Patent ID: 6754184
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An information processing apparatus having physical identification information and port status information connected to a network with a plurality of other information processing apparatuses each connected to said network and each having physical identification information and port status information, said information processing apparatus, comprising:receiving means for receiving said physical identification information for identifying each of said information processing apparatuses on said network, data rate information indicating highest speed of each of said information processing apparatuses on said network and said port status information from said plurality of other information processing apparatuses along with said information processing apparatus; creating means for creating network topology information composed of at least said data rate information and said port status information received from said plurality of other information processing apparatuses by said receiving means; counting means for counting a number of hops between all of said information processing apparatuses on said network based upon said topology information; and determining means for determining, in a data stream, when transferring between two of said information processing apparatuses an optimum value of gap count corresponding to a particular desired transmission path on the basis of a maximum number of hops among nodes through which said data stream must be sent wherein the number of required hops and the highest communication speed between at least two nodes is simultaneously computed and used to determine a desired transmission path.