METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MANAGING MULTICAST GROUPS
First Claim
1. A router having at least one downstream network interface situated in a data network system between sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address and one or more hosts that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the router communicates with the one or more hosts via a communications protocol based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol and stores for each downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one IGMP or MLD INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one IGMP or MLD EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for managing multicast traffic in a data network, and devices using said method. The hosts store for each multicast group an included source record and an excluded source record, and the network interfaces of the hosts send to the router a message containing information about the included source record and information about the excluded source record. The router also stores for each multicast group an included source record and an excluded source record, and updates them when it receives through its network interface a message from the hosts containing information about an included source list and/or information about an excluded source list. The devices are a router, host equipment and network equipment compatible with the method.
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Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A router having at least one downstream network interface situated in a data network system between sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address and one or more hosts that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the router communicates with the one or more hosts via a communications protocol based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol and stores for each downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one IGMP or MLD INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one IGMP or MLD EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts.
Specification