Network system and relay device

1. A relay device with a blocking port that is logically blocked, which is one of a plurality of relay devices each including a plurality of ports and having a spanning tree protocol applied therein, the relay device comprising:

request passing means for judging whether a received data frame is request data transmitted from a terminal device requesting a predetermined bandwidth prior to transmitting a data frame requiring the predetermined bandwidth and specifying a detour path that uses the blocking port, and when judged affirmatively, passing the request data through the blocking port without discarding the request data;

identification information storage means for acquiring identification information from the request data and storing therein the acquired identification information while the request passing means is passing the request data through the blocking port, the identification information being used for identifying specific data; and

specific data passing means for allowing data identified as the specific data by the identification information to pass through the blocking port by unblocking the blocking port.

2. The relay device of claim 1 , wherein the request data is an ICMP packet.

3. A network system comprising a plurality of relay devices and a plurality of terminal devices, in which a spanning tree protocol is applied, wherein

a first terminal device includes:

bandwidth request means for, before the first terminal device transmits a data frame requiring a predetermined bandwidth to a second terminal device, sending first request data through one or more of the plurality of relay devices linked between the first and the second terminal devices to allocate the predetermined bandwidth;

relay device information storage means for storing relay device information related to the one or more of the plurality of relay devices;

detour path determination means for, when the predetermined bandwidth cannot be allocated based on the first request data, transmitting second request data specifying a detour path that uses at least one blocking port, based on the relay device information, the second request data including identification information for setting to a relay device having the at least one blocking port, data to be transmitted through the at least one blocking port as specific data; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data frame requiring the predetermined bandwidth,

each of the relay devices includes a plurality of ports, and at least one of the ports of the plurality of relay devices is the at least one blocking port which is logically blocked;

the relay device having the at least one blocking port includes:

request passing means for judging whether a received data frame is the second request data or not, and when judged affirmatively, passing the second request data through the at least one blocking port without discarding the second request data;

identification information storage means for acquiring identification information from the second request data and storing therein the acquired identification information while the request passing means is passing the second request data through the at least one blocking port, the identification information being used for identifying the specific data; and

specific data passing means for allowing a data frame identified as the specific data by the identification information to pass through the at least one blocking port by unblocking the at least one blocking port.

4. The network system of claim 3 , wherein

the first request data transmitted by the bandwidth request means of the first terminal device to the second terminal device includes bandwidth request data including information on request bandwidth which indicates the predetermined bandwidth,

the relay device information storage means extracts the relay device information from bandwidth request data returned from the second terminal device and stores therein the relay device information, the relay device information being related to whether each port of each relay device is in use or not,

the each of the relay devices further includes bandwidth allocating means for (i) receiving the bandwidth request data, (ii) attempting to set the request bandwidth to a specified one of the ports thereof, and (iii) outputting the received bandwidth request data after adding thereto a result information piece indicating whether the attempt was successful or not and information on the ports of the relay device itself other than the specified port, and

the second terminal device includes bandwidth response means for outputting the bandwidth request data received thereby to the first terminal device.

5. The network system of claim 4 , wherein

the data transmission means determines that the predetermined bandwidth could not be allocated when at least one of result information pieces indicates negative.

6. A terminal device included in a network system which has a plurality of relay devices and a plurality of terminal devices and has a spanning tree protocol applied therein, the terminal device comprising:

bandwidth request means for, before the terminal device transmits data requiring a predetermined bandwidth to another terminal device, transmitting first request data through one or more of the plurality of relay devices linked between the terminal device and the another terminal device to allocate the predetermined bandwidth;

relay device information storage means for storing relay device information related to the one or more of the plurality of relay devices;

detour path determination means for, when the predetermined bandwidth cannot be allocated based on the first request data, transmitting second request data specifying a detour path that uses at least one blocking port, based on the relay device information; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data requiring the predetermined bandwidth, wherein

a relay device having the at least one blocking port is set in advance to pass the second request data through the at least one blocking port, and

the second request data includes identification information for setting, to the relay device, data to be transmitted through the at least one blocking port as specific data.

7. A passing method used by a relay device with a blocking port that is logically blocked, the relay device being one of a plurality of relay devices each including a plurality of ports and having a spanning tree protocol applied therein, the passing method comprising:

a request passing step of judging whether a received data frame is request data transmitted from a terminal device requesting a predetermined bandwidth prior to transmitting a data frame requiring the predetermined bandwidth and specifying a detour path that uses the blocking port, and when judged affirmatively, passing the request data through the blocking port without discarding the request data;

an identification information storing step of acquiring identification information from the request data and storing the acquired identification information in a memory while the request passing means is passing the request data through the blocking port, the identification information being used for identifying specific data; and

a specific data passing step of allowing data identified as the specific data by the identification information to pass through the blocking port by unblocking the blocking port.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, the computer program causing a relay device with a blocking port that is logically blocked to execute passing processing, the relay device being one of a plurality of relay devices each including a plurality of ports and having a spanning tree protocol applied therein, the passing processing including:

a request passing step of judging whether a received data frame is request data transmitted from a terminal device requesting a predetermined bandwidth prior to transmitting a data frame requiring the predetermined bandwidth and specifying a detour path that uses the blocking port, and when judged affirmatively, passing the request data through the blocking port without discarding the request data;

an identification information storing step of acquiring identification information from the request data and storing the acquired identification information in a memory while the request passing step is passing the request data through the blocking port, the identification information being used for identifying specific data; and

a specific data passing step of allowing data identified as the specific data by the identification information to pass through the blocking port by unblocking the blocking port.

9. An integrated circuit used in a relay device with a blocking port that is logically blocked, the relay device being one of a plurality of relay devices each including a plurality of ports and having a spanning tree protocol applied therein, the integrated circuit comprising:

request passing means for judging whether a received data frame, transmitted from a terminal device requesting a predetermined bandwidth prior to transmitting a data frame requiring the predetermined bandwidth, is request data specifying a detour path that uses the blocking port, and when judged affirmatively, pass the request data through the blocking port without discarding the request data;

identification information storage means for acquiring identification information from the request data and storing therein the acquired identification information while the request passing means is passing the request data through the blocking port, the identification information being used for identifying specific data; and

specific data passing means for allowing data identified as the specific data by the identification information to pass through the blocking port by unblocking the blocking port.