PATENT ABSTRACT
A communication path management method has, servers that are coupled to communication devices and provide software, terminals that are coupled to the communication devices and use the software, and a network that couples the multiple communication devices, wherein the communication path management method establishes paths along which the terminals access the servers. The communication path management method comprises: a first step in which a management computer that is coupled to the network and that manages the communication devices and servers allocates, to each of a plurality of logical aggregate groups, a combination of terminals, to which the same server provides the software, and the software executed by the terminals; and a second step in which the management computer establishes communication paths of the communication devices for each of the aggregate groups.

PATENT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a network control apparatus configured to calculate a communication path and a destination to set the communication path and destination in a communication apparatus. 
         [0002]    In recent years, there have been advancing cloud computing services, which run and manage a data center where pieces of data dispersed among separate bases are aggregated for the purpose of cutting IT cost. For cloud computing services, there has been developed a technology that allows a terminal intending to couple to software resources (virtual servers, application programs, and data) inside a remotely located data center to inquire an Internet Protocol (IP) address from a domain name server (DNS), and allows the DNS to send in response an IP address that is associated with a domain name received from the terminal. The technology of sending an IP address in response to a received domain name is referred to as name resolution in the following description. Name resolution enables a terminal to obtain the IP address of a server that provides a software resource, and to establish connection to a computer that provides the software resource by transmitting packets to the obtained IP address. 
         [0003]    Name resolution has issues to be addressed in a situation where pieces of the same software are distributed among a plurality of data centers: balancing load and allowing a terminal to couple to its nearest data center. Load balancing is to distribute traffic among a plurality f servers in order to prevent a heavy concentration of traffic on some servers and the resultant strain on the servers&#39; CPUs and memories and on communication lines along communication paths. A data center nearest to a terminal is a small-delay data center that is small in round trip time (RTT) in a round trip from the terminal. Name resolution does not allow a DNS to send in response to an inquiry made by a terminal the IP address of a server that is located in the terminal&#39;s nearest data center. 
         [0004]    Meanwhile, software-defined networking (SDN) is being studied, which uses an external network control server to control transfer processing and the like of each communication apparatus in a centralized manner. For instance, OpenFlow is proposed on pages 6 to 21 of an online article titled “OpenFlow Switch Specification Version 1.3.0 (Wire Protocol 0x04)”, published on Jun. 25, 2012 by the Open Networking Foundation, and retrieved on Jul. 25, 2012. In OpenFlow, each communication apparatus keeps a flow table, which holds information such as an MAC address, an IP address, a protocol type, and a port number, and a traffic group prescribed by the flow table is defined as a flow. The network control server executes traffic processing (determining a transfer destination port, changing or discarding the destination IP address, a port number, and the transmission source IP address, and other types of processing) based on a rule (condition) that identifies a flow and on an action that lays down a processing method of the flow. Executing load balancing and failover with the use of this technology is being studied. 
         [0005]    However, in load balancing and failover that use the OpenFlow technology, load balancing is accomplished by setting detailed flow entries, which is complicate processing that increases processing load on the network control server, and is expected to invite a delay in the processing of the network control server. 
         [0006]    The related art that is concerned with the discussed problems is described below. 
         [0007]    In order to solve the problem of name resolution, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,045 B2, an apparatus called an EDNS is used to vary the IP address that is sent in response to a received domain name from one local DNS (LDNS) to another. Each LDNS can thus send a different IP address in response to an IP address inquiry made by a terminal and, as a result, the load on CPUs and memories is balanced among a plurality of servers to which pieces of the same software are distributed. In addition, each LDNS can notify the IP address of a server that is geographically close to the LDNS to the terminal by obtaining the relationship between IP addresses and geographical sites. This enables the terminal to couple to a server the communication with which is small in delay. 
         [0008]    In order to solve the problem of communication path control, in JP 2011-170718 A, a DNS round robin function is used to balance load in normal processing, while each of a plurality of service providing servers monitors its own load situation. When determining that the load on itself is equal to or more than a threshold, the service providing server issues a load balancing request to the network control server. In response to the load balancing request, the network control server changes flow entries set in communication apparatus (paragraphs 0013 to 0017). Load concentration that cannot be dealt with by load balancing that uses the round robin function is thus prevented, and processing load incurred on the network control server by processing of switching communication paths can be lightened as well. 
         [0009]    In JP 2011-250033 A, there is an attempt to solve the problem of communication path control by building a redundancy configuration without providing an active server and a standby server for each communication network. To that end, when a monitoring server that monitors the communication situation under the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) detects an anomaly, a standby server obtains the logical IP address of an active server where the failure has occurred and sets a relevant communication apparatus so that a switch to a communication path that leads to the standby server is made (paragraphs 0005 to 0007). A redundancy configuration can thus be formed without providing an active server and a standby server for each communication network. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    Problems of the related art are described below. 
         [0011]    Application programs for terminals are evolving to require communication that is small in delay and broad in bandwidth, while the total volume of a traffic flow in a wide area network is swelling. A future architecture is therefore expected to reduce the scale of each data center where software resources are currently aggregated and to place the data centers in a dispersed manner in sites that are geographically distant from one another for the purpose of reducing a delay in communication from a terminal to a server that provides software resources, increasing the available bandwidth that can be used for end-to-end communication between the terminal and the server, and diminishing the total volume of a traffic flow in a wide area network. 
         [0012]    The data centers to be dispersed among far apart places are not limited to those that are dispersed in the related art, namely, data centers whose software resource providing servers are coupled to a terminal via a wide area network such as the Internet, which is made up of networks of Internet service providers (ISPs). The data centers to be dispersed are placed also in telecommunications carrier networks, which couple a terminal to the Internet, in local area networks (LANs), which are networks closer to terminals than to telecommunications carrier networks, and in other similar places. Data centers in the following description refer to data centers placed in a dispersed manner in sites that are geographically distant from one another. 
         [0013]    In this invention, the location of a data center that provides software resources may vary depending on the combination of a terminal and an application program. It is also a possibility in this invention that the optimum data center may vary among a plurality of terminals that make inquiries to the same local DNS (LDNS). A data center optimum for a terminal is a data center that provides a software resource associated with the terminal and with an application program in question, and that is small in delay in communication from the terminal to a server providing the software resource, or that has a broad bandwidth that can be used for end-to-end communication between the terminal and the server, or that has an effect of greatly diminishing the volume of a traffic flow in a wide area network. 
         [0014]    However, with the method of U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,045 B2, which uses name resolution, an IP address that is associated with a domain name is prescribed for each LDNS and, consequently, in the case where the optimum data center varies from one terminal to another because the terminals have different logical locations within a network, not all of terminals that make inquiries to the same LDNS receive in response the IP address of a server in a data center that is optimum for the terminal. Instead, the same IP address is sent in response to all of the terminals that have made inquiries to the same LDNS, or random IP addresses are notified to the terminals by the round robin function. In addition, it is a frequent occurrence in the architecture described above that a change in the logical location within a network of a terminal as a result of the terminal&#39;s travel of, for example, a few hundred meters, changes which data center is optimum for the terminal. 
         [0015]    In U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,045 B2, however, even if an IP address registered in an LDNS is changed instantly, a terminal keeps an IP address that is received in response to an inquiry to an LDNS for a fixed period of time (usually a day or so) as a cache, and the destination IP address obtained by the terminal remains the same unless the terminal refreshes the cache and makes an inquiry to the LDNS again. Consequently, the terminal continues to couple to a server in a data center to which the terminal has been coupling after the terminal&#39;s travel makes the data center no longer optimum for the terminal. 
         [0016]    Moreover, a data center in the architecture described above may switch the software resource providing server from one server to another for some reason such as the capacity of the data center. 
         [0017]    In U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,045 B2, however, the destination IP address obtained by a terminal remains the same after a data center that provides software resources to the terminal is switched to another data center, unless the terminal makes an inquiry to the LDNS anew, for the same reason as the one in the case where the terminal travels. Consequently, the terminal continues to couple to a server in a data center to which the terminal has been coupling after a switch is made and the data center no longer provides software resources to the terminal, which means that the terminal cannot access software resources until the terminal makes an inquiry to the LDNS again. 
         [0018]    In JP 2011-170718 A where the round robin function of DNSs is used, when the data center small in communication delay varies among a plurality of terminals that make inquiries to the same DNS, as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,045 B2, not all of the plurality of terminals receive in response the IP address of a server in a data center that is small in communication delay and, instead, random IP addresses are notified to the plurality of terminals by the round robin function. In addition, when a terminal travels and when a switch is made from one data center to another as the data center that provides software resources to a terminal, the terminal continues to couple to a server in a data center to which the terminal has been coupling before the travel or the switching. 
         [0019]    JP 2011-250033 A is effective when every communication apparatus along a communication path can be set so that a switch to a communication path that leads to the standby server is made. However, JP 2011-250033 A is not applicable to the case where not all of the communication apparatus are compatible to the settings and the case where a network of another telecommunications carrier is involved. Accordingly, while applicable to local areas such as an area inside a data center, JP 2011-250033 A is difficult to apply to a wide area network, which is a mixture of networks of a plurality of telecommunications carriers and a mixture of various communication apparatus. 
         [0020]    As described above, the related art has problems with coupling a terminal to a server that is optimum for a combination of the terminal and an application program in question in an architecture where servers for providing software resources to a wide area network are dispersed throughout the wide area network. The related art also has problems with coupling a terminal to an optimum server quickly when a switch is made from one server to another as the server that provides software resources to the terminal, when the terminal travels, or the like. 
         [0021]    A representative aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. A communication path management method for setting a path through which a terminal accesses a server in a system, the system comprising servers coupled to a plurality of communication apparatus to provide software, terminals coupled to the plurality of communication apparatus to use the software, and a network for coupling the plurality of communication apparatus, the communication path management method comprising: a first step of assigning, by a management computer, which is coupled to the network to manage the plurality of communication apparatus and the servers, a combination of the terminals that share the same server as a server that provides the software to the terminals and software that is run by the terminals to a logical aggregation group; and a second step of setting, by the management computer, communication paths of the plurality of communication apparatus, on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis. 
         [0022]    According to the one embodiment of this invention, in the case where servers for providing software resources that are used by users of terminals are dispersed throughout a network, a terminal can be coupled to a server that is optimum for a combination of the terminal and an application program in question while preventing an increase in terminal count or an increase in traffic volume from adding to the processing load on a network control server and the processing load on communication apparatus. This invention also enables a terminal to couple to an optimum server quickly when a switch is made from one server to another as the server that provides software resources to the terminal, when the terminal travels, or the like. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram for illustrating the configuration of a computing system in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2A  is a block diagrams for illustrating the function configuration of the network control server in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2B  is a block diagrams for illustrating the function configuration of the network control server in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram for illustrating an example of the servers in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group switching cost information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group destination information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group destination changing information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 8  is an explanatory diagram of the inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 9  is an explanatory diagram of the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 10  is an explanatory diagram of the demanded communication characteristics information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 11  is an explanatory diagram of the resource providing location information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 12  is an explanatory diagram of the name resolution information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 13  is an explanatory diagram of the settings information table in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0037]      FIG. 14A  is a sequence diagram for illustrating processing that is executed in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0038]      FIG. 14B  is a sequence diagram for illustrating processing that is executed in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0039]      FIG. 15  is a sequence diagram of processing in which the terminal makes a request to view or update a software resource in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0040]      FIG. 16  is a sequence diagram of processing in which the terminal makes a viewing request or an updating request to the server in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0041]      FIG. 17  is a sequence diagram of processing that is executed when a failure occurs between the communication apparatus and the server in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0042]      FIG. 18  is an explanatory diagram of processing in which, after traveling of the terminal that has been using the server to view or update information in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0043]      FIG. 19  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group determining module in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0044]      FIG. 20  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group address management module in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0045]      FIG. 21  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the path/destination setting module  209  in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0046]      FIG. 22  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group address management module in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0047]      FIG. 23  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group address management module in this embodiment of this invention. 
           [0048]      FIG. 24  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the path/destination setting module  209  in this embodiment of this invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0049]    An embodiment of this invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0050]    In this embodiment, terminals that share the same server identifier as the identifier of a server that provides software resources used by terminal users are combined with an application program, and the combination is managed as an aggregation group. Examples of software resources used by terminal users in the following description include virtual servers, application programs, data, storage areas (storage services), and other resources that can be used from a terminal. Software resources used by terminal users may also be virtual servers that are provided in the form of desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) or similar forms, application programs that are provided in the form of software-as-a-service (SaaS) or similar forms, and data. The server identifier is a unique identifier managed by a network control server (or network control apparatus)  100 , unlike the IP address or other identifiers. 
         [0051]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram for illustrating the configuration of a computing system in this embodiment. 
         [0052]    The computing system of the embodiment of this invention includes the network control server  100 , a resource management server  110 , a service lookup server  120 , a network  130 , communication apparatus  140  (communication apparatus  140 - 1  to  140 - n ), servers  150  (servers  150 - 1  to  150 - n ), access points  160  (access points  160 - 1  to  160 - n ), and terminals  170  ( 170 - 1  to  170 - n ). The reference symbols of the terminals, the servers, and the communication apparatus have suffixes “-1” to “-n” when individual terminals, servers, and communication apparatus are to be identified, and do not have the suffixes when the terminals, the servers, and the communication apparatus are denoted collectively. The network control server  100 , the resource management server  110 , and the service lookup server  120  may be provided by a single management computer. 
         [0053]    The network control server  100  is a computer for controlling traffic (or packets) that passes through the communication apparatus  140 . The network control server  100  includes a management terminal for providing a screen display function and a system operation function to an administrator or other persons. 
         [0054]    The network control server  100  is coupled to the plurality of communication apparatus  140 , the resource management server  110 , and the service lookup server  120 . The network control server  100  sets communication paths to which the respective communication apparatus  140  are to be coupled. OpenFlow proposed in pages 6 to 21 of an online article titled “OpenFlow Switch Specification Version 1.3.0 (Wire Protocol 0x04)”, published on Jun. 25, 2012 by the Open Networking Foundation, and retrieved on Jul. 25, 2012, or in other technologies can be applied to the setting of the communication paths. The communication paths to which the communication apparatus  140  are to be coupled are set for each aggregation group described above, or for each combination of an application program and interrelated terminals. 
         [0055]    The resource management server  110  is a computer for managing the servers  150  and resources that are provided by the servers  150 . The resource management server  110  includes a management terminal (not shown) for providing a screen display function and a system operation function to the administrator or other persons. 
         [0056]    The resource management server  110  is coupled to the plurality of servers  150 , the network control server  100 , and the service lookup server  120 . The resource management server  110  calculates, for each server  150 , software resources being provided by the server  150 , manages the servers  150  providing software resources, and manages, for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, the server  150  to which the terminal  170  is coupled. Each terminal  170  is a computer that includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface. Similarly, the resource management server  110  and the service lookup server  120  are each a computer that includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface. 
         [0057]    The service lookup server  120  is a computer for sending in response an optimum IP address for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program. The service lookup server  120  includes a management terminal (not shown) for providing a screen display function and a system operation function to the administrator or other persons. 
         [0058]    The service lookup server  120  is coupled to the terminal  170 , the network control server  100 , and the resource management server  110 . In response to an IP address inquiry from one of the terminals  170 , the service lookup server  120  sends to the terminal  170  an IP address that is associated with a domain name received from the terminal  170 , by executing name resolution with the use of a combination of the received domain name, the identifier of the terminal  170 , and the identifier of an application program. The identifier of each terminal  170  and the identifier of an application program are each a unique identifier that is uniquely assigned and managed by the service lookup server  120 , the resource management server  110 , and the network control server  100 . 
         [0059]    The network  130  is the Internet where routing is executed with the use of the IP address or a similar network, or, a wide area network configured based on a protocol that uses labels or tags to execute switching, such as Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), QinQ, or Ethernet-over-Ethernet (EoE). The network  130  includes a plurality of network apparatus such as routers and switches, and cables or fibers that physically couple the network apparatus to one another. A network in this embodiment may also be a virtually implemented network. 
         [0060]    The communication apparatus  140  are network apparatus managed by the network control server  100 . The network apparatus as the communication apparatus  140  are built from routers or switches that refer to header information of packets in traffic, which are Layer 2 packets, Layer 3 packets, and Layer 4 packets in the TCP/IP reference model. The communication apparatus  140 , under control of the network control server  100 , transfers or discards the traffic and performs a header change or other types of processing on the Layer 2, Layer 3, or Layer 4 packets. The communication apparatus  140  of this embodiment may also be virtually implemented switches or routers. 
         [0061]    The servers  150  are computers managed by the resource management server  110 . The servers  150  provide software resources used by users of the terminals  170 , receive information viewing requests and information updating requests issued from the terminals  170 , and execute, in response, processing requested by the terminals  170 . 
         [0062]    The servers  150  that are associated with a combination of the terminal  170  and an application program that belong to the same aggregation group synchronize data with one another. This enables the servers  150  to respond to information viewing requests and information updating requests issued from the terminals  170  and execute processing requested by the terminals  170  also when one of the terminals  170  transmits an information viewing or updating request to an arbitrary server  150  that belongs to the same aggregation group as the terminal  170 , or when the relevant communication apparatus  140  changes the traffic destination from one associated server  150  to another server  150  that is associated with a combination of the terminal  170  and an application program that belong to the same aggregation group. The servers  150  follow an instruction from the resource management server  110  when synchronizing data, an application program, or the like with one another. The servers  150  of this embodiment may also be virtually implemented servers. 
         [0063]    The access points (AP in the drawings)  160  have a function of transmitting and receiving radio waves of WiFi, 3G, LTE, and the like, and a function of coupling to the network  130 , which is a cable network, to transmit and receive traffic. The functions of the access points  160  include Network Address Translation (NAT) by which a local IP address and a global IP address are converted into each other, or Network Address and Port Translation (NAPT) by which one global IP address and a plurality of IP addresses are converted into each other. 
         [0064]    The terminals  170  are computers such as cellular phones, smartphones, tablet terminals, and PCs. The terminals  170  couple to the communication apparatus  140 , the service lookup server  120 , and the network control server  100  via the access points  160 . 
         [0065]    The terminals  170  have a screen display function and a system operation function, thereby enabling users of the terminals  170  to update, delete, and view information about software resources that are provided by the servers  150 . The terminals  170  may couple to the network  130  or the communication apparatus  140  without accessing the access points  160 . 
         [0066]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram for illustrating an example of the servers  150 . Each server  150  may be a single computer or may be a plurality of computers as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , where computers  180 - 1  to  180 - n  are coupled to one of the communication apparatus  140 , here,  140 - 1 , and each computer  180  provides software resources used by users of the terminals  170 . In this case, the component denoted by  150 - 1  functions as a node. The node  150 - 1  and the communication apparatus  140 - 1  can together function as a data center  1500 - 1 . The computers  180  may be configured as virtual computers. 
         [0067]      FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are block diagrams for illustrating the function configuration of the network control server  100  in this embodiment. The block diagram of  FIG. 2A  is for illustrating a configuration example of the network control server  100 . The block diagram of  FIG. 2B  is for illustrating a configuration example of a data storage module  230  of the network control server  100 . 
         [0068]    The network control server  100  includes a processor  21 , a memory  22 , a communication IF  250 , the data storage module  230 , and a control module  211 . 
         [0069]    The communication IF  250  sets, deletes, or changes communication paths in the communication apparatus  140  of the network  130  directly or via an element management system (EMS). The communication IF  250  also transmits to the communication apparatus  140  a message containing an instruction that instructs the communication apparatus  140  to transmit information that the communication apparatus  140  hold. The communication IF  250  receives from the communication apparatus  140  messages containing the information. 
         [0070]    The data storage module  230  stores values that are referred to or updated by the control module  211 . The data storage module  230  is built in a non-volatile storage apparatus or the like that is included in the network control server  100 . 
         [0071]    The data storage module  230  includes an aggregation group information storing module  231 , a path information storing module  232 , a topology information storing module  233 , and a terminal/app information storing module  234 . Information held in the data storage module  230  is described below. 
         [0072]    The aggregation group information storing module  231  is a storage module configured to hold information of a group in which combinations of one terminal  170  and an application program that have similar (or matching) characteristics are grouped together. 
         [0073]    Having similar characteristics means having the same server identifier as the identifier of the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170 , or having the same server identifier as the identifier of the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170  and being equivalent to each other in communication delay, priority, and other communication characteristics demanded by the terminal  170 . For example, when the communication delay is equal to or less than a threshold (e.g., 30 milliseconds) and the bandwidth is equal to or more than a threshold (e.g., 200 megabits per second) out of communication characteristics information, it is determined that the characteristics are similar. 
         [0074]    The aggregation group information storing module  231  holds as illustrated in  FIG. 2B  an aggregation group information table  1300  and an aggregation group switching cost information table  1400 , which are described later. 
         [0075]    The path information storing module  232  is a storage module configured to hold, for each aggregation group, or for each combination of a user and an application program, information of a destination and a communication path that are set in the relevant communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0076]    The path information storing module  232  holds as illustrated in  FIG. 2B  an aggregation group destination information table  1500  and an aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 , which are described later. 
         [0077]    The topology information storing module  233  is a storage module configured to hold information about communication delay and other communication characteristics in communication between the communication apparatus  140 , and information about communication characteristics in communication between the access points  160  and the communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0078]    The topology information storing module  233  holds as illustrated in  FIG. 2B  an inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700  and an access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800 , which are described later. 
         [0079]    The terminal/app information storing module  234  is a storage module configured to hold, for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, communication characteristics that are demanded by the terminal  170  and to hold, for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, the identifier of a server that provides software resources to the terminal  170  and the like. 
         [0080]    The terminal/app information storing module  234  holds a demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  and a resource providing location information table  1200 , which are described later. 
         [0081]    The control module  211  refers to values of the tables held in the data storage module  230  and determines, for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, an aggregation group that is associated with the combination. The control module  211  then determines whether or not it is necessary to set settings in the relevant communication apparatus  140 . When determining that the communication apparatus  140  needs to be set, the control module  211  calculates the destination, the communication path, the bandwidth, and the like, and gives an instruction containing the calculated settings to the communication apparatus  140 . The control module  211  also receives from the resource management server  110  information such as demanded communication characteristics and a software resource providing location. The bandwidth can be one of actually measured value and theoretical value that is selected suitably. 
         [0082]    The control module  211  transmits information to the resource management server  110 , which includes, among others, a combination of the identifiers of servers that can provide software resources, and the switching of a server to which a terminal is coupled. The control module  211  transmits a combination of a domain name and an IP address to the service lookup server  120 . 
         [0083]    The control module  211  includes functions illustrated in  FIG. 2A , which are an aggregation group determining module  201 , an aggregation group address management module  202 , an aggregation group generating/changing module  204 , a terminal/app management module  205 , a communication characteristics calculating/measuring module  206 , a path/resource calculating module  208 , and a path/destination setting module  209 . 
         [0084]    The aggregation group determining module  201  is a function for determining an aggregation group for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, based on demanded communication characteristics information and the like. 
         [0085]    The aggregation group address management module  202  includes a function of generating, for each communication apparatus  140 , address information of a transmission destination and a transmission source that are associated with an aggregation group. 
         [0086]    The aggregation group generating/changing module  204  is a function of generating a new aggregation group, or changing or deleting the address or the like of an existing aggregation group. 
         [0087]    The terminal/app management module  205  is a function of generating or deleting the address of a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program when the aggregation group to which the combination of the terminal  170  and the application program belongs is switched from one group to another. 
         [0088]    The communication characteristics calculating/measuring module  206  is a function of measuring or calculating communication characteristics such as communication delay in communication between communication apparatus  140  and between the access points  160  and the communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0089]    The path/resource calculating module  208  has a function of calculating for each communication apparatus  140  a port through which the communication apparatus  140  transfers traffic and, in the case where the network  130  to which the communication apparatus  140  are coupled is a network that allows for the reservation of a bandwidth, such as a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network or a Multiprotocol Label Switching Transport Profile (MPLS-TP) network, a function of calculating a bandwidth. 
         [0090]    The path/destination setting module  209  sets, in the communication apparatus  140 , the transfer or discarding of traffic, a change to the header of a Layer 2, Layer 3, or Layer 4 packet, or other settings. 
         [0091]    A message transmitting/receiving module  210  creates a message based on data that is generated by the path/destination setting module  209 , and transmits the message to the relevant node  150  via the communication IF  250 . The message is for setting settings that are necessary to execute such processing as the transfer or discarding of traffic, or a change to the header of a Layer 2, Layer 3, or Layer 4 packet, for changing the settings, or for deleting the settings. 
         [0092]    When the communication IF  250  collects messages about information of the communication apparatus  140  from the communication apparatus  140 , the message transmitting/receiving module  210  interprets the collected messages and transmits the messages to the communication characteristics calculating/measuring module  206 , the aggregation group determining module  201 , and the path/resource calculating module  208 . 
         [0093]    The message transmitting/receiving module  210  receives from the resource management server  110  information such as demanded communication characteristics and a software resource providing location, and transmits to the resource management server  110  information such as a combination of the identifiers of servers that can provide software resources, and the switching of a server to which one terminal  170  is coupled. 
         [0094]    The message transmitting/receiving module  210  transmits a combination of a domain name and an IP address to the service lookup server  120 . 
         [0095]    The function modules of the control module  211  are loaded as programs onto the memory  22 . The processor  21  operates as programmed by the respective programs of the function modules, to thereby operate as function modules that implement given functions. For example, the processor  21  functions as the aggregation group determining module  201  by operating as programmed by an aggregation group determining program. The same applies to the rest of the programs. The processor  21  also operates as a function module that implements a plurality of processing procedures executed by each program. A computer and a computer system are an apparatus and a system that include those function modules. 
         [0096]    The programs that implement the functions of the control module  211 , the tables, and other types of information can be stored in the data storage module  203 , a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a storage device such as a hard disk drive or a solid state drive (SSD), or a computer-readable, non-transitory data storage medium such as an ID card, an SD card, or a DVD. 
         [0097]    &lt;Data Storage Module&gt; 
         [0098]    Information managed by the data storage module  230  in this embodiment is described below. 
         [0099]    &lt;Aggregation Group Information Storing Module  231 &gt; 
         [0100]    The aggregation group information table  1300  and the aggregation group switching cost information table  1400 , which are managed by the aggregation group information storing module  231  as illustrated in  FIG. 2B , are described first. 
         [0101]      FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group information table  1300 . 
         [0102]    In the aggregation group information table  1300 , an aggregation group  1301 , a resource providing server  1302 , communication characteristics information  1303 , communication characteristics information  1304 , a terminal  1305 , an app  1306 , and a cost  1307  constitute each single record entry. 
         [0103]    The aggregation group  1301  indicates the identifier of an aggregation group, and is used to group together and manage a combination of an application program and the terminals  170  that have the same software resource providing location and similar communication characteristics information. The software resource providing location is described later. 
         [0104]    Stored as the resource providing server  1302  is the identifier of the server  150  that provides software resources. The server identifier is, for example, a domain name. The communication characteristics information  1303  and the communication characteristics information  1304  indicate communication characteristics in communication between the servers  150  that belong to an aggregation group, and are classified into a communication delay  1303  and a bandwidth  1304 . The communication delay  1303  indicates a round trip time (RTT) between the servers  150 . In the case where three or more servers  150  are included in the aggregation group, the communication delay  1303  indicates the maximum RTT value among the RTT between every two servers  150 . The bandwidth  1304  indicates the volume (bit rate) of a traffic flow that can pass between the servers  150 . In the case where three or more servers  150  are included in the aggregation group, the bandwidth  1304  indicates the minimum bandwidth value among the bandwidth between every two servers  150 . 
         [0105]    The terminal  1305  indicates an identifier for uniquely identifying a computer such as a cellular phone, a smartphone, a tablet, or a PC. The terminal identifier is a value unique to each terminal  170  that is determined by the resource management server  110  or other components, and is an invariable value that is not changed by the traveling, rebooting, or the like of the terminal  170 . The app  1306  indicates the identifier of an application program, which is a value unique to the application program and determined by the resource management server  110  or other components. The cost  1307  is one of indices for selecting an aggregation group, and indicates an economic burden that is incurred by the use of a particular aggregation group. Specifically, the cost  1307  includes a cost entailed in using a processor and a memory of the relevant server  150  and storage, and a cost entailed in using the bandwidth of a network between the relevant servers  150 . 
         [0106]    An example of the method of calculating a cost C is given below in the form of Expression (1). 
         [0000]        C=Cs+Cn   (1)
 
         [0107]    The cost C is calculated as the sum of a cost Cs, which is the cost of the relevant server  150  and storage, and a cost Cn, which is a network cost. 
         [0108]    The cost Cs on the server  150  side, which includes the server  150  and storage (the data storage module  230 ), is calculated by Expression (2). 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   Cs 
                   = 
                   
                     
                       α 
                        
                       
                         A 
                         
                           
                             A 
                             ′ 
                           
                           - 
                           A 
                         
                       
                     
                     + 
                     
                       β 
                        
                       
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                         D 
                         
                           
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                   ( 
                   2 
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         [0109]    In Expression (2), A and A′ represent the current CPU usage and the total CPU capacity, respectively, B and B′ represent the main memory usage and the total main memory capacity, respectively, D and D′ represent the disk storage usage and the total disk storage capacity, respectively, and α, β, and γ each represent a given coefficient between 0 and 1. 
         [0110]    The method of calculating the network cost Cn is expressed by Expression (3). Discussed here is a case where the network includes an active path and a backup path. When a backup path is included, a cost for the active path alone can be calculated by setting a coefficient that is related to the backup path to 0. 
         [0111]    The cost Cn is calculated as follows: 
         [0000]        Cn=av+bw+cx+dy+ez   (3)
 
         [0112]    In Expression (3), a and v constitute a term concerning the presence or absence of an available bandwidth, b and w constitute a term concerning a delay restriction, c and x constitute a term concerning disjointing, d and y constitute a term concerning effective bandwidth utilization, and e and z constitute a term concerning load balancing. Disjointing is to avoid disconnection due to a single failure by prohibiting the active path and the backup path from sharing the same link. The symbols a, b, c, d, and e represent weighting factors, and v, w, x, y, and z represent functions calculated by Expression (4) to Expression (6). 
         [0113]    In the following expressions, l represents a link, bl and r represent an available bandwidth of the link l and a contract bandwidth of the link l, respectively, and da, db, and d′ represent a delay along the active path, a delay along the backup path, and a delay restriction, respectively. The symbol m l  represents a metric of the link l, and an exponential algorithm for enabling a link to accommodate many paths or other algorithms can be used for the metric m l . 
         [0114]    The metric m l  is calculated in the exponential algorithm as a function that represents the proportion of the available bandwidth of the link l to a physical bandwidth. The symbols La and Lb represent a group of links that constitute the active path and a group of links that constitute the backup path, respectively. A necessary and sufficient condition for a path to be selected as one that fulfills requirements regarding the presence or absence of an available bandwidth, a delay restriction, and the disjointing constraint is that the cost Cn satisfy Expression (7). 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
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         [0115]    In this manner, loads can be balanced while keeping within the delay restriction and the disjointing constraint, and bypassing a link that is small in available bandwidth. 
         [0116]    The aggregation group information table  1300  enables the network control server  100  to group together and manage a combination of an application program and the terminals  170  that have the same server providing location and similar communication characteristics information. The network control server  100  transmits a settings message to each communication apparatus  140  on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis, thereby cutting the quantity of settings messages. The network control server  100  can consequently lighten the load on the CPUs and memories of the communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0117]    The aggregation group information table  1300  where the servers  150  and communication characteristics information are both managed also enables the network control server  100  to determine, for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, an aggregation group to which the combination of the terminal  170  and an application program belongs while taking necessary communication characteristics into consideration, by checking against the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100 , which is described later. 
         [0118]    The aggregation group information table  1300  where cost is managed on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis while taking an economic burden into consideration further enables the network control server  100  to determine an aggregation group that is best suited for a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program. In addition, the network control server  100  can balance loads by dynamically changing the cost value C. 
         [0119]      FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group switching cost information table  1400 . 
         [0120]    In the aggregation group switching cost information table  1400 , a terminal  1401 , an app  1402 , and a switching cost  1403  constitute each record entry. 
         [0121]    The switching cost  1403  indicates a load, or an economic burden, that is incurred on the network  130  and a server by switching from one server  150  to another as the server that provides software resources. The switching cost  1403  has a positive correlation with a stored data amount in the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  described later. For example, the switching cost  1403  is low in the case of a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program that is small in stored data amount because the amount of data that is transferred in the course of a switch between the servers  150  is small. The network control server  100  determines, for example, frequent switching of aggregation groups for a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program that is small in switching cost. In this manner, overload due to a switch between aggregation groups is avoided by choosing, for an application program that is small in stored data amount such as a video game, frequent switching of aggregation groups so that the terminal  170  that is traveling is quickly switched to an aggregation group that is small in communication delay, and by not switching aggregation groups frequently for an application program that is large in stored data amount such as a video distribution program. 
         [0122]    An example of the method of calculating a switching cost Cm is given in the form of Expression (9). 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     C 
                     m 
                   
                   = 
                   
                     
                       Σ 
                       
                         i 
                         = 
                         0 
                       
                       N 
                     
                      
                     
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                       i 
                     
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                         A 
                         i 
                       
                       
                         b 
                         i 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               
                 
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         [0123]    In Expression (9), N represents a set of servers i whose data is migrated when a switch between aggregation groups takes place, Ai represents the amount of migrated data of a server i, bi represents a bandwidth that can be used by a path along which data of the server i to be switched is migrated, and Si represents a given coefficient between 0 and 1. 
         [0124]    &lt;Path Information Storing Module  232 &gt; 
         [0125]    An aggregation group destination information table  1500  and the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 , which are managed by the path information storing module  232 , are described next. 
         [0126]      FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group destination information table  1500 . 
         [0127]    In the aggregation group destination information table  1500 , management information  1501  to management information  1503 , rules  1504  to  1507 , and actions  1508  to  1511  constitute each single record entry. 
         [0128]    The management information  1501  to the management information  1503  include an aggregation group  1501 , a setting target communication apparatus  1502 , and a transfer destination communication apparatus  1503 . Stored as the aggregation group  1501  is the identifier of a group in which the terminals  170  that have the same access destination server  150  and the same application program (TCP port number) are grouped together. The setting target communication apparatus  1502  indicates the identifier of the communication apparatus  140  in which rules and actions are to be set. The communication apparatus identifier is, for example, an IP address for operational management. The transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  indicates the identifier of the communication apparatus  140  to which traffic flowing into the setting target communication apparatus  1502  is transferred. 
         [0129]    The rules  1504  to  1507  are conditions for determining a processing method for traffic that flows into the setting target communication apparatus  1502 . The rules  1504  to  1507  include a destination address  1504 , a port number  1505 , a transmission source address  1506 , and a priority  1507 . 
         [0130]    The destination address  1504  indicates an IP address that is the destination of the received traffic. The port number  1505  indicates the TCP port number or UDP port number of the received traffic and identifies an application program. The port number  1505  includes one or both of a destination port number and a sender port number. The transmission source address  1506  indicates an IP address from which the received traffic has been transmitted. The priority  1507  indicates a priority level that is used by the setting target communication apparatus  1502  to determine which processing is to be executed when the traffic meets a plurality of conditions. 
         [0131]    The actions  1508  to  1511  are processing methods that are executed for traffic flowing into the setting target communication apparatus  1502 . The actions  1508  to  1511  include an output destination address  1508 , an output port number  1509 , an output source address  1510 , and an output port  1511 . The output destination address  1508  indicates a traffic destination IP address that is set when the traffic input to the setting target communication apparatus  1502  is to be transferred to another server  150 . In the case where the output destination address  1508  in one row differs from the destination address  1504  in the same row, it means that the traffic destination IP address is to be changed. 
         [0132]    The output port number  1509  indicates the port number of a TCP port or UDP port of the traffic that is set when, similarly to the output destination address  1508 , the traffic is to be transferred. The output source address  1510  indicates a traffic transmission source address that is set when, similarly to the output destination address  1508 , the incoming traffic at the setting target is to be transferred. The output port  1511  indicates the identifier of a port from which the traffic to be transferred is transmitted by the communication apparatus  140  that is the setting target. The port from which the traffic is output is identified out of a plurality of ports that the communication apparatus  140  has. 
         [0133]    By managing as an aggregation group a combination of an application program and the terminals  170  that have the same server  150  as a software resource providing server, rules and actions can be prescribed based on the server IP address in the aggregation group destination information table  1500 , instead of on the IP addresses of the terminals  170 . This enables the network control server  100  to reduce the quantity of messages transmitted to the setting target communication apparatus  1502  from when rules and actions are prescribed for the IP address of each terminal  170 , which adds up to a large number of IP addresses. The processing load on the network control server  100  is lightened as a result. 
         [0134]    This also makes the number of IP addresses held in the setting target communication apparatus  1502  smaller than when rules and actions are prescribed for the IP address of each terminal  170 , which adds up to a large number of IP addresses, and accordingly reduces the table size. A processing load that is incurred when the setting target communication apparatus  1502  executes processing of transferring or discarding the traffic is therefore lessened. 
         [0135]    Further, in view of the fact that IP addresses and port numbers are finite and that IP addresses are being used up in IPv4, in particular, prescribing rules and actions for each aggregation group, instead of for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, keeps the number of IP addresses used and the number of port numbers used from swelling. 
         [0136]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory diagram of the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 . 
         [0137]    The aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  is information for managing a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program that has switched the aggregation group to which the combination belongs as a result of the switching of the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170 , and for managing different actions from those of the prior aggregation group of the combination. 
         [0138]    In the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 , management information  1901  to management information  1906 , rules  1907  to  1910 , and actions  1911  to  1914  constitute each single record entry. The management information  1901  to management information  1906  include a terminal  1901 , an app  1902 , a pre-switch aggregation group  1903 , a post-switch aggregation group  1904 , a setting target communication apparatus  1905 , and a transfer destination communication apparatus  1906 . The pre-switch aggregation group  1903  indicates the identifier of an aggregation group to which a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program has belonged prior to the migration of software resources. The post-switch aggregation group  1904  indicates the identifier of an aggregation group to which the combination of the terminal  170  and an application program belongs after the migration of software resources. 
         [0139]    The rules  1907  to  1910  and the actions  1911  to  1914  are the same as the rules  1504  to  1507  and the actions  1508  to  1511  in the aggregation group destination information table  1500 . 
         [0140]    Each communication apparatus  140  determines a processing method for traffic basically from the IP address and port number of the destination or transmission source server, instead of the IP address of the relevant terminal  170 . However, when one terminal  170  switches aggregation groups as a result of the migration of software resources to another server  150 , the IP address of traffic transmitted by the terminal  170  remains the IP address of the server that belongs to the previous aggregation group, until the terminal  170  makes an inquiry to the service lookup server  120  and changes the transmission source IP address. The terminal  170  therefore cannot couple to the server  150  that provides software resources until making an inquiry to the service lookup server  120 . 
         [0141]    The aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  enables the network control server  100  to set, in the communication apparatus  140  that is indicated by the setting target communication apparatus  1905 , in association with the combination of an application program and the terminal  170  that has switched aggregation groups, actions different from those prescribed in the aggregation group destination information table  1500 , based on the IP address and port number of the terminal  170  for a fixed period of time. 
         [0142]    In this manner, the network control server  100  can set the communication apparatus  140  so that traffic from the terminal  170  is transferred to the switched-to server  150  after the switching of the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170  until the terminal  170  makes a service lookup inquiry to the service lookup server  120 , by sending an instruction to the communication apparatus  140  to switch communication paths based on the IP address of the terminal  170  until the terminal  170  executes the service lookup. 
         [0143]    &lt;Topology Information Storing Module  233 &gt; 
         [0144]    The inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700  and the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800 , which are managed by the topology information storing module  233 , are described next. 
         [0145]      FIG. 8  is an explanatory diagram of the inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700 . The inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700  indicates the characteristics of communication between the communication apparatus  140 , which are measured or calculated by the path/resource calculating module  208 . In the inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700 , Communication Apparatus One ( 1701 ), Communication Apparatus Two ( 1702 ), a communication delay  1703 , and a bandwidth  1704  constitute each single record entry. Communication Apparatus One ( 1701 ) and Communication Apparatus Two ( 1702 ) each indicate the identifier of one communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0146]    The communication delay  1703  indicates an RTT between Communication Apparatus One and Communication Apparatus Two. The bandwidth  1704  indicates the volume (bit rate) of a traffic flow that can pass between Communication Apparatus One and Communication Apparatus Two. 
         [0147]    The communication delay  1703  and the bandwidth  1704  of the inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700  can be measured by using the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) or the like between the communication apparatus  140 , or between the servers  150  that couple to the communication apparatus  140 . The RTT used is a value set in advance out of measurement values, such as a minimum measurement value or an average measurement value. The bit rate used is a value set in advance out of an actually measured value, an average value, and a theoretical value. 
         [0148]      FIG. 9  is an explanatory diagram of the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800 . The access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800  indicates the characteristics of communication between an access point and one communication apparatus  140 , which are measured or calculated by the path/resource calculating module  208 . 
         [0149]    In the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800 , an access point  1801 , a communication apparatus  1802 , a communication delay  1803 , and a bandwidth  1804  constitute each single record entry. The access point  1801  indicates the identifier of one of the access points  160 . The communication delay  1803  indicates an RTT between the access point  160  indicated by the communication apparatus  1802  and the communication apparatus  140  indicated by the communication apparatus  1802 . The bandwidth  1804  indicates the volume (bit rate) of a traffic flow that can pass between the access point  160  and the communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0150]    The communication delay  1803  and the bandwidth  1804  of the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800  can be measured by using the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) or the like between the communication apparatus  140  and the access point  160  in question, or between the server  150  coupled to the communication apparatus  140  and the server  150  coupled to the access point  160 . The RTT used is a value set in advance out of measurement values, such as a minimum measurement value or an average measurement value. The bit rate used is a value set in advance out of an actually measured value, an average value, and a theoretical value. 
         [0151]    The inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700 , the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800 , and a demanded delay and an access point  1113  of the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100 , which is described later, enable the network control server  100  to select, for each combination of an application program and the terminals  170 , the communication apparatus  140  that fulfills the demanded delay, or candidates for that communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0152]    &lt;Terminal/App Information Storing Module  234 &gt; 
         [0153]    The demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  and the resource providing location information table  1200 , which are managed by the terminal/app information storing module  234 , are described next. 
         [0154]      FIG. 10  is an explanatory diagram of the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100 . The demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  indicates information about a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, and is used to determine to which aggregation group a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program is to belong. 
         [0155]    In the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100 , terminal/app basic information  1101  to terminal/app basic information  1105 , a switching feasibility flag  1106 , demanded delays  1107  and  1108 , a demanded priority  1109 , demanded bandwidths  1110  and  1111 , a stored data amount  1112 , and the access point  1113  constitute each single record entry. 
         [0156]    The terminal/app basic information  1101  to the terminal/app basic information  1105  include a terminal  1101 , a terminal address  1102 , a port number  1103 , an app  1104 , and a session  1105 . The terminal  1101  indicates the identifier of one terminal  170 . The terminal address  1102  indicates the IP address of the terminal  170 . The port number  1103  indicates the TCP port number or UDP port number of traffic transmitted from the terminal  170 . The session  1105  indicates a session that is held for each combination of the terminal  170  and an application program, for example, a cookie. 
         [0157]    The switching feasibility flag  1106  indicates whether or not the relevant communication apparatus  140  is allowed to switch the destination to another server  150  that belongs to the same aggregation group. 
         [0158]    The demanded delays  1107  and  1108  include a (terminal-server) communication delay  1107  and an (inter-server) communication delay  1108 . The (terminal-server) communication delay  1107  indicates a threshold for a communication delay that is demanded between the relevant access point  160  and the relevant server  150 , and means that a value equal to or less than the threshold is demanded. The (inter-server) communication delay  1108  indicates a threshold for a communication delay that is demanded between the relevant servers  150 , and means that a value equal to or less than the threshold is demanded. Stored as the demanded priority  1109  is a level of priority to be reached when QoS is practiced. 
         [0159]    The demanded bandwidths  1110  and  1111  include a (terminal-server) bandwidth  1110  and an (inter-server) bandwidth  1111 . The (terminal-server) bandwidth  1110  indicates a threshold for a bandwidth that is demanded between the relevant access point  160  and the relevant server  150 , and means that a value equal to or more than the threshold is demanded. The (inter-server) bandwidth  1111  indicates a threshold for a bandwidth that is demanded between the relevant servers  150 , and means that a value equal to or more than the threshold is demanded. 
         [0160]    The stored data amount  1112  indicates the amount (bytes) of data stored in the relevant server  150 . The access point  1113  indicates the identifier of the access point  160  to which the combination of the terminal  170  and an application program in question is coupled most often. 
         [0161]      FIG. 11  is an explanatory diagram of the resource providing location information table  1200 . The resource providing location information table  1200  is information that the network control server  100  receives from the resource management server  110 , and indicates the location of the server  150  that provides software resources. Each record entry in the resource providing location information table  1200  includes an aggregation group  1201 , a terminal  1202 , an app  1203 , a resource providing server  1204 , an address  1205 , and a port number  1206 . An aggregation group identifier, a terminal identifier, and an application program identifier are stored as the aggregation group  1201 , the terminal  1202 , and the app  1203 , respectively. 
         [0162]    The resource providing server  1204  indicates, for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, the identifier of the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170 . The resource providing server  1204 , the address  1205 , and the port number  1206  may each have a plurality of values. In this case, the values of the resource providing server  1204 , the values of the address  1205 , and the values of the port number  1206  are managed in association with one another in a given order. 
         [0163]    &lt;Settings Information&gt; 
         [0164]    Described next are a name resolution information table  1600  and a settings information table  1950 , which are created by the control module  211  from data that is managed by the data storage module  230 . 
         [0165]      FIG. 12  is an explanatory diagram of the name resolution information table  1600 . 
         [0166]    The name resolution information table  1600  is included in a completion notification that is transmitted by the network control server  100  to the resource management server  110  in Sequence Step  2135  of  FIG. 14A  described later. Each record entry in the name resolution information table  1600  includes an aggregation group  1601 , a resource providing server  1602 , an address  1603 , and a port number  1604 . An aggregation group identifier is stored as the aggregation group  1601 . Stored as the resource providing server  1602  is the name or identifier of the server  150  that is associated with the aggregation group indicated by the aggregation group  1601 . The IP address of this server  150  is stored as the address  1603 . The port number  1604  indicates the port number of a port used by an application program. The name or identifier of the server  150  can be, for example, a URL or a domain name. 
         [0167]      FIG. 13  is an explanatory diagram of the settings information table  1950 . The settings information table  1950  is included in each of settings change messages that are created in Sequence Step  2130  of  FIG. 14A  described later by the network control server  100  for the communication apparatus  140 - 1  and the communication apparatus  140 - 2  separately, and that are transmitted in Sequence Step  2130  of  FIG. 14A  described later by the network control server  100  to the communication apparatus  140 - 1  and the communication apparatus  140 - 2 . 
         [0168]    Each record entry in the settings information table  1950  includes rules  1951  to  1954  and actions  1955  to  1958 . The rules  1951  to  1954  indicate conditions for determining a processing method, which are used by the communication apparatus  140  that has received traffic. The rules  1951  to  1954  include a destination address  1951 , a port number  1952 , a transmission source address  1953 , and a priority  1954 . The destination address  1951  indicates a destination IP address that is contained in the header of the received traffic. The port number  1952  indicates a port number such as a TCP port number or a UDP port number that is contained in the header of the received traffic. The transmission source address  1953  indicates a transmission source IP address that is contained in the header of the received traffic. The priority  1954  indicates a value for determining which rule is associated with processing (an action) that is to be given priority when the received traffic fits a plurality of rules. However, when normal communication is not possible due to congestion, a failure, or maintenance, the communication apparatus  140  employs processing (an action) that is associated with a rule having the highest priority out of all the rules except one where normal communication is not possible. 
         [0169]    A destination address  1955  indicates a destination IP address that is attached to the header of the traffic to be transferred. A port number  1956  indicates a port number such as a TCP port number or a UDP port number that is attached to the header of the traffic to be transferred. A transmission source address  1957  indicates a transmission source IP address that is attached to the header of the traffic to be transferred. An output port  1958  indicates a number for identifying the location of a port from which the communication apparatus  140  outputs the traffic. 
         [0170]    &lt;Description of a Sequence&gt; 
         [0171]      FIG. 14A  and  FIG. 14B  are sequence diagrams for illustrating processing that is executed in this embodiment to determine an aggregation group and to set destination settings and path switching settings. 
         [0172]    In Sequence Step  2010 , the terminal  170 - 1  executes service lookup. Service lookup involves making an inquiry by the terminal  170  that needs to couple to one of the servers  150 , namely, the servers  150 - 1  and  150 - 2 , in order to view or update information on the screen of the terminal  170 , about the IP address of the server  150  to which the terminal  170  is to be coupled. Service lookup is activated when a user of the terminal  170  boots or reboots an application program, or is activated periodically by a timer function that is provided in the terminal  170 . 
         [0173]    Activating service lookup periodically enables the network control server  100  to delete terminal/app-based settings information in Step  5630  of  FIG. 24  after a fixed period of time (a length of time longer than a period in which the terminal  170  executes service lookup). 
         [0174]    In Sequence Step  2020 , the terminal  170 - 1  transmits a name resolution request to the service lookup server  120 . The name resolution request includes the domain name of a server that provides software resources. This domain name is the identifier of the server  150  that is determined uniquely for each combination of an application program and the terminals  170  that are related to one another as a server that provides software resources to the terminal  170 . 
         [0175]    In Sequence Step  2030 , the service lookup server  120  transmits a name resolution response to the terminal  170 - 1 . The name resolution response includes an IP address that is associated with the received domain name, and a port number. In the case where the service lookup server  120  does not hold an IP address that is associated with the domain name related to a combination of an application program and the terminal  170  that has made the inquiry, and a port number, the IP address included in the response from the service lookup server  120  is the IP address of the default server  150 . 
         [0176]    In Sequence Step  2040 , the service lookup server  120  transmits a name resolution request reception notification to the resource management server  110 . The name resolution request reception notification includes the IP address and port number of the source from which the name resolution request has been transmitted in Sequence Step  2020 , and the server IP address and port number notified in Sequence Step  2030 . Sequence Step  2040  can be omitted in the case where the message of Sequence Step  2020  and the message of Sequence Step  2030  are both the same as messages transmitted/received in the past. 
         [0177]    In Sequence Step  2050 , the resource management server  110  issues a resource providing location request  2050  to the network control server  100 . The resource providing location request includes the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  of  FIG. 10 . 
         [0178]    In Sequence Step  2060 , the network control server  100  executes resource providing location determination. In the resource providing location determination, the network control server  100  calculates the resource providing location information table  1200  by referring to the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100 , the inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700 , the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800 , and the aggregation group information table  1300 , and updates the aggregation group information table  1300 . 
         [0179]    &lt;Processing of Aggregation Group Determination  2060 &gt; 
         [0180]    Processing executed in Sequence Step  2060  of  FIG. 14A  is described below with reference to  FIG. 19 .  FIG. 19  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group determining module  201  and the aggregation group generating/changing module  204  determine an aggregation group. 
         [0181]    In  FIG. 19 , the message transmitting/receiving module  210  of the network control server  100  first receives the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  in Step  5010  and hands over the received table to the aggregation group determining module  201 . 
         [0182]    In Step  5020 , the aggregation group determining module  201  receives the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  from the message transmitting/receiving module  210 , and refers to the aggregation group information table  1300  of  FIG. 4  to determine whether or not there is an aggregation group that fulfills requirements. 
         [0183]    The aggregation group determining module  201  obtains from the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  the terminal  1101  and the app  1104 , which are terminal/app basic information, the switching feasibility flag  1106 , the (terminal-server) communication delay  1107  and the (inter-server) communication delay  1108 , which are demanded delays, the (inter-server) bandwidth  1111 , the stored data amount  1112 , and the access point  1113 . 
         [0184]    The aggregation group determining module  201  searches the aggregation group information table  1300  of  FIG. 4  for a row where the communication delay  1303 , which is communication characteristics information, is smaller than the (inter-server) communication delay  1108  obtained in Step  5020 , and the bandwidth  1304 , which is communication characteristics information, is greater than the (inter-server) bandwidth  1111  obtained in Step  5020 . The aggregation group determining module  201  selects the aggregation group  1301  and the resource providing server  1302  from the found row. 
         [0185]    The aggregation group determining module  201  searches the access point-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1800  of  FIG. 9  for a row where the access point  1801  and the communication apparatus  1802  match the access point  1113  of the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  that is obtained in Step  5020 , and obtains the communication delay  1803  and the bandwidth  1804  from the found row. The aggregation group determining module  201  further searches the table  1800  for a row where the communication delay  1803  is smaller than the (terminal-server) communication delay  1107  obtained in Step  5020 , and the bandwidth  1804  is greater than the (terminal-server) bandwidth  1111  obtained in Step  5020 , and obtains the access point  1801 , the communication apparatus  1802 , the communication delay  1803 , and the bandwidth  1804  from the found row. The obtained access point  1801 , communication apparatus  1802 , communication delay  1803 , and bandwidth  1804  are candidates that are referred to as access point candidate, communication apparatus candidate, communication delay candidate, and bandwidth candidate, respectively, in the following description. 
         [0186]    The aggregation group determining module  201  searches the aggregation group information table  1300  of  FIG. 4  for a row where the resource providing server  1302  is included among communication apparatus candidates, and obtains the aggregation group  1301  and the cost  1307  from the found row. The obtained aggregation group  1301  and cost  1307  are referred to as aggregation group candidate and cost candidate, respectively, in the following description. 
         [0187]    The processing proceeds to Step  5040  when there are one or more aggregation group candidates, and to Step  5030  when there are no aggregation group candidates. 
         [0188]    In Step  5030 , the aggregation group generating/changing module  204  adds a new aggregation group to the aggregation group information table  1300 . The added aggregation group is referred to as new aggregation group in the following description. 
         [0189]    The aggregation group generating/changing module  204  adds a communication apparatus candidate as the resource providing server  1302  to a row of the aggregation group information table  1300  for the new aggregation group. When there are a large number of communication apparatus candidates, the aggregation group generating/changing module  204  selects a combination of communication apparatus candidates that makes the sum of communication delay candidates equal to or less than a given threshold, or that makes the sum of bandwidth candidates greater than a given threshold, and obtains servers adjacent to those communication apparatus  140 . The selected communication apparatus candidates and the obtained servers  150  are referred to as new communication apparatus and new resource providing servers, respectively, in the following description. 
         [0190]    In this manner, the number of servers registered as the resource providing server  1302  to an aggregation group is reduced, and the number of IP addresses required and the number of port numbers required, which are determined by the number of combinations of resource providing servers within an aggregation group, can be kept from swelling. 
         [0191]    When the switching feasibility flag  1106  obtained in Step  5020  is “No” and there are a plurality of communication apparatus candidates, a communication apparatus that has the smallest communication delay candidate is selected as the communication apparatus candidate, and a server that is associated with the communication apparatus candidate is selected as the new resource providing server. 
         [0192]    In this manner, a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program for which the relevant communication apparatus  140  autonomously changes the destination when a failure or congestion occurs, or when the switching of access points to which the terminal  170  is coupled necessitates a destination change, without receiving a notification from the resource management server  110 , can coexist with a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program for which the relevant communication apparatus  140  does not change the destination autonomously. 
         [0193]    The aggregation group generating/changing module  204  searches the inter-communication apparatus communication characteristics information table  1700  of  FIG. 8  for a row where Communication Apparatus One ( 1701 ) and Communication Apparatus Two ( 1702 ) are new communication apparatus, and obtains the communication delay  1703  and the bandwidth  1704  from the found row. The aggregation group generating/changing module  204  obtains the maximum value of the obtained communication delay  1703  as a maximum communication delay, and the minimum value of the obtained bandwidth  1704  as a minimum bandwidth. 
         [0194]    In the row for the new aggregation group, the aggregation group generating/changing module  204  adds the new resource providing server as the resource providing server  1302 , the maximum communication delay as the communication delay  1303 , the minimum bandwidth as the bandwidth  1304 , the terminal  170  obtained in Step  5010  as the terminal  1305 , and the app obtained in Step  5020  as the app  1306 . 
         [0195]    After Step  5030  is executed, the processing proceeds to Step  5080 . 
         [0196]    In Step  5040 , the aggregation group determining module  201  determines whether or not to switch the aggregation groups. 
         [0197]    The aggregation group determining module  201  determines whether or not the aggregation group information table  1300  includes a row where the terminal  1305  and the app  1306  match the terminal  1101  and app  1104  of the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  that have been obtained in Step  5020 . When the table  1300  includes the row, the aggregation group  1301  is obtained from the row. The obtained aggregation group is referred to as existing aggregation group in the following description. 
         [0198]    The aggregation group determining module  201  compares the communication delay  1303 , the bandwidth  1304 , and the cost  1307  that are in the same row as the existing aggregation group with the communication delay candidate, bandwidth candidate, and cost candidate obtained in Step  5020 . The aggregation group determining module  201  determines that the aggregation group is to be switched when the communication delay  1303  in the same row as the existing aggregation group is larger than the communication delay candidate, or when the bandwidth  1304  in the same row as the existing aggregation group is less than the bandwidth candidate, or when the cost  1307  in the same row as the existing aggregation group is larger than the cost candidate. 
         [0199]    Alternatively, the aggregation group determining module  201  may search the aggregation group switching cost information table  1400  of  FIG. 5  for a row where the terminal  1401  and the app  1402  match the terminal  1101  and the app  1104  of the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  to obtain the switching cost  1403  from the found row, and to determine that the aggregation group is to be changed when the cost  1307  in the same row as the existing aggregation group is larger than the sum of the cost candidate and the obtained switching cost  1403 . 
         [0200]    The aggregation group determining module  201  can thus determine whether or not the switching of aggregation groups is necessary by taking into account a load that is incurred by the switching of aggregation groups. This prevents short-cycle fluctuations in communication delay and bandwidth between the communication apparatus  140  from causing frequent switching of an aggregation group that is optimum for a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program. 
         [0201]    As a result, a traffic flow generated by switching the server  150  that provides software resources, which follows the switching of aggregation groups, is prevented from consuming the bandwidth of the network  130  and from encroaching on a bandwidth for communication between the terminals  170  and the servers  150 , or communication between one server  150  and another server  150 . In addition, when software resources are migrated from one server  150  to another server  150 , the deletion/addition of software resources from/to the servers  150  is prevented from causing strain on CPUs, memories, and other resources of the servers  150 . 
         [0202]    The processing proceeds to Step  5050  when it is determined that the aggregation group is to be switched, and to Step  5045  when it is determined that the aggregation group is not to be switched. 
         [0203]    In Step  5045 , the aggregation group determining module  201  notifies the resource management server  110  via the message transmitting/receiving module  210  that the resource providing location is not to be changed. For example, the aggregation group determining module  201  transmits the resource providing location information table  1200  that is empty to the resource management server  110  via the message transmitting/receiving module  210 . 
         [0204]    In Step  5050 , the aggregation group determining module  201  obtains, as a switched-to aggregation group, a candidate aggregation group for which it has been determined in Step  5040  that the communication delay  1303  in the same row as the existing aggregation group is larger than the communication delay candidate, that the bandwidth  1304  in the same row as the existing aggregation group is less than the bandwidth candidate, or that the cost  1307  in the same row as the existing aggregation group is larger than the cost candidate. 
         [0205]    In Step  5060 , the aggregation group generating/changing module  204  adds the switched-to aggregation group and the terminal  1101  and the app  1104  that have been obtained in Step  5020  to a new row in the resource providing location information table  1200  of  FIG. 11  as the aggregation group  1201 , the terminal  1202 , and the app  1203 , and adds, as the resource providing server  1204  in the same row, a resource providing server that is extracted from a row of the aggregation group information table  1300  where the aggregation group  1301  is the switched-to aggregation group. The aggregation group generating/changing module  204  then adds, as the address  1205  and the port number  1206  in the same row of the resource providing location information table  1200 , an IP address and a port number that are an unused combination of an address and a port number. 
         [0206]    In Step  5070 , the aggregation group determining module  201  transmits the resource providing location information table  1200  to which information has been added in Step  5060  to the resource management server  110  via the message transmitting/receiving module  210 . 
         [0207]    After Step  5070  is executed, the network control server  100  enters a standby state and, when receiving a destination/path setting request in Sequence Step  2110  of  FIG. 14A , proceeds to C in  FIG. 21 . 
         [0208]    In Step  5080 , the aggregation group generating/changing module  204  creates the resource providing location information table  1200 . The aggregation group generating/changing module  204  adds the new aggregation group and the terminal  1101  and the app  1104  that have been obtained in Step  5020  to a new row in the resource providing location information table  1200  as the aggregation group  1201 , the terminal  1202 , and the app  1203 , adds the new resource providing server as the resource providing server  1204  in the same row of the table  1200 , and adds an unused address and an unused port number as the address  1205  and the port number  1206  in the same row of the table  1200 . 
         [0209]    The aggregation group determining module  201  transmits the resource providing location information table  1200  to which information has been added in Step  5080  to the resource management server  110  via the message transmitting/receiving module  210 . 
         [0210]    The network control server  100  enters a standby state and, when receiving a destination/path setting request in Sequence Step  2110  of  FIG. 14A , proceeds to A in  FIG. 20 . 
         [0211]    Through the processing described above, the network control server  100  assigns aggregation groups based on demanded communication characteristics, which are set for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, and the location of the terminal  170  in the network  130 . 
         [0212]    The network control server  100  next transmits resource providing location information to the resource management server  110  in Sequence Step  2070  of  FIG. 14A . The resource providing location information includes the resource providing location information table  1200  of  FIG. 11 . 
         [0213]    In Sequence Step  2080 , the resource management server  110  transmits a resource migration/duplication request  2080  to servers specified as the resource providing server  1204  in the resource providing location information table  1200  (namely, the servers  150 - 1  and  150 - 2 ). 
         [0214]    In Sequence Step  2090 , based on a message received via the resource migration/duplication request, the server  150 - 1  migrates or copies, to the server  150 - 2 , a software resource that is specified in the message. In the case where the software resource is copied, the server  150 - 1  and the server  150 - 2  are synchronized with each other so that a data update made by the terminal  170 - 1  to the resource of one of the servers is reflected on the other server. 
         [0215]    In Sequence Step  2100 , the server  150 - 1  and the server  150 - 2  notify the resource management server  110  of the completion of software resource migration or duplication. 
         [0216]    In Sequence Step  2110 , the resource management server  110  transmits a destination/path setting request to the network control server  100 . The destination/path setting request includes the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100 . In this sequence, in the case where the network control server  100  has already held the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  received in Sequence Step  2120 , the terminal/app basic information  1101  to the terminal/app basic information  1105  may be transmitted instead of the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100 . 
         [0217]    In Sequence Step  2120 , the network control server  100  generates destination/path settings information in order to set a communication path in the relevant communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0218]    &lt;Destination/Path Settings Information Generation  2120 &gt; 
         [0219]    Processing that is executed in Sequence Step  2120  is described below with reference to  FIG. 20  to  FIG. 24 .  FIG. 20  and  FIG. 21  are explanatory diagrams of processing that is executed to generate destination/path settings information when a software resource is newly added.  FIG. 22  to  FIG. 24  are explanatory diagrams of processing that is executed to generate destination/path settings information when a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program switches to a different aggregation group. 
         [0220]      FIG. 20  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group address management module  202  generates settings information to be set in a communication apparatus when an aggregation group is added.  FIG. 21  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the path/destination setting module  209  sets a path and a destination in the relevant communication apparatus  140  when an aggregation group is added.  FIG. 22  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group address management module  202  generates settings information to be set in the relevant communication apparatus  140  when a switch from one aggregation group to another is made.  FIG. 23  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the aggregation group address management module  202  generates settings information to be set in a communication apparatus, for each combination of an application program and interrelated terminals that is managed by the terminal/app management module  205 , when a switch from one aggregation group to another is made.  FIG. 24  is a flow chart for illustrating an example of processing in which the path/destination setting module  209  sets a path and a destination in a communication apparatus when a switch from one aggregation group to another is made. 
         [0221]    In Step  5110  of  FIG. 20 , the aggregation group address management module  202  first determines whether or not the new aggregation group is stored as the aggregation group  1501  in the aggregation group destination information table  1500  of  FIG. 6 . The processing proceeds to F in  FIG. 21  in the case where the new aggregation group is stored, and to Step  5120  in the case where the new aggregation group is not stored. 
         [0222]    In Step  5120 , the aggregation group address management module  202  adds information of the new aggregation group to the aggregation group destination information table  1500 . 
         [0223]    The aggregation group address management module  202  adds the new aggregation group as the aggregation group  1501  in a row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500 , and adds the new communication apparatus as the setting target communication apparatus  1502  in the same row where the new aggregation group is added. When a plurality of communication apparatus qualify as new communication apparatus, the aggregation group address management module  202  adds all of the new communication apparatus as the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  in a round robin fashion. The setting target communication apparatus  1502  and the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  sharing the same value means that traffic of one communication apparatus  140  is not transferred to another communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0224]    In the same row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  where the new aggregation group is added, the aggregation group address management module  202  adds, as the destination address  1504  and as the port number  1505 , the address  1205  and the port number  1206  that are extracted from a row of the resource providing location information table  1200  where the aggregation group  1201  is the new aggregation group and the resource providing server  1204  is the setting target communication apparatus  1502  added in this step. The added address  1205  and port number  1206  are referred to as pre-transfer address and pre-transfer port number, respectively, in the following description. 
         [0225]    In the same row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  where the new aggregation group is added, the aggregation group address management module  202  adds a value “arbitrary”, which means an arbitrary address, as the transmission source address  1506 , and adds a value “3”, which means an intermediate priority level, as the priority  1507  in the case where the setting target communication apparatus  1502  and the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  in the row have the same value, and a value “4”, which is a priority level lower than “3”, as the priority  1507  in the case where the setting target communication apparatus  1502  and the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  in the row have different values. 
         [0226]    In the same row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  where the new aggregation group is added, the aggregation group address management module  202  adds, as the output destination address  1508  and as the output port number  1509 , the destination address  1504  and port number  1505  of the same row in the case where the setting target communication apparatus  1502  and the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  in the row have the same value. The aggregation group address management module  202  then adds a value “no change”, which means that the destination address of the received traffic is not to be changed, as the output source address  1510 , and adds the port number of a port coupled to an adjacent resource providing server as the output port  1511  in this row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500 . 
         [0227]    In the case where the setting target communication apparatus  1502  and the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  in the row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  have different values, the aggregation group address management module  202  adds, as the output destination address  1508  and as the output port number  1509 , an unused IP address and an unused port number that are selected out of combinations of the address and port number of the server  150  adjacent to the setting target communication apparatus  1502 . The address and port number added here are referred to as transfer address and transfer port number in the following description. 
         [0228]    The aggregation group address management module  202  searches the resource providing location information table  1200  of  FIG. 11  for a row where the aggregation group  1201  is the new aggregation group and the resource providing server  1204  is the new resource providing server, and adds the transfer address and the transfer port number to the found row as the address  1205  and the port number  1206 . 
         [0229]    The aggregation group address management module  202  adds the new aggregation group as the aggregation group  1501  in a row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  and, in the same row where the new aggregation group is added, adds the new communication apparatus as the setting target communication apparatus  1502  and as the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503 , adds a transfer destination address and a transfer destination port number as the transmission source address  1506  and as the port number  1505 , and adds the value “3” indicating an intermediate priority level as the priority  1507 . As the output destination address  1508 , the aggregation group address management module  202  adds the value “no change”, which means that the destination address of the received traffic is not to be changed. The aggregation group address management module  202  adds the pre-transfer address and the pre-transfer port number as the output source address  1510  and as the output port number  1509 , respectively. 
         [0230]    In this step, the network control server  100  adds, as the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503 , in association with each new communication apparatus included in the new aggregation group, another new communication apparatus that is included in the same aggregation group (the new aggregation group). With this addition, the network control server  100  instructs the communication apparatus  140  in question to execute processing of transferring to the adjacent server  150  the priority of which is normally intermediate. 
         [0231]    In the case where a communication failure or congestion between one communication apparatus  140  and its adjacent server  150 , a failure within the adjacent server  150 , or maintenance necessitates a switch to communication to/from another server  150 , the transmission of the IP address of this server  150  as a destination IP address by the relevant terminal  170  allows the network control server  100  to give an instruction to execute low-priority processing of transmitting via another transfer destination communication apparatus to a switched destination that is a server belonging to the same aggregation group. 
         [0232]    The instruction enables the communication apparatus  140  to autonomously switch the destination in the event of the failure or congestion described above, or during maintenance. Destination switching due to a failure can therefore be completed in short time. In addition, because the communication apparatus  140  does not need to request an instruction on the processing method from the network control server  100 , the network control server  100  can avoid strain on a CPU, a memory, and other resources that is caused by requests for instruction made to the network control server  100  by a plurality of communication apparatus  140  on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis. 
         [0233]    As the output address  1508  and as the output port number  1509 , the destination address  1504  and the port number  1505  of the same row are added, and the value “no change”, which means that the destination address of the received traffic is not to be changed, is added as the output source address  1510 . The port number of the communication apparatus  140  coupled to the adjacent server  150  is added as the output port  1511 . 
         [0234]    Through this step, processing of changing the transmission source address  1506  and the port number  1505  to the pre-transfer address and the pre-transfer port number can be set to the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503  that is in the same row as the setting target communication apparatus  1502  that is instructed to change the destination address  1504  and the port number  1505  to the transfer destination address and the transfer destination port number. Traffic in this case does not always need to pass through the setting target communication apparatus  1502 . Accordingly, the number of communication apparatus  140  through which the traffic passes and the communication delay of the traffic are smaller and the bandwidth of the passed communication apparatus  140  is consumed less than in the case where the setting target communication apparatus  1502  for which the destination address  1504  and the port number  1505  have been changed changes the transmission source address  1506  and the port number  1505 . 
         [0235]    After Step  5220  is executed, the processing proceeds to B in  FIG. 21 . 
         [0236]      FIG. 21  is a flow chart of processing in which a destination and a communication path are set in the relevant communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0237]    In Step  5520 , the path/destination setting module  209  obtains the setting target communication apparatus  1502  from a row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  to which information has been added in Step  5120  by the aggregation group address management module  202 . The path/destination setting module  209  then extracts the rules  1504  to  1507  and the actions  1508  to  1511  from rows where the setting target communication apparatus  1502  matches the obtained setting target communication apparatus  1502 , and adds the extracted rules and actions as the rules  1951  to  1954  and the actions  1955  to  1958  in the settings information table  1950 , thereby generating the settings information table  1950  for each setting target communication apparatus  1502 . 
         [0238]    In Step  5530 , the path/destination setting module  209  transmits, to each setting target communication apparatus obtained in Step  5520 , via the communication IF  250 , the settings information table  1950  that is associated with the communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0239]    In Step  5540 , the aggregation group determining module  201  adds the new aggregation group as the aggregation group  1601  in a row of the name resolution information table  1600  of  FIG. 12 , and in the same row where the new aggregation group is added, adds, as the resource providing server  1602 , as the address  1603 , and as the port number  1604 , the resource providing server  1204 , the address  1205 , and the port number  1206  that are obtained from a row of the resource providing location information table  1200  where the aggregation group  1201  is the new aggregation group. 
         [0240]    The aggregation group determining module  201  transmits the name resolution information table  1600  to the resource management server  110  via the message transmitting/receiving module  210 . 
         [0241]    With the execution of Step  5540 , the processing of setting a destination and a communication path in the relevant communication apparatus  140  is completed. 
         [0242]      FIG. 22  is a flow chart of processing in which a destination and a communication path are calculated when a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program switches to another aggregation group. 
         [0243]    Step  5210  and Step  5220  are a modification of Step  5110  and Step  5120  of  FIG. 20  in which “new aggregation group” is replaced by “switched-to aggregation group”. Step  5210  is modified so that, when it is determined that the aggregation group selected in Step  5050  is found in the aggregation group destination information table  1500 , the processing proceeds to G instead of F in the case of  FIG. 20 . 
         [0244]      FIG. 23  is a flow chart of processing in which, when a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program switches to another aggregation group, a destination and a communication path are calculated in order to change the current destination based on the transmission source address. 
         [0245]    In Step  5310 , the terminal/app management module  205  refers to the aggregation group destination information table  1500  to obtain information of the switched-to aggregation group. 
         [0246]    The terminal/app management module  205  obtains the management information  1501  to the management information  1503 , the rules  1504  to  1507 , and the actions  1508  to  1511  from a row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  where the aggregation group  1501  is the switched-to aggregation group. 
         [0247]    In Step  5320 , the terminal/app management module  205  refers to the demanded communication characteristics information table  1100  received in Step  5010  to obtain the terminal  1101  and the app  1104 . 
         [0248]    In Step  5330 , the terminal/app management module  205  determines whether or not information of the switched-to aggregation group is found in the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 . 
         [0249]    The terminal/app management module  205  determines whether or not the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  includes a row where the terminal  1901  and the app  1902  match the terminal  1101  and the app  1104  obtained in Step  5320 , and the post-switch aggregation group  1904  is the switched-to aggregation group. The processing proceeds to G in  FIG. 24  when a row where the post-switch aggregation group  1904  is the switched-to aggregation group is included in the table  1900 , and to Step  5340  when no such row is included. 
         [0250]    In Step  5340 , the terminal/app management module  205  newly adds the switched-to aggregation group to the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 . 
         [0251]    In the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 , the terminal/app management module  205  adds, as the terminal  1901  and as the app  1902 , the terminal  1101  and the app  1104  obtained in Step  5320 , adds, as the pre-switch aggregation group  1903 , the existing aggregation group obtained in Step  5040  of  FIG. 19 , and adds, as the post-switch aggregation group  1904 , the switched-to aggregation group obtained in Step  5050  of  FIG. 19 . 
         [0252]    As the setting target communication apparatus  1905 , the transfer destination communication apparatus  1906 , the rules  1907  to  1910 , and the actions  1911  to  1914  in the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900 , the terminal/app management module  205  respectively adds the setting target communication apparatus  1502 , the transfer destination communication apparatus  1503 , the rules  1504  to  1507 , and the actions  1508  to  1511  that are obtained from a row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  where the aggregation group  1501  is the switched-to aggregation group. The terminal/app management module  205  then makes the following three changes: 
         [0253]    In the case where the destination address  1504  has the value “arbitrary” in the aggregation group destination information table  1500 , the terminal/app management module  205  changes the destination address  1907  in the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  to the address of the terminal  1101  obtained in Step  5320 . 
         [0254]    In the case where the transmission source address  1506  has the value “arbitrary” in the aggregation group destination information table  1500 , the terminal/app management module  205  changes the transmission source address  1909  in the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  to the address of the terminal  1101  obtained in Step  5320 . 
         [0255]    The terminal/app management module  205  sets the priority  1910  in the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  to a value “1”, which indicates the highest priority level, in the case where the priority  1507  in the aggregation group destination information table  1500  is the intermediate priority level 3, and sets the priority  1910  to a value “2”, which indicates a high priority level, in the case where the priority  1507  has a value that indicates low priority. 
         [0256]    After Step  5340  is executed, the processing proceeds to E in  FIG. 24 . 
         [0257]      FIG. 24  is a flow chart of processing in which a destination and a communication path are set in the relevant communication apparatus  140  when a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program switches to another aggregation group. 
         [0258]    In Step  5620 , the path/destination setting module  209  generates settings information for each setting target communication apparatus. 
         [0259]    The path/destination setting module  209  obtains the setting target communication apparatus  1502  from a row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500  to which information has been added in Step  5220  by the aggregation group address management module  202 . The path/destination setting module  209  then extracts the rules  1504  to  1507  and the actions  1508  to  1511  from rows where the setting target communication apparatus  1502  matches the obtained setting target communication apparatus  1502 , and adds the extracted rules and actions as the rules  1951  to  1954  and the actions  1955  to  1958  in the settings information table  1950 . 
         [0260]    The path/destination setting module  209  also obtains the setting target communication apparatus  1905  from a row of the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  to which information has been added in Step  5340  by the terminal/app management module  205 . The path/destination setting module  209  then extracts the rules  1907  to  1910  and the actions  1911  to  1914  from rows where the setting target communication apparatus  1905  matches the obtained setting target communication apparatus  1905 , and adds the extracted rules and actions as the rules  1951  to  1954  and the actions  1955  to  1958  in the settings information table  1950 . The information added based on the aggregation group destination changing information table  1900  is referred to as terminal/app-based settings information in the following description. 
         [0261]    In Step  5630 , the path/destination setting module  209  transmits, to each setting target communication apparatus obtained in Step  5620 , via the communication IF  250 , the settings information table  1950  that is associated with the communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0262]    In Step  5640 , the aggregation group determining module  201  adds the new aggregation group as the aggregation group  1601  in a row of the name resolution information table  1600 , and in the same row where the new aggregation group is added, adds, as the resource providing server  1602 , as the address  1603 , and as the port number  1604 , the resource providing server  1204 , the address  1205 , and the port number  1206  that are obtained from a row of the resource providing location information table  1200  where the aggregation group  1201  is the switched-to aggregation group. 
         [0263]    The aggregation group determining module  201  transmits the name resolution information table  1600  to the resource management server  110  via the message transmitting/receiving module  210 . 
         [0264]    With the execution of Step  5640 , the processing of setting a destination and a communication path in the relevant communication apparatus  140  is completed. 
         [0265]    Through the processing of  FIG. 22  to  FIG. 24 , when the terminal  170  that has switched to another aggregation group by switching the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170  erroneously uses the address and port number of the server  150  that has previously provided software resources to the terminal  170  as the destination of transmission, the relevant communication apparatus  140  can autonomously change the destination so that the transmission is transferred to the server  150  that currently provides software resources to the terminal  170 . This enables the terminal  170  to use software resources uninterruptedly in a period after software resources are migrated and even before the terminal  170  executes service lookup. 
         [0266]    The network control server  100  may instruct the setting target communication apparatus to delete the terminal/app-based settings information set in Step  5630  after a fixed period of time, or when a notification is received from the resource management server  110 . The fixed period of time is an arbitrary length of time that is longer than the length of service lookup executed by the terminal  170  in Sequence Step  2010  of  FIG. 14A . This way, the terminal/app-based settings information, which can possibly grow to the largest size among pieces of information held in each communication apparatus  140 , is reduced and a forwarding table held in the communication apparatus  140  is prevented from swelling up and adding to the processing load on the communication apparatus  104 . 
         [0267]    Returning to  FIG. 14A , the network control server  100  transmits a setting change message in Sequence Step  2130  to the communication apparatus  140  that is registered as the setting target communication apparatus  1502  in the added row of the aggregation group destination information table  1500 . The setting change message includes the settings information table  1950 . 
         [0268]    In Sequence Step  2135 , the network control server  100  sends a destination/path setting completion notification to the resource management server  110 . The destination/path setting completion notification includes the name resolution information table  1600 . 
         [0269]    In Sequence Step  2140  of  FIG. 14B , the resource management server  110  sends a name resolution changing request notification to the service lookup server  120 . The name resolution changing request notification includes the name resolution information table  1600 . 
         [0270]    In Sequence Step  2150 , the resource management server  110  transmits a resource migration/duplication post-processing request to the server  150 - 1  to which a resource migration/duplication request has been transmitted in Step  2080 . Resource migration/duplication post-processing includes deleting information (software resources) in the server  150 - 1  that is rendered unnecessary by the migration of software resources from the server  150 - 1  to the server  150 - 2 . This step can be omitted in the case where the resource migration/duplication post-processing is not necessary. 
         [0271]    In Sequence Step  2160 , the server  150 - 1  executes the resource migration/duplication post-processing. 
         [0272]    Through the processing described above, software resources are migrated from the server  150 - 1  to the server  150 - 2 , and the server accessed by the aggregation group to which the terminal  170 - 1  belongs is switched to the server  150 - 2 . 
         [0273]      FIG. 15  to  FIG. 18  are sequence diagrams of processing that is executed by each terminal  170  in this embodiment to view or update software resources. 
         [0274]      FIG. 15  is a sequence diagram of processing in which the terminal  170  makes a request to view or update a software resource in a period that is immediately after the processing described with reference to the sequence diagrams of  FIG. 14A  and  FIG. 14B  is executed once, and that lasts until processing equivalent to Sequence Step  2010  to Sequence Step  2030  is executed again. This processing precedes the service lookup executed by the terminal  170 - 1 . 
         [0275]    In Sequence Step  2210  of  FIG. 15 , the terminal  170 - 1  transmits information viewing/updating traffic to the server  150 - 1 . The destination IP address and port number of the information viewing/updating traffic is an IP address and a port number that are specified by a name resolution response that the terminal  170 - 1  has received from the service lookup server  120  last. The transmission source IP address of the information viewing/updating traffic is the IP address of the terminal  170 - 1  itself. 
         [0276]    In Sequence Step  2220 , the communication apparatus  140 - 1  receives the information viewing/updating traffic transmitted in Sequence Step  2210  from the terminal  170 - 1 , and executes destination change. The communication apparatus  140 - 1  obtains the destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the received traffic, searches the settings information table  1950  for a row where the traffic fits the rules  1951  to  1954 , and performs, on the received traffic, processing prescribed by the actions  1955  to  1958  of the found row. 
         [0277]    In Sequence Step  2230 , the communication apparatus  140 - 1  transmits the traffic to the server  150 - 2  in the case where the destination IP address and port number of the traffic processed in Sequence Step  2220  are those of the server  150 - 2 . 
         [0278]    In Sequence Step  2240 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  transfers the received information viewing/updating traffic to the server  150 - 2 . 
         [0279]    In Sequence Step  2250 , the server  150 - 2  transmits to the communication apparatus  140 - 2  a response to the information viewing/updating traffic. The destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the response traffic transmitted are the transmission source IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, the port number that is written in the header of the received traffic, and the destination IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, respectively. 
         [0280]    In Sequence Step  2260 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  receives the response traffic transmitted in Sequence Step  2250  from the server  150 - 2 , and executes destination change. The communication apparatus  140 - 2  obtains the destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the received traffic, searches the settings information table  1950  for a row where the traffic fits the rules  1951  to  1954 , and performs, on the received traffic, processing prescribed by the actions  1955  to  1958  of the found row. 
         [0281]    In Sequence Step  2270 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  transfers the received information viewing/updating traffic to the terminal  170 - 1 . 
         [0282]      FIG. 16  is a sequence diagram of processing in which the terminal  170  makes a viewing request or an updating request to the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170  when processing equivalent to Sequence Step  2010  to Sequence Step  2030  is executed again after the processing of the sequence diagrams of  FIG. 14A  and  FIG. 14B  is executed once. This processing is executed after the service lookup of the terminal  170 - 1 . 
         [0283]    In Sequence Step  2310 , the terminal  170 - 1  executes service lookup. The service lookup is activated after a user of the terminal  170 - 1  boots or reboots an application program, or is activated periodically by a timer function that is provided in the terminal  170 - 1 . 
         [0284]    In Sequence Step  2320 , the terminal  170 - 1  transmits a name resolution request to the service lookup server  120 . 
         [0285]    In Sequence Step  2330 , the service lookup server  120  transmits a name resolution response to the terminal  170 - 1 . The name resolution response includes an IP address that is associated with a received domain name, and a port number. 
         [0286]    In Sequence Step  2340 , the terminal  170 - 1  transmits information viewing/updating traffic that is destined to the server  150 - 2 . The destination IP address and port number of the information viewing/updating traffic is an IP address and a port number that are specified by a name resolution response that the terminal  170 - 1  has received from the service lookup server  120  last. The transmission source IP address of the information viewing/updating traffic is the IP address of the terminal  170 - 1  itself. 
         [0287]    In Sequence Step  2350 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  transfers the received information viewing/updating traffic to the server  150 - 2 . 
         [0288]    In Sequence Step  2360 , the server  150 - 2  transmits to the communication apparatus  140 - 2  a response to the information viewing/updating traffic. The destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the response traffic transmitted are the transmission source IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, the port number that is written in the header of the received traffic, and the destination IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, respectively. 
         [0289]    In Sequence Step  2360 , the server  150 - 2  transfers the information viewing/updating traffic to the communication apparatus  140 - 2 . 
         [0290]    In Sequence Step  2370 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  transfers the received information viewing/updating traffic to the terminal  170 - 1 . 
         [0291]    &lt;In Time of Failure&gt; 
         [0292]      FIG. 17  is a sequence diagram of processing that is executed when a failure occurs between the communication apparatus  140 - 1  and the server  150 - 1 , or within the server  150 - 1 . 
         [0293]    In Sequence Step  2410 , the communication apparatus  140 - 1  detects a failure. Examples of the failure include link down, congestion, or other communication failures between the communication apparatus  140 - 1  and the server  150 - 1 , a failure in the server  150 - 1  such as the shutdown of an application program of the server  150 - 1 , and system shutdown for maintenance. 
         [0294]    The communication failure is detected by the communication apparatus  140 - 1  as a failure in the server  150 - 1  from port down of the communication apparatus  140 - 1 . To detect the failure in the server  150 - 1 , the communication apparatus  140 - 1  identifies heartbeat traffic between the server  150 - 1  and the server  150 - 2  from the destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the traffic, and monitors the uplink packet quantity and downlink packet quantity of the traffic. The volume of heartbeat traffic from the server  150 - 1  decreases when a failure occurs in the server  150 - 1 , and a reduction in heartbeat traffic volume is determined as a failure. 
         [0295]    The resource management server  110  or the network control server  100  may execute failure detection, instead of the communication apparatus  140 - 1 , and notify a detected failure to the communication apparatus  140 - 1 . 
         [0296]    In Sequence Step  2420 , the communication apparatus  140 - 1  transmits the specifics of the failure that has occurred to the network control server  100 . 
         [0297]    In Sequence Step  2430 , the network control server  100  transmits to the resource management server  110  the specifics of the failure received from the communication apparatus  140 - 1 . 
         [0298]    In Sequence Step  2435 , the resource management server  110  recognizes that a failure has occurred in the server  150 - 1  from the failure specifics message received in Sequence Step  2430 , and changes the IP address of the server  150 - 1  in the name resolution information table  1600  to the IP address of the server  150 - 2 , which belongs to the same aggregation group as the server  150 - 1 . 
         [0299]    In Sequence Step  2440 , the resource management server  110  transmits a name resolution change notification to the service lookup server  120 . The name resolution change notification includes the name resolution information table  1600  that has been updated in Sequence Step  2435 . 
         [0300]    Processing from information viewing or updating in Sequence Step  2450  to response in Sequence Step  2520  is the same as the processing from Sequence Step  2210  to Sequence Step  2270  in  FIG. 15 . 
         [0301]    Processing in which the terminal  170  makes a viewing request or an updating request to the server  150  that provides software resources to the terminal  170  when processing equivalent to Sequence Step  2010  to Sequence Step  2030  of  FIG. 14A  is executed again after the processing from Sequence Step  2410  to Sequence Step  2440  is executed once is the same as Sequence Step  2310  to Sequence Step  2370  of  FIG. 16 . 
         [0302]    &lt;In Time of Terminal Travel&gt; 
         [0303]      FIG. 18  is an explanatory diagram of processing in which, after traveling of the terminal  170  that has been using the server  150 - 1  to view or update information renders the server  150 - 2  a server nearest to the terminal  170 , instead of the server  150 - 1 , and before processing equivalent to Sequence Step  2010  to Sequence Step  2030  of  FIG. 14A  is executed again, the terminal  170  makes a request to view or update a software resource. 
         [0304]    In Sequence Step  2610 , the terminal  170 - 1  transmits information viewing/updating traffic destined to the server  150 - 1 . The destination IP address and port number of the information viewing/updating traffic are an IP address and a port number that are specified by a name resolution response that the terminal  170 - 1  has received from the service lookup server  120  last. The transmission source IP address of the information viewing/updating traffic is the IP address of the terminal  170 - 1  itself. 
         [0305]    In Sequence Step  2620 , the communication apparatus  140 - 1  transfers the received information viewing/updating traffic to the server  150 - 1 . 
         [0306]    In Sequence Step  2630 , the server  150 - 1  transmits to the communication apparatus  140 - 1  a response to the information viewing/updating traffic. The destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the response traffic transmitted are the transmission source IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, the port number that is written in the header of the received traffic, and the destination IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, respectively. 
         [0307]    In Sequence Step  2640 , the communication apparatus  140 - 1  transmits, to the terminal  170 - 1 , traffic that is a response to the information viewing/updating traffic. 
         [0308]    In Sequence Step  2650 , the traveling of the terminal  170 - 1  causes switching of the access point  160  to which the terminal  170 - 1  is coupled to the access point  160 - 2 , which is situated so that the RTT to the server  150 - 2  is smaller than the RTT to the server  150 - 1 . 
         [0309]    In Sequence Step  2660 , the terminal  170 - 1  transmits information viewing/updating traffic destined to the server  150 - 1 . The destination IP address and port number of this information viewing/updating traffic are the same as the destination IP address and port number of the information viewing/updating traffic that has been transmitted from the terminal  170 - 1  in Sequence Step  2610 . 
         [0310]    In Sequence Step  2670 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  receives the information viewing/updating traffic transmitted in Sequence Step  2660  from the terminal  170 - 1 , and executes destination change. 
         [0311]    The communication apparatus  140 - 2  obtains the destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the received traffic, searches the settings information table  1950  for a row where the traffic fits the rules of the table  1950 , and performs, on the received traffic, processing prescribed by actions that are written in the found row. The settings information table  1950  is generated for each communication apparatus  140  in advance by the network control server  100 . Rules and actions in the settings information table  1950  are set so that, when the port number  1952  is the same, the destination is changed to the destination address  1955  that is smaller in communication delay. For example, when application programs provided by the servers  150  that are coupled to the communication apparatus  140  in question are associated with the same port number  1952 , the destination server  150  of traffic of the traveling terminal  170  is switched to the server  150  that is under control of the communication apparatus  140  in question. The server  150  that is small in communication delay can thus be provided to the terminal  170 . 
         [0312]    In Sequence Step  2680 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  transmits the traffic to the server  150 - 2  in the case where the destination IP address and port number of the traffic processed in Sequence Step  2670  are those of the server  150 - 2 . 
         [0313]    In Sequence Step  2680 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  transfers the received information viewing/updating traffic to the server  150 - 2 . 
         [0314]    In Sequence Step  2690 , the server  150 - 2  transmits to the communication apparatus  140 - 2  a response to the information viewing/updating traffic. The destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the response traffic transmitted are the transmission source IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, the port number that is written in the header of the received traffic, and the destination IP address that is written in the header of the received traffic, respectively. 
         [0315]    In Sequence Step  2710 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  receives the response traffic transmitted in Sequence Step  2690  from the server  150 - 2 , and executes destination change. The communication apparatus  140 - 2  obtains the destination IP address, port number, and transmission source IP address of the received traffic, searches the settings information table  1950  for a row where the traffic fits the rules of the table  1950 , and performs, on the received traffic, processing prescribed by the actions that are written in the found row. 
         [0316]    In Sequence Step  2720 , the communication apparatus  140 - 2  transfers the received information viewing/updating traffic to the terminal  170 - 1 . 
         [0317]    In the manner described above, when traveling of the terminal  170 - 1  causes switching of the access points  160 , the terminal  170 - 1  is automatically switched to the server  150  that is selected as a small-delay server out of the servers  150  that provide software resources. 
         [0318]    While the embodiment described above is an example of running the network control server  100 , the resource management server  110 , and the service lookup server  120  on different computers, the functions of the respective servers may be provided by a single computer. In this case, the single computer provides a network control module, a resource providing module, and a service lookup module. 
         [0319]    As described above, this invention allows each terminal  170  to couple to the server  150  that is optimum for a combination of the terminal  170  and an application program in an environment where a plurality of servers  150  for providing software resources are dispersed throughout the network  130 , even when the server that provides software resources to the terminal  170  is switched from one server  150  to another, or when the terminal  170  travels, or in other similar cases, while preventing the processing load on the network control server  100  and the processing load on the communication apparatus  140  from increasing with an increase in the number of terminals  170  or an increase in traffic volume. 
         [0320]    A first feature of this invention involves, as described above, in a computer system that includes the communication apparatus  140  for changing the destination address or transmission source address of traffic, and the servers  150  for providing software resources for each combination of an application program and the terminals  170 , managing as a logical aggregation group a combination of the terminals  170  that have the same server  150  as a software resource providing server and an application program run on the terminals  170 , and notifying settings information to the communication apparatus  140  and the resource server management  100  on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis. 
         [0321]    The network control server  100  can thus change settings by notifying settings to the communication apparatus  140  and the resource management server  110  for each aggregation group, which is a combination of an application program and the terminals  170  that are related to one another. In short, CPU burden and memory usage of the network control server  100  are smaller than in the related art described above, where settings information is notified for each of the IP addresses of the terminals  170 . 
         [0322]    A second feature of this invention involves, in a computer system that includes the communication apparatus  140  for changing the destination address or transmission source address of traffic, the servers  150  for providing software resources for each combination of an application program and the terminals  170 , the resource management server  110  for managing the servers  150 , and the service lookup server  120  for executing name resolution for each combination of an application program and the terminals  170 , setting each communication apparatus  140  by associating an aggregation group with the IP address and port number of the server  150  that provides software resources. 
         [0323]    The communication apparatus  140  can thus transfer traffic to the server  150  that provide software resources to the terminal  170  in question based on the combination of the terminal  170  and an application program, by referring to the IP address and the port number instead of Layer 7 information such as a cookie, even when a different combination of an application program and the terminals  170  is provided with software resources by a different destination server  150 . 
         [0324]    A third feature of this invention involves, in the second feature, associating an aggregation group with the IP addresses and port numbers of a plurality of servers  150  that provide software resources. Each communication apparatus  140  is set so that the IP addresses and port numbers of one server  150  and another server  150  that are associated with the same aggregation group can be interchanged. 
         [0325]    This enables the communication apparatus  140  to autonomously change the destination to another server  150  that belongs to the same aggregation group, based on the settings set in the communication apparatus  140 , when a given trigger event such as failure or congestion occurs. The communication apparatus  140  can thus switch paths in a short length of time. 
         [0326]    A fourth feature of this invention involves, in the second feature, associating an aggregation group with the IP addresses and port numbers of a plurality of servers  150  that provide software resources. The IP addresses and port numbers of one server  150  and another server  150  that are associated with the same aggregation group are associated with each other, and each communication apparatus  140  is set so that, when the destination of traffic is the server  150  that is large in RTT, the traffic destination is changed to a nearer server whose RTT is equal to or less than a threshold. 
         [0327]    In this manner, when traveling of one terminal  170  causes switching of the access point  160  to which the terminal  170  is coupled, the communication apparatus  140  can autonomously change the destination of traffic of the terminal  170  to another server  150  that is associated with the same aggregation group and that is small in RTT, based on the settings set in the communication apparatus  140 . The terminal  170  is thus freed from the need to change the traffic destination to the IP address of a small-RTT server when transmitting traffic, and can automatically couple to the server  150  that is small in RTT under control of the communication apparatus  140 . 
         [0328]    A fifth feature of this invention involves, in the second feature, associating an aggregation group with the IP addresses and port numbers of a plurality of servers that provide software resources. The IP addresses and port numbers of one server  150  and another server  150  that are associated with the same aggregation group are associated with each other, and, when a switch is made from one aggregation group to another as the aggregation group that is associated with a combination of a terminal and an application program, the network control server  100  issues to the relevant communication apparatus  140  an instruction in which the IP address and port number of the terminal are specified. 
         [0329]    In this manner, when a switch is made from one aggregation group to another as the aggregation group that is associated with a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program as a result of the switching of the software resource providing server  150  that is associated with the combination of the terminal  170  and an application program, the communication apparatus  140  can transfer traffic of the combination of the terminal  170  and an application program that has switched aggregation groups to a destination different from the destination of another traffic flow of the previous aggregation group that has the same IP address and port number of the server  150 , by following the instruction from the network control server  100 . 
         [0330]    A sixth feature of this invention involves, in the first feature, determining an aggregation group for a combination of one terminal  170  and an application program based on demanded communication characteristics, which are set for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program, and on the location of the terminal  170  in the network  130 . Demanded communication characteristics can thus be fulfilled for each combination of one terminal  170  and an application program. 
         [0331]    The computers, processing units, and processing means described related to this invention may be, for a part or all of them, implemented by dedicated hardware. 
         [0332]    The variety of software exemplified in the embodiments can be stored in various media (for example, non-transitory storage media), such as electro-magnetic media, electronic media, and optical media and can be downloaded to a computer through communication network such as the Internet. 
         [0333]    This invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments but includes various modifications. For example, the foregoing embodiments have been provided to explain this invention to be easily understood; they are not limited to the configurations including all the described elements. 
         [0334]    &lt;Supplement&gt; 
         [0335]    There is provided a computer system, including: 
         [0336]    servers coupled to a plurality of communication apparatus to provide software; 
         [0337]    terminals coupled to the plurality of communication apparatus to use the software; 
         [0338]    a network for coupling the plurality of communication apparatus; and 
         [0339]    a management computer, which is coupled to the network to manage the plurality of communication apparatus and the servers, 
         [0340]    the management computer including:
       an aggregation group management module configured to assign a combination of the terminals that share the same server as a server that provides the software to the terminals and software that is run by the terminals to a logical aggregation group; and   a path setting module configured to set communication paths of the plurality of communication apparatus, on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis.       
 
         [0343]    Further, there is provided a management computer, which is coupled to a network to manage a plurality of communication apparatus and servers in a system,
       the system including:
           servers coupled to a plurality of communication apparatus to provide software;   terminals coupled to the plurality of communication apparatus to use the software; and   a network for coupling the plurality of communication apparatus,   
               
 
         [0348]    the management computer including: 
         [0349]    an aggregation group management module configured to assign a combination of the terminals that share the same server as a server that provides the software to the terminals and software that is run by the terminals to a logical aggregation group; and 
         [0350]    a path setting module configured to set communication paths of the plurality of communication apparatus, on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis. 
         [0351]    Further, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program for controlling a management computer including a processor and a memory, the program controlling the management computer to execute: 
         [0352]    a first procedure of assigning a combination of terminals that share the same server as a server that provides software to the terminals and software that is run by the terminals to a logical aggregation group; and 
         [0353]    a second procedure of setting communication paths of communication apparatus, on an aggregation group-by-aggregation group basis.