Network management service system, control apparatus, method, and program

A network management service system, including:

• a policy management apparatus that receives updating of a communication policy from a user and manages the communication policy for each user;
• a control apparatus that generates a packet handling operation of a packet associated with the communication policy of the user, in response to a request from the user, and sets the generated packet handling operation in a forwarding node(s);
• the forwarding node(s) that processes the packet, using the packet handling operation generated by the control apparatus;
• and
• a monitoring apparatus that monitors an operational status of the forwarding node(s) and a network configuration of the forwarding node(s),
• wherein, when the monitoring apparatus detects an abnormality of the forwarding node(s), the monitoring apparatus requests the policy management apparatus to check the communication policy immediately after occurrence of the abnormality again,
• wherein the policy management apparatus checks content of the communication policy based on the request, and when the content of the communication policy immediately after the occurrence of the abnormality of the forwarding node(s) differs from content of the communication policy immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality of the forwarding node(s), the policy management apparatus transmits to the control apparatus the communication policy including a portion of the communication policy that is different from the content of the communication policy immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality of the forwarding node(s), and
• wherein the control apparatus receives the communication policy from the policy management apparatus, generates a packet handling operation based on the communication policy, and sets the packet handling operation in the forwarding node(s).

A control apparatus connected to a policy management apparatus that receives updating of a communication policy from a user and manages the communication policy for each user and a forwarding node(s) that processes a packet using a set packet handling operation,

• the control apparatus generating the packet handling operation of the packet associated with the communication policy of the user, in response to a request from the user, and setting the packet handling operation in the forwarding node(s),
• wherein, in a same region as a region where the forwarding node(s) physically exists:
• a local control apparatus is configured to execute a same process as the control apparatus;
• and
• a local policy management apparatus is configured to execute a same process as the policy management apparatus, and
• wherein, when a fault occurs in one or both of the control apparatus and the policy management apparatus, management of the communication policy for each user and the process of generating the packet handling operation in accordance with the communication policy are requested to the local control apparatus and the local policy management apparatus.

A network management service method, including:

• receiving, by a policy management apparatus, updated content of a communication policy from a user and managing the communication policy for each user;
• generating, by a control apparatus, a packet handling operation of a packet associated with the communication policy of the user, in response to a request from the user, and setting the packet handling operation in a forwarding node(s);
• and
• processing the packet, using the set packet handling operation,
• wherein, in a same region as a region where the forwarding node(s) physically exists:
• a local control apparatus is configured to execute a same process as the control apparatus;
• and
• a local policy management apparatus is configured to execute a same process as the policy management apparatus, and
• wherein, when a fault occurs in one or both of the control apparatus and the policy management apparatus, management of the communication policy for each user and the process of generating the packet handling operation in accordance with the communication policy are requested to the local control apparatus and the local policy management apparatus.