Patent ID: 8792388

Claim:
A network system comprising: a controller; a plurality of nodes, a flow at each of which is controlled by said controller, wherein: said controller, responsive to a command supplied thereto, removes a node commanded to be bypassed from topology information that prescribes a network configuration of said plurality nodes, calculates a new path not passing said node commanded to be bypassed, creates flow information that prescribes operation, at each of said plurality of nodes forming said new path, on an associated flow, sets said flow information in each of said plurality of nodes forming said new path; and a branch node coupled to the new path and to an old path, wherein: the old path traverses from the branch node to the node commanded to be bypassed, the controller directs the branch node to transmit one or more packets to the new path, the controller directs the branch node to transmit the one or more packets to the old path until the old path is deleted, and the controller subsequently deletes the old path.