Patent ID: 8311039

Claim:
A network system, comprising: a router for transferring data in a network; a traffic information aggregating apparatus connected to the router, the traffic information aggregating apparatus comprising: a first processor; a first memory; and a first interface; and a monitor server connected to the traffic information aggregating apparatus, the monitor server comprising: a second processor; a second memory; and a second interface, wherein the monitor server transmits a condition to aggregate traffic information, and wherein the traffic information aggregating apparatus is configured to: receive and store traffic information from the router, assign an aggregation identifier to the received traffic information based on the condition to aggregate traffic information received from the monitor server, create aggregated information by aggregating the received traffic information based on the assigned aggregation identifier, and transmit the created aggregated information and the assigned aggregation identifier to the monitor server, wherein the monitor server is configured to: identify an aggregation identifier for which the monitor server should receive traffic information, and transmit a retrieval request including the aggregation identifier, designated from the received aggregated information, wherein the traffic information aggregating apparatus is further configured to: receive the retrieval request from the monitor server designating the aggregation identifier, retrieve requested traffic information from the received traffic information, based on the aggregation identifier designated in the received retrieval request, and transmit the retrieved traffic information to the monitor server, and wherein the monitor server instructs the traffic information aggregating apparatus of an aggregation identifier assignment method; and the traffic information aggregating apparatus is further configured to assign the aggregation identifier to the received traffic information by using the instructed aggregation identifier assignment method.