IP multicast forwarding in MAC bridges
US7933268B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 14, 2006 |
| Grant date | Apr 26, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 5, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/354
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention provides novel methods of forwarding multicast data packets to selected egress ports in a MAC bridging environment. A multicast data packet is received via an ingress port. A source IP address and a destination multicast IP address are retrieved from the multicast packet. In a forwarding database, different groups of egress ports correspond to different combinations of a source address, a destination multicast address, and a virtual local area network identifier (VLAN-ID). The forwarding database is accessed, based on the retrieved source address, the retrieved destination multicast address, and a VLAN-ID, to thereby determine a corresponding group of egress ports. The multicast packet is then forwarded to the corresponding group of egress ports.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.