Method and system for routing undirectional multicast data
AssigneeMCI Communications Corporation
InventorEdward Dean Willis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of and system for transmitting multicast packets unidirectionally from a transmitter of a source network to a receiver of a client network and unicast packets bidirectionally between the source network and the client network by configuring a selected router of the client network to accept multicast packets from the receiver, establishing a virtual connection between the selected router of the client network and a selected router of the source network, and advertising in the client network that the virtual connection is the shortest path from the client network to the source network.
Claims12
A method of transmitting multicast packets unidirectionally from a transmitter of a source network to a receiver of a client network and unicast packets bidirectionally between said source network and said client network, which comprises the steps of:
- configuring a selected router of said client network to accept multicast packets from said receiver so as to prevent a reverse path forwarding check failure;
- establishing a virtual connection between said selected router of said client network and a selected router of said source network;
- and,
- advertising in said client network that said virtual connection is the shortest path from said client network to said source network.
A method of transmitting multicast packets unidirectionally from a source network to a client network and unicast packets bidirectionally between said source network and said client network, which comprises the steps of:
- forwarding multicast packets from a source in said source network to a selected router, configured to prevent a reverse path forwarding check failure, of said source network;
- forwarding said multicast packets from said selected router of said source network to a selected router of said client network over a unidirectional link;
- forwarding said multicast packets from said selected router of said client network to said client network;
- forwarding to said selected router of said client network all unicast packets addressed from a client of said client network to a source of said source network;
- encapsulating said unicast packets addressed from said client network to said source network at said selected router of said client network;
- and,
- forwarding said encapsulated unicast packets from said selected router of said client network to said source network.
A network system, which comprises:
- a source network, said source network including at least one source and at least one router;
- a client network, said client network including a plurality of clients and a plurality of routers;
- a unidirectional link between said source network and said client network;
- at least one bidirectional link between said source network and said client network;
- wherein said at least one router of said source network is configured:
- to forward multicast packets from a source of said source network to said client network over said unidirectional link and prevent a reverse path forwarding check failure;
- and,
- to decapsulate any packets received over said bidirectional link;
- and wherein a selected router of said client network is configured:
- to receive any multicast packets forwarded over said unidirectional link;
- to encapsulate all unicast packets addressed from a client of said client network to a source of said source network;
- and
- forward said encapsulated packets to said source network over said bidirectional link.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.