CONTROL APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, VIRTUAL NETWORK MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND PROGRAM

摘要

To reduce the labor for the setting operation performed when a virtual network service is provided by using a communication system in which a packet forwarding node(s) is controlled in a central manner. A control apparatus comprises: a virtual network configuration information storage unit storing a configuration(s) of a virtual network(s); a terminal point information storage unit associating a virtual terminal point(s) on the virtual network(s) with a terminal point(s) of the packet forwarding node(s) and storing the associated nodes; a control unit controlling packet forwarding on the virtual network(s) configured by the packet forwarding node(s); and a virtual network updating unit performing, when the control apparatus receives a packet from a source that is not connected to an existing virtual terminal point, addition of a virtual terminal point to the virtual network(s) and addition of a new entry to the terminal point information storage unit, based on a virtual terminal point addition rule(s) defining a correspondence relationship between a value in a predetermined field in a packet header and a virtual terminal point connection position on the virtual network(s).