System for efficient multicast distribution in a virtual local area network environment
US5959989A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 25, 1997 |
| Grant date | Sep 28, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 25, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L12/185
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A mechanism for efficiently distributing multicast messages having group destination addresses to subscribing entities in a computer network. The network includes a plurality of virtual local area network (VLAN) designations among those entities and a multicast network device (MND) configured to generate at least one unique multicast (MVLAN) identifier (ID) for each group destination address. Each MVLAN ID encompasses all VLAN designations of the subscribing entities, except for the VLAN designation associated with the entity sourcing the message. Each MVLAN ID is propagated to intermediate devices of the network and attached to subsequent multicast messages to enable efficient distribution of those messages over the network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.