Patent ID: 7079493

Claim:
In a communication network having a plurality of nodes, which transmit, receive or transfer communicated information, and a plurality of links, which connect the plurality of nodes to each other, a traffic information collecting device, which is provided in at least one of the plurality of nodes, for collecting traffic information of all or some of the plurality of links, comprising: a traffic information collecting unit for collecting first traffic information of a first link connected to an own node among the plurality of links; a traffic information transmitting unit for transmitting, to other nodes, said first traffic information collected by said traffic information collecting unit, using a message prescribed in a communication protocol in the communication network; a traffic information receiving unit for receiving second traffic information of second links connected to the other nodes among the plurality of links, said second traffic information being transmitted from the other nodes; and a traffic information storage for storing said first and second traffic information, wherein said first and second traffic information, respectively, includes an average usage rate of the first and second links, the number of a packet discarded in the first and second links, and a bandwidth of the first and second link; and in the case where a logical link is provided in the first and second link, an average usage rate of the logical link, the number of a packet discarded in the logical link, and a bandwidth of the logical link.