Method and Apparatus for Managing Multicast Traffic in a Network at the Data Link or Level 2 Layer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. At least one computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method including:
- receiving a packet from a first source station having a first source address over a data network, wherein the packet includes a first multicast destination address; and
accessing a table using the multicast destination address to identify at least one destination station that as a source station has previously transmitted a packet to a destination station having a destination address matching the first multicast destination address; and
forwarding the packet over the data network to said at least one destination station
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Abstract
A method using a network bridge to manage multicast transmission is provided. The method begins by receiving a packet from a first source station having a first source address over a data network. The packet includes a first multicast destination address. A table is accessed using the multicast destination address to identify at least one destination station that as a source station has previously transmitted a packet to a destination station having a destination address matching the first multicast destination address. The packet is forwarded over the data network to the destination station
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. At least one computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method including:
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receiving a packet from a first source station having a first source address over a data network, wherein the packet includes a first multicast destination address; and accessing a table using the multicast destination address to identify at least one destination station that as a source station has previously transmitted a packet to a destination station having a destination address matching the first multicast destination address; and forwarding the packet over the data network to said at least one destination station - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A network bridge, comprising:
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a plurality of ports for receiving and transmitting data packets over a data network; a database configurable for relating multicast destination addresses of incoming packets to a source address of the incoming packets; and a forwarding engine for forwarding the incoming packets based on their respective multicast destination addresses listed in the database. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. At least one computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method including:
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receiving a packet from a first source station having a first source address over a data network, wherein the packet includes a first multicast destination address; and determining if the multicast destination address corresponds to an existing entry in a reverse learning bridging table, and if not, creating a new entry in the table and adding the first multicast destination address of the packet received from the first source station to the destination address field of the new entry and adding the first source address of the packet received from the first source station to the source address field of the new entry. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification