Selective tunneling of streaming data

• US 6,189,039 B1
• Filed: 04/10/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Harvey, John Paul, Kressin, Mark Scott, Mills, Richard Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/827,741
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.6, 395/200.61, 395/200.33, 709/230, 709/231, 709/203, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A method and system for “selective” tunneling of streaming data from a server to a client in a computer network having one or more network segments. The server has a tunneler utility, and the client has a receiver utility. The receiver utility first attempts to detect if a given data stream is available via IP multicast on the network segment supporting the client. If not, then the receiver utility issues a request for a IP unicast stream. This request is serviced by the tunneler utility. The tunneler utility re-broadcasts the IP multicast feed using IP unicast to send the data stream directly to the requesting user and/or to a repeater utility. The receiver utility then receives and processes the data stream for output to the end user. Alternatively, the receiver application, or a network administrator, launches the repeater utility, which then converts the IP unicast stream back to IP multicast format for re-broadcast over the network segment to other clients.

Claims

1. A method of transporting a data stream from a server to a client running on a network segment in a computer network having a plurality of segments, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the network segment is available for transport of the data stream using a first protocol;

(b) if the network segment is not available for transport of the data stream using the first protocol, converting the data stream to a second protocol;

(c) re-transmitting the data stream to the client using the second protocol; and

(d) receiving the data stream at the client.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the first protocol is IP multicast and the second protocol is IP unicast.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein step (b) further includes the steps of:

issuing an IP unicast request from the client to the server; and

having the server transmit the data stream via the second protocol.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the server is a video server and the data stream is a video.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the computer network is an intranet.

6. The method as described in claim 1 where the data stream is not available for transport to the network segment via the first protocol because the network segment does not support transmissions via the first protocol.

7. A method of streaming video data from a video server to a client running on a segment of an intranet, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the video data can be transported to the segment via IP multicast;

(b) if the video data can not be transported to the segment via IP multicast, having the client issue a request to the server to transport the video data via IP unicast;

(c) having the server transport the video data to the segment via IP unicast;

(d) selectively re-broadcasting the video data over the segment via IP multicast; and

(e) receiving and outputting the video data at the client.

8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the video data is not available for transport over the segment via IP multicast because the segment does not support IP multicast.

9. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the video data is not available for transport over the segment via IP multicast because an IP multicast capability is not activated in the segment.

10. A computer program product for use to facilitate transport of a data stream from a server to a client running on a network segment in a computer network having a plurality of segments, comprising:

(a) code for determining whether the network segment is available for transport of the data stream using a first protocol;

(b) code for converting the data stream to a second protocol if the network segment is not available for transport of the data stream using the first protocol;

(c) code for re-transmitting the data stream to the client using the second protocol; and

(d) code for receiving the data stream at the client.

11. A computer program product for use to facilitate streaming of video data from a video server to a client running on a segment of an intranet, comprising:

(a) code for determining whether the video data can be transported to the segment via IP multicast;

(b) code for issuing a request to the server from the client to transport the video data via IP unicast if the video data cannot be transported to the segment via IP multicast;

(c) code for transporting the video data from the server to the segment via IP unicast;

(d) code for selectively re-broadcasting the video data over the segment via IP multicast; and

(e) code for receiving and outputting the video data at the client.