Method, communication apparatus, and communication system

1. A method of communication through an optical communication network, executed by processor included in a communication apparatus that performs transmission by selecting a transmission mode, the method comprising:

measuring an amount of data traffic of the optical communication network for each unit time when transmitting data;

determining whether the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than a threshold value;

transmitting the data using first optical signals having different levels in light intensity that indicate different numerical values when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than the threshold value; and

transmitting the data using second optical signals having different levels in light intensity that indicate different numerical values, a number of types of the first optical signals being fewer than a number of types of the second optical signals, when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is not equal to or more than the threshold value.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the transmitting the data using the first optical signals includes:

setting, by the processor, four-valued notation data to be transmitted into a data area of a data frame, and setting, by the processor, an identifier indicating a four-valued notation into a header area of the data frame when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than the threshold value, and

wherein the transmitting the data using the second optical signals includes:

setting, by the processor, binary notation data to be transmitted into the data area, and setting, by the processor, an identifier indicating a binary notation into the header area of the data frame when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is not equal to or more than the threshold value.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

transmitting by switching from the first mode to the second mode when transmitting second data stored in the data area.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein

the communication apparatus is coupled to a relay apparatus using a fiber channel, and

the relay apparatus is configured to:

receive the data frame from the communication apparatus,

determine that the data frame is in the binary notation when the identifier indicating the binary notation is set in the header area of the data frame, and

determine that the data frame is in the four-valued notation when the identifier indicating the binary notation is not set in the header area of the data frame.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second optical signals are two optical signals selected from among the first optical signals and the two optical signals indicate binary values.

6. The method of communication according to claim 1 ,

wherein the determining includes determining to transmit the data using the second optical signals when the communication apparatus has received an instruction to transmit using the second optical signals from another apparatus coupled to the communication apparatus.

7. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the determining includes determining whether the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than a threshold value for each frame when transmitting a plurality of frames.

8. A communication apparatus that performs communication in an optical communication network, the communication apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

measure an amount of data traffic of the optical communication network for each unit time when transmitting data;

determine whether the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than a threshold value;

transmit the data using first optical signals having different levels in light intensity that indicate different numerical values when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than the threshold value; and

transmit the data using second optical signals having different levels in light intensity that indicate different numerical values, a number of types of the first optical signals being fewer than a number of types of the second optical signals, when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is not equal to or more than the threshold value.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the data is transmitted as a data frame from the communication apparatus, and

the processor is further configured to:

set four-valued notation data to be transmitted into a data area of the data frame, and set an identifier indicating a four-valued notation into a header area of the data frame, before transmitting the data frame, when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than the threshold value; and

set binary notation data to be transmitted into the data area, and set an identifier indicating a binary notation into the header area of the data frame, before transmitting the data frame, when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is not equal to or more than the threshold value.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to

transmit the identifier indicating the binary notation corresponding to the data using the first optical signals when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is not equal to or more than the threshold value.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second optical signals are two optical signals selected from among the first optical signals and the two optical signals indicate binary values.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to transmit the data using the second optical signals when an instruction to transmit using the second optical signals from another apparatus coupled to the communication apparatus.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to determine whether the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than a threshold value for each frame when transmitting a plurality of frames.

14. A communication system that performs communication by selecting a transmission mode, the communication system comprising:

a communication apparatus; and

a relay apparatus coupled to the communication apparatus,

wherein a processor included in the communication apparatus is configured to:

measure an amount of data traffic of the optical communication network for each unit time when transmitting data;

determine whether the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than a threshold value;

transmit the data using first optical signals having different levels in light intensity that indicate different numerical values when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than the threshold value; and

transmit the data using second optical signals having different levels in light intensity that indicate different numerical values, a number of types of the first optical signals being fewer than a number of types of the second optical signals, when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is not equal to or more than the threshold value.

15. The communication system according to claim 14 , wherein a processor included in the relay apparatus is configured to:

receive the data from the communication apparatus, measure an amount of data traffic of the optical communication network for each unit time;

determine whether the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than the threshold value;

transfer the data using the first optical signals when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is equal to or more than the threshold value, and

transfer the data frame using the second optical signals when it is determined that the measured amount of traffic data is not equal to or more than the threshold value.