Patent ID: 7778255
Filing Date: 2010-08-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A frame transfer device, which is connected between a terminal for transmitting a frame and a starting node of a transfer path in a network defined between the starting node and a terminating node of the transfer path through the network, comprising: a frame transmission/reception unit for receiving the frame transmitted from the terminal; and a header process unit for writing, in the received frame, transfer path selection information for specifying a transfer path in the network to be used by the starting node of the transfer path for transferring the received frame through the network, and output line selection information for specifying an output line outside of the network to be used by the terminating node of the transfer path for outputting the transferred frame from the terminating node of the transfer path specified by the transfer path selection information, wherein the frame transmission/reception unit transmits to the starting node the frame in which the transfer path selection information and the output line selection information are written; the frame transmission/reception unit transmits, to the starting node, the transfer path selection information corresponding to a plurality of destination terminal addresses which correspond to a plurality of said output line to which frames are to be transferred via the network, and the output line selection information corresponding to the plurality of destination terminal addresses for transmission to the terminating node; the frame transfer device is connected between the terminal for transmitting the frame and the starting node of the transfer path; the network is a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network; and the frame transmission/reception unit transmits from outside the MPLS network to the MPLS network when transmitting the frame.