# US 12,184,486 B2 · Detecting and resolving multicast traffic performance issues > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,486 B2 - Document ID: US12184486B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/392,987 - Filed: 2021-08-03 - Published: 2021-11-25 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-25 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Laura Sharpless; Ramanan Vaidyanathan; Keerthi Manjunathan Swarnamanjunathan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184486B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/5025: by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade - H04L 12/18: for broadcast or conference {, e.g. multicast} - H04L 12/1868: {Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments} - H04L 41/0816: the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events - H04L 49/25: Routing or path finding in a switch fabric - H04L 49/505: Corrective measures - H04L 43/0829: Packet loss - H04L 43/0888: Throughput - H04L 49/70: {Virtual switches} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The subject disclosure relates to systems and methods for improving multicast traffic flows in a computer network. In some aspects, a method of the technology includes steps for receiving multicast traffic statistics from each of a plurality of switches in a computer network, aggregating the multicast traffic statistics into a time-series database, and identifying a low-performing multicast flow based on the time-series database. In some aspects, the method can include steps for automatically reconfiguring the computer network to improve the low-performing multicast flow. Systems and machine readable media are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, at a network controller, multicast traffic statistics from each of a plurality of switches in a computer network; aggregating, by the network controller, the multicast traffic statistics into a time-series; automatically identifying, by the network controller, a low-performing multicast flow, based on the time-series, wherein the low-performing multicast flow is associated with a source switch; and reconfiguring the computer network to improve the low-performing multicast flow, the reconfiguring including: automatically pruning one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow; first determining, by the network controller, if a multicast root corresponding with the low-performing multicast flow can be transferred to a destination switch in the computer network; reconfiguring the source switch and the destination switch to transfer the multicast root to the destination switch; second determining if one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow can be pruned based on the availability of alternate links to absorb the additional traffic of the multicast flow; and the automatically pruning is in response to at least a positive result of the second determining. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein reconfiguring the source switch and the destination switch further comprises: providing an alert indicating a recommended network configuration to improve the low-performing multicast flow; and receiving a response indicating either an approval or rejection of the recommended network configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein reconfiguring the computer network further comprises: automatically pruning a multicast tree associated with the low-performing multicast flow. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the low-performing multicast flow further comprises computing a total packet throughput for one or more port pairs. ### Claim 5 A network controller for improving multicast traffic flows, comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive multicast traffic statistics from each of a plurality of switches in a computer network; aggregate the multicast traffic statistics into a time-series; automatically identify a low-performing multicast flow, based on the time-series, wherein the low-performing multicast flow is associated with a source switch; and reconfigure the computer network to improve the low-performing multicast flow, the reconfigure including: automatically pruning one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow; first determine if a multicast root corresponding with the low-performing multicast flow can be transferred to a destination switch in the computer network; reconfigure the source switch and the destination switch to transfer the multicast root to the destination switch; second determine if one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow can be pruned based on the availability of alternate links to absorb the additional traffic of the multicast flow; and the automatically prune is in response to at least a positive result of the second determine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The network controller of claim 5, comprising further instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: provide an alert indicating a recommended network configuration to improve the low-performing multicast flow; and receive a response indicating either an approval or rejection of the recommended network configuration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The network controller of claim 5, comprising further instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: automatically prune one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The network controller of claim 5, wherein identify the low-performing multicast flow further comprises compute a total packet throughput for one or more port pairs. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receive multicast traffic statistics from each of a plurality of switches in a computer network; aggregate the multicast traffic statistics into a time-series; automatically identify a low-performing multicast flow, based on the time-series, wherein the low-performing multicast flow is associated with a source switch; and reconfigure the computer network to improve the low-performing multicast flow, the reconfigure including: automatically pruning one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow; first determine if a multicast root corresponding with the low-performing multicast flow can be transferred to a destination switch in the computer network; reconfigure the source switch and the destination switch to transfer the multicast root to the destination switch; second determine if one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow can be pruned based on the availability of alternate links to absorb the additional traffic of the multicast flow; and the automatically prune is in response to at least a positive result of the second determine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, comprising further instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: provide an alert indicating a recommended network configuration to improve the low-performing multicast flow; and receive a response indicating either an approval or rejection of the recommended network configuration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, comprising further instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: automatically prune a multicast tree associated with the low-performing multicast flow. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein identify the low-performing multicast flow further comprises compute a total packet throughput for one or more port pairs.