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US 7,626,995 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for scalable virtual private network multicasting
AssigneeAT&T Corp.
InventorMaria H. Napierala
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for scalable virtual private network multicasting. In one embodiment a service network builds a new data multicast distribution tree for each high-bandwidth multicast data flow (e.g., multicast data flows that require an amount bandwidth meeting or exceeding a predefined threshold). However, if the multicast data flow is a low-bandwidth flow (e.g., if the required amount of bandwidth falls below the predefined threshold), the multicast data flow is routed over an existing multicast distribution tree in order to minimize an amount of state information that must be maintained by service provider core routers in the backbone network.
Claims15
A method for sending multicast data from a source to at least one receiver, the method comprising:
- providing at least one existing multicast distribution tree;
- determining whether a predefined threshold for said at least one existing multicast distribution tree is single-source based or is cumulative-source based;
- if said predefined threshold is single-source based, building a new data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group;
- sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing multicast distribution tree of said at least one existing multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold, wherein said building and sending are implemented to carry multicast traffic only, and control traffic is carried along a default multicast distribution tree;
- if said predefined threshold is cumulative-source based, building a new super data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new super data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group;
- and
- sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing super multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold.
4 more elements
A computer readable medium containing an executable program for sending multicast data from a source to at least one receiver, where the program performs steps of:
- providing at least one existing multicast distribution tree;
- determining whether a predefined threshold for said at least one existing multicast distribution tree is single-source based or is cumulative-source based;
- if said predefined threshold is single-source based, building a new data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group;
- and
- sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing multicast distribution tree of said at least one existing multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold, wherein said building and sending steps are implemented to carry multicast traffic only, and control traffic is carried along a default multicast distribution tree;
- if said predefined threshold is cumulative-source based, building a new super data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new super data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group;
- and
- sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing super multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold.
5 more elements
Apparatus for sending multicast data from a source to at least one receiver, the apparatus comprising:
- means for providing at least one existing multicast distribution tree;
- means for determining whether a predefined threshold for said at least one existing multicast distribution tree is single-source based or is cumulative-source based;
- if said predefined threshold is single-source based, means for building a new data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group;
- means for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing multicast distribution tree of said at least one existing multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold, wherein said building and sending steps are implemented to carry multicast traffic only, and control traffic is carried along a default multicast distribution tree;
- if said predefined source bandwidth threshold is cumulative-source based, means for building a new super data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new super data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group;
- and
- means for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing super multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.