Communication system, control apparatus, packet handling operation setting method, and program

A control apparatus sets, in a node located at the start point of an aggregatable segment of two or more packet forwarding paths including the aggregatable segment, a packet handling operation for each flow, the packet handling operation being for writing a flow identifier for identifying the flow and a path identifier used for packet forwarding through the aggregatable segment in a region of each of packets to be matched against the matching rule and then causing the packet to be output. The packets respectively belong to the individual flows, and each of the packets is to be forwarded through a corresponding one of the two or more packet forwarding paths. Further, the control apparatus sets, in a node located intermediate on the aggregatable segment, a common packet handling operation for causing the packet that matches the path identifier to be forwarded according to the packet forwarding path. Then, the control apparatus sets, in a node located at the end point of the aggregatable segment, a packet handling operation for performing restoration and forwarding based on the flow identifier.