Method and device for managing multicast groups

Abstract

A method for managing multicast traffic in a data network, and devices using said method. The hosts store for each multicast group an included source record and an excluded source record, and the network interfaces of the hosts send to the router a message containing information about the included source record and information about the excluded source record. The router also stores for each multicast group an included source record and an excluded source record, and updates them when it receives through its network interface a message from the hosts containing information about an included source list and / or information about an excluded source list. The devices are a router, host equipment and network equipment compatible with the method.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to and the benefit of PCT / EP2007 / 008655 filed Oct. 5, 2007, which claims priority to and the benefit of Spanish Patent Application No. 200701775, filed Jun. 26, 2007.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention is comprised in the field of multicast technology in data networks. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for managing multicast traffic in a data network, in which sources send data addressed to at least one multicast group and a plurality of hosts receive from a router the data sent by one or several of said sources sending in said multicast group, said hosts and said router communicating to one another by means of a communications protocol, such as for example the IGMP protocol (Internet Group Management Protocol) or the MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery) protocol, allowing multicast host-router communications through which said host can define, for said multicast group, an included s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0033]An object of the invention is to increase the routing efficiency between data sending sources and hosts that have requested to receive said data sendings.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, earlier IGMP protocol versions did not allow SSM.

As will be understood below with the description of several embodiments of the invention, these rules considerably complicate communications.

In SSM, the problem of finding out the source IP addresses of a multicast group is inexistent because it is the user who chooses the sources from which he wishes to receive multicast traffic.

When a network interface works in EXCLUDE mode it does not know the source IP addresses and is therefore forced to find out said IP addresses through the RP router, as previously explained for the ASM, with the drawback that the routing processes for ASM are more complicated.

This restriction unnecessarily penalizes the full development of SSM, because it prevents a host from being able to listen for other new sources within the same multicast group.

However, none of them solves the aforementioned problems.

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