Latency enhancements for multicast traffic over spatial reuse protocol (SRP)

An apparatus, comprising:

• transmit interface logic configured to transmit multicast packets to nodes in a multi-ring topology, wherein the multi-ring topology includes a source node that receives data to be transmitted to one or more other nodes in the multi-ring topology
• routing logic configured to:
• determine if the multi-ring topology is in a wrapped state wherein one or more nodes in the multi-ring topology, other than the source node, are configured to receive a packet on a first ring of the multi-ring topology and transmit the packet on a second ring of the multi-ring topology, and
• if the multi-ring topology is not in a wrapped state, then transmit the data in one or more multicast packets on either the first ring or the second ring of the multi-ring topology, wherein the one or more multicast packets include a ring identification corresponding to the ring on which the multicast packets are transmitted, or
• if the multi-ring topology is in a wrapped state, then transmit the data substantially simultaneously in multicast packets on both the first ring and the second ring of the multi-ring topology, wherein a first one or more multicast packets are transmitted on the first ring and a second one or more multicast packets are transmitted on the second ring containing copies of data of the first one or more multicast packets, and wherein the first one or more multicast packets include a ring identification corresponding to the first ring and the second one or more multicast packets include a ring identification corresponding to the second ring;
• wherein a first one of the nodes causing the wrapped state is configured to strip the first one or more multicast packets transmitted over the first ring when the first one or more multicast packets reach the first node;
• and
• wherein a second one of the nodes causing the wrapped state is configured to strip the second one or more multicast packets transmitted over the second ring when the first one or more multicast packets reach the second node, and wherein the wrapped results from a network link going down between the first and second node.

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of nodes connected to a spatial reuse protocol (SRP) topology that includes a first ring and a second ring, wherein packets may be forwarded between a first node of the plurality of nodes and a second node of the plurality of nodes via either the first ring or the second ring;
• a wrap node configured to detect a failure in a link between the wrap node and an adjacent node of the plurality of nodes on either the first ring or the second ring and, determining that a failure has occurred, implement a wrapped state wherein packets received on the first ring are transmitted on the second ring;
• a source node connected to the SRP topology and configured to:
• receive data to be transmitted to one or more other nodes in the multi-ring topology in one or more multicast packets,
• determine whether the SRP topology is in the wrapped state, and
• if the SRP topology is not in a wrapped state, then transmitting a first multicast packet of the one or more multi-cast packets on either the first ring or the second ring, wherein the first multicast packet includes a ring identification that corresponds to either the first ring or the second ring corresponding to the ring on which the first multicast packet is transmitted, or
• if the SRP topology is in a wrapped state, then transmitting the first multi-cast packet on the first ring and substantially simultaneously transmitting a second multicast packet on the second ring containing a copy of the data of the first multicast packet, wherein the first multicast packet includes a ring identification that corresponds to the first ring and the second multicast packet includes a ring identification that corresponds to the second ring;
• wherein the wrap node is further configured to strip the first one or more multicast packets transmitted over the first ring when the first one or more multicast packets reach the first node;
• and
• wherein the adjacent node is configured to strip the second one or more multicast packets transmitted over the second ring when the first one or more multicast packets reach the second node, and wherein the wrapped results from a network link going down between the first and second node.