Packet transmission node device realizing packet transfer scheme and control information transfer scheme using multiple virtual connections

摘要

A packet transmission node which realizes a packet transfer scheme in which a plurality of virtual connections for different qualities of service are set up in correspondence to a multicast destination address, and output virtual connection identifiers are stored in correspondence to destination addresses in a routing table, so that a packet is transferred to output virtual connections determined by referring to the routing table according to a destination address of a packet. A packet transmission node also realizes a control information transfer scheme in which different output virtual connections are set up for a user data packet and a control packet having an identical destination address, and output virtual connection identifiers are stored in correspondence to destination addresses and upper layer protocol identifiers in a routing table, so that a packet is transferred to an output virtual connection determined by referring to the routing table according to a destination address and an upper layer protocol identifier of a packet.