On-Demand Bootstrap Router Source Announcements for Multicast Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multicast communication networks, edge routers with limited memory face challenges in storing information for all active sources, affecting network scalability and requiring advance setup of Rendezvous Points and shared trees.
Innovation Solution
Implementing on-demand routing using Boot Strap Router (BSR) source announcements, where core routers distribute source information via control plane messages, allowing edge routers to dynamically learn sources when needed, eliminating the need for local storage of source information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If edge routers store information for all active sources, then multicast routing capability is improved, but memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts source information from edge routers and centralizes it in core routers. Edge routers no longer store source information locally; instead, they obtain it on-demand from core routers via BSR source announcements. This extraction resolves the contradiction by removing the memory burden from edge routers while maintaining multicast routing capability through centralized source information storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces core routers as intermediaries between source nodes and edge routers. Core routers store source information and provide it to edge routers on-demand through BSR source announcements. This intermediary approach allows edge routers to maintain multicast routing capability without storing source information locally, thus resolving the memory requirement contradiction.
2Loss of information
If edge routers store information for all active sources, then complete source information availability is improved, but network scalability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts source information storage from edge routers and centralizes it in core routers. This extraction enables network scalability by reducing the resource burden on edge routers, while source information availability is maintained through on-demand retrieval from core routers via BSR source announcements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic source information retrieval where edge routers obtain source information on-demand rather than storing it statically. This dynamic approach improves network scalability by eliminating the need for edge routers to pre-store all source information, while maintaining complete source information availability through responsive on-demand queries to core routers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional Rendezvous Points and shared trees are used, then multicast group management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the Rendezvous Point functionality from the network architecture and replaces it with BSR source announcement mechanisms. Core routers provide source information directly to edge routers on-demand, eliminating the need for traditional RP setup and shared tree construction. This extraction simplifies device complexity while maintaining multicast group management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional multicast architecture by eliminating centralized RPs and instead having core routers distribute source information directly to edge routers through BSR source announcements. This inversion simplifies the network setup by removing the complexity of RP configuration and shared tree management, while maintaining effective multicast group management through direct source-to-edge-router information flow.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a node in a communication network receives a request for messages of a particular group, determines a rendezvous point, and transmits the request to the rendezvous point to cause the rendezvous point to return a source-message indicating a source-node of the particular group. The node further creates a path from itself to the source-node and receives messages of the particular group according to the path.