective transmission nodes in the transmission network and within the first area using a data plane routing protocol, the detailed link information having more information than the link information and the summary link information;
• selecting, when determining a route from a transmission node of the communication device itself to a transmission node as a terminating node existing in one of the other areas, an egress node becoming an egress of the first area in a direction of the area in which the terminating node exists from the control node of the at least one first boundary communication device based on the summary link information collected using the control plane routing protocol;
• and
• determining a route to the egress node, which is selected based on the summary link information collected using the control plane routing protocol, based on the detailed link information collected using the data plane routing protocol,
• wherein the collecting the link information collects, as the link information within the first area, link information on a virtual link between the control node of the first boundary communication device and a control node of a second boundary communication device located at a boundary between the second area in which the first boundary communication device exists and a third area in which the first boundary communication device does not exist, and collects the summary link information on each link between a control node of the second boundary communication device and control nodes within the third area,
• the selecting includes:
• determining, as a virtual egress node, the control node of the second boundary communication device based on the collected summary link information and determining a route to the virtual egress node by use of the collected link information of the control network;
• and
• changing the determined virtual egress node with the control node of the first boundary communication device connected by a real link, not the virtual link, when detecting the control node of the first boundary communication device connected by the real link by searching the collected link information of the control network in a direction from the virtual egress node toward the control node of the communication device itself along the determined route.