Granted Patent B2

US 12,218,774 · App. 18/458,326 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Inventor: Issei Hatanaka (Kanagawa, JP)

Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation

H04L12/22H04L12/66H04L41/40H04L63/12H04L63/126

Abstract

Claims (47)

1. A communication system comprising: a first communication control apparatus connected between a network connection apparatus and a first client apparatus; a second communication control apparatus connected between the network connection apparatus and a second client apparatus; and a communication control management apparatus that is connected to the network connection apparatus and manages communication by the first communication control apparatus and second communication control apparatus,

wherein the first communication control apparatus includes:

a first processor that generates a first packet including a first virtual tag; and

a first interface that mediates communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus by transmitting and receiving the first packet,

the second communication control apparatus includes:

a second processor that generates the first packet including the first virtual tag; and

a second interface that mediates communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus by transmitting and receiving the first packet, and

the communication control management apparatus includes:

a third processor that generates a second packet including a second virtual tag; and

a third interface that communicates with the first communication control apparatus or the second communication control apparatus by the second packet,

wherein the third processor monitors communication based on management information defining regular communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus as communication by the first packet including the first virtual tag, and defining regular communication between the communication control management apparatus and the first communication control apparatus or second communication control apparatus as communication by the second packet including the second virtual tag.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in a case where a virtual tag detected from a packet of a first communication path between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus contradicts the first virtual tag, the third processor detects an abnormality of the first communication path.

3. The communication system according to claim 2 ,

wherein, in a case where a virtual tag detected from a packet of a second communication path between the communication control management apparatus and the first communication control apparatus or a packet of a second communication path between the communication control management apparatus and the second communication control apparatus contradicts the second virtual tag, the third processor detects an abnormality of the second communication path.

4. The communication system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the communication control management apparatus includes a display unit that displays an abnormality of the first or second communication path.

5. The communication system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the first communication path is a virtual communication path identified by the first virtual tag, and the second communication path is a virtual communication path identified by the second virtual tag.

6. The communication system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the communication control management apparatus includes a memory that stores a communication permission list including identification information for identifying the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus, and

the third processor permits communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus based on the communication permission list.

7. The communication system according to claim 1 ,

wherein communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus is transmission and reception of information generated by the first client apparatus or the second client apparatus, and

communication between the communication control management apparatus and the first client apparatus or the second client apparatus is transmission and reception of a control command or a communication alert.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program that a first communication control apparatus connected between a network connection apparatus and a first client apparatus, a second communication control apparatus connected between the network connection apparatus and a second client apparatus, and a communication control management apparatus that is connected to the network connection apparatus and manages communication by the first communication control apparatus and second communication control apparatus are caused to execute,

wherein the program causes the first communication control apparatus to execute

a procedure of generating a first packet including a first virtual tag; and

a procedure of mediating communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus by transmitting and receiving the first packet,

the second communication control apparatus to execute

a procedure of generating the first packet including the first virtual tag; and

a procedure of mediating communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus by transmitting and receiving the first packet, and

the communication control management apparatus to execute

a procedure of generating a second packet including a second virtual tag;

a procedure of communicating with the first communication control apparatus or the second communication control apparatus by the second packet; and

a procedure of monitoring communication based on management information defining regular communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus as communication by the first packet including the first virtual tag, and defining regular communication between the communication control management apparatus and the first communication control apparatus or second communication control apparatus as communication by the second packet including the second virtual tag.

9. A communication system comprising: a first communication control apparatus connected between a network connection apparatus and a first client apparatus; a second communication control apparatus connected between the network connection apparatus and a second client apparatus; and a communication control management apparatus that is connected to the network connection apparatus and manages communication of the first communication control apparatus and second communication control apparatus,

wherein the first communication control apparatus includes:

a first processor that generates a first packet including a first virtual tag; and

a first interface that mediates communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus by transmitting and receiving the first packet,

the second communication control apparatus includes:

a second processor that generates the first packet including the first virtual tag; and

a second interface that mediates communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus by transmitting and receiving the first packet, and

the communication control management apparatus includes:

a third processor that generates a second packet including a second virtual tag and generates a third packet including a third virtual tag; and

a third interface that communicates with the first communication control apparatus by the second packet and communicates with the second communication control apparatus by the third packet,

wherein the third processor monitors communication based on management information defining regular communication between the first client apparatus and the second client apparatus as communication by the first packet including the first virtual tag, defining regular communication between the communication control management apparatus and the first communication control apparatus as communication by the second packet including the second virtual tag, and defining regular communication between the communication control management apparatus and the second communication control apparatus as communication by the third packet including the third virtual tag.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (24)