Method and apparatus for fault tolerant tunneling of multicast datagrams
US6732189B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 20, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 4, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 20, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/16
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for maintaining the reachability of IP multicast communications across a communications network with one or more subnetworks wherein each subnetwork comprises at least one node coupled thereto and a node identified as a subnetwork leader and the communications network comprises one node identified as a network leader. The method comprising the steps of: receiving a host address list containing a list of all the network addresses of the, nodes in a network including at least two subnetworks, and a node in each subnetwork identified as a subnetwork leader; using the host address list for determining which subnetworks the subnetwork leaders are associated therewith. The reachability of at least one subnetwork leader in the network is periodically monitored. And if at least one subnetwork leader for one of the subnetworks in the network become multicast unreachable, then at least one node in the subnetwork associated with the subnetwork leader that has become multicast unreachable performing the steps of: electing a new subnetwork leader for a multicast unreachable subnetwork associated with the subnetwork. leader that has become unavailable; and establishing a connection usin…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.