Patent ID: 8520690
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication apparatus for controlling communication between an own area, to which the communication apparatus belongs and to which a level is assigned, and another area, to which a different level from the level of the own area is assigned, in a hierarchical network including areas to which levels are assigned, the communication apparatus comprising: a function-stall detecting unit that detects a function stall of a representative node of the own area when receiving a link LSA (Link-State Advertisement) which has a terminal point at the representative node and in which a predetermined value is set, the representative node transmitting link information of the own area to another area as a representative of the own area; a link-information storage unit that stores therein link information indicating a network connection status across the hierarchical network; a link-information transmitting unit that, when the function-stall detecting unit detects a function stall of the representative node, collects link information of the own area in certain cycles as a backup node for the representative node in the function stall, and transmits collected link information of the own area indicating a network connection status in the own area to another area assigned a different level from the level assigned to the own area; a link-information determining unit that determines, when receiving link information from another area assigned a different level, whether received link information is new link information that is newer than link information stored by the link-information storage unit; and a link-information advertising unit that stores new link information into the link-information storage unit and advertises the new link information in the own area when the link-information determining unit determines that the received link information is the new link-information, and discards the received link information without storing and advertising the received link information, when the link-information determining unit determines that the received link information is not the new link-information.