METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVED MULTICAST ROUTING

• US 20080159285A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: de Heer, Arie Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function

Abstract

The invention includes a method and apparatus for transmitting packets in a network comprising a plurality of nodes. A method includes encapsulating a packet intended for at least one of the nodes where the packet is encapsulated using a bit set, comparing the bit set of the packet and a bit mask of an interface, and forwarding the packet over the interface in response to a determination that the comparison of the bit set and the bit mask indicates that one of the nodes for which the packet is intended is the same as one of the nodes available from the interface. The bit set and bit mask each include bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes. The bit positions of the bit set and bit mask identify each of the at least one of the nodes for which the packet is intended and each of the nodes available from the interface, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting packets in a network comprising a plurality of nodes, comprising:

encapsulating a packet intended for at least one of the nodes, wherein the packet is encapsulated using a bit set comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit set being set in a manner for identifying each of the at least one of the nodes for which the packet is intended;

comparing the bit set of the packet and a bit mask of an interface, the bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit mask being set in a manner for identifying each of the nodes available from the interface; and

forwarding the packet over the interface in response to a determination that the comparison of the bit set and the bit mask indicates that one of the nodes for which the packet is intended is the same as one of the nodes available from the interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein encapsulating the packet comprises:

determining each of the at least one node for which the packet is intended; and

setting the bit positions of the bit set in a manner for identifying each of the at least one node for which the packet is intended.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one node for which the packet is intended is identified using at least one of an external interface over which the packet is received or information included within the received packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface comprises:

performing a bitwise AND operation using the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface to produce a comparison result.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the packet is forwarded over the interface in response to at least one bit position of the comparison result being equal to one.

6. An apparatus for transmitting packets in a network comprising a plurality of nodes, comprising:

means for encapsulating a packet intended for at least one of the nodes, wherein the packet is encapsulated using a bit set comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit set being set in a manner for identifying each of the at least one of the nodes for which the packet is intended;

means for comparing the bit set of the packet and a bit mask of an interface, the bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit mask being set in a manner for identifying each of the nodes available from the interface; and

means for forwarding the packet over the interface in response to a determination that the comparison of the bit set and the bit mask indicates that one of the nodes for which the packet is intended is the same as one of the nodes available from the interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for encapsulating the packet comprises:

means for determining each of the at least one node for which the packet is intended; and

means for setting the bit positions of the bit set in a manner for identifying each of the at least one node for which the packet is intended.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one node for which the packet is intended is identified using at least one of an external interface over which the packet is received or information included within the received packet.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for comparing the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface comprises:

means for performing a bitwise AND operation using the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface to produce a comparison result.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the packet is forwarded over the interface in response to at least one bit position of the comparison result being equal to one.

11. A method for transmitting packets in a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, comprising:

receiving, at one of the nodes, a packet comprising a bit set comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit set being set in a manner for identifying each of the nodes for which the packet is intended; and

comparing the bit set of the packet and a bit mask of an interface of the one of the nodes, the bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit mask being set in a manner for identifying each of the nodes available from the interface; and

forwarding the packet over the interface in response to a determination that the comparison of the bit set and the bit mask indicates that one of the nodes for which the packet is intended is the same as one of the nodes available from the interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein comparing the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface comprises:

performing a bitwise AND operation using the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface to produce a comparison result.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the interface is an internal interface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

decapsulating the packet; and

forwarding the decapsulated packet over an external interface of the one of the nodes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the interface is a network interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the interface is a network interface.

16. An apparatus for transmitting packets in a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, comprising:

means for receiving, at one of the nodes, a packet comprising a bit set comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit set being set in a manner for identifying each of the nodes for which the packet is intended; and

means for comparing the bit set of the packet and a bit mask of an interface of the one of the nodes, the bit mask comprising a plurality of bit positions associated with the respective plurality of nodes, the bit positions of the bit mask being set in a manner for identifying each of the nodes available from the interface; and

means for forwarding the packet over the interface in response to a determination that the comparison of the bit set and the bit mask indicates that one of the nodes for which the packet is intended is the same as one of the nodes available from the interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for comparing the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface comprises:

means for performing a bitwise AND operation using the bit set of the packet and the bit mask of the interface to produce a comparison result.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the interface is an internal interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for decapsulating the packet; and

means for forwarding the decapsulated packet over an external interface of the one of the nodes.