JP6269115B2 - Management device, management method, and management program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a management apparatus, a management method, and a management program for managing a relay apparatus that performs protocol conversion.

  With the development of information communication technology, the communication protocol used for network communication may be changed to a new communication protocol that is technically superior. For example, since the number of addresses may be insufficient in Internet Protocol (IP) v4, the communication protocol may be changed to IPv6 with an expanded address space.

  In a large-scale network, when changing a network communication protocol, it is difficult to replace all connected devices at the same time. Therefore, it is gradually replaced with equipment compatible with the latest communication protocol. In this case, an area communicating with IPv4 and an area communicating with IPv6 coexist on the network. Therefore, a router called a translator is provided at the boundary between the area communicating with IPv4 and the area communicating with IPv6. The translator can communicate with both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols. Then, the translator converts a communication packet transferred across the IPv4 communication area and the IPv6 communication area from the IPv4 format to the IPv6 format, or from the IPv6 format to the IPv4 format. Such protocol conversion is performed at the network layer.

  If the network configuration is complicated, the communication efficiency may decrease. Various techniques for improving communication efficiency have been considered.

JP 2007-274520 A JP 2005-130287 A JP 2005-57356 A International Publication No. 2007/116995

However, an effective technique for suppressing an overload in a translator that performs protocol conversion has not yet been considered.
That is, since the translator performs protocol conversion of packets between IPv4 and IPv6, it is likely to be overloaded as compared with a router that does not perform protocol conversion. When the translator is overloaded, the function of the translator is transferred to a router with a low load, so that a decrease in network communication efficiency due to the translator overload can be suppressed. However, at present, the router for protocol conversion is changed manually. For example, when the network topology is changed, the administrator manually changes the router setting for protocol conversion by using a router command. Such a manual setting change is performed on a plurality of routers, so that the maintenance man-hours increase and the work takes time. Moreover, in the manual setting, when there are a plurality of routers capable of performing protocol conversion, the administrator determines which router is to be the translator. At this time, it is difficult for an administrator to correctly determine an appropriate router as a translator in order to eliminate an overload in the translator.

  In one aspect, the purpose of this case is to suppress overload of a device that performs protocol conversion.

  In one plan, a management apparatus having a determination unit and an instruction unit is provided. The determining means includes a plurality of relay devices provided between the first network communicated with the first protocol and the second network communicated with the second protocol, and each of the plurality of relay devices When the protocol conversion between the first protocol and the second protocol can be performed, the relay device that executes the protocol conversion is determined based on the information regarding the performance of each of the plurality of relay devices. The instructing unit instructs the determined relay device to execute protocol conversion.

  According to one aspect, an overload of a device that performs protocol conversion can be suppressed.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the system configuration example of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows one structural example of the hardware of a management node. It is a block diagram which shows the management status of the relay node by a management node. It is a figure explaining protocol conversion. It is a figure which shows the network environment before the translator change in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the network environment after the translator change in 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the function of the management node of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a performance order table. It is a figure which shows an example of a path | route management table. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of a translator change process. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of a performance ranking table sort process. It is a figure which shows the example of a sort of a performance order table. It is a figure which shows the example of a change of a translator. It is a figure which shows the example of an update of a performance order table. It is a figure which shows the example of an update of a route management table. It is a figure which shows the network environment before the translator change in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the network environment after the translator change in 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the function of the management node of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a reserve performance ranking table. It is a figure which shows an example of a path | route management table. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of a translator change process. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of a surplus performance ranking table creation process. It is a figure which shows the example of a sort of a surplus performance ranking table. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a switching control instruction | indication process. It is a figure which shows an example of a switching control instruction | indication. It is a figure which shows the example of an update of a reserve power performance order table. It is a figure which shows the example of an update of a route management table.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Each embodiment can be implemented by combining a plurality of embodiments within a consistent range.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a system according to the first embodiment. Between the first network 1 communicated with the first protocol and the second network 2 communicated with the second protocol, a plurality of relay apparatuses 3 to 5 for relaying communication are provided. The plurality of relay apparatuses 3 to 5 can execute protocol conversion related to communication between the first protocol and the second protocol. That is, the plurality of relay apparatuses 3 to 5 can convert a packet in a format according to the first protocol into a format in accordance with the second protocol, and convert a packet in a format according to the second protocol into the first protocol. It can be converted to a format that follows. The protocol conversion includes mutual conversion between an address for communication using the first protocol and an address for communication using the second protocol.

  The management apparatus 10 manages the plurality of relay apparatuses 3 to 5 and causes an appropriate relay apparatus to perform protocol conversion. For this purpose, the management apparatus 10 includes a collection unit 11, a storage unit 12, a determination unit 13, and an instruction unit 14.

  The collection unit 11 collects information related to performance from each of the plurality of relay apparatuses 3 to 5. Information on performance includes, for example, the number of packets being transferred, the CPU usage rate, and the discarded packet rate. The discard packet rate is a ratio of packets discarded without being transferred among packets received as a transfer target. Based on the collected information, the maximum performance and margin performance of the relay device can be estimated. For example, the higher the number of packets transferred by the relay device, the higher the performance of the relay device. Further, the lower the CPU usage rate of the relay device, the greater the margin performance of the relay device. Further, the smaller the discard packet rate of the relay device, the more potential performance of the relay device. The collecting unit 11 stores the collected information in the storage unit 12.

  The memory | storage means 12 memorize | stores the performance information of each of several relay apparatus 3-5. The storage unit 12 stores information indicating whether or not protocol conversion is being performed for each of the plurality of relay apparatuses 3 to 5.

  The determining unit 13 refers to the storage unit 12 and determines a relay device that performs protocol conversion based on information on the performance of each of the relay devices 3 to 5. For example, the determination unit 13 determines the relay device having the highest performance as the relay device that executes the protocol conversion. Further, the determination unit 13 may determine the relay device having the largest performance capacity as the relay device that executes the protocol conversion. When determining a relay device that performs protocol conversion based on the remaining performance, the determining unit 13 calculates the remaining performance of the plurality of relay devices based on, for example, information on the performance stored in the storage unit 12. To do.

  The determination of the relay device that performs the protocol conversion is performed, for example, when a relay device is added or removed, or the relay device that is currently executing the protocol conversion is overloaded, and communication delay via the relay device is reduced. May be a bottleneck for the entire network. If the relay device that is currently executing the protocol conversion is overloaded, the determination unit 13 may, for example, select a relay device that will perform the protocol conversion from the relay devices adjacent to the relay device that is currently executing the protocol conversion. To decide.

  The instruction unit 14 instructs the relay apparatus that performs protocol conversion to execute protocol conversion. The instruction unit 14 can also instruct the relay apparatus that is currently executing the protocol conversion to stop the protocol conversion.

  In such a system, for example, when the relay device 3 with the identification number “1” is performing protocol conversion, communication via the relay device 3 is a bottleneck in processing of the entire network due to overload of the relay device 3. Assuming that In this case, in the management apparatus 10, information related to the performance of each of the plurality of relay apparatuses 3 to 5 is collected by the collection unit 11, for example. The collected information is set in the storage unit 12. If the system administrator knows in advance information about the performance of the plurality of relay devices 3 to 5 based on a catalog or the like, the administrator can obtain information about the performance of each of the plurality of relay devices 3 to 5 from the management device 10. You may enter it manually.

  When information related to the performance of each of the plurality of relay devices 3 to 5 is set in the storage unit 12, the determination unit 13 determines a relay device that newly executes protocol conversion. In the example of FIG. 1, it is assumed that the relay device 5 with the identification number “3” has higher performance than the relay device 4 with the identification number “2”. In this case, the determination unit 13 determines the relay device 5 as a relay device that newly executes protocol conversion. The determination unit 13 notifies the instruction unit 14 of the determined identification number “3” of the relay device 5. Then, the instruction unit 14 instructs the relay apparatus 5 to start protocol conversion and instructs the relay apparatus 3 to stop protocol conversion.

  In this way, it is possible to automatically change the device that performs protocol conversion. That is, when there are a plurality of relay apparatuses capable of performing protocol conversion, it is possible to select an appropriate relay apparatus for communication efficiency and cause the relay apparatus to execute protocol conversion. As a result, the relay apparatus that performs protocol conversion is prevented from being overloaded, and the communication throughput on the network is improved.

  Note that the instruction unit 14 temporarily causes a plurality of relay devices to perform protocol conversion when a relay device other than the relay device that currently performs protocol conversion is determined as a relay device that performs protocol conversion. You may give instructions. For example, the instructing unit 14 instructs the transfer destination relay apparatus that newly executes the protocol conversion to perform the protocol conversion related to a part of the communication. The instructing unit 14 instructs the transfer source relay apparatus that is currently executing the protocol conversion to perform protocol conversion related to communication that is not converted by the transfer destination relay apparatus.

  When the protocol conversion is performed in a shared manner by a plurality of relay devices, if the performance of the transfer destination relay device has not deteriorated by a predetermined value or more, the instruction means 14 Instructs to perform protocol conversion related to communication. The instruction unit 14 instructs the transfer source relay apparatus to stop the protocol conversion.

  On the other hand, when the protocol conversion is performed in a shared manner by a plurality of relay devices, if the performance of the transfer destination relay device is lower than a predetermined value, the instruction means 14 Instruct to perform protocol conversion for all communications. The instruction unit 14 instructs the transfer destination relay apparatus to stop the protocol conversion.

  In this way, by temporarily sharing and executing the protocol conversion process among a plurality of relay devices, the relay device that executes the protocol conversion can be changed only when the communication efficiency is improved. In other words, if the relay device specified as the transfer destination performs protocol conversion for all communications, the transfer of the protocol conversion process may be canceled if the transfer destination relay device becomes overloaded. it can. As a result, the occurrence of a situation in which communication efficiency deteriorates due to a change in the relay device that performs protocol conversion is suppressed.

  The collection unit 11, the determination unit 13, and the instruction unit 14 can be realized by a processor included in the management device 10, for example. The storage unit 12 can be realized by a memory included in the management device 10, for example. Also, the lines connecting the elements shown in FIG. 1 indicate a part of the communication path, and communication paths other than the illustrated communication paths can be set.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In a network system in which IPv4 and IPv6 are mixed, a node functioning as a translator is automatically changed.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration example according to the second embodiment. The network includes a plurality of end nodes 31 to 33 and a plurality of relay nodes 41 to 46. The end nodes 31 to 33 are, for example, computers or other communication devices that are communication terminations. The relay nodes 41 to 46 are, for example, routers or L3 switches that relay packets. The relay node 41 can relay only IPv4 format packets. The relay node 42 can relay only IPv6 format packets. The relay nodes 43 to 46 are dual stack nodes capable of relaying both IPv4 and IPv6 format packets. The relay nodes 43 to 46, which are dual stack nodes, can operate as translators that perform protocol conversion between IPv4 and IPv6.

  Node numbers are assigned to the relay nodes 41 to 46. In the example of FIG. 2, the node number of the relay node 41 is “1”, the node number of the relay node 42 is “2”, the node number of the relay node 43 is “3”, the node number of the relay node 44 is “4”, The node number of the relay node 45 is “5”, and the node number of the relay node 46 is “6”.

  A management node 100 for managing the entire network is connected to the network. For example, the management node 100 determines a relay node to be operated as a translator among the relay nodes 43 to 46, and instructs the determined relay node to operate as a translator. The management node 100 is a computer such as a terminal device used by an administrator, for example.

  Note that the dual-stack relay nodes 43 to 46 illustrated in FIG. 2 are examples of the relay devices 3 to 5 according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. The management node 100 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of the management apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  In the second embodiment, a relay node that operates as a translator is fluidly transferred to a relay node with high performance to improve the throughput of the entire network. That is, whether or not the plurality of relay nodes 41 to 46 used in the IP network can cope with IPv4 / IPv6 is different. The performance varies depending on, for example, the manufacturer, production time, price, and the like. If there are many relay nodes 41 to 46 having different performances in the network, it becomes difficult for the administrator to determine which relay node is appropriate as a translator. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the management node 100 determines the relay node having the highest performance, and causes the relay node to perform protocol conversion, thereby improving the efficiency (performance improvement) of the entire network.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of hardware of the management node. The management node 100 is entirely controlled by the processor 101. A memory 102 and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected to the processor 101 via a bus 109. The processor 101 may be a multiprocessor. The processor 101 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). At least a part of the functions realized by the processor 101 executing the program may be realized by an electronic circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or a PLD (Programmable Logic Device).

  The memory 102 is used as a main storage device of the management node 100. The memory 102 temporarily stores at least part of an OS (Operating System) program and application programs to be executed by the processor 101. The memory 102 stores various data necessary for processing by the processor 101. As the memory 102, for example, a volatile semiconductor storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) is used.

  Peripheral devices connected to the bus 109 include an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 103, a graphic processing device 104, an input interface 105, an optical drive device 106, a device connection interface 107, and a network interface 108.

  The HDD 103 magnetically writes and reads data to and from the built-in disk. The HDD 103 is used as an auxiliary storage device of the management node 100. The HDD 103 stores an OS program, application programs, and various data. Note that a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory can be used as the auxiliary memory device.

  A monitor 21 is connected to the graphic processing device 104. The graphic processing device 104 displays an image on the screen of the monitor 21 in accordance with an instruction from the processor 101. Examples of the monitor 21 include a display device using a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and a liquid crystal display device.

  A keyboard 22 and a mouse 23 are connected to the input interface 105. The input interface 105 transmits signals sent from the keyboard 22 and the mouse 23 to the processor 101. The mouse 23 is an example of a pointing device, and other pointing devices can also be used. Examples of other pointing devices include a touch panel, a tablet, a touch pad, and a trackball.

  The optical drive device 106 reads data recorded on the optical disc 24 using laser light or the like. The optical disc 24 is a portable recording medium on which data is recorded so that it can be read by reflection of light. The optical disc 24 includes a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a DVD-RAM, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a CD-R (Recordable) / RW (ReWritable), and the like.

  The device connection interface 107 is a communication interface for connecting peripheral devices to the management node 100. For example, the memory device 25 and the memory reader / writer 26 can be connected to the device connection interface 107. The memory device 25 is a recording medium equipped with a communication function with the device connection interface 107. The memory reader / writer 26 is a device that writes data to the memory card 27 or reads data from the memory card 27. The memory card 27 is a card type recording medium.

  The network interface 108 is connected to the relay node 45. The network interface 108 transmits / receives data to / from other nodes via the relay node 45.

  With the hardware configuration described above, the processing functions of the second embodiment can be realized. Note that the apparatus shown in the first embodiment can also be realized by hardware similar to the management node 100 shown in FIG.

  The management node 100 implements the processing functions of the second embodiment by executing a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, for example. A program describing the processing contents to be executed by the management node 100 can be recorded in various recording media. For example, a program to be executed by the management node 100 can be stored in the HDD 103. The processor 101 loads at least a part of the program in the HDD 103 into the memory 102 and executes the program. A program to be executed by the management node 100 can also be recorded on a portable recording medium such as the optical disc 24, the memory device 25, and the memory card 27. The program stored in the portable recording medium becomes executable after being installed in the HDD 103 under the control of the processor 101, for example. The processor 101 can also read and execute a program directly from a portable recording medium.

With such a management node 100, the dual stack relay nodes 43 to 46 are centrally managed.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a management status of the relay node by the management node. For example, the management node 100 logs in to each of the relay nodes 43 to 46 using a command such as telnet, and inputs commands according to the standards of the relay nodes 43 to 46 to the relay nodes 43 to 46. The input commands include a command (conversion start command) for instructing the start of operation as a translator (conversion node) and a command (conversion end command) for instructing the end of operation as a translator. When the conversion start command is input, the relay nodes 43 to 46 start protocol conversion between IPv4 and IPv6. Further, when the conversion end command is input, the relay nodes 43 to 46 end the protocol conversion between IPv4 and IPv6.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining protocol conversion. The upper part of FIG. 5 shows a packet header format (IPv4 header format) 51 in the IPv4 protocol. The lower part of FIG. 5 shows a packet header format (IPv6 header format) 52 in the IPv6 protocol.

  Here, it is assumed that the relay node 44 is operating as a translator. In this case, when receiving the packet in the IPv4 format, the relay node 44 converts the header format of the packet into the IPv6 header format 52. When the relay node 44 receives an IPv6 format packet, the relay node 44 converts the packet header format into an IPv4 header format 51.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the IPv4 header format 51, the size of the address field is 32 bits. In the IPv6 header format 52, the size of the address field is 128 bits. For this reason, when the header format is converted, the address is also converted.

  For address conversion, techniques similar to NAT (Network Address Translation) in IPv4 and IP masquerade can be used. For example, the relay node 44 assigns one IPv4 address to one IPv6 address at the time of header conversion. The correspondence relationship between the IPv4 address and the IPv6 address is managed in the relay node 44. Thereafter, when receiving the IPv4 packet or the IPv6 packet, the relay node 44 refers to the address correspondence information and performs address conversion of the source address (Source Address) and the destination address (Destination Address) in the header.

  The relay node 44 does not have an IPv4 address block, but can also convert an address by using one IPv4 address assigned to the translator itself. This is the same principle as IP masquerade. In this method, the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) port numbers are converted into arbitrary port numbers, so that one IPv4 address is shared by many IPv6 nodes.

  In the protocol conversion, not only the packet header but also the data part may be converted. For example, there is a case where communication by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is performed on an IPv4 / IPv6 network. In this case, the SIP message is included in the data portion of the packet. The SIP message includes an IPv4 or IPv6 address. Therefore, the relay node that operates as a translator also converts an IPv4 or IPv6 address included in the data portion during protocol conversion.

  The management node 100 controls the relay nodes 43 to 46 so that the relay node having the highest performance among the dual stack relay nodes 43 to 46 operates as a translator. 6 and 7 show examples of changing the relay node that operates as a translator.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a network environment before changing a translator in the second embodiment. In the example of FIG. 6, the relay node 44 operates as a translator. On the left side of the relay node 44 is a network (IPv4 network) that performs communication using IPv4. On the right side of the relay node 44 is a network (IPv6 network) that performs communication using IPv6. In this case, the relay node 44 is a boundary node between the IPv4 network and the IPv6 network.

  When communication is performed in such a communication environment, if the load on the relay node 44 becomes excessive, packet routing at the relay node 44 becomes a bottleneck, and the efficiency of the network decreases. In the example of FIG. 6, there are dual stack relay nodes 43, 45, 46 in addition to the relay node 44. In this case, the load on the relay node 44 can be reduced if the protocol conversion is performed at another relay node with sufficient performance.

  Therefore, the management node 100 determines a relay node having a margin in performance among the relay nodes 43, 45, and 46. In the second embodiment, the management node 100 determines that a relay node with higher performance has a margin in performance based on the performance information of each relay node 43 to 46.

  For example, the administrator inputs to the management node 100 performance information described in the catalogs of the relay nodes 41 to 46 and connection information indicating a connection relationship between the nodes. The management node 100 receives input of performance information and connection information of the relay nodes 41 to 46. The management node 100 stores the input performance information and connection information in a database.

  The management node 100 transmits a command to each relay node based on the information in the database, thereby instructing a change in the connection relation of communication with other nodes and the operation state as a translator. For example, the management node 100 instructs a relay node that is a dual stack node, close to the current boundary node, and has the highest performance to perform IPv4 / IPv6 conversion.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the network environment after the translator change in the second embodiment. Since the translator is changed from the relay node 44 to the relay node 45, the relay node 45 becomes a boundary node. The relay node 44 that was a translator is a part of the IPv4 network. The relay node 44 and the relay node 45 communicate with each other in an IPv4 format packet.

  The relay nodes 43 to 46 may be manufactured by different manufacturers. Different manufacturers have different commands for control. In this case, for example, the management node 100 is provided with a function of converting an instruction to the relay node into a command for each manufacturer of the relay node. As a result, it is possible to absorb the difference in command for each vendor of the relay node.

Next, functions of the management node 100 for realizing the second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the management node according to the second embodiment. The management node 100 includes a database 110, an information setting unit 120, a performance order sorting unit 130, a translator determining unit 140, and a protocol conversion instruction unit 150.

  The database 110 stores information used for managing the relay nodes 41 to 46. For example, the database 110 stores a performance ranking table 111 and a route management table 112. The performance ranking table 111 is a data table used to rank the relay nodes 41 to 46 according to performance. The route management table 112 is a data table used for management of network communication routes. The database 110 is provided in the storage area of the memory 102 or the HDD 103, for example.

  The information setting unit 120 sets performance information and route information in the database 110. For example, the information setting unit 120 sets the performance information input from the administrator in the performance order table 111 in the database 110. Further, the information setting unit 120 sets the route information input from the administrator in the route management table 112 in the database 110.

The performance order sorting unit 130 sorts the relay nodes set in the performance order table 111 in order of performance. For example, the performance order sorting unit 130 sorts the relay nodes in descending order of performance.
The translator determining unit 140 determines a relay node that operates as a translator. For example, the translator determining unit 140 determines a relay node that operates as a translator on condition that the performance is high or that the current boundary node is close.

  The protocol conversion instruction unit 150 instructs the relay node that operates as a translator to execute protocol conversion. The protocol conversion instruction unit 150 instructs the relay node currently operating as a translator to stop protocol conversion.

  In addition, the line which connects between each element shown in FIG. 8 shows a part of communication path, and communication paths other than the illustrated communication path can also be set. Further, the function of each element shown in FIG. 8 can be realized, for example, by causing a computer to execute a program module corresponding to the element.

  Of the elements shown in FIG. 8, the database 110 is an example of the storage unit 12 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The combined function of the performance order sort unit 130 and the translator determination unit 140 is an example of the determination unit 13 according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. The protocol conversion instruction unit 150 is an example of the instruction unit 14 of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

Next, information registered in the database 110 will be described in detail.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the performance order table. The performance ranking table 111 has columns of node number, switching capacity, and conversion status. In the node number column, the node number of the relay node is set. In the column of switching capacity, the amount of data (switching capacity) that can be relayed per unit time by each relay node when protocol conversion is executed is set. Information indicating whether or not protocol conversion is performed is set in the column of conversion status. The conversion status of a relay node that is performing protocol conversion is “ON”, and the conversion status of a relay node that is not performing protocol conversion is “OFF”.

  In the example of FIG. 9, the switching capacity is shown as information indicating the performance of the relay device, but other information may be used as the performance of the relay device. For example, the number of slots installed in the relay device and the throughput per slot may be information indicating the performance of the relay device. Information indicating these performances is manually input to the management node 100 by an administrator, for example.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a route management table. The path management table 112 includes columns for node number, node type, adjacent node, and conversion status. In the node number column, the node numbers of the relay nodes 41 to 46 are set. In the node type column, the type of the relay node is set. Node types include “IPv4”, “IPv6”, and “Dual”. The node type “IPv4” indicates that only packets of the IPv4 protocol can be relayed. The node type “IPv6” indicates that only IPv6 protocol packets can be relayed. The node type “dual” indicates that packets of both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols can be relayed. In the adjacent node column, the node number of the adjacent relay node on the network is set for the corresponding relay node. Information indicating whether or not protocol conversion is performed is set in the column of conversion status.

Next, the procedure of the translator change process in the management node 100 will be described.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of the translator change process.
[Step S101] The information setting unit 120 determines whether there is an input for instructing a change to the performance ranking table 111. When there is an input for instructing a change to the performance order table 111, the information setting unit 120 updates the performance order table 111 according to the input, and the process proceeds to step S102. If there is no input for instructing a change to the performance order table 111, the translator change process ends.

[Step S102] The performance order sorting unit 130 sorts the relay nodes set in the performance order table 111 in the order of performance. Details of the sorting process will be described later (see FIG. 12).
[Step S103] The translator determining unit 140 refers to the route management table 112 and determines the highest relay node in the performance ranking table 111 among the relay nodes to which protocol conversion can be transferred. The relay nodes that can shift the protocol conversion are, for example, relay nodes (relay nodes 43 and 45 in the example of FIG. 6) adjacent to the relay node (relay node 44 in the example of FIG. 6) that is the current translator. A relay node adjacent to the relay node that is the current translator can be recognized by referring to the column of the adjacent node in the route management table 112.

  Note that if the translator is changed to a non-adjacent relay node (relay node 46 in the example of FIG. 6), the translator is not the end of the IPv4 network and cannot receive IPv4 packets. Therefore, the translator determining unit 140 determines a relay node to be operated as a translator from the relay nodes adjacent to the relay node currently operating as a translator.

  [Step S104] The protocol conversion instruction unit 150 instructs the relay node to be operated as a translator in the future to start executing the protocol conversion. The protocol conversion instruction unit 150 instructs the relay node currently operating as a translator to end the protocol conversion.

  [Step S105] The protocol conversion instruction unit 150 updates the performance order table 111. For example, the protocol conversion instruction unit 150 changes the conversion status of the relay node that has started execution of protocol conversion in the performance order table 111 to “ON”. In addition, the protocol conversion instruction unit 150 changes the conversion status of the relay node that has completed the protocol conversion in the performance order table 111 to “OFF”.

  [Step S106] The protocol conversion instruction unit 150 updates the route management table 112. For example, the protocol conversion instruction unit 150 changes the conversion status of the relay node that has started execution of protocol conversion in the route management table 112 to “ON”. In addition, the protocol conversion instruction unit 150 changes the conversion status of the relay node that has completed the protocol conversion in the route management table 112 to “OFF”. Further, the protocol conversion instruction unit 150 changes the adjacent node of the relay node according to the change of the relay node that operates as a translator.

  In the example of FIG. 11, the translator change process is executed when the performance ranking table is changed, but the translator change process may be executed at another timing. For example, the translator change process may be executed when the load on the relay node of the translator becomes excessive after the performance rank table is changed.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of the performance order table sort process.
[Step S111] The performance order sorting unit 130 sorts the relay nodes registered in the performance order table 111 in descending order by switching capacity.

  [Step S112] The performance order sort unit 130 determines whether there is a faulty relay node. For example, the performance order sort unit 130 checks whether each of the relay nodes 41 to 46 to be managed is operating normally by transmitting a command such as ping. The performance order sort unit 130 determines that a relay node that does not respond to the transmitted command is in failure. If there is a faulty relay node, the process proceeds to step S113. If there is no faulty relay node, the performance rank table sorting process is terminated.

[Step S <b> 113] The performance order sort unit 130 moves the failed relay node to the lowest order in the performance order table 111. Thereafter, the performance rank table sort processing is completed.
In this way, the performance ranking table 111 is sorted.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a sorting example of the performance order table. By sorting the performance ranking table 111 in descending order of the switching capacity, records indicating relay nodes with higher performance are registered in the higher rank of the performance ranking table 111.

  In the example of FIG. 13, the switching capacity between the relay node 45 with the node number “5” and the relay node 46 with the node number “6” is “120 Gbps”, and the performance is the highest. Here, referring to the route management table 112, the relay node 44 having the node number “4” is currently operating as a translator. Of the two relay nodes 45 and 46 having the highest performance, the relay node 45 is adjacent to the relay node 44, but the relay node 46 is not adjacent to the relay node 44. Therefore, the translator determining unit 140 determines that the relay node 45 is to be a translator thereafter.

When the relay node to be a translator is determined, the protocol conversion instruction unit 150 performs control to change the translator.
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of changing a translator. The management node 100 instructs the relay node 45 to start conversion to a protocol between IPv4 and IPv6 (conversion operation “ON”). Further, the management node 100 instructs the relay node 44 to end conversion to the protocol between IPv4 and IPv6 (conversion operation “OFF”). At this time, the management node 100 instructs the relay node 44 serving as the transfer source to disconnect communication with the relay node 43. As a result, the translator is changed from the relay node 44 to the relay node 45. As a result, the communication protocol between the relay node 44 and the relay node 45 is changed from IPv6 to IPv4. Further, direct communication between the relay node 44 and the relay node 43 is blocked. That is, communication between the relay node 44 and the relay node 43 is performed via the relay node 45.

When the relay node that operates as a translator is changed, the performance ranking table 111 and the route management table 112 are updated.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an update example of the performance order table. In the performance order table 111, the change status corresponding to the node number “5” is changed to “ON”, and the change status corresponding to the node number “4” is changed to “OFF”.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of updating the route management table. In the route management table 112, the change status corresponding to the node number “5” is changed to “ON”, and the change status corresponding to the node number “4” is changed to “OFF”. In the route management table 112, the node number “4” is deleted from the adjacent node corresponding to the node number “3”, and the node number “3” is deleted from the adjacent node corresponding to the node number “4”.

  In this way, the relay node that operates as a translator can be dynamically changed. As a result, each time the network configuration is changed, for example, protocol conversion can be performed at an optimal position on the network configuration. At this time, it is possible to prevent the relay node operating as a translator from being overloaded by causing the relay node having high performance to execute the protocol conversion.

  In addition, by making the relay node in failure the lowest position in the performance order table, it is possible to detect a change in the network topology due to the failure and dynamically change the translator to an appropriate relay node.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the relay node as a translator is changed according to the load of the relay node. In the third embodiment, when the load on a relay node operating as a translator becomes excessive, the load on each relay node is reduced by temporarily operating a plurality of relay nodes as a translator. Hereinafter, the difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment of FIG. 2 will be described.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a network environment before changing a translator in the third embodiment. In the example of FIG. 17, the relay node 44 operates as a translator. Then, the load on the relay node 44 becomes excessive, packet routing at the relay node 44 becomes a bottleneck, and the efficiency of the network decreases.

  In the third embodiment, the management node 200 monitors the load of each relay node 41 to 46 and grasps the load state. For example, the management node 200 collects information such as information related to the performance of each node (SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol) in addition to the connection configuration (route information). Information related to performance includes the execution result of the vmstat command, the error packet rate that can be taken by SNMP, and the discarded packet rate. Then, the management node 200 creates a reserve performance ranking table based on information related to performance.

  The management node 200 identifies a relay node with a low load based on the created surplus performance ranking table. Then, the management node 200 determines that a relay node having a low load among the dual stack relay nodes 43, 45, and 46 is to be a new translator. In the example of FIG. 17, since the load on the relay node 45 is low, it is determined that the relay node 45 is a translator.

  Based on the information in the database, the management node 200 instructs each node to start an operation as a translator by a command. For example, the management node 200 instructs the relay node 45 to be a new translator to perform IPv4 / IPv6 protocol conversion for about half of the packets to be relayed. Further, the management node 200 performs IPv4 / IPv6 conversion so far, and instructs the relay node 44 that has been a bottleneck to perform protocol conversion on the remaining packets that are not subjected to protocol conversion by the relay node 45.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the network environment after the translator change in the third embodiment. Since the translator has been changed to two relay nodes 44 and 45, the relay nodes 44 and 45 become boundary nodes. The two relay nodes 44 and 45 share the packet protocol conversion. The relay node 44 and the relay node 45 communicate with each other in an IPv4 or IPv6 format packet.

  Note that it is possible to designate from the management node 200, for example, the address range of which packet each of the relay nodes 44 and 45 operating as a translator performs protocol conversion. Also, for example, if the value of the last digit of the destination or source address is an even number, the relay node 44 performs protocol conversion, and if the value of the last digit of the destination or source address is an odd number, the relay node 45 You may specify to perform protocol conversion.

Next, functions of the management node 200 for realizing the third embodiment will be described.
FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the management node according to the third embodiment. The management node 200 includes a database 210, a performance information collection unit 220, a path information setting unit 230, a performance order sorting unit 240, a translator determination unit 250, and a protocol conversion instruction unit 260.

  The database 210 stores information used for managing the relay nodes 41 to 46. For example, the database 210 stores a surplus performance ranking table 211 and a path management table 212. The remaining performance ranking table 211 is a data table used for ranking according to the remaining performance of the relay nodes 41 to 46. The route management table 212 is a data table used for management of network communication routes. The database 210 is provided, for example, in a memory or HDD storage area.

The performance information collection unit 220 collects performance information from the relay nodes 41 to 46. Then, the performance information collection unit 220 sets the collected information in the remaining performance ranking table 211.
The route information setting unit 230 sets route information in the database 210. For example, the route information setting unit 230 sets the route information input from the administrator in the route management table 212 in the database 210.

  The performance order sorting unit 240 sorts the relay nodes set in the remaining performance ranking table 211 in the remaining performance order. For example, the performance order sorting unit 240 sorts the relay nodes in descending order of remaining performance.

  The translator determining unit 250 newly determines a relay node to be operated as a translator. For example, the translator determining unit 250 determines a relay node that operates as a translator on the condition that the surplus performance is large and that the current boundary node is close.

  The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 instructs the relay node to newly operate as a translator to specify a packet to be converted and to execute protocol conversion. In addition, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 instructs the relay node currently operating as a translator to stop protocol conversion for some packets.

  In addition, the line which connects between each element shown in FIG. 19 shows a part of communication path, and communication paths other than the illustrated communication path can also be set. Further, the function of each element shown in FIG. 19 can be realized, for example, by causing a computer to execute a program module corresponding to the element.

  Among the elements shown in FIG. 19, the database 210 is an example of the storage unit 12 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The performance information collection unit 220 is an example of the collection unit 11 illustrated in FIG. The combined function of the performance order sort unit 240 and the translator determination unit 250 is an example of the determination unit 13 according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 is an example of the instruction unit 14 of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

Next, information registered in the database 210 will be described in detail.
FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of the surplus performance ranking table. The surplus performance ranking table 211 has columns of node number, number of transmitted packets, CPU usage rate, discarded packet rate, score, and conversion rate. In the node number column, the node number of the relay node is set. In the field for the number of transmitted packets, the number of packets transmitted from the relay node (number of relayed packets) is set. The CPU usage rate of the relay node is set in the CPU usage rate column. In the discarded packet rate column, a ratio of discarded packets (discarded packet rate) among the received packets is set.

  In the score column, a score indicating the degree of remaining capacity of the relay node is set. The score is calculated based on, for example, the number of transmitted packets, the CPU usage rate, and the discarded packet rate. It is assumed that the greater the performance margin, the greater the score value.

  In the conversion ratio column, the ratio of packets for which the relay node is performing protocol conversion is set. When determining whether a relay node is subject to protocol conversion based on the IP address, for example, the ratio of the address space in which the relay node performs protocol conversion in the address space is the conversion ratio.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a route management table. The route management table 212 according to the third embodiment includes columns for node number, node type, adjacent node, and conversion ratio. In the node number, node type, and adjacent node columns, the same type of information as the column of the same name in the route management table 112 of the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10 is set. In the conversion ratio column, the ratio of packets for which the relay node is performing protocol conversion is set.

Next, a procedure for translator change processing in the management node 200 will be described.
FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of the translator change process.
[Step S201] The performance information collection unit 220 determines whether it is a switching determination timing. For example, when the switching determination is performed once a day, the performance information collection unit 220 determines that the switching determination timing has come when a predetermined time is reached every day. When the switching determination timing comes, the process proceeds to step S202. If it is not the switching determination timing, the translator change process ends.

  [Step S202] The performance information collection unit 220 and the performance order sorting unit 240 cooperate to create the surplus performance ranking table 211. Details of this processing will be described later (see FIG. 23). In the created surplus performance ranking table 211, a relay node having a greater surplus performance is set higher.

  [Step S203] The translator determining unit 250 refers to the database 210 and determines whether or not the relay node to be operated as a translator is in the middle of switching. For example, when there are two or more relay nodes in which the value greater than 0 is set as the conversion ratio in the remaining performance ranking table 211 or the path management table 212, the translator determining unit 250 determines that the switching is in progress. If switching is in progress, the process proceeds to step S206. If not, the process proceeds to step S204.

  [Step S204] The translator determining unit 250 refers to the remaining performance ranking table 211 and determines whether or not the translator load is excessive. For example, the translator determining unit 250 determines that the translator load is excessive when the discard packet rate of the relay node having a conversion rate of 100% exceeds a preset threshold. If the load on the translator is excessive, the process proceeds to step S205. If the translator load is not excessive, the translator change process ends.

[Step S205] The translator determining unit 250 determines the highest relay node that can be converted in the remaining power performance ranking table 211 as the transfer destination of the translator.
[Step S206] The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 issues a switching control instruction. Details of this processing will be described later (see FIG. 25).

  [Step S207] The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 updates the remaining power performance ranking table 211. For example, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 changes the value of the conversion ratio in the surplus performance ranking table 211 of the relay node whose protocol conversion ratio has been changed.

  [Step S208] The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 updates the route management table 212. For example, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 changes the value of the conversion ratio in the route management table 212 of the relay node whose protocol conversion ratio has been changed. Further, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 changes the adjacent node of the relay node according to the change of the relay node that operates as a translator.

Next, the surplus performance ranking table creation process will be described in detail.
FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of a surplus performance ranking table creation process.
[Step S211] The performance information collection unit 220 collects MIB (Management Information Base) information from each of the relay nodes 41 to 46. MIB is information that a device managed by SNMP releases to the outside. Thereby, values, such as the number of transmission packets, CPU usage rate, and a discard packet rate, of each of the relay nodes 41 to 46 can be acquired. The performance information collection unit 220 generates a surplus performance ranking table 211 and registers the collected information.

[Step S212] The performance information collection unit 220 calculates a score indicating the remaining performance of each of the relay nodes 41 to 46. The surplus performance score is calculated by, for example, the following equation.
Score = number of transmitted packets × 1 + (100−CPU usage rate) × 100 + (1−discarded packet rate) × 10000
In this equation, the score increases as the number of transmitted packets increases. The lower the CPU usage rate, the higher the score. Furthermore, the score increases as the discarded packet rate decreases. It shows that the relay node having a higher calculated score has a higher performance margin. The multiplier (1,100,10000) in each term on the right side of the calculation formula is the weight of each term. The weight value can be arbitrarily changed by the administrator. The performance information collection unit 220 sets the calculated score in the remaining performance ranking table 211.

[Step S213] The performance order sorting unit 240 sorts the relay nodes registered in the remaining performance ranking table 211 in descending order by score.
[Step S214] The performance order sort unit 240 determines whether there is a faulty relay node. If there is a faulty relay node, the process proceeds to step S215. If there is no faulty relay node, the remaining performance ranking table creation process ends.

[Step S215] The performance order sort unit 240 moves the faulty relay node to the lowest position in the surplus performance rank table 211. Thereafter, the surplus performance ranking table creation process ends.
In this way, the remaining performance ranking table 211 is sorted.

  FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a sort example of the surplus performance ranking table. By sorting the remaining power performance ranking table 211 in descending order of score, records indicating relay nodes with higher remaining power performance are registered in the higher rank of the remaining power performance ranking table 211.

Next, the switching control instruction process will be described in detail.
FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the switching control instruction process.
[Step S221] The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 determines whether the conversion ratio of protocol conversion between IPv4 and IPv6 in the relay node operating as a translator is 50%. The conversion ratio of the relay node operating as a translator can be determined based on the remaining performance ranking table 211 or the path management table 212. If the conversion ratio is 50%, the process proceeds to step S223. If the conversion ratio is not 50%, the process proceeds to step S222. The case where the conversion rate is not 50% in the third embodiment is a case where one relay node performs protocol conversion at a rate of 100%.

  [Step S222] The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transfers the protocol conversion processing of 50% of the packet to the relay node (transfer destination relay node) determined as the transfer destination of the translator in step S205. For the remaining 50% of the packets, the relay node that is currently operating as a translator (transfer source relay node) continues to perform protocol conversion. For example, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transmits a protocol conversion start instruction including specification of a packet to be converted to the transfer destination relay node. Further, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transmits a protocol conversion target range reduction instruction including specification of a protocol conversion target packet to the transfer source relay node. Thereafter, the switching control instruction process ends.

  [Step S223] The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 determines whether or not an extreme performance degradation has occurred in the transfer destination relay node. For example, if the discard packet rate at the transfer destination relay node exceeds a predetermined value set in advance, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 determines that an extreme performance degradation has occurred. If extreme performance degradation has occurred, the process proceeds to step S225. If no extreme performance degradation has occurred, the process proceeds to step S224.

  [Step S224] If there is no extreme performance degradation in the transfer destination relay node, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transfers the protocol conversion processing for all packets to the transfer destination relay node. For example, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transmits, to the transfer destination relay node, an instruction for expanding the protocol conversion target range, in which the protocol conversion target is all packets. The protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transmits a protocol conversion stop instruction to the transfer source relay node. Thereafter, the switching control instruction process ends.

  [Step S225] If the performance degradation has occurred in the transfer destination relay node, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 returns the protocol conversion processing for all packets to the transfer source relay node. For example, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transmits, to the transfer source relay node, an instruction to expand the protocol conversion target range, in which the protocol conversion target is all packets. In addition, the protocol conversion instruction unit 260 transmits a protocol conversion stop instruction to the transfer destination relay node. Thereafter, the switching control instruction process ends.

  In this way, after passing through the state in which two translators convert the protocol of each packet by two translators, the protocol conversion processing of all packets is transferred to the transfer destination relay node. Thereby, when the surplus capacity of the transfer destination relay server is insufficient, the switching of the translator to the relay server can be canceled before the relay server falls into an overload state. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation where the processing efficiency of the system deteriorates due to the switching of the translator.

  FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example of the switching control instruction. FIG. 26 shows the state of the switching control instruction when the relay node 45 is newly operated as a translator due to an excessive load on the relay node 44 that was operating as a translator. The management node 200 transmits a protocol conversion target reduction instruction to the relay node 44 that is the transfer source so that the conversion ratio is 50%. At this time, the management node 200 instructs the relay node 44 serving as the transfer source to disconnect communication with the relay node 43. Also, the management node 200 designates the conversion ratio to 50% and transmits a protocol conversion processing start instruction to the relay node 45 that is the transfer destination. Thereafter, protocol conversion is performed by the two relay nodes 44 and 45.

  Note that both the IPv4 format packet and the IPv6 format packet are communicated between the relay node 44 and the relay node 45. That is, a packet whose protocol is converted by the relay node 44 is communicated between the relay node 44 and the relay node 45 using the IPv6 protocol. A packet whose protocol is converted by the relay node 45 is communicated between the relay node 44 and the relay node 45 using the IPv4 protocol.

  Further, the communication connection between the relay node 44 and the relay node 43 is cut off. As a result, it is possible to prevent packets that undergo protocol conversion at the relay node 45 from being directly transferred from the relay node 43 to the relay node 44.

  If no extreme performance degradation occurs in the transfer destination relay node 45 while the protocol conversion is performed by the two relay nodes 44 and 45, the translator completely transfers to the relay node 45 at the next switching determination timing. Can be switched. Since the translators are switched step by step in this way, the remaining performance ranking table 211 and the path management table 212 are also updated in two steps.

  FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an update example of the surplus performance ranking table. In the first update of the surplus performance ranking table 211, the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “5” is changed from “0%” to “50%”, and the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “4” is “100%”. To "50%". In the second update of the surplus performance ranking table 211, the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “5” is changed from “50%” to “100%”, and the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “4” is “50%”. To “0%”.

  FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating an example of updating the route management table. In the first update of the route management table 212, the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “5” is changed from “0%” to “50%”, and the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “4” is “100%”. Has been changed to “50%”. In the route management table 212, the node number “4” is deleted from the adjacent node corresponding to the node number “3”, and the node number “3” is deleted from the adjacent node corresponding to the node number “4”. In the second update of the route management table 212, the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “5” is changed from “50%” to “100%”, and the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “4” is “50%”. Has been changed to “0%”.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, an appropriate relay node can be selected according to the remaining capacity of the relay node, and the translator can be transferred to the relay node. As a result, it is possible to prevent the processing efficiency from being lowered in the entire network due to the overload of the relay node operating as a translator.

  In addition, by transferring the translator in stages, it is possible to prevent the transfer-destination relay node from becoming overloaded and becoming a new bottleneck. In the first update of the route management table 212, the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “5” is changed from “0%” to “50%”, and the conversion ratio corresponding to the node number “4” is “100%”. Has been changed to “50%”.

In addition, load distribution for protocol conversion is realized by operating a plurality of relay nodes as translators for a predetermined period.
As mentioned above, although embodiment was illustrated, the structure of each part shown by embodiment can be substituted by the other thing which has the same function. Moreover, other arbitrary structures and processes may be added. Further, any two or more configurations (features) of the above-described embodiments may be combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st network 2 2nd network 3-5 Relay apparatus 10 Management apparatus 11 Collection means 12 Storage means 13 Determination means 14 Instruction means

Claims (9)

A first network that is communicating with a first protocol and of a plurality of relay devices capable of performing protocol conversion between the second protocol, the first protocol, is communicated by the second protocol One or more that is provided in the first network or the second network adjacent to the first relay device that performs protocol conversion at the boundary with the second network and that does not perform protocol conversion Determining means for determining the second relay device to perform protocol conversion based on information on the performance of each of the one or more second relay devices from among the second relay devices;
Instruction means for instructing execution of protocol conversion to the determined second relay device;
A management device. It said determining means, the highest the second relay device, the management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining the second relay device for performing protocol conversion performance. It said determining means, the largest the second relay device surplus performance management system of claim 1, wherein the determining the second relay device for performing protocol conversion. A collecting unit for collecting information on performance from each of the one or more second relay devices;
The determining means calculates the remaining capacity of the performance of the one or more second relay apparatuses based on the collected information, and causes the second relay apparatus having the largest remaining capacity to execute protocol conversion . The management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the management apparatus is determined to be a relay apparatus. It said indicating means to said second relay device that makes running a protocol conversion, instructs to perform the protocol conversion of a portion of the communication, to the first relay device, the second management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an instruction to perform a protocol conversion to a communication that does not convert the relay device. When the decrease in performance of the second relay device after the start of protocol conversion for some communications is less than a predetermined value, the instruction means sends protocol conversions for all communications to the second relay device. 6. The management apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the management apparatus is instructed to stop the protocol conversion to the first relay apparatus. Said instructing means, the performance of a part of the second relay device after initiation protocol conversion related communications, if you are lowering the predetermined value or more, with respect to the first relay device, for all communication was instructed to perform protocol conversion, the relative second relay device, the management apparatus according to claim 6 Symbol mounting, characterized in that an instruction to stop the protocol conversion. Computer
A first network that is communicating with a first protocol and of a plurality of relay devices capable of performing protocol conversion between the second protocol, the first protocol, is communicated by the second protocol One or more that is provided in the first network or the second network adjacent to the first relay device that performs protocol conversion at the boundary with the second network and that does not perform protocol conversion Determining the second relay device to execute the protocol conversion based on information on the performance of each of the one or more second relay devices from among the second relay devices of
Instructing the determined second relay device to execute protocol conversion,
Management method. On the computer,
A first network that is communicating with a first protocol and of a plurality of relay devices capable of performing protocol conversion between the second protocol, the first protocol, is communicated by the second protocol One or more that is provided in the first network or the second network adjacent to the first relay device that performs protocol conversion at the boundary with the second network and that does not perform protocol conversion Determining the second relay device to execute the protocol conversion based on information on the performance of each of the one or more second relay devices from among the second relay devices of
Instructing the determined second relay device to execute protocol conversion,
Management program that executes processing.

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