Method and apparatus for routing multicast data across multiple multicast routing domains connected by a shortest path bridging (SPB) network

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon for routing multicast data across multiple routing domains connected by a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) bridge, the medium including instructions in which a computer system performs operations comprising:

• configuring each of a plurality of Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) edge routers of an SPB network connected to a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) based access network as a Rendezvous Point (RP);
• receiving at a first one of the plurality of RPs a first message;
• in response to the receiving a first message, the first one of the plurality of RPs forming a first data structure, the first data structure including multicast sender information comprising:
• Intermediate System to Intermediate System Internet Protocol Multicast Type, Length, Value (ISIS IPMC TLV) data structure;
• 30 flooding, by the first one of the plurality of RPs, the SPB network with a second message containing the first data structure;
• allocating, by the first one of the plurality of RPs, an identifier (ISID) to the multicast stream and sending a second data structure with sender information;
• for an edge router with multicast receive interest, responding with the second data structure with multicast receive interest information;
• and
• wherein a receiver in a second network external to the SPB network has knowledge of devices in a first network external to the SPB network such that multicast traffic is able to be routed between different networks connected to the SPB network.

A computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• a communications interface;
• an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface;
• and
• wherein the memory is encoded with an application for routing multicast data across multiple routing domains connected by an Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) bridge, that when performed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the computer system to perform the operations of:
• configuring each of a plurality of Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) edge routers of an SPB network connected to a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) based access network as a Rendezvous Point (RP);
• receiving at a first one of the plurality of RPs a first message;
• in response to the receiving a first message, the first one of the plurality of RPs forming a first data structure, the first data structure including multicast sender information comprising:
• Intermediate System to Intermediate System Internet Protocol Multicast Type, Length, Value (ISIS IPMC TLV) data structure;
• flooding, by the first one of the plurality of RPs, the SPB network with a second message containing the first data structure;
• allocating, by the first one of the plurality of RPs, an identifier (ISID) to the multicast stream and sending a second data structure with sender information;
• for an edge router with multicast receive interest, responding with the second data structure with multicast receive interest information;
• and
• wherein a receiver in a second network external to the SPB network has knowledge of devices in a first network external to the SPB network such that multicast traffic is able to be routed between different networks connected to the SPB network.