Patent ID: 9397956
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A communication system, comprising: a plurality of forwarding nodes that process a received packet in accordance with a packet handling operation, the packet handling operation determining a matching rule matching a packet and a process to be applied to a packet conforming with said matching rule; and a control apparatus that controls said forwarding nodes using control information, wherein said control apparatus comprises a tunnel establishing unit that determines a forwarding path(s) of respective information of said control information concerning each of said forwarding nodes, the tunnel establishing unit transmitting to said forwarding nodes a tunnel establishing message including a processing rule for forwarding said control information to be set in forwarding nodes in respective paths of said forwarding path(s), and wherein respective nodes of said forwarding nodes transmit and receive control information about said control apparatus using processing rules for forwarding said control information included in said tunnel establishing message.