Network system, controller, and load distribution method

1. A network system comprising:

a switch configured to transfer a packet; and

an external controller configured to set a flow entry for the packet to said switch,

wherein said external controller comprises:

a heavy load switch detecting section configured to detect said switch as a heavy load switch when said switch is in a heavy load state of new flow entry setting processing;

a storage section configured to store a switch list;

an alternate route searching section configured to search an alternate route which does not use said heavy load switch, from the switch list; and

a flow entry setting section configured to set a new flow entry for a new packet to a new switch on the alternate route searched by said alternate route searching section, and

wherein said alternative route includes said external controller.

2. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein the packet is transferred by using the flow entry which is already set in said heavy load switch without a change of the already set flow entry by said flow entry setting section.

3. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein said heavy load switch detecting section detects said switch as said heavy load switch when a response of a barrier request transmitted from said external controller to said switch is not returned within a predetermined time.

4. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein said heavy load switch detecting section regularly monitors a CPU (Central Processing Unit) use rate of said switch, and detects that said switch is said heavy load switch, when the CPU use rate exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

5. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein said flow entry setting section deletes the new flow entry for the alternate route when said heavy load switch detecting section detects that said switch changed from the heavy load state to a light load state, and sets the new flow entry for the new packet to said switch.

6. The external controller which is used for the network system according to claim 1 .

7. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein the flow entry setting section is configured to set the new flow entry for the new packet to the new switch on the alternate route searched by said alternate route searching section without setting the new flow entry to said heavy load switch.

8. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein the external controller is separate from the switch.

9. The network system according to claim 1 , wherein the alternate route searching section is configured to search as the alternate route, the external controller without the switch.

10. A load distribution method of a network system which comprises a switch which transfers a packet, and an external controller which sets a flow entry for the packet to said switch, said load distribution method comprising:

detecting said switch as a heavy load switch when said switch is in a heavy load state of new flow entry setting processing;

searching an alternate route which does not use said heavy load switch, from the switch list; and

setting a new flow entry for a new packet to a new switch on the alternate route searched, and

wherein said alternative route includes said external controller.

11. The load distribution method according to claim 10 , wherein the packet is transferred by using the flow entry which is already set in said heavy load switch without a change of the already set flow entry by said flow entry setting section.

12. The load distribution method according to claim 10 , wherein said detecting said switch as a heavy load switch, comprises:

detecting said switch as said heavy load switch when a response of a barrier request transmitted from said external controller to said switch is not returned within a predetermined time.

13. The load distribution method according to claim 10 , wherein said detecting said switch as a heavy load switch comprises:

regularly monitoring a CPU (Central Processing Unit) use rate of said switch; and

detecting that said switch is said heavy load switch when the CPU use rate exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

14. The load distribution method according to claim 10 , wherein said setting comprises:

detecting that said switch changed from the heavy load state to a light load state;

deleting the new flow entry for the alternate route; and

setting the new flow entry for the new packet to said switch.

15. The load distribution method according to claim 10 , wherein the external controller is separate from the switch.

16. The load distribution method according to claim 10 , wherein the searching of the alternate route includes searching the external controller without the switch.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium which stores a computer-executable program to make an external controller execute a load distribution method of a network system which comprises a switch which transfers a packet, and said external controller which sets a flow entry for the packet to said switch,

wherein said load distribution method comprises:

detecting said switch as a heavy load switch when said switch is in a heavy load state of new flow entry setting processing;

searching an alternate route which does not use said heavy load switch, from the switch list; and

setting a new flow entry for a new packet to a new switch on the alternate route searched, and

wherein said alternative route includes said external controller.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17 , wherein the external controller is separate from the switch.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17 , wherein the searching of the alternate route includes searching the external controller without the switch.