Patent ID: 7035264

Claim:
A communication network system, comprising: a plurality of nodes constructing an ATM network; a network management system connected to said plurality of nodes via a data communication network; and a plurality of terminal apparatuses for transmitting path connection control reservation information designating a path to be continued, control operation, and execution time, to said network management system. wherein said network management system includes means for generating path control information for each node located on a path indicated by the reservation information based on network configuration information and the path connection control reservation information received from said terminal apparatus, and means for distributing the path control Information with execution time being in a predetermined period in a lump to a corresponding node, and wherein each of said nodes includes means for storing the path control information distributed in advance from said network management system, timer means operating synchronously with a network synchronous clock of said data communication network, and means for comparing a current time indicated by said timer with the execution time indicated by each of said path control information and executing a designated path connection controlling operation at a designated time wherein each of said nodes comprises: a plurality of input/output line interfaces connected to input/output lines of ATM cells, an ATM switch connected to said plurality of input/output line interfaces, and a node control unit connected to said data communication network and each of said input line interfaces, wherein said node control unit comprises: means for storing path control information distributed from said network management system, and means for selecting path control information having a designated execution time which will get to a current time within a predetermined time among said path control information, and supplying the selected path control information to said input line interface, and wherein each of said input line interfaces comprises: means for storing path control information supplied from said node control unit, and means for selectively switching header conversion information of input ATM cells at the designated execution time based on the path control information stored in said storing means.