Systems and methods for the distribution of bulk data using multicast routing that mitigates network traffic on subnets

• US 7,792,984 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sistrunk, Mark Allen, Achtermann, Jeffrey Mark, Guthrie, Robert Earl, Lazzaro, Christopher Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US10/351,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,784 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/232
• 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

Systems and methods for the distribution of bulk data using multicast routing are provided. A multicast advertisement is sent to potential receivers of the bulk distribution. The advertisement may include a list of intended receivers and the ‘multicast group that the distribution will be multicast on. In response to the advertisement, intended receivers may listen on the multicast group address for the bulk data. Receivers that are not targets for the distribution do not join the multicast group, and consequently, the delivery of data by routers to subnets that have no target receivers may thus be obviated.

Claims

1. A method for multicast distribution of bulk data comprising:

receiving, by a router, a multicast message on a selected multicast address, the multicast message including a list of target receivers of a data distribution and a multicast address of the distribution;

forwarding the multicast message by the router to a subnet associated with the router;

joining, by the router, a given receiver to a multicast group associated with the multicast address if the given receiver is included in the list of target receivers, wherein the given receiver in the set of potential target receivers is selectively joined to the multicast group having the multicast address of the distribution in response to the list of target receivers;

receiving, by the router, the data distribution on the multicast address included in the message;

in response to receiving the data distribution by the router, determining by the router whether any receiver, which is connected to the subnet, is a member of the multicast group;

forwarding the data distribution by the router to the subnet only if at least one receiver, which is connected to the subnet, is a member of the multicast group, wherein a receiver is not joined to the multicast group having the multicast address in the message if the receiver is not included in the list of target receivers; and

wherein a receiver is joined to the multicast group having the multicast address in the message if the receiver is included in the list of target receivers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected multicast address included in the message is selected randomly by:

(i) randomly selecting a first multicast address from a predetermined set of multicast addresses;

(ii) listening on the first multicast address;

(iii) if there is traffic on the first multicast address, listening on a second multicast address comprising a next address in the predetermined set of multicast addresses;

(iv) if there is no network traffic on the first multicast address, selecting the first multicast address; and

(v) if there is network traffic on the second network address, repeating the steps of listening on a next multicast address and selecting a multicast address if there is no traffic on the multicast address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of listening on the first multicast address has a duration in a time interval of between one (1) second and fifteen (15) seconds.

4. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including programming instructions for multicast distribution of bulk data comprising instructions for:

receiving, by a router, a multicast message on a selected multicast address, the multicast message including a list of target receivers of a data distribution and a multicast address of the distribution;

forwarding the multicast message by the router to a subnet associated with the router;

joining, by the router, a given receiver to a multicast group associated with the multicast address if the given receiver is included in the list of target receivers, wherein the given receiver in the set of potential target receivers is selectively joined to the multicast group having the multicast address of the distribution in response to the list of target receivers;

receiving, by the router, the data distribution on the multicast address included in the message;

in response to receiving the data distribution by the router, determining by the router whether any receiver, which is connected to the subnet, is a member of the multicast group;

forwarding the data distribution by the router to the subnet only if at least one receiver, which is connected to the subnet, is a member of the multicast group, wherein a receiver is not joined to the multicast group having the multicast address in the message if the receiver is not included in the list of target receivers; and

wherein a receiver is joined to the multicast group having the multicast address in the message if the receiver is included in the list of target receivers.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the selected multicast address included in the message is selected randomly by:

(i) randomly selecting a first multicast address from a predetermined set of multicast addresses;

(ii) listening on the first multicast address;

(iii) if there is traffic on the first multicast address, listening on a second multicast address comprising a next address in the predetermined set of multicast addresses;

(iv) if there is no network traffic on the first multicast address, selecting the first multicast address; and

(v) if there is network traffic on the second network address, repeating the steps of listening on a next multicast address and selecting a multicast address if there is no traffic on the multicast address.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the step of listening on the first multicast address has a duration in a time interval of between one (1) second and fifteen (15) seconds.

7. A data processing system including:

a source of a bulk data distribution for connecting to a network and including;

circuitry for receiving a multicast message on a selected multicast address, the multicast message including a list of target receivers of a data distribution and a multicast address of the distribution;

circuitry for forwarding the message by the router to a subnet associated with the router;

circuitry for joining a given receiver to a multicast group associated with the multicast address if the given receiver is included in the list of target receivers, wherein the given receiver in the set of potential target receivers is selectively joined to the multicast group having the multicast address of the distribution in response to the list of target receivers;

circuitry for receiving the data distribution on the multicast address included in the message;

circuitry for determining by the router, in response to receiving the data distribution by the router, whether any receiver, which is connected to the subnet, is a member of the multicast group;

circuitry for forwarding the data distribution by the router to the subnet only if at least one receiver, which is connected to the subnet, is a member of the multicast group, wherein a receiver is not joined to the multicast group having the multicast address in the message if the receiver is not included in the list of target receivers; and

wherein a receiver is joined to the multicast group having the multicast address in the message if the receiver is included in the list of target receivers.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the source includes circuitry for randomly selecting the selected multicast address included in the message, including:

circuitry for randomly selecting a first multicast address from a predetermined set of multicast addresses;

circuitry for listening on the first multicast address;

circuitry for, if there is traffic on the first multicast address, listening on a second multicast address comprising a next address in the predetermined set of multicast addresses;

circuitry for, if there is no network traffic on the first multicast address, selecting the first multicast address; and

circuitry for, if there is network traffic on the second network address, repeating the steps of listening on a next multicast address and selecting a multicast address if there is no traffic on the multicast address.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the circuitry for listening on the first multicast address includes circuitry for listening for a duration in a time interval of between one (1) second and fifteen (15) seconds.

10. A data processing network including:

a source of a bulk data distribution for connecting to a network and wherein the source is used for multicasting a message on a selected multicast address, the message including a list of target receivers of a data distribution and a multicast address of the distribution,

and wherein the source is used for multicasting the data distribution on the multicast address included in the message;

a first plurality of receivers connected to a first router associated with a first subnetwork, the first subnetwork for connecting to the network using the first router, wherein the first plurality of receivers listens on the selected multicast address, and wherein a receiver in the first plurality of receivers does not join a multicast group having the multicast address received in the message if the receiver is not included in the list of target receivers, and another receiver in the first plurality of receivers joins a multicast group having the multicast address received in the message if the receiver is included in the list of target receivers, wherein the first router sends received multicast bulk data to the first subnetwork only if at least one of the first plurality of receivers has joined the multicast group; and

a second plurality of receivers connected to a second router associated with a second subnetwork which is a different subnetwork than the first subnetwork, the second subnetwork is used for connecting to the network using the second router, wherein the second plurality of receivers listens on the selected multicast address, and wherein a receiver in the second plurality of receivers does not join a multicast group having the multicast address received in the message if the receiver is not included in the list of target receivers, and another receiver in the second plurality of receivers joins a multicast group having the multicast address received in the message if the receiver is included in the list of target receivers, wherein the second router sends received multicast bulk data to the second subnetwork only if at least one of the second plurality of receivers has joined the multicast group.