The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 24, 2015
Filed:
Aug. 22, 2011
Hideyuki Shimonishi, Tokyo, JP;
Takeharu Yasuda, Tokyo, JP;
Yuki Tanaka, Tokyo, JP;
NEC CORPORATION, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A configuration of a communication system that is able to effect packet forwarding in accordance with an intended forwarding path even in an environment where a node represented by a Layer-2 switch (L2SW) and a node represented by an OpenFlow switch exist together, is provided. The communication system includes a first node, such as a Layer-2 switch, a plurality of second nodes, equivalent to the OpenFlow switches, and a controller. The controller causes the first node to receive a destination learning packet from one of the second nodes lying on the downstream side of the first node on a preset packet forwarding path. The destination learning packet has a node lying on the downstream side of the first node as a transmission source, so that the controller causes the first node to perform a packet forwarding operation in accordance with the packet forwarding path.