Performing multicast communication in computer networks by using overlay routing

• US 20070028002A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FastForward Networks, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.), Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCanne, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/544,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20070028002A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

An overlay protocol and system for allowing multicast routing in the Internet to be performed at the application level. The overlay protocol uses “native” Internet multicast and multicast routing protocols to route information, according to overlay routing tables. Overlay groups are mapped to native multicast groups to exploit native multicasting in regional or local forwarding domains. Use of the overlay protocol allows overlay distribution to be handled in a more intelligent and bandwidth-managed fashion. Overlay routers are placed at each of several local area networks, Internet service provider'"'"'s point of presence, enterprise, or other cohesively-managed locations. The overlay computers are configured according to bandwidth and security policies, and perform application-level multicast distribution across the otherwise disjoint multicast networks by using the overlay routing. The result is an overlay multicast network that is effectively managed according to local network management policies. Application-level control can be applied to the transferred data at the overlay routers.

Claims

1. An overlay routing processor for transferring information over a computer network, wherein the computer network has a native routing protocol the overlay routing processor comprising

instructions for associating computers on the network with a given overlay group;

instructions for determining whether received information is associated with the given overlay group; and

instructions for routing the received information to the computers associated with the given overlay group by using the native routing protocol.

2. The overlay routing processor of claim 1, wherein the native routing protocol defines computers as members of native groups for purposes of routing information among members of a given native group, the overlay routing processor further comprising

instructions for identifying a specific native group as an efficient distribution channel for the given overlay group;

and

wherein the instructions for routing include instructions for using the specific native group to perform the routing.

3. The overlay routing processor of claim 2, wherein the instructions for identifying a specific native group include

instructions for using a hash function to perform the identification.

4. The overlay routing processor of claim 2, wherein multiple overlay processors are coupled together over the network, the overlay routing processor further comprising

a data table accessed by the processor for defining peer relationships between overlay processors;

and

wherein the instructions for routing include instructions for using the defined peer relationships between overlay processors to perform the routing.

5. The overlay routing processor of claim 1, wherein an end-user computer is coupled to the network, wherein a first media information source is coupled to the network for sending media information to the network, the overlay routing processor further comprising

a data structure associating the media information with a first overlay channel identifier;

instructions for receiving a request from the end-user computer to receive the media information;

instructions for retrieving the first overlay channel identifier from the data structure and for associating the first overlay channel identifier with the request; and

instructions for routing all or a portion of the media information received by the overlay routing processor to the end-user computer.

6. The overlay routing processor of claim 5, wherein a second media information source is coupled to the network for sending media information to the network, the overlay routing processor further comprising

instructions for indicating an error condition if a second overlay channel identifier associated with the second media information source is the same as the first overlay channel identifier.

7. The overlay routing processor of claim 2, further comprising

instructions for associating a native group with an overlay group;

and

instructions for changing the association between an overlay group and a native group.

8. The overlay routing processor of claim 7, wherein the association between an overlay group and a native group includes defining a range of native multicast addresses.

9. The overlay routing processor of claim 8, wherein the range of native multicast addresses is defined as an IP4 Class D address and a prefix length.

10. The overlay routing processor of claim 1, further comprising

instructions for handling administrative scoping.

11. The overlay routing processor of claim 1, further comprising

instructions for servicing plugin modules.

12. The overlay routing processor of claim 1, further comprising

instructions for placing a limit on the number of transfers between computers for a given portion of information.

13. The overlay routing processor of claim 12, wherein information is transferred between the computers in packets, the overlay routing processor further comprising

instructions for placing a “

time-to-live”

value in a field in a packet

14. The overlay routing processor of claim 1, further comprising

instructions for preventing the transfer of information between predetermined computers.

15. The overlay routing processor of claim 14, wherein one or more computers are identified by an address, the overlay routing processor further comprising

using the address to prevent the transfer of information between predetermined computers.

16. A routing device in a computer network, the device comprising

instructions for detecting a client request for content information from a client computer;

instructions that identify a processor for handling the client request;

instructions that obtain communication information from the processor;

instructions that transmit the communication information to the client computer, wherein the communication information provides the client computer with a preferred way to communicate with the routing processor.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the instructions that identify a processor include

instructions that provide a uniform resource locator to the client computer.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the instructions that identify a processor include

instructions that provide an overlay address corresponding to the content information to the client computer.

19. A device in a computer network, the device comprising

instructions that detect a client request for content information from a client computer;

instructions that identify a processor for handling the client request;

instructions that obtain a communication resource from the processor to be used to facilitate transfer of information between the client computer and the processor;

instructions that transmit the communication information to the client computer, wherein the communication information provides the client computer with a preferred way to communicate with the processor;

instructions that obtain from the identified processor a communication resource to allow transfer of information between the client computer and the processor; and

instructions for transferring information about the communication resource to the client computer.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the communication resource is a port identifier.

21. A method for performing overlay routing in a computer network, the computer network including multiple computers coupled to allow information transfer over the computer network, the computer network having a native routing protocol, the method comprising the following

associating computers on the network with a given overlay group;

determining whether received information is associated with the given overlay group; and

routing the received information to the computers associated with the given overlay group by using the native routing protocol.

22. A computer-readable media programmed with instructions for performing overlay routing in a computer network, the computer network including multiple computers coupled to allow information transfer over the computer network, the computer network having a native routing protocol, the instructions including

instructions for associating computers on the network with a given overlay group;

instructions for determining whether received information is associated with the given overlay group; and

instructions for routing the received information to the computers associated with the given overlay group by using the native routing protocol