To interpret bits which are not used as a flow identifier, again as a MAC (Media Access Control) address or a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) ID by using a part of bits in the MAC address or a VLAN tag used for the Ethernet(R) as a flow identifier.

When high-order 24 bits of the MAC address become special high-order bits of a particular value, some of low-order 24 bits are used as a portion (special field) to be used for flow information. The particular value is set to communication equipment. Furthermore, in 12 bits of a VLAN ID, bits not to be used as the VLAN ID are determined and set to the communication equipment. These bits are also handled as a special field. For example, special flow information is generated with a special field of a transmission source MAC address as a most significant field, a special field of a destination MAC address as a least significant field and a special field of the VLAN ID as an intermediate field, and used for searching for an entry which is hit in a flow table.

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