Patent ID: 8588072

Claim:
A switch network system comprising: a switch configured to perform packet processing by reference to a flow table; and a controller configured to control said flow table of said switch, wherein each entry in said flow table indicates a match condition and an action, and said switch refers to said flow table to execute processing designated by said action on a reception packet that matches said match condition, wherein said controller comprises: an entry control block; and a flow table setting block, wherein a target entry in said flow table is an entry whose action is to be changed to forwarding of said reception packet to said controller, and said entry control block forecasts a load imposed on said controller when packets matching said match condition of said target entry are forwarded to said controller, wherein if said load is within a permissible value, said flow table setting block instructs said switch to change said action of said target entry, wherein if said load exceeds said permissible value, said entry control block repeats entry division processing until said load becomes within said permissible value, wherein in said entry division processing, said entry control block divides said target entry into a plurality of post-division entries, divides said match condition of said target entry into a plurality of conditions, and sets respective match conditions of said plurality of post-division entries to said plurality of conditions, said flow table setting block instructs said switch to set said plurality of post-division entries in said flow table, and said entry control block newly sets any of said plurality of post-division entries as said target entry.