Upon receiving the alarm message from, for example, the FW #1, the FWC 7 may generate 1 or more additional FW #m (“m” is an integer greater than or equal to 2) and load distribution functions #1 and #2, as VMs, as schematically illustrated in 
The FWs 5 including the additional FWs #m may be exemplarily coupled in parallel to the load distribution functions #1 and #2 between the load distribution functions #1 and #2. Note that the FWs 5 coupled in parallel to the load distribution functions #1 and #2 may be conveniently called “parallel FWs” 5.
The first load distribution function #1 exemplarily sorts reception packets into the FWs 5 including the additional FWs #m.
In addition, the second load distribution function #2 receives packets transmitted in a direction opposite to that of packets input to the first load distribution function #1 and sorts the reception packets into the FWs 5 including the additional FWs #m.
In the entry table 54 in each of the additional FWs #m, flow entries having the same contents as those of the entry table 54 in the FW #1 that transmits the alarm message may be set.
From this, packets input to one of the load distribution functions #1 and #2 are sorted into the parallel FWs 5 each having the same entry table 54. Therefore, it is possible to realize the load distribution of the FWs 5.
Note that addresses assigned to the FWs 5 and load distribution functions added by the auto-scaling may be set in a form of not influencing an existing address setting in the FW system 1.