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AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJoshua S. Auerbach, Chee-Seng Chow, John E. Drake, Jr., Prabandham M. Gopal, Elizabeth A. Hervatic, Marc A. Kaplan, Marcia L. Peters, Michael J. Ward
Estimating the term…
In a multicast network communication system, administration of the communication path making up the multicast tree itself has been separated from control and administration of the network. Creation of a multicast distribution tree and control over the membership thereof, is separately controlled independently from the creation and use of the tree transmission path used to communicate among the members of a multicast set. Transmission distribution trees are set up when a transmission request is received and the properties of the transmission path that is required are known. Transmission paths are created and controlled by all nodes in the communications system, each node having necessary control code and processors for responding to requests from set members to transmit a message to groups of users by creating and activating the necessary tree communication path distribution linkages. A distribution tree is created by the Tree Leader by generating a tree address using a random number generator. A tree address correlator is generated utilizing network and node identifiers unique for the network, and a list of subnodes or users connected for each member of the multicast tree set is generated. Using this information, a tree distribution path is computed to cover all of the subnodes required and a tree set up request message is sent by the Tree Leader along a computed path to each involved subnode. Each subnode returns a message indicating whether the tree address is already in use or is available for use. Successfully negotiated tree addresses are marked at the path link initiation and termination points at each node through the network.
A communications network having a plurality of nodes interconnected to one another by communications links, via which links messages are sent and delivered to communications network users located at said nodes, said network being organized for communications among members of defined subsets of said network users included in at least one Distribution tree, wherein each of said nodes comprises
A Distribution Tree Leader for use at at least one node in a plural node interconnected node network, comprising:
A method of managing a communications network having a plurality of nodes interconnected to one another by communication links via which messages are sent and delivered to users located at said nodes, wherein said network is organized for communication among members of a defined subset of said users into at least one Distribution tree, said method comprising steps of:
A communications network having a plurality of nodes interconnected to one another by communications links, via which links messages are sent and delivered to communications network users located at said nodes, said network being organized for communications among members of defined subsets of said network users included in at least one Distribution tree, wherein each of said nodes comprises:
A Distribution Tree Leader for use in at least one note in a network having a plurality of interconnected nodes, comprising:
A method of managing a communications network having a plurality of nodes interconnected to one another by communication links via which messages are sent and delivered to users located at said nodes, wherein said network is organized for communication among members of a defined subset of said users into at least one Distribution tree, said method being performed at a given node and comprising steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.