Patent ID: 7471642

Claim:
A communication terminal which sends a frame to another terminal when performing a load distribution process using load distribution information appended to a frame that is sent/received between terminals within a communication network, the communication terminal comprising: a communication control part that specifies a sending port used for sending the frame; a load distribution information originating side designation part that stores load distribution structuring information, by relating to a sending port, wherein the load distribution structuring information is used for generating the load distribution information which is to be appended to the frame; a load distribution information transfer processing part that, when the sending port is specified, retrieves the load distribution structuring information corresponding to the determined sending port from the load distribution information originating side designation part; a load distribution information determination processing part that calculates load distribution information, which defines a load distribution process to be performed on another terminal, based on the load distribution structuring information; a send information setting part that structures the frame based on the load distribution structuring information and a load distribution information setting format; and a send frame processing part that sends out the structured frame from the sending port.