Acknowledgement-based rerouting of multicast traffic
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- receiving a join message specifying a multicast group, wherein the join message is sent by a first network device, and the join message requests acknowledgment;
in response to the receiving the join message, determining whether a multicast tree corresponding to the multicast group already exists; and
sending an acknowledgment message to the first network device, in response to a determination that the multicast tree already exists, wherein the acknowledgment message is configured to trigger an update of multicast forwarding information associated with the multicast group maintained by the first network device, andthe first network device is configured to inhibit updating the multicast forwarding information until receipt of the acknowledgement message.
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Abstract
Various techniques for exchanging control messages in order to gracefully reroute multicast traffic are disclosed. For example, one method involves sending a join message for a multicast group towards a root of a new multicast tree and forwarding multicast traffic, addressed to the multicast group, on a current multicast tree until an acknowledgment corresponding to the join message is received. The new multicast tree can be identified in response to detection of a topology change within the network. Until the acknowledgment is received, multicast traffic that is received via the new multicast tree can be dropped.
8 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a join message specifying a multicast group, wherein the join message is sent by a first network device, and the join message requests acknowledgment; in response to the receiving the join message, determining whether a multicast tree corresponding to the multicast group already exists; and sending an acknowledgment message to the first network device, in response to a determination that the multicast tree already exists, wherein the acknowledgment message is configured to trigger an update of multicast forwarding information associated with the multicast group maintained by the first network device, and the first network device is configured to inhibit updating the multicast forwarding information until receipt of the acknowledgement message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network device comprising:
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an interface configured to receive, from a first network device, an acknowledgment-requesting join message specifying a multicast group; and a routing module coupled to the interface, wherein the routing module is configured to; determine whether a multicast tree corresponding to the multicast group already exists, in response to reception of the acknowledgment-requesting join message; and send an acknowledgement message corresponding to the acknowledgment-requesting join message, in response to a determination that the multicast tree already exists, wherein the acknowledgment message is configured to trigger an update of multicast forwarding information associated with the multicast group maintained by the first network device, and the first network device is configured to inhibit updating the multicast forwarding information until receipt of the acknowledgement message. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system comprising:
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means for receiving a join message specifying a multicast group, wherein the join message is sent by a first network device, and the join message requests acknowledgment; means for determining whether tree corresponding to the multicast group already exists, in response to receipt of the join message; and means for sending an acknowledgment message to the first network device, in response to a determination that the multicast tree already exists, wherein the acknowledgment message is configured to trigger an update of multicast forwarding information associated with the multicast group maintained by the first network device, and the first network device is configured to inhibit updating the multicast forwarding information until receipt of the acknowledgement message. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification