Multicast routing method and apparatus for routing multicast packet

• US 20020181465A1
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alaxala Networks Corporation (Fortinet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Higuchi, Hidemitsu, Nozaki, Shinji, Tsuchiya, Kazuaki, Sawada, Sunao
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503

Abstract

A communications apparatus for converting an IPv4 multicast packet transmit form an IPv4 terminal into an IPv6 multicast packet and transmitting the converted IPv6 multicast packet to one of a plurality of IPv6 networks. The communications apparatus has information indicating to which IPv6 network the IPv4 multicast packet to undergo conversion processing is to be transmitted. The communications apparatus then converts the received IPv4 multicast packet into an IPv6 multicast packet and transmits the converted IPv6 multicast packet to an IPv6 network where it is required to be sent.

Claims

1. A method of routing at least one IPv4 multicast packet transmitted through an IPv4 network to at least one IPv6 network, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in memory the at least one IPv6 network, or a routing destination of the at least one IPv4 multicast packet;

receiving the at least one IPv4 multicast packet;

converting an IPv4 header of the received IPv4 multicast packet into an IPv6 header and generating an IPv6 multicast packet; and

transmitting the generated IPv6 multicast packet to the IPv6 network stored in memory.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the IPv6 network in memory matches at least a destination address of the IPv4 multicast packet to information for identifying the at least one IPv6 network and stores them in memory.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing in memory another IPv4 network, or a routing destination of the at least one IPv4 multicast packet; and

transmitting the at least one IPv4 multicast packet to the other IPv4 network stored in memory.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the at least one IPv6 network a message requesting a reception of the generated IPv6 multicast packet.

5. A method of routing an IPv4 multicast packet transmitted through an IPv4 network to one or more IPv6 networks, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from an arbitrary one of the one or more IPv6 networks a message requesting a reception of an IPv6 multicast packet;

storing in memory the arbitrary IPv6 network as a network transmitting the IPv6 multicast packet;

receiving the IPv4 multicast packet;

converting the received IPv4 multicast packet into the IPv6 multicast packet; and

transmitting the IPv6 multicast packet to the IPv6 network stored in memory.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of storing the arbitrary IPv6 network in memory matches at least a destination address of the IPv4 multicast packet to information for identifying the arbitrary IPv6 network and stores them in memory.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a message requesting a reception of the IPv4 multicast packet from another IPv4 network;

storing in memory the IPv4 network that has transmitted the message; and

transmitting the received IPv4 multicast packet to the IPv4 network stored in memory.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the arbitrary IPv6 network a message indicating a suspension of the reception of the IPv6 multicast packet; and

storing in memory the arbitrary IPv6 network as a network to which the IPv6 multicast packet is not transmitted.

9. A method of routing each of a plurality of IPv4 multicast packets transmitted through an IPv4 network to a plurality of IPv6 networks, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from an arbitrary one of the plurality of IPv6 networks a message requesting a reception of an IPv6 multicast packet;

when the IPv6 multicast packet the reception of which has been requested is generated by conversion of one of the plurality of IPv4 multicast packets,

matching the arbitrary IPv6 network that has transmitted the message with a part of header information of the one IPv4 multicast packet and storing them in memory, the arbitrary IPv6 network being taken as a network requesting the reception of the IPv6 multicast packet;

receiving one of the plurality of IPv4 multicast packets;

converting the received IPv4 multicast packet into the IPv6 multicast packet; and

transmitting the IPv6 multicast packet that was generated by the conversion to the IPv6 network that was matched with a part of the header information of the received IPv4 multicast packet and which was stored in memory.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

transmitting to the plurality of IPv6 networks a message for checking the existence of a terminal requesting the reception of the IPv6 multicast packet.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from a terminal connected to an arbitrary one of the plurality of IPv6 networks a message indicating that the reception of the IPv6 multicast packet is not required; and

when a terminal requesting the reception of the IPv6 multicast packet no longer exists on the arbitrary one of the IPv6 networks,

matching the arbitrary one of the IPv6 networks with a part of the header information and storing them in memory, the arbitrary one of the IPv6 networks being taken as a network not requiring the reception of the IPv6 multicast packet.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from at least one IPv4 network a message requesting the reception of the one IPv4 multicast packet; and

matching the at least one IPv4 network with a part of the header information and storing them in memory, the at least one IPv4 network being taken as a network transmitting the one IPv4 multicast packet.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the part of the header information includes a destination address of at least the one IPv4 multicast packet.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the at least one IPv6 network a message requesting a suspension of the reception of the IPv6 multicast packet; and

when an IPv6 network requiring a routing of the IPv4 multicast packet no longer exists,

transmitting to the router a message requesting a suspension of the routing of the IPv4 multicast packet.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

storing in memory at least one IPv4 network routing the received IPv4 multicast packet; and

transmitting the received IPv4 multicast packet to the IPv4 network the IPv4 network stored in memory.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the at least one IPv6 network a message requesting a transmission of the IPv4 multicast packet transmitted from the router; and

transmitting to the router a message requesting a routing of the IPv4 multicast packet.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from one of one or more IPv6 networks a message requesting a suspension of a routing of the IPv6 multicast packet; and

when an IPv6 network requiring the routing of the IPv4 multicast packet no longer exists,

transmitting to the router a message requesting the suspension of the routing of the IPv4 multicast packet.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from an arbitrary one of the IPv6 networks a message requesting a routing of the IPv6 multicast packet; and

transmitting to the router a message requesting a suspension of the routing of the IPv4 multicast packet.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

matching each address information of the plurality of IPv4 multicast packets with the IPv4 networks, or routing destinations of the plurality of IPv4 multicast packets, and storing them in memory; and

transmitting the received IPv4 multicast packet to the IPv4 network stored in memory.

14. A method of routing an IPv4 multicast packet transmitted from a router on an IPv4 network to an IPv6 network, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in memory at least one IPv6 network routing the IPv4 multicast packet;

receiving the IPv4 multicast packet transmitted from the router;

converting the received IPv4 multicast packet into an IPv6 multicast packet; and

transmitting the IPv6 multicast packet to the at least one IPv6 network stored in memory.

18. A method of routing each of a plurality of IPv4 multicast packets routed by a router on an IPv4 network to one or more IPv6 networks, the method comprising the steps of:

matching each address information of the plurality of IPv4 multicast packets with the one or more IPv6 networks, or routing destinations of the plurality of IPv4 multicast packets, and storing them in memory;

receiving one of the plurality of IPv4 multicast packets transmitted from the router;

converting the received IPv4 multicast packet into an IPv6 multicast packet; and

transmitting the IPv6 multicast packet to the IPv6 network matched with the received IPv4 multicast packet and stored in memory.