METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MANAGING MULTICAST GROUPS
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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
61 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
- 17. A multicast proxy having at least one upstream interface connected to a multicast router and one or more downstream network interfaces connected to one or more hosts, the multicast proxy situated in a data network system between sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address and the one or more hosts that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the multicast proxy storing for a downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts, the multicast proxy using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol to communicate with the one or more hosts and the multicast router, the multicast proxy maintaining a source-timer for each of the sources in the include and exclude source lists, the multicast proxy transmitting for the downstream network interface and each multicast group address multicast packets to the hosts based on the information of the at least one INCLUDE source record and the at least one EXCLUDE source record, the multicast proxy transmitting for each INCLUDE source of a multicast group address having a source-timer of a value greater than zero multicast packets through the downstream network interface and also transmitting multicast packets of the sources of the multicast group address through the downstream network interface except the EXCLUDE sources having a source timer of a value zero.
- 26. A multicast proxy having at least one upstream network interface connected to a multicast router and one or more downstream network interfaces connected to one or more hosts, the multicast proxy situated in a data network system between sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address and the one or more hosts that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the multicast proxy storing for a downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts, the multicast proxy using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol to communicate with the one or more hosts and the multicast router, the exclude source lists including a requested list and an exclude list, the multicast proxy transmitting for the network interface and each multicast group address multicast packets to the hosts based on the information of the at least one INCLUDE source record and the at least one EXCLUDE source record.
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37. A multicast proxy for being 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 multicast proxy having at least one upstream interface connectable to a multicast router and one or more downstream network interfaces connectable to one or more hosts, the multicast proxy storing executable instructions for 1) communicating with the one or more hosts using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol;
- 2) storing for a downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts;
3) maintaining a source-timer for each of the sources in the include and exclude source lists and to transmit for the downstream network interface and each multicast group address multicast packets to the hosts based on the information of the at least one INCLUDE source record and the at least one EXCLUDE source record; and
4) transmitting for each INCLUDE source of a multicast group address having a source-timer of a value greater than zero multicast packets through the downstream network interface and also transmitting multicast packets of the sources of the multicast group address through the downstream network interface except the EXCLUDE sources having a source timer of a value zero. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
- 2) storing for a downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts;
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45. A multicast proxy for being 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 multicast proxy having at least one upstream network interface connectable to a multicast router and one or more downstream network interfaces connectable to one or more hosts, the multicast proxy storing executable instructions for 1) communicating with the one or more hosts and the multicast router using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol;
- 2) storing for a downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts, the exclude source lists including a requested list and an exclude list; and
3) transmitting for the network interface and each multicast group address multicast packets to the hosts based on the information of the at least one INCLUDE source record and the at least one EXCLUDE source record. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
- 2) storing for a downstream network interface and multicast group address at least one INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts, the exclude source lists including a requested list and an exclude list; and
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55. A multicast proxy for being 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 multicast router having at least one upstream network interface connectable to a multicast router and one or more downstream network interfaces connectable to one or more hosts, the multicast proxy storing executable instructions for 1) communicating with the one or more hosts and the multicast router using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on the IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol;
- 2) storing for the upstream network interface and multicast group address at least one INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts and at least one EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more hosts.
- View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
Specification