METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR UPDATING SUBSOURCE ADDRESSING MULTICAST ROUTING RECORDS IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20080049750A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Novaes, Marcos
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/484 using multiple routing trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for facilitating subscription among at least two nodes in a distributed network, involving the designation of one of the nodes as a publisher node, the designation of one of the nodes as a subscriber node, and the recordation of a path between the subscriber node and the publisher node. The path includes at least one link between the subscriber node and the publisher node, and the recordation involves recording each distinct link in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating subscription among at least two nodes in a distributed network, said method comprising the steps of:

designating one of the nodes as a publisher node;

designating one of the nodes as a subscriber node; and

recording a path between the subscriber node and the publisher node, the path comprising at least one link between the subscriber node and the publisher node;

said recording step comprising the step of recording each distinct link in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node;

said recording step comprising recording each node in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node, one node at a time;

wherein a type of each node in the path is ascertained; and

wherein the nodes belong to a distributed multicast network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of recording a path comprises ascertaining whether any node is a fork node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of recording a path comprises ascertaining whether any intervening node is present in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the distributed network includes at least one intervening node between the subscriber node and the publisher node, and further wherein:

said step of recording a path comprises ascertaining whether any intervening node is a fork node.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distributed network includes at least three nodes, said method further comprising the steps of:

designating one of the nodes as an additional subscriber node; and

recording a path between the additional subscriber node and the publisher node, the path comprising at least one link between the additional subscriber node and the publisher node.

6. An apparatus for facilitating subscription among at least two nodes in a distributed network, said apparatus comprising:

an arrangement for designating one of the nodes as a publisher node;

an arrangement for designating one of the nodes as a subscriber node; and

an arrangement for recording a path between the subscriber node and the publisher node, the path comprising at least one link between the subscriber node and the publisher node;

said recording arrangement being adapted to record each distinct link in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node;

said recording step comprising recording each node in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node, one node at a time;

wherein a type of each node in the path is ascertained; and

wherein the nodes belong to a distributed multicast network.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recording arrangement is adapted to ascertain whether any node is a fork node.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recording arrangement is adapted to ascertain whether any intervening node is present in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the distributed network includes at least one intervening node between the subscriber node and the publisher node, and further wherein:

said recording arrangement is adapted to ascertain whether any intervening node is a fork node.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the distributed network includes at least three nodes, said apparatus further comprising:

an arrangement for designating one of the nodes as an additional subscriber node;

said recording arrangement being further adapted to record a path between the additional subscriber node and the publisher node, the path comprising at least one link between the additional subscriber node and the publisher node.

11. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for facilitating subscription among at least two nodes in a distributed network, said method comprising the steps of:

designating one of the nodes as a publisher node;

designating one of the nodes as a subscriber node; and

recording a path between the subscriber node and the publisher node, the path comprising at least one link between the subscriber node and the publisher node;

said recording step comprising the step of recording each distinct link in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node;

said recording step comprising recording each node in the path between the subscriber node and the publisher node, one node at a time;

wherein a type of each node in the path is ascertained; and

wherein the nodes belong to a distributed multicast network.