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US 11,695,687 B2Granted
Distribution of multicast information in a routing system
Assignee128 Technology, Inc.
InventorsHadriel S. Kaplan, Abilash Menon, Patrick Timmons, Michael Baj, Robert Penfield, Patrick J. MeLampy
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Abstract
A routing system for distributing multicast routing information for a multicast service includes a plurality of routers including a multicast source router and a plurality of multicast receiver routers, the plurality of routers providing a multicast service, wherein the routers are configured to exchange multicast information associated with the multicast service including identification of multicast sources and the multicast receivers.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- sending, by a first router and to a server storing a central repository of multicast information, first multicast information that specifies a first multicast service associated with a first multicast group, wherein the first multicast information identifies a first multicast source device as associated with the first router;
- receiving, by the first router, from the server, and for a second router, of a plurality of routers, to which a first multicast receiver device is connected, second multicast information that specifies the first multicast service, wherein the second multicast information identifies the first multicast receiver device as associated with the second router;
- receiving, by the first router and from the first multicast source device, a first packet for the first multicast service;
- selecting, by the first router and based on the first multicast information and the second multicast information, the second router from among the plurality of routers as a router to which to forward the first packet for distribution to the first multicast receiver device;
- forwarding, by the first router, the first packet to the second router for distribution to the first multicast receiver device;
- receiving, by the first router, from the server, and for the second router, third multicast information that specifies a second multicast service associated with a second multicast group, wherein the third multicast information identifies a second source receiver device as associated with the second router;
- sending, by the first router and to the server, fourth multicast information that specifies the second multicast service, wherein the fourth multicast information identifies a second multicast receiver device as associated with the first router;
- receiving, by the first router and from the second router, a second packet for the second multicast service originating from the second multicast source device;
- selecting, by the first router and based on the third multicast information and the fourth multicast information, the second multicast receiver device from among other devices as a device to which to forward the second packet;
- and
- forwarding, by the first router, the second packet to the second multicast receiver device.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving, by a second router, from a server storing a central repository of multicast information, and for a first router, of a plurality of routers, to which a multicast source device is connected, first multicast information that specifies a multicast service associated with a multicast group, wherein the first multicast information identifies the multicast source device as associated with the first router;
- sending, by the second router and to the server, second multicast information that specifies the multicast service, wherein the second multicast information identifies a multicast receiver device as associated with the second router;
- receiving, by the second router and from the server, a sender access policy and a receiver access policy for the multicast service, wherein the sender access policy specifies that the multicast source device is permitted to send the second packet for the second multicast service, and wherein the receiver access policy specifies that the multicast receiver device is permitted to receive the second packet for the second multicast service;
- receiving, by the second router and from the first router, a packet for the multicast service originating from the multicast source device;
- selecting, by the second router and based on:
- (1) the sender access policy that specifies that the multicast source device is permitted to send the second packet for the second multicast service, (2) the receiver access policy that specifies that the multicast receiver device is permitted to receive the second packet for the second multicast service, (3) the first multicast information that identifies the multicast source device as associated with the first router, and (4) the second multicast information that identifies the multicast receiver device as associated with the second router, the multicast receiver device from among other devices as a device to which to forward the packet;
- and
- forwarding, by the second router, the packet to the multicast receiver device.
5 more elements
A first router comprising processing circuitry configured to:
- send, to a server storing a central repository of multicast information, first multicast information that specifies a multicast service associated with a multicast group, wherein the first multicast information identifies a multicast source device as associated with the first router;
- receive, from the server, and for a second router, of a plurality of routers, to which a multicast receiver device is connected, second multicast information that specifies the multicast service, wherein the second multicast information identifies the multicast receiver device as associated with the second router;
- receive, from the server, a sender access policy and a receiver access policy for the multicast service, wherein the sender access policy specifies that the multicast source device is permitted to send the second packet for the second multicast service, and wherein the receiver access policy specifies that the multicast receiver device is permitted to receive the second packet for the second multicast service;
- receive, from the multicast source device, a packet for the multicast service;
- select, based on:
- (1) the sender access policy that specifies that the multicast source device is permitted to send the second packet for the second multicast service, (2) the receiver access policy that specifies that the multicast receiver device is permitted to receive the second packet for the second multicast service, (3) the first multicast information that identifies the multicast source device as associated with the first router, and 4) the second multicast information that identifies the multicast receiver device as associated with the second router, the second router from among the plurality of routers as a router to which to forward the packet for distribution to the multicast receiver device;
- and
- forward the packet to the second router for distribution to the multicast receiver device.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.