Optimizing IP multicast data transmission in a mobile IP environment
First Claim
1. In a multicast router, a method of establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
- receiving a host membership report from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs;
sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent;
receiving a packet addressed to the multicast group address;
replicating the packet addressed to the multicast group address; and
transmitting the replicated packet to one or more network segments associated with the Foreign Agent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for optimizing IP multicast data transmission in a mobile IP environment include a Foreign Agent that is capable of receiving an information request associated with a host membership report sent from a mobile node and for providing information identifying a Home Agent associated with the mobile node to a multicast router process to enable the multicast router process to send a join host group message to the Home Agent. A Home Agent receives the join host group message and sends the join host group message toward a source of IP multicast data packets. Both the Foreign Agent and the Home Agent set up a data path between the Home Agent and the Foreign Agent, thereby enabling data packets addressed to the multicast group address to be forwarded by the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent. The Home Agent does not replicate multicast IP data packets addressed to the multicast group address prior to being forwarded by the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent. Rather, the multicast router process is responsible for replication and transmission of multicast IP data packets to one or more network segments associated with the Foreign Agent.
38 Citations
31 Claims
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1. In a multicast router, a method of establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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receiving a host membership report from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs; sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent; receiving a packet addressed to the multicast group address; replicating the packet addressed to the multicast group address; and transmitting the replicated packet to one or more network segments associated with the Foreign Agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a multicast router, a method of establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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receiving a host membership report from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs; sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent; updating a multicast forwarding table with the multicast group address identified in the host membership report and interface of the Foreign agent via which the host membership report was received; and replicating and transmitting a multicast data packet addressed to the multicast group address via the interface of the Foreign Agent via which the host membership report was received.
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7. In a multicast router, a method of establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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receiving a host membership report from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs; sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent; and replicating and transmitting a multicast data packet to one or more network segments associated with the Foreign Agent.
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8. A multicast router for establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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a processor; and a memory, the memory storing therein the following instructions; instructions for receiving a host membership report sent from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs; instructions for sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent; and instructions for replicating and transmission of a multicast data packet to one or more network segments associated with the Foreign Agent. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A multicast router for establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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a processor; and a memory, the memory storing therein the following instructions; instructions for receiving a host membership report sent from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs; Instructions for sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent; Instructions for updating a multicast forwarding table with the multicast group address identified in the host membership report and interface of the Foreign Agent via which the host membership report was received; and Instructions for replicating and transmitting a multicast data packet addressed to the multicast group address via the interface of the Foreign Agent via which the host membership report was received.
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14. A multicast router for establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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a processor; and a memory, the memory storing therein the following instructions; instructions for receiving a host membership report sent from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs; instructions for sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent; and instructions for replicating and transmitting a multicast data packet to one or more network segments associated with the Foreign Agent.
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15. A multicast router for establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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means for receiving a host membership report sent from a mobile node, the host membership report specifying a multicast group address identifying a host group to which the mobile node belongs; means for sending a join host group message to the Home Agent, the join host group message specifying the multicast group address and requesting that the Home Agent accept and deliver subsequently arriving packets destined to the multicast group address to the Foreign Agent; means for receiving a packet addressed to the multicast group address; means for replicating the packet addressed to the multicast group address; and means for transmitting the replicated packet to one or more network segments associated with the Foreign Agent.
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16. A Foreign Agent that supports Mobile IP, the Foreign Agent being configured to establish a data path between the Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, the Foreign Agent comprising:
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a processor; and a memory, the memory storing therein the following instructions; receiving a multicast data packet addressed to a multicast group address from the Home Agent; replicating the multicast data packet that is addressed to the multicast group address; and transmitting the replicated multicast data packet via a network segment associated with the Foreign Agent, thereby enabling one or more Mobile Nodes visiting the network segment of the Foreign Agent to receive the replicated multicast data packet. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A Foreign Agent that supports Mobile IP, the Foreign Agent being configured to establish a data path between the Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, the Foreign Agent comprising:
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means for receiving a multicast data packet addressed to a multicast group address from the Home Agent; means replicating the multicast data packet that is addressed to the multicast group address; and means for transmitting the replicated multicast data packet via a network segment associated with the Foreign Agent, thereby enabling one or more Mobile Nodes visiting the network segment of the Foreign Agent to receive the replicated multicast data packet. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. In a Foreign Agent that supports Mobile IP, a method of establishing a data path between the Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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receiving a multicast data packet addressed to a multicast group address from the Home Agent; replicating the multicast data packet that is addressed to the multicast group address; and transmitting the replicated multicast data packet via a network segment associated with the Foreign Agent, thereby enabling one or more Mobile Nodes visiting the network segment of the Foreign Agent to receive the replicated multicast data packet. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer-readable medium storing thereon computer-readable instructions for establishing a data path between a Foreign Agent and a Home Agent, the data path being adapted for transmission of multicast IP data packets from the Home Agent to the Foreign Agent to enable the multicast IP data packets to be transmitted to one or more mobile nodes visiting the Foreign Agent, comprising:
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instructions for receiving a multicast data packet addressed to a multicast group address from the Home Agent; means replicating the multicast data packet that is addressed to the multicast group address; and means for transmitting the replicated multicast data packet via a network segment associated with the Foreign Agent, thereby enabling one or more Mobile Nodes visiting the network segment of the Foreign Agent to receive the replicated multicast data packet. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification