Multicast delivery systems and methods

• US 20030079022A1
• Filed: 10/23/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mentat Inc (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Toporek, Jerome D., Hartrick, Timothy W., Saul, Michael A., Krupp, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18595 Arrangements for adapting broadband applications to satellite systems
• 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 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for efficient and effective multicast delivery over hub and spoke networks, including satellite-based hub and spoke networks. In one embodiment, a method of establishing a multicast connection with a plurality of receiving stations includes receiving with a gateway port a unicast connection, such as a TCP connection, from a sending station, mapping the unicast connection to a multicast connection on a first multicast group IP address, and initiating the multicast connection to a plurality of receiving stations. In alternative embodiments, the multicast connection is established over a satellite link, and/or is unidirectional.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a multicast connection with a plurality of receiving stations, said method comprising:

receiving a unicast connection from a sending station;

mapping said unicast connection to a multicast connection on a multicast group IP address; and

initiating said multicast connection to a plurality of receiving stations.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said sending station comprises a computer.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising establishing a plurality of second unicast connections with a plurality of end stations.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein said unicast connection comprises a first protocol, said multicast connection comprises a second protocol, and said second unicast connection comprises said first protocol.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein said unicast connection comprises a first protocol and said multicast connection comprises a second protocol.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising establishing a plurality of second unicast connections, each of said second unicast connections between a different one of said plurality of receiving stations and one of a plurality of end stations.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein said multicast connection comprises a connection via a satellite link.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein said multicast connection comprises a unidirectional data transfer.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein said unicast connection comprises a TCP connection.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein said multicast connection comprises a modified XTP connection.

11. A method of establishing a multicast FTP connection, said method comprising:

receiving a unicast TCP connection from a sender application with a gateway hub;

forming a multicast connection from said gateway hub to a plurality of remote gateways;

receiving a list of receivers from said remote gateways;

forming a data connection with said sender application; and

sending a data package received from said data connection to said plurality of remote gateways via said multicast connection.

12. The method as in claim 11 further comprising forming a control connection between said plurality of remote gateways and a plurality of end stations, and transmitting said data package from said plurality of remote gateways to said plurality of end stations.

13. The method as in claim 11 further comprising receiving a plurality of status reports from said remote gateways and transmitting said status reports to said sender application.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein said status reports identify one or more end stations that received said data package.

15. The method as in claim 11 wherein said data package comprises a file.

16. A communication apparatus comprising:

a TCP interface;

a remote gateway interface;

a system memory; and

a bus interconnecting said TCP interface, said remote gateway interface and said system memory with a processor, said processor operatively disposed to;

receive a unicast connection from a sending station;

map said unicast connection to a multicast connection on a multicast group IP address; and

initiate said multicast connection to a plurality of receiving stations.

17. An apparatus for establishing a communication between a sending station and a plurality of receiving stations, said apparatus comprising:

a network interface for receiving a unicast communication from said sending station;

a processor for mapping said unicast connection to a multicast connection; and

a satellite gateway interface for initiating said multicast connection to a plurality of receiving stations.

18. A method of establishing a multicast connection with a plurality of end stations, said method comprising:

listening for a multicast connection request;

accepting said multicast connection request with a remote gateway;

sending a unicast connection request to one of said plurality of end stations;

reading from said multicast connection and writing to said unicast connection if said one of said plurality of end stations accepts said unicast connection request;

ending said unicast connection; and

writing a status report to said multicast connection.

19. The method as in claim 18 wherein said status report comprises an end station identification.

20. The method as in claim 18 wherein said accepting comprises accepting said multicast connection request with a plurality of remote gateways.

21. The method as in claim 20 wherein said sending comprises each of said plurality of remote gateways sending said unicast connection request to a different end station of said plurality of end stations.