A network system includes network relay devices including a master device for administrating the network system, and a member device to be administrated by the master device. When the master device receives an authentication request from an external terminal connected to the network system, the master device performs an authentication processing for authorizing or denying the authentication request. When the authentication request is authorized, one network relay device connected to the external terminal in the network system performs a communication-authorizing processing for authorizing a communication between the external terminal and the one network relay device, and performs a transmission processing for transmitting a communication authorization data to an other network relay device which is not connected to the external terminal in the network system. When the other network relay device receives the communication authorization data, the other network relay device performs the communication-authorizing processing.
1. A network system of a network, comprising:
network relay devices connected to each other to function as a virtual single network relay device, the network relay devices including:
a master device configured to administrate the network system; and
one or more member devices configured to be administrated by the master device, and
an authentication server connected to the master device,
wherein one of the network relay devices is connected with one or more external terminals,
wherein when an external terminal of the one or more external terminals logins the network, the external terminal sends a login request to the master device relayed by one or more member devices,
wherein when the master device receives the login request from the external terminal connected to the network system, the master device sends an authentication request to the authentication server and receives a response to the authentication request from the authentication server, and the master device sends a response to the login request to the external terminal,
wherein when the authentication server receives the authentication request from the master device, the authentication server authenticates or denies the authentication request,
wherein when the authentication request is authenticated, the one network relay device connected to the external terminal enables a communication between the external terminal and the one network relay device, and transmits enabled communication information to the other network relay devices belonging to the network system,
wherein the other network relay devices, when receiving the enabled communication information, enable communications between the external terminal and the other network relay devices, respectively,
wherein at least one of the network relay devices includes a roaming port to be connected to the external terminal when the external terminal roams, and the one network relay device connected with the external terminal transmits the enabled communication information to only the at least one network relay device with a roaming port, but not to the other network relay devices with no roaming port, and
wherein the at least one network relay device with a roaming port transmits information of the roaming port to the other network relay devices belonging to the network system.
2. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein when the one or more member devices receive the login request from the external terminal, the one or more member devices send the authentication request to the authentication server and receive the response to the authentication request from the authentication server instead of the master device.
3. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein when the one network relay device connected with the external terminal receives a logout request from the external terminal, the one network relay device disables the communication between the external terminal and the one network relay device, and transmits communication disabling information to the other network relay devices belonging to the network system,
wherein when the other network relay devices not connected with the external terminal, when receiving the communication disabling information, disable the communications between the external terminal and the other network relay devices, respectively.
4. The network system according to claim 3 , wherein each of the network relay devices registers an external terminal identification information therein when executing the communication-enabling processing, and deletes the external terminal identification information therefrom when executing the communication-disabling processing.
5. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein the one network relay device connected with the external terminal transmits an updated information to the other network relay devices belonging to the network system each time the information to be updated in the one network relay device but not updated in the other network relay devices is updated in the one network relay device.
6. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein the enabled communication information comprises information of the external terminal for which the communications with the other network relay devices are authorized.
7. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein the enabled communication information comprises login terminal data including information of the external terminal for which communication is authorized.