System and method for reliable multicast

• US 20070160046A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matta, Sudheer
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

A technique for reliable multicast involves identifying a client as an acknowledger of a wireless multicast packet, and having the acknowledger acknowledge receipt of the multicast packet. An example of a method according to the technique may include receiving a multicast packet, selecting a client associated with a destination of the multicast packet, identifying the client in the multicast packet, forwarding the multicast packet to wireless, and retrying forwarding the multicast packet with the client identified in the multicast packet if no acknowledgement is received from the client. An example of a system according to the technique may include a means for identifying a client, a means for putting the client mac in the header of a multicast packet, a means for sending the multicast packet with the client mac to a wireless multicast destination, and a means for receiving acknowledgement from the client associated with the client mac.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a multicast packet;

selecting a client associated with a destination of the multicast packet;

identifying the client in the multicast packet;

forwarding the multicast packet to wireless;

retrying forwarding the multicast packet with the client identified in the multicast packet if no acknowledgement is received from the client identified in the multicast packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast packet has a header, and wherein the identifying the client in the multicast packet includes putting a client mac associated with the client in the header of the multicast packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes selecting from a plurality of clients that are part of a multicast destination of the multicast packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes picking a farthest client in a wireless domain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes picking a nearest client in a wireless domain.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes picking a client at an average distance in a wireless domain.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes picking a client in a VLAN in which the multicast packet is transmitted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes picking a client that is associated first.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes picking a client that is associated most recently.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the client includes picking a client based upon an algorithm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast packet is an 802.11-compatible packet.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising using unicast reliability algorithms to improve reliability at the client.

13. A system comprising:

a means for identifying a client, wherein the client is associated with a client mac address;

a means for putting the client mac address in the header of a multicast packet;

a means for sending the multicast packet with the client mac address to a wireless multicast destination;

a means for receiving acknowledgement from the client associated with the client mac address.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a means for receiving the multicast packet;

a means for selecting the client from one or more clients that are in a multicast destination associated with the multicast packet.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a means for sending from the client the acknowledgement that the multicast packet was received.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the multicast packet is an 802.11-compatible packet.

17. A system comprising:

a client mac determination module for determining a mac address associated with a client device;

a multicast packet acknowledgement module for

placing the mac address in a header of a multicast packet with a multicast destination that includes the client device;

receiving acknowledgement that the multicast packet was received at the client device;

an 802.11 mac module;

a processor for executing the client mac determination module, the multicast packet acknowledgement module, and the 802.11 mac module.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the multicast packet is sent from an access point to a wireless client.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the multicast packet comprises a header, including:

a multicast address;

a sender address;

a BSSID;

a designated address identifying the client device.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a wireless client having:

an acknowledgement module for;

reading the mac address in the header of the multicast packet;

sending an acknowledgement if the mac address in the header of the multicast packet is identical to the wireless client'"'"'s mac address;

an 802.11 mac module;

a processor for executing the acknowledgement module and the 802.11 mac module.