Patent ID: 6810032
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A network control apparatus for controlling specific ones among a plurality of devices in a communication network divided into a plurality of areas wherein said specific devices are located in a predetermined one among said areas, said network control apparatus comprising:request-receiving means for receiving a first route-setting request requesting setting of a route between a device serving as a transmission destination and a device serving as a transmission source receiving communicated data from one of said devices; a database for storing device information identifying said controlled specific devices located in said predetermined area and topology information indicating a link of each of said specific devices to devices adjacent to said specific device; request-range-judging means for searching said database for the device serving as a transmission source and the device serving as a transmission destination specified in said first route-setting request and forming a judgment as to whether or not said first route-setting request is relevant to any of said controlled specific devices by determining whether said device serving as transmission source and said device serving as a transmission destination are among said controlled specific devices; request-transmitting means for transmitting said first route-setting request to an upper-level network control apparatus controlling said network control apparatus in the case of said request-range-judging means' judgment outcome indicating that said first route-setting request is irrelevant to any of said controlled specific devices; route-finding means for finding a route between said device serving as a transmission destination and said device serving as a transmission source on the basis of said first route-setting request and said topology information in the case of said request-range-judging means' judgment outcome indicating that said first route-setting request is relevant to any of said controlled specific devices; device-recognizing means for creating a device-setting request relevant to said route found by said request-range-judging means for each device on said route or for each lower-level network control apparatus controlling one of said areas passed through by said route; and request and information-transmitting means for transmitting said device-setting request to each device on said route or each lower-level network control apparatus controlling one of said areas passed through by said route.