| 摘要 |
An apparatus is connected to a Layer 3 network through a gateway and communicates with lower-level devices. The apparatus includes a storage unit that stores information on a port connected to each lower-level device, in association with a group identifier identifying a terminal group including a plurality of terminals under control of each lower-level device. Upon receiving a frame whose destination information includes information specific to the gateway, the apparatus identifies, based on a terminal identifier identifying a terminal that is a destination of a packet within the frame, a group identifier identifying a terminal group to which the terminal belongs, and transfers the frame from a port associated with the group identifier to a lower-level device controlling the terminal group identified by the group identifier so that the lower-level device updates the destination information of the frame by using information specific to the terminal. |
| 主权项 |
1. A system comprising:
an upper-level device; and a plurality of lower-level devices configured to communicate with the upper-level device, wherein the upper-level device that is connected to a Layer 3 network through a gateway includes:
a first storage unit that stores information on a port connected to each of the plurality of lower-level devices, in association with a group identifier identifying a terminal group including a plurality of terminals under control of the each lower-level device,a searcher configured to identify, upon receiving a first frame whose destination information includes information specific to the gateway, based on a first terminal identifier identifying a first terminal that is a destination of a packet within the first frame, a first group identifier identifying a first terminal group to which the first terminal belongs, and to search the first storage unit for the identified first group identifier, anda first transfer controller configured to transfer, when the first group identifier is found in the first storage unit, the first frame from a port that is associated with the first group identifier in the first storage unit; and the plurality of lower-level devices each include:
a second storage unit that stores information on a port connected to each terminal belonging to a terminal group, a terminal identifier identifying the each terminal, and information specific to the each terminal, in association with each other,an updating unit configured to update the destination information of the first frame received from the upper-level device, by using information that is specific to the first terminal and stored in the second storage unit in association with the first terminal identifier, anda second transfer controller configured to transfer the first frame having the destination information updated by the updating unit from a port whose information is stored in the second storage unit in association with the first terminal identifier. |
