Multicast Interworking via Controller-Based State Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack an effective interworking mechanism for multicast networks with different multicast profiles, leading to complex network designs and isolated multicast islands due to incompatibility between incompatible multicast routing protocols.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a controller that extracts source and group (S,G) state information from nodes in multicast domains with incompatible profiles, defines interdomain border nodes, and transmits this information to enable multicast traffic transmission between these domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different multicast profiles (PIM-DM, PIM-SM, mLDP, Tree-SID) are used in separate networks to scale and be effectively managed, then network scalability and manageability are improved, but interworking between networks becomes impossible leading to isolated multicast islands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a border node as an intermediary between multicast domains with different profiles. The border node performs protocol translation and state synchronization, enabling interworking between incompatible multicast domains while maintaining their individual scalability benefits. This resolves the contradiction by allowing each domain to use its optimal profile independently while the border node handles the complexity of inter-domain communication.
2Adaptability or versatility
If protocol translation is implemented between incompatible multicast routing protocols, then interworking between domains is achieved, but the complexity of the translation mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The border node autonomously performs protocol translation and state synchronization without requiring external control or manual configuration. It automatically extracts (S,G) state information from one protocol format and translates it to another, making the translation mechanism self-managing and reducing operational complexity despite the technical complexity of the translation itself.
3Productivity
If (S,G) state information is extracted and transmitted between border nodes, then multicast traffic transmission is enabled between domains, but information extraction and synchronization overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The border node pre-extracts and caches (S,G) state information from the source domain before actual multicast traffic needs to be transmitted. This preliminary extraction and caching reduces the synchronization overhead during actual traffic transmission, as the translation work has already been performed and the state information is readily available for quick forwarding.
Data Source
AI summary
With a controller coupled to a first multicast domain and a second multicast domain having incompatible multicast profiles, source and group (S,G) state information may be extracted from a plurality of nodes of the first multicast domain and the second multicast domain, A first interdomain border node may be within the first multicast domain. A second interdomain border node may be defined within the second multicast domain. The (S,G) state information may be transmitted to the first interdomain border node and the second interdomain border node. The multicast traffic may be transmitted between the first multicast domain and the second multicast domain via the first interdomain border node and the second interdomain border node based at least in part on the (S,G) state information.