Patent ID: 8971342
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A switch comprising: a flow table including a normal flow table and a save flow table; means for setting a rule and a flow entry to the flow table in response to a control by a controller, wherein the rule is for controlling a packet as a flow, and the flow entry is for defining a processing; means for confirming whether or not a flow notified from the controller conforms to a function of the switch and determining whether or not the flow is valid or invalid; means for registering a valid flow on the normal flow table; means for registering an invalid flow on the save flow table in order to retain a flow entry which does not conform to the function of the switch; means for recognizing a packet received from a network as a flow and performing processing specified for the flow to the packet when the flow has been registered on the normal flow table; means for reading the flow from either of the normal flow table and the save flow table in response to an inquiry of success or failure of flow registration from the controller; and means for responding that the flow is registered on which of the normal flow table and the save flow table, to the controller.