Methods and devices for managing multicast groups

• US 8,086,716 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Media Patents S.L.
• Original Assignee: Media Patents S.L.
• Inventors: Gutierrez, Alvaro Fernandez
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/617,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 370/390, 370/392
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership

Abstract

A method for managing multicast traffic in a data network, and devices using said method. The hosts store for each multicast group an included source record and an excluded source record, and the network interfaces of the hosts send to the router a message containing information about the included source record and information about the excluded source record. The router also stores for each multicast group an included source record and an excluded source record, and updates them when it receives through its network interface a message from the hosts containing information about an included source list and/or information about an excluded source list. The devices are a router, host equipment and network equipment compatible with the method.

Claims

1. A host situated in a data network system and using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol to communicate with a multicast router or proxy that is situated between the host and sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address, the host having a network interface and one or more computer implemented applications that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the host storing for the network interface and the multicast group address only one first INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications and only one first EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by the data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications, the first INCLUDE source record containing a union of all the source lists requested from the computer implemented applications and the first EXCLUDE source record containing an intersection of all the exclude source lists requested from the computer implemented applications.

2. A host according to claim 1, wherein the host transmits for the network interface and each of the multicast group address source specific membership messages to the router or proxy based on the information of the first INCLUDE source record and the first EXCLUDE source record.

3. A host according to claim 2, wherein the information of the first INCLUDE source record and the information of the first EXCLUDE source record are transmitted within a single membership message.

4. A host according to claim 1, wherein the host stores for a socket associated with one of the computer implemented applications at least one second INCLUDE source record comprising interface, multicast-address, INCLUDE, the source list and at least one second EXCLUDE source record comprising the interface, the multicast-address, EXCLUDE, the source list.

5. A host according to claim 1, wherein the first INCLUDE source record for the network interface and the multicast group address comprises multicast-address, INCLUDE, the source list and the one first EXCLUDE source record comprises the multicast-address, EXCLUDE, the source list.

6. A host for being situated in a data network system that comprises sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address, the host having a network interface connectable to a multicast router or proxy and being capable of running one or more computer implemented applications that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the host storing executable instructions for 1) communicating with the multicast router or proxy using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol;

2) storing for the network interface and the multicast group address only one first INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications and only one first EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by the data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications.

7. A host according to claim 6, wherein the host stores executable instructions for transmitting for the network interface and each of the multicast group address source specific membership messages to the router or proxy based on the information of the first INCLUDE source record and the first EXCLUDE source record.

8. A host according to claim 7, wherein the host stores executable instructions for transmitting the information of the first INCLUDE source record and the information of the first EXCLUDE source record within a single membership message.

9. A host according to claim 6, wherein the host stores executable instructions for causing the first INCLUDE source record to contain a union of all the include source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

10. A host according to claim 6, wherein the host stores executable instructions for causing the first EXCLUDE source record to contain an intersection of all the exclude source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

11. A host according to claim 6, wherein the first INCLUDE source record contains a union of all the source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications and the first EXCLUDE source record contains an intersection of all the exclude source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

12. A host according to claim 6, wherein the host stores executable instructions for storing for a socket associated with one of the computer implemented applications at least one second INCLUDE source record comprising interface, multicast-address, INCLUDE, the source list and at least one second EXCLUDE source record comprising the interface, the multicast-address, EXCLUDE, the source list.

13. A host according to claim 6, wherein the first INCLUDE source record for the network interface and the multicast group address comprises multicast-address, INCLUDE, the source list and the first EXCLUDE source record comprises the multicast-address, EXCLUDE, the source list.

14. A host situated in a data network system and using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol to communicate with a multicast router or proxy that is situated between the host and sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address, the host having a network interface and one or more computer implemented applications that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the host storing for the network interface and the multicast group address at least one first INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications and at least one first EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by the data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications, the at least one first INCLUDE source record for the network interface and the multicast group address comprises multicast-address, INCLUDE, the source list and the at least one first EXCLUDE source record comprises the multicast-address, EXCLUDE, the source list.

15. A host according to claim 14, wherein the host transmits for the network interface and each of the multicast group address source specific membership messages to the router or proxy based on the information of the at least one first INCLUDE source record and the at least one first EXCLUDE source record.

16. A host according to claim 15, wherein the information of the at least one first INCLUDE source record and the information of the at least one first EXCLUDE source record are transmitted within a single membership message.

17. A host according to claim 14, wherein the first INCLUDE source record contains a union of all the include source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

18. A host according to claim 14, wherein the first EXCLUDE source record contains an intersection of all the exclude source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

19. A host according to claim 14, wherein the host stores for the network interface and the multicast group address only one first INCLUDE source record and only one first EXCLUDE source record, the first INCLUDE source record containing a union of all the source lists requested from the computer implemented applications and the first EXCLUDE source record containing an intersection of all the exclude source lists requested from the computer implemented applications.

20. A host according to claim 14, wherein the host stores for a socket associated with one of the computer implemented applications at least one second INCLUDE source record comprising interface, the multicast-address, the INCLUDE, the source list and at least one second EXCLUDE source record comprising the interface, the multicast-address, the EXCLUDE, the source list.

21. A host for being situated in a data network system that comprises sources that send multicast packets to at least one multicast group address, the host having a network interface connectable to a multicast router or proxy and being capable of running one or more computer implemented applications that request data from the multicast group address and the sources, the host storing executable instructions for 1) communicating with the multicast router or proxy using a host-router multicast routing protocol based on IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) or MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol;

2) storing for the network interface and the multicast group address at least one first INCLUDE source record containing information about include source lists derived by data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications and at least one first EXCLUDE source record containing information about exclude source lists derived by the data requests made by the one or more computer implemented applications, the at least one first INCLUDE source record for the network interface and the multicast group address comprising multicast-address, INCLUDE, the source list and the at least one first EXCLUDE source record comprising the multicast-address, EXCLUDE, the source list.

22. A host according to claim 21, wherein the host stores executable instructions for transmitting for the network interface and each of the multicast group address source specific membership messages to the router or proxy based on the information of the at least one first INCLUDE source record and the at least one first EXCLUDE source record.

23. A host according to claim 22, wherein the host stores executable instructions for transmitting the information of the at least one first INCLUDE source record and the information of the at least one first EXCLUDE source record within a single membership message.

24. A host according to claim 21, wherein the host stores executable instructions for causing the first INCLUDE source record to contain a union of all the include source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

25. A host according to claim 21, wherein the host stores executable instructions for causing the first EXCLUDE source record to contain an intersection of all the exclude source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

26. A host according to claim 21, wherein the host stores executable instructions for storing for the network interface and the multicast group address only one first INCLUDE source record and only one first EXCLUDE source record.

27. A host according to claim 26, wherein the first INCLUDE source record contains a union of all the source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications and the first EXCLUDE source record contains an intersection of all the exclude source lists requested from the one or more computer implemented applications.

28. A host according to claim 21, wherein the host stores executable instructions for storing for a socket associated with one of the computer implemented applications at least one second INCLUDE source record comprising the interface, the multicast-address, the INCLUDE, the source list and at least one second EXCLUDE source record comprising the interface, the multicast-address, the EXCLUDE, the source list.