IP Library Granted Patent US 12,659,189
Granted Patent B2
US 12,659,189 · App. 18/715,850 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Packet relay system and packet relay method

Inventor: Kenta Shinohara (Musashino, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
H04L12/4633H04L12/4641
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,659,189
App. No.
18/715,850
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A packet relay system ( 1 ) includes a tenant ( 51 ) in which a plurality of tap devices ( 513, 514 ) terminating a tunneling protocol are built, a tenant ( 52 ) in which a plurality of tap devices ( 523, 524 ) are built, and a plurality of relay devices ( 41, 42 ) connecting the plurality of tenants ( 51, 52 ) and external devices ( 31, 32 ). The relay devices ( 41, 42 ) include respective connection management units ( 414, 424 ) that determine transfer destinations of packets received from the external devices ( 31, 32 ) based on header information of the packets.

Claims (17)

1 . A packet relay system comprising:

a processor and a memory device storing instructions, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processor to implement:

a plurality of tenants configured to have a plurality of virtual network devices terminating a tunneling protocol;

a plurality of relay devices configured to connect the plurality of tenants and an external device; and

a management device configured to manage the plurality of tenants and the plurality of relay devices, wherein

a relay device of the plurality of relay devices includes a connection management unit configured to identify a connection based on header information of a packet received from the external device, determine that the connection related to the packet is new only from the packet, set a transfer destination of the packet to a new tenant, and notify the management device of information of the connection,

the management device is configured to instruct another relay device different from the relay device to add the connection.

2 . The packet relay system according to claim 1 , wherein the connection management unit is configured to determine a tenant of a packet transfer destination, based on a predetermined rule.

3 . The packet relay system according to claim 1 , wherein the connection management unit is configured to set the transfer destination based on the packet relating to traffic with a low latency requirement and set the transfer destination based on the packet relating to traffic with a non-low latency requirement to different tenants, respectively.

4 . The packet relay system according to claim 1 , wherein the connection management unit is configured to simultaneously transmit a packet received from the external device to the plurality of tenants.

5 . A method for relaying a packet, comprising:

building, by a plurality of tenants, a plurality of virtual network devices terminating a tunneling protocol;

identifying a connection, by a relay device that connects the plurality of tenants and an external device, based on header information of the packet received from the external device;

determining, by the relay device, that the connection related to the packet is new only from the packet;

setting, by the relay device, a transfer destination of the packet to a new tenant;

notifying, by the relay device, a management device of information of the connection; and

instructing, by the management device, another relay device different from the relay device to add the connection.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 14, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 072460/0605 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 14, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 073460/0980 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2024
From: SHINOHARA, KENTA
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067640/0525 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250039017A1 · Jan 30, 2025
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