Method and apparatus for producing a multicast tree
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorHaixiang He
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing a multicast tree in a network traces such tree based upon information retrieved from a multicast database that is protocol independent. More particularly, the network includes a plurality of network devices. A set of the plurality of network devices each includes the prior noted protocol independent multicast database. After the multicast database in each of the set of network devices is located, the multicast information in such databases is retrieved. After being retrieved, the multicast information is traced across the plurality of network devices to form the multicast tree.
Claims22
A method of producing a multicast tree by a network management application configured to use a first multicast routing protocol, from existing protocol independent multicast routing information in a network, at least some of the protocol independent multicast routing information having been created from multicast information associated with an application configured to use a second multicast routing protocol, the network including a plurality of network devices including at least a plurality of routers that are members of a multicast associated with the multicast tree, a set of the routers each including a management information base containing protocol independent multicast routing information, the method comprising the steps of:
- accessing, by the network management application, a plurality of the management information bases containing the protocol independent multicast databases;
- retrieving, by the network management application, at least a portion of the existing protocol independent multicast routing information from each accessed management information bases;
- and
- tracing, by the network management application, the retrieved existing protocol independent multicast routing information to form a representation of the multicast tree in the network management application.
An apparatus for producing a multicast tree for a network management application configured to use a first multicast protocol from existing protocol independent multicast information in a network that may have been created using a second multicast protocol, the network including a plurality of network devices including at least a plurality of routers that are members of the multicast, a set of the routers each including a management information base containing protocol independent multicast information, the apparatus comprising a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor to implement;
- a multicast processing module, the multicast processing module being capable of accessing the protocol independent multicast information within each of the set of the management information bases of each of the routers, the multicast processing module also being capable of retrieving the existing protocol independent multicast information from each accessed management information base;
- and
- a tracing module operably coupled with the multicast processing module, the tracing module being capable of tracing the retrieved existing protocol independent multicast information across the plurality of routers to form the representation of the multicast tree according to the first multicast protocol.
A computer program product for use on a computer system for producing a multicast tree for a network management application configured to use a first multicast protocol from existing protocol independent multicast information in a network, at least some of the protocol independent multicast information having been created from protocol specific multicast information associated with an application configured to use a second multicast protocol, the network including a plurality of network devices including at least a plurality of routers that are members of a multicast associated with the multicast tree, a set of the routers each including a Management Information Base containing the protocol independent multicast information, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code comprising:
- program code for accessing a plurality of the MIBs;
- program code for retrieving at least a portion of the existing protocol independent multicast information from each accessed MIB;
- and
- program code for tracing the retrieved existing protocol independent multicast information to form a representation of the multicast tree in the network management application.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.