Patent ID: 7319668

Claim:
A network relay apparatus comprising: a discriminating means for discriminating the type of data transferred over a plurality of paths comprising a network; a selecting means for selecting the optimal route of the paths for each data in accordance with the type discriminated for each data and its destination based on bandwidth information and congestion information for each path collected in advance; and a holding means for holding optimal path routing information for each type of data and destination selected by the selecting means, said apparatus forwarding received data toward the optimal route of paths in accordance with the routing information in the holding means, wherein said network relay apparatus is provided with a congestion monitor unit for monitoring the states of congestion of data received from the paths, a bandwidth information/congestion information packet generating unit for generating a packet forwarding the congestion information detected by this monitoring and the bandwidth information showing the bandwidth of the paths connected to itself toward the other network relay apparatuses, the selecting means is comprised of, so as to sequentially collect congestion information for each path and select the optimal route of the paths for each data by referring to both the bandwidth information and congestion information, a route selection condition setting unit for setting a condition for selecting the optimal route of paths for transfer of each data separated in accordance with a data classification condition serving as a reference for discrimination of the type of data based on bandwidth information and congestion information obtained from other network relay apparatuses and makes the holding means hold the optimal route selected in accordance with the route selection condition setting unit.