Multicast delivery systems and methods

• US 7,054,902 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2001
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Packeteer Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Toporek, Jerome D., Hartrick, Timothy W., Saul, Michael A., Krupp, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US09/999,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/235, 709/203, 709/217, 709/233
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18595 Arrangements for adapting broadband applications to satellite systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for efficient and effective multicast delivery over hub and spoke networks, including satellite-based hub and spoke networks. In one embodiment, a method of establishing a multicast connection with a plurality of receiving stations includes receiving with a gateway port a unicast connection, such as a TCP connection, from a sending station, mapping the unicast connection to a multicast connection on a first multicast group IP address, and initiating the multicast connection to a plurality of receiving stations. In alternative embodiments, the multicast connection is established over a satellite link, and/or is unidirectional.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a multicast connection with a plurality of receiving stations, said method comprising:

receiving a unicast, transport layer connection request from a sending station;

wherein the unicast connection request includes a transport layer port identifier;

establishing a unicast, transport layer connection with the sending station;

mapping, using the transport layer port identifier, said unicast, transport layer connection request to a multicast connection on a multicast group network address; and

initiating, in response to said unicast, transport layer connection request, said multicast connection to a plurality of receiving stations;

wherein the unicast, transport layer connection and the multicast connection provide for the detection and retransmission of lost or corrupted data;

wherein said multicast connection comprises a XTP connection.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said sending station comprises a computer.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising establishing, at the plurality of receiving stations, a plurality of second unicast connections with a plurality of end stations.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein said unicast connection with said sending station comprises a first transport layer protocol, said multicast connection comprises a second transport layer protocol, and said second unicast connection comprises said first transport layer protocol.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein said unicast connection with said sending station comprises a first transport layer protocol and said multicast connection comprises a second transport layer protocol.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising establishing a plurality of second unicast connections, each of said second unicast connections between a different one of said plurality of receiving stations and one of a plurality of end stations.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein said multicast connection comprises a connection via a satellite link.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein said multicast connection comprises a unidirectional data transfer.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein said unicast connection with said sending station comprises a TCP connection.