Patent ID: 7797444
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A data transfer apparatus that receives data from an adjacent upstream data transfer apparatus and transfers the received data to an adjacent downstream data transfer apparatus, comprising: a data reception device that receives packets that comply to dissimilar communication protocols from the upstream data transfer apparatus; a content data extraction device that extracts content data included in a packet received by the data reception device; a line selection information storage device in which line selection information for selecting one of communication lines that comply with dissimilar communication protocols is stored; a line selection device that selects a communication line corresponding to the content data extracted by the content data extraction device based on the line selection information stored in the line selection information storage device; and a data transfer device that transfers the packet to the downstream data transfer apparatus that is connected to the communication line that has been selected by the line selection device, wherein the content data includes virtual private network information that represents a virtual private network or logical line information that represents a logical line, and in the case in which a packet which includes contents data having a value outside a range defined in the line selection information stored in the line selection information storage device is input, in the case in which a packet which includes contents data which does not include virtual private network information is input when the content data includes the virtual private network information, or in the case in which a packet which includes contents data which does not include logical line information is input when the content data includes the logical line information, the line selection device selects a predetermined communication line.