System and method for sending packets over a computer network

• US 20050100016A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Fantastic Co. AG
• Inventors: White, Marc, Miller, C. Kenneth, Michelson, Craig, Gardner, Thomas, Andresen, Thomas, Cates, Kenneth, Robertson, Kary
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1614 using bitmaps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/184 with heterogeneous receivers, e.g. layered multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1863 comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/115 using a dedicated packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1446 of transmission speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• 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 69/163 : In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 : in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

The benefits of a multicast-enabled network are realized by a flexible, easy to deploy, software-based solution that does not require reconfiguring of network routers. Systems and methods that implement this solution can perform as follows. A packet is received that was sent by a sender to at least one receiver, and the packet includes a parameter relating to a multicast announce address. A forwarding rules set is associated with the packet if the parameter has a defined value. This forwarding rules set is used to determine whether any of the at least one destination addresses included in the packet corresponds to one of the receivers that has a receiver format that must be converted. In addition, the forwarding rules set defines when a packet should be converted from a sender format to a receiver format before forwarding the packet. The packet is converted from the sender format to the receiver format for each destination address identified as requiring conversion, and forwarded in accordance with the forwarding rules set.

Claims

1. A method for sending packets over a computer network, comprising:

a) receiving a packet sent by a sender to at least one receiver, the packet comprising a parameter relating to a multicast announce address;

b) associating a forwarding rule set with the packet if the parameter has a defined value;

c) using the forwarding rules set to determine if any of the at least one destination addresses associated with the multicast announce address corresponds to a receiver that has a receiver format that must be converted, where the forwarding rules set defines when a packet should be converted from a sender format to a receiver format before forwarding the packet;

d) converting the packet from the sender format to the receiver format for each destination address identified in step (c)(b) as requiring conversion; and

e) forwarding the packet in accordance with the forwarding rules set.

2-33. -33. (canceled)