JP5107302B2 - MULTICAST DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, ITS TRAFFIC COUNTER, TRAFFIC CALCULATION METHOD, AND ROUTER - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a multicast distribution system, a multicast distribution method, and a router apparatus that multicast distribute IP (Internet Protocol) packets from a multicast router to a client terminal via a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network). In particular, the present invention relates to an improvement in technology for grasping a distribution band in a link between a router and a client terminal.

  For example, in a content distribution system, a multicast router is used for distributing IP packets including video content to an unspecified number of client terminals. In this type of system, a technique is adopted in which a VLAN is formed for each viewer or in groups of a plurality of viewers, and IP packets are multicast-distributed for each VLAN. When operating the system, it is necessary for the system to grasp the distribution bandwidth in the link between the multicast router and the client terminal.

  In order to respond to this, for example, a technique for grasping the traffic amount for each VLAN shown in Non-Patent Document 1 (see particularly section 3.2.3.3) is used. In this technique, a transfer packet amount counter is provided for each interface unit, that is, for each VLAN, and the increment of the counter is measured as the transfer packet amount.

RFC1155 `` Structure and Identification of Management Information for TCP / IP-based Internets '', May 1990 (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1155.txt)

  In the existing technology, a method of providing a multicast traffic transfer amount counter for each VLAN is employed. In a large-scale router accommodating a large number of VLANs, processing resources and processing necessary for grasping these multicast traffics are adopted. The load increases. In network operation, there are many other items to be measured in addition to the amount of multicast traffic transferred. If a large amount of resources is spent measuring the amount of multicast traffic, measures such as reducing the frequency of measurement of other items are also required. Therefore, some kind of countermeasure is desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multicast distribution system, a traffic volume totalizing apparatus, and a traffic volume calculation method capable of reducing a load required for grasping a distribution band.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, in a multicast distribution system for multicast distribution of stream packets via a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) formed between a multicast stream transmission apparatus and a client terminal A system is provided that includes a multicast router that multicasts stream packets from a multicast stream transmitting device to client terminals, and a traffic amount aggregating device that calculates the traffic amount of the stream packets.

  The multicast router stores a multicast distribution table in which a VLAN that distributes a channel is associated with each channel that distributes a stream packet in a storage device such as a memory. The multicast router also includes a transmission means for transmitting the multicast distribution table to the traffic counting device.

  The traffic amount aggregating apparatus stores a channel-specific bandwidth table in which a bandwidth value is associated with each channel in a memory or the like. Furthermore, the traffic amount totaling apparatus includes a calculation unit that calculates a multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN based on the channel-specific bandwidth table and the notified multicast distribution table.

  More specifically, the calculation means obtains the number of streams by counting the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel from the multicast distribution table, and sets the band value for each channel in the channel-specific band table to this number of streams. The multiplied multiplication value is obtained, and the multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN is calculated by adding the multiplication values for each VLAN.

  By taking such means, the channels and VLANs constituting each multicast distribution unit are managed in the multicast distribution table. If this table is used, the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel can be obtained. On the other hand, the bandwidth value for each channel is stored in advance in the traffic amount aggregating apparatus, and the distribution bandwidth in units of multicast can be calculated by combining both pieces of information. At that time, the traffic amount totaling apparatus needs to acquire only one item of the multicast distribution table. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the resources required to grasp the distribution bandwidth in units of multicast.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a multicast distribution system capable of reducing the load required for grasping the distribution band, a traffic amount totaling device, a traffic amount calculating method, and a router device.

1 is a system diagram showing a multicast distribution system according to the present invention. The figure which shows 1st Embodiment of the system of FIG. The figure which shows an example of the multicast delivery table 10a. The figure which shows an example of the zone table 5b classified by delivery channel. The figure which shows 2nd Embodiment of the system of FIG. The flowchart which put together the process sequence of the traffic amount totalization apparatus 5 in 1st and 2nd embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a multicast distribution system according to the present invention. Stream data transmitted from the multicast stream transmitting apparatus 100 is converted into IP packets and sent to the IP network 200. This IP packet is transferred through the IP network and reaches the multicast router 1 at the network edge. The multicast router 1 copies the IP packet by the number of channels and transfers it to the user side node.

  A plurality of terminals 2-1 and 2-2 are provided on the user side of the multicast router 1. A VLAN is individually formed between the multicast router 1 and the terminals 2-1 and 2-2. Each VLAN may pass through a transfer node 9 such as an L2SW, or the transfer nodes 9 may be connected in multiple stages.

  In addition, the multicast router 1 is connected to the router management device 4, and this router management device 4 is connected to the traffic amount totaling device 5. The router management device 4 manages the operation of the multicast router 1. The router management device 4 also has a function of inputting a command to the multicast router 1 via the IP network 200 or maintenance management connection means. The traffic amount totaling device 5 totals packet traffic for each link from the information acquired from the router management device 4. Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described by dividing it into two embodiments.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the system of FIG. The multicast router 1 includes a multicast distribution function unit 10, and copies a number of packets corresponding to the number of channels by a packet copy unit 10 b that is a part of the function block, and sends out the packets from all VLANs that are distribution destinations. That is, the packet streams that have arrived as a plurality of channels CH1 to CH3 are copied by the packet copy unit 10b and sent out from a plurality of ports to links A, B, and C, for example. For this control, the multicast distribution function unit 10 stores a multicast distribution table 10a.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the multicast distribution table 10a. This table is a table in which each channel to which stream packets are distributed is associated with a VLAN that distributes the channel. Each channel is distinguished by distribution channel identification information expressed as, for example, channels 1, 2, 3,. Each VLAN is distinguished by VLAN identification information shown as, for example, VLAN01-001, VLAN02-001,. In particular, the distribution channel identification information includes a multicast group address in a distribution route from the upstream side of the multicast router 1 (multicast stream transmitting apparatus 100 side) to the multicast router 1.

  In the first embodiment, the router management device 4 includes a command input unit 4a. The command input unit 4a gives a command for requesting transfer of the multicast distribution table 10a to the multicast router 1. This command is interpreted by the table transmission unit 10 c of the multicast distribution function unit 10, and the table transmission unit 10 c reads the multicast distribution table 10 a into a data packet and transfers it to the router management device 4. The router management device 4 transfers this multicast distribution table 10a to the traffic amount totaling device 5.

  As a result, multicast distribution table information 5c having the same contents as the multicast distribution table 10a is stored in the traffic amount totaling device 5. In addition to this information, the traffic amount aggregating apparatus 5 stores in advance a distribution channel band table 5b indicating band values for each distribution channel. This distribution channel band table 5b can be stored in advance as information related to system design (for example, facility resource management information). For example, as shown in FIG. Mbps] as a unit.

  Incidentally, the traffic amount totaling apparatus 5 includes a traffic calculation unit 50 a that functions in cooperation with the control unit 50. The traffic calculation unit 50a individually calculates a distribution traffic amount for each distribution channel and a distribution traffic amount for each VLAN based on the multicast distribution table information 5c and the distribution channel band table 5b. These pieces of information are collected in the link-specific multicast distribution bandwidth table 5a. Next, a procedure for calculating the distribution traffic volume for each distribution channel and the distribution traffic volume for each VLAN in this embodiment will be described.

<Calculation procedure of distribution traffic volume for each distribution channel>
Referring to the multicast distribution table 10a in FIG. 3 (the same applies to the multicast distribution table information 5c), it can be seen that the number of distribution streams is 2 for all of channel 1, channel 2, and channel 3. Therefore, by multiplying these by the distribution channel band value in the distribution channel band table 5b of FIG. 4, the band for each distribution channel, that is, the distribution traffic amount can be calculated. 3 and 4, the channel 1 distribution band is 20 Mbps, the channel 2 distribution band is 4 Mbps, and the channel 3 distribution band is 20 Mbps.

<Calculation procedure of distribution traffic volume for each VLAN>
In this procedure, first, the number of streams is obtained by counting the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel identification information. Then, by multiplying these values by the distribution channel band values of FIG. 4 and adding the band values for each VLAN, the distribution traffic volume for each VLAN can be calculated.

  Referring to the multicast distribution table information 5c in FIG. 3, it can be seen that channel 1, channel 2, and channel 3 are distributed to VLAN 01-001. Similarly, it is understood that channel 1 is distributed to VLAN 02-001, channel 2 is distributed to VLAN 02-002, and channel 3 is distributed to VLAN 03-001. That is, one stream is distributed over VLAN01-001 over three channels. One stream is distributed by one channel to the other VLAN 02-001, VLAN 02-002, and VLAN 03-001. That is, the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel identification information is one.

  Then, by multiplying these values (1) by the corresponding distribution channel band values in FIG. 4 and adding the band values for the distribution channels passing through the VLAN, the distribution traffic amount for each VLAN is calculated. In the example of FIGS. 3 and 4, the distribution band of VLAN01-001 is 22 Mbps, the distribution band of VLAN02-001 is 10 Mbps, the distribution band of VLAN02-002 is 2 Mbps, and the distribution band of VLAN03-001 is 10 Mbps. From this information, the link-specific multicast distribution bandwidth table 5a of FIG. 2 is created. The multicast distribution band of link A1 is 22 Mbps, and the multicast distribution band of link A2 is 10 Mbps. The multicast distribution bandwidth of link A is 32 Mbps, which is the total of these.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the multicast distribution table 10 a stored in the multicast router 1 is read by inputting a command from the router management device 4 and transferred to the traffic amount totaling device 5. In the multicast distribution table 10a, for each channel related to multicast distribution, a VLAN that distributes the channel is associated. The traffic amount totaling device 5 counts the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel from the acquired multicast distribution table information 5c to obtain the number of streams. By multiplying the number of streams by a prestored bandwidth value for each distribution channel and adding up for each VLAN, the traffic amount totaling device 5 calculates the distribution traffic amount for each VLAN.

  In this way, only the multicast distribution table 10a is the object of measurement for grasping the traffic volume, and the distribution traffic volume for each VLAN is calculated by the arithmetic processing. Therefore, unlike the existing technology, it is not necessary to perform a heavy load process such as directly measuring the packet amount for each VLAN, and it is possible to grasp the distribution traffic amount for each VLAN without excessively consuming resources. That is, it becomes possible to grasp the distribution band on the link between the multicast router 1 and the terminals 2-1, 2-2.

  In addition, no matter how many VLANs are accommodated in the multicast router 1, the multicast distribution table 10a is the only measurement target necessary for grasping the traffic volume. In other words, regardless of the number of VLANs, only one item can be measured. Therefore, as the number of VLANs increases, the processing load for measurement of the multicast router 1 does not increase in proportion to the number of VLANs, and the mounting resources to be prepared for measurement do not increase. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to easily monitor the distribution band for each VLAN in the multicast distribution system.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the system of FIG. In the first embodiment, the mode in which the multicast distribution table 10a is read by inputting a command from the router management device 4 has been described. In the second embodiment, instead of this, the multicast router 1 spontaneously outputs the multicast distribution table 10a to the router management device 4 is shown.

  That is, the table transmission unit 10 c of the multicast distribution function unit 10 outputs the multicast distribution table 10 a at that time to the router management device 4, for example, periodically or when a change occurs in the multicast distribution table 10 a. Upon receiving this, the router management device 4 immediately transfers the multicast distribution table 10 a to the traffic amount totaling device 5.

  According to the second embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effect as that of the first embodiment, it becomes possible to realize the grasp of the band based on the latest information. For example, when the multicast distribution table 10a is updated, the updated state of the distribution band for each VLAN can be always grasped if the updated data is notified to the traffic amount totaling device 5 each time. Further, since there is no need to input a command, it is possible to reduce the processing of the router management apparatus and the trouble of the system operator.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart collectively showing the processing procedure of the traffic amount aggregating apparatus 5 in the first and second embodiments. The traffic amount totaling apparatus 5 acquires the multicast distribution table 10a by inputting a command from the router management apparatus 4 (first embodiment) or by spontaneous transmission of the multicast router 1 (second embodiment) (step ST1). ). Next, the traffic amount totaling device 5 counts the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel from the acquired multicast distribution table 10a to obtain the number of streams (step ST2).

  When the number of streams is obtained, the traffic amount totaling device 5 multiplies the number of streams by the bandwidth value for each distribution channel stored in advance (step ST3), and adds the result for each VLAN to obtain the distribution bandwidth for each VLAN. Calculate (step ST4). In this way, instead of directly measuring the distribution bandwidth for each VLAN using the counter, this multicast distribution table is utilized by utilizing the information for calculating the number of streams being managed in the form of the multicast distribution table 10a. The distribution band for each VLAN can be calculated from 10a and the band value for each channel. As described above, according to the first and second embodiments, it is possible to easily grasp the distribution band for each VLAN in the multicast distribution system.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. For example, in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the multicast router 1, the router management device 4, and the traffic amount totaling device 5 are shown as separate housings, but these may be collectively mounted on the multicast router 1, for example. Is possible. That is, a block having the function of the router management device 4 and a block having the function of the traffic amount totaling device 5 may be mounted on the multicast router 1 together. In this way, VLAN traffic can be measured by the multicast router 1 alone.

  In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Multicast stream transmission apparatus, 200 ... IP network, 1 ... Multicast router, 2-1, 2-2 ... Terminal, 9 ... Forwarding node, 4 ... Router management apparatus, 4a ... Command input part, 5 ... Traffic volume totalization apparatus DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Multicast delivery function part, 10a ... Multicast delivery table, 10b ... Packet copy part, 10c ... Table transmission part, 50a ... Traffic calculation part, 5a ... Multicast delivery band table classified by link, 5b ... Band table classified by delivery channel, 5c ... Multicast distribution table information

Claims (7)

In a multicast distribution system that multicasts stream packets via a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) formed between a multicast stream transmission device and a client terminal,
A multicast router that multicasts stream packets from the multicast stream transmitting device to the client terminal;
A traffic volume totalization device for calculating the traffic volume of the stream packet;
The multicast router
A multicast distribution table in which a VLAN for distributing the channel is associated with each channel for distributing the stream packet;
Transmission means for transmitting the multicast distribution table to the traffic counting device,
The traffic volume totalization device
A channel-specific band table in which the band value is associated with each channel;
A calculation unit that calculates a multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN based on the channel-specific bandwidth table and the multicast distribution table transmitted by the transmission unit ;
The calculating means includes
Obtain the number of streams by counting the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel from the multicast distribution table,
Obtain a multiplication value obtained by multiplying the number of streams by the bandwidth value for each channel in the bandwidth table for each channel,
A multicast distribution system characterized by adding the multiplication values for each VLAN to calculate a multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN . 2. The multicast distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the multicast distribution table in response to a command for requesting transmission of the multicast distribution table . The multicast transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit spontaneously transmits the multicast distribution table. 4. The multicast distribution system according to claim 3, wherein the transmission unit transmits the multicast distribution table whenever the multicast distribution table is updated . In a traffic volume totalizing device that calculates the traffic volume of the stream packet in a multicast distribution system that multicasts stream packets via a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) formed between the multicast stream transmission device and the client terminal,
An acquisition means for acquiring a multicast distribution table in which a VLAN that distributes the channel is associated with each channel that distributes the stream packet from a multicast router that multicast-distributes the stream packet from the multicast stream transmission device to the client terminal; ,
A channel-specific band table in which the band value is associated with each channel;
A calculation unit that calculates a multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN based on the channel-specific bandwidth table and the multicast distribution table acquired by the acquisition unit ;
The calculating means includes
Obtain the number of streams by counting the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel from the multicast distribution table,
Obtain a multiplication value obtained by multiplying the number of streams by the bandwidth value for each channel in the bandwidth table for each channel,
A traffic amount totaling apparatus characterized in that a multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN is calculated by adding the multiplication values for each VLAN . A traffic amount calculation method in a traffic amount aggregating apparatus provided in a multicast distribution system that multicasts stream packets via a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) formed between a multicast stream transmission device and a client terminal,
Multicast in which the traffic amount aggregation device multicast-distributes a multicast distribution table in which a VLAN that distributes the channel is associated with each channel that distributes the stream packet toward the client terminal by streaming packets from the multicast stream transmission device Obtained from the router,
The traffic volume totalization apparatus stores in advance a channel-specific bandwidth table in which the bandwidth value is associated with each channel,
The traffic volume totalization apparatus obtains the number of streams by counting the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel from the multicast distribution table based on the channel-specific bandwidth table and the acquired multicast distribution table. Obtaining a multiplication value obtained by multiplying the number of streams by the bandwidth value for each channel in the bandwidth table for each channel, and adding the multiplication values for each VLAN to calculate a multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN. A characteristic traffic volume calculation method . In a router device that multicasts the stream packet from the multicast stream transmitting device that multicasts the stream packet via a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) to the client terminal,
A traffic volume totaling means for calculating the traffic volume of the stream packet;
This traffic volume aggregation means
A multicast distribution table in which a VLAN for distributing the channel is associated with each channel for distributing the stream packet;
A channel-specific band table in which the band value is associated with each channel;
Calculation means for calculating a multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN based on the channel-specific bandwidth table and the multicast distribution table;
The calculating means includes
Obtain the number of streams by counting the number of streams for each VLAN and each distribution channel from the multicast distribution table,
Obtain a multiplication value obtained by multiplying the number of streams by the bandwidth value for each channel in the bandwidth table for each channel,
The router apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multicast distribution traffic amount for each VLAN is calculated by adding the multiplication values for each VLAN.

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