Patent ID: 7496039

Claim:
A network management apparatus, being provided to a network including a plurality of nodes, setting a traffic transfer path based on a delay guarantee message requesting a path setting to guarantee a bandwidth and a delay in a segment connecting two of the plurality of nodes, the network management apparatus comprising: a pre-process section defining a weighted value for each of one or more links connecting between the plurality of nodes according to a difference between a total delay of a minimum delay path of paths in the segment connecting two of the plurality of nodes and a total delay of a minimum delay path in the segment connecting two of the plurality of nodes exclusive of a target link in the segment; wherein the pre-process section defines a sum of the difference calculated on each of segments formed between every possible combination of two in the plurality of nodes as the weighted value for each of the links; a link information storage section storing the delay, the available bandwidth, and the weighted value for each of the links; and a path setting section selecting, upon receiving the delay guarantee message, a path complying with the segment, the requested delay, and the requested bandwidth in the received delay guarantee message, and having the links of the weighted value to meet a predetermined condition, and setting the path as the traffic transfer path.