MAC address learning in communication networks
An information processing device according to an embodiment is a communication apparatus that is connected to a user apparatus via an access port and transmits user data from the user apparatus to another user apparatus connected to another communication apparatus via a network, and includes an acquisition function unit and an advertisement function unit. The acquisition function unit acquires a MAC address of a newly connected user apparatus in response to reception of a request for acquiring the MAC address of the user apparatus newly connected to the access port. The advertisement function unit advertises the MAC address acquired by the acquisition function unit to the other communication apparatus.
1 . A communication apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:
receive, from another communication apparatus that is connected to a first user apparatus, a request for acquiring a media access control (MAC) address for a second user apparatus connected to an access port of the communication apparatus;
in response to receiving the request, acquire the MAC address of the second user apparatus before the time at which the MAC address is required to determine a destination for user data; and
advertise the acquired MAC address to the other communication apparatus over a network.
2 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
detect linkup of the access port; and
transmit a notification indicative of the request in response to the linkup of the access port.
3 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
generate a clock time; and
transmit a notification indicative of the request to the acquisition function unit every time a fixed time from the generated clock time elapses.
4 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to acquire the MAC address of the connected user apparatus in response to receiving the request via the network.
5 . A communication system comprising one or more processors configured to:
identify, by a transmission device, whether a MAC address of a transmission destination user apparatus has been learned when user data to be transmitted to the transmission destination user apparatus is received from a transmission source user apparatus via an access port; and
in response to identifying that the MAC address is unlearned, transmit, by the transmission device and to a reception device, a request for acquiring a MAC address of a user apparatus newly connected to the access port of the reception device via a network, and
confirm, by the reception device, presence or absence of new connection of a user apparatus under the access port in response to reception of the request via the network;
acquire, by the reception device, a MAC address from the newly connected user apparatus before the time at which the MAC address is required to determine a destination for user data; and
advertise, to the transmission device, the acquired MAC address via the network.
6 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions which, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from another communication apparatus that is connected to a first user apparatus, a request for acquiring a media access control (MAC) address for a second user apparatus connected to an access port of the communication apparatus;
in response to receiving the request, acquiring, by one or more processors, the MAC address of the second user apparatus before the time at which the MAC address is required to determine a destination for user data; and
advertising, by the one or more processors, the acquired MAC address to the other communication apparatus over a network.
7 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6 , further comprising:
detecting linkup of the access port; and
transmit a notification indicative of the request in response to the linkup of the access port.
8 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6 , further comprising:
generating a clock time; and
transmit a notification indicative of the request every time a fixed time from the generated clock time elapses.
9 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 6 , comprising acquiring the MAC address of the connected user apparatus in response to receiving the request via the network.