METHOD FOR MANAGING MULTICAST TRAFFIC BETWEEN EQUIPMENT IN A MULTICAST DATA NETWORK

• US 20100254383A1
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Media Patents S.L.
• Original Assignee: Media Patents S.L.
• Inventors: Fernández Gutiérrez, Álvaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,310 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 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains

Abstract

In one implementation a method is provided that involves receiving in a network interface of a first router one or more PIM type messages from one or more second routers requesting one or more types of multicast traffic, storing in the first router a record for each network interface and each type of multicast traffic information that individually identifies the one or more second routers requesting the type of multicast traffic, and determining in the first router whether to transmit from the interface the one or more types of multicast traffic by use of the record. A method is also provided that involves individually tracking in an upstream PIM router the join membership of one or more individual downstream PIM routers that are coupled to a network interface of the upstream PIM router via a multi-access network without disabling Join message suppression in all the individual downstream PIM routers.

Claims

1. A method comprising individually tracking in an upstream PIM router the join membership of one or more individual downstream PIM routers that are coupled to a network interface of the upstream PIM router via a multi-access network without disabling Join message suppression in all the individual downstream PIM routers.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the join membership is a PIM type messages selected from the group consisting of JOIN(S,G), JOIN(*,*,RP), JOIN(*,G) and JOIN(S,G,rpt).

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information that individually identifies a downstream PIM router is an IP address of the downstream PIM router.

2. A method according to claim 2, wherein the join membership identifies a type of multicast traffic, the upstream PIM router storing a record for the network interface and each type of multicast traffic information that individually identifies the one or more downstream PIM routers requesting the type of multicast traffic.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising determining in the upstream PIM router whether to transmit from the interface the one or more types of multicast traffic by use of the record.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more types of multicast traffic is selected from the group consisting of (S,G), (*,*,RP), (*,G) and (S,G,rpt).

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein for each network interface and each type of multicast traffic the upstream PIM router maintains a first timer that is restarted each time a join membership reaches the network interface, the upstream PIM router terminating transmission of the type of multicast traffic when the first timer attains a value of zero.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the upstream PIM router maintains a second timer associated with each of the one or more downstream PIM routers upon receiving a join membership from the one or more downstream PIM routers, respectively, the second timer indicating the amount of time a downstream PIM router wishes to receive traffic from a type of multicast traffic.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the join membership is a JOIN(S,G) message and the initial value of the second timer is the value of the holdtime parameter contained in the JOIN(S,G) message.

10. A method according to claim 2, wherein the join membership is encapsulated in an IP datagram, the IP address being extracted from the address of origin of the IP datagram.

11. A method according to claim 2, wherein join membership is transported in a packet, the IP address being extracted from the source address field of the packet.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the type of multicast traffic is (S,G) and the upstream PIM router stores executable instructions to update the record and implement the actions according to one of the processes of Table 1.

13. A method comprising:

receiving in a network interface of a first router one or more PIM type messages from one or more second routers requesting one or more types of multicast traffic,

storing in the first router a record for each network interface and each type of multicast traffic information that individually identifies the one or more second routers requesting the type of multicast traffic; and

determining in the first router whether to transmit from the interface the one or more types of multicast traffic by use of the record.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more types of multicast traffic is selected from the group consisting of (S,G), (*,*,RP), (*,G) and (S,G,rpt).

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more PIM type messages are JOIN and/or PRUNE type messages.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more PIM type messages is selected from the group consisting of JOIN(S,G), PRUNE(S,G), JOIN(*,*,RP), PRUNE(*,*,RP), JOIN(*,G), PRUNE(*,G), JOIN(S,G,rpt) and PRUNE(S,G,rpt).

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the information that individually identifies a second router is an IP address of the second router.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein for each network interface and each type of multicast traffic the first router maintains a first timer that is restarted each time a JOIN type message reaches the network interface, the first router terminating transmission of the type of multicast traffic when the first timer attains a value of zero.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the first router maintains a second timer associated with each of the one or more second routers upon receiving a PIM type message from the one or more second routers, respectively, the second timer indicating the amount of time a second router wishes to receive traffic from a type of multicast traffic.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the PIM type message is a JOIN(S,G) message and the initial value of the second timer is the value of the holdtime parameter contained in the JOIN(S,G) message.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein the PIM type message is encapsulated in an IP datagram, the IP address being extracted from the address of origin of the IP datagram.

22. A method according to claim 17, wherein PIM type message is transported in a packet, the IP address being extracted from the source address field of the packet.

23. A method according to claim 19, wherein when only a single second router is requesting a type of multicast traffic through the network interface, transmission of the type of multicast traffic through the network interface is terminated upon the second timer attaining a value of zero.

24. A method according to claim 19, wherein the type of multicast traffic is (S,G) and the first router stores executable instructions to update the record and implement the actions according to one of the processes of Table 1.

25. A method comprising:

receiving in a network port of a switch one or more PIM type messages from one or more second routers requesting one or more types of multicast traffic,

snooping the one or more PIM type messages to obtain first information that individually identifies the one or more second routers requesting the type of multicast traffic;

storing in the switch a record for each network port and each type of multicast traffic the first information; and

determining whether to transmit from the network port the one or more types of multicast traffic by use of the record.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the one or more types of multicast traffic is selected from the group consisting of (S,G), (*,*,RP), (*,G) and (S,G,rpt).

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the one or more PIM type messages are JOIN and/or PRUNE type messages.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein the one or more PIM type messages is selected from the group consisting of JOIN(S,G), PRUNE(S,G), JOIN(*,*,RP), PRUNE(*,*,RP), JOIN(*,G), PRUNE(*,G), JOIN(S,G,rpt) and PRUNE(S,G,rpt).

29. A method according to claim 25, wherein the first information that individually identifies a second router is an IP address of the second router.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein for each network port and each type of multicast traffic the switch maintains a first timer that is restarted each time a JOIN type message reaches the network port, the switch terminating transmission of the type of multicast traffic when the first timer attains a value of zero.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the switch maintains a second timer associated with each of the one or more second routers upon receiving a PIM type message from the one or more second routers, respectively, the second timer indicating the amount of time a second router wishes to receive traffic from a type of multicast traffic.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the PIM type message is a JOIN(S,G) message and the initial value of the second timer is the value of the holdtime parameter contained in the JOIN(S,G) message.

33. A method according to claim 29, wherein the PIM type message is encapsulated in an IP datagram, the IP address being extracted from the address of origin of the IP datagram.

34. A method according to claim 29, wherein PIM type message is transported in a packet, the IP address being extracted from the source address field of the packet.

35. A method according to claim 31, wherein when only a single second router is requesting a type of multicast traffic through the network port, transmission of the type of multicast traffic through the network interface is terminated upon the second timer attaining a value of zero.

36. A method according to claim 31, wherein the type of multicast traffic is (S,G) and the switch stores executable instructions to update the record and implement the actions according to one of the processes of Table 1.