Abstract: A method performed in a network element coupled between a subscriber end station and a multicast source for tracking a history of IGMP report messages. The network element receives and IGMP report message from the subscriber end station and determines a multicast group address and multicast source IP address corresponding to a multicast group to which the network element is a member. The network element builds an IGMP report history record indicating the subscriber end station's identity and comprises the multicast group address, the multicast source IP address, and a time stamp corresponding to the date and time at which the network element received the IGMP report message. This record is then stored in an IGMP report history database along with a plurality of other IGMP report history records so that the network element can maintain a history of IGMP report messages received from the subscriber end station.

Abstract: A router receives a leave message from a host on a subscriber circuit. The leave message indicates a request to stop receiving a multicast stream that is associated with a group object. The interface between the router and network elements including, but not limited to, a remote multicast replication interface. A group specific query is then sent on the subscriber circuit, and is directed to hosts on the subscriber circuit and regards only the multicast group of the received request. Next the group object association with the subscriber circuit is removed from the record at the router if, in response to the group specific query, no host of the subscriber circuit reports receiving the traffic stream corresponding to the multicast group identified in the leave message.

Abstract: A router is coupled to sources of multicast streams and to multicast consumer hosts through one or more network elements, for managing multicast streams sent to hosts through the one or more network elements using subscriber circuits. The interface between the router and the network elements includes, but is not limited to, a remote multicast replication interface. Reports are received from a host on a subscriber circuit. The subscriber circuit is coupled between the router and the host. The report indicates a request to receive a multicast stream that is associated with a group object. A reference counter associated with the group object is incremented and the requested multicast stream is added to a remote multicast replication circuit if the reference counter transitions from zero upon incrementing.

Abstract: In a proxy for an upstream multicast router using IGMP or MLD, a process efficiently and scalably manages an interface between the upstream multicast router and the proxy by tracking a subset of multicast sources from the plurality of multicast sources required by an aggregate state of the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes. The tracking uses an interface tracking table for determining the aggregate state for the interface instead of a forwarding information base (FIB) and membership database that tracks more specific data detailing each multicast source required by each multicast subscriber node. The process receives an IGMP or MLD membership report with at least one change in the set of multicast sources to be received on the interface, updates the interface tracking table to reflect the at least one change in the subset of multicast sources and notifies the upstream multicast router of the at least one change.

Abstract: A router is coupled to sources of multicast streams and to multicast consumer hosts through one or more network elements, for managing multicast streams sent to hosts through the one or more network elements using subscriber circuits. The interface between the router and the network elements includes, but is not limited to, a remote multicast replication interface. Reports are received from a host on a subscriber circuit. The subscriber circuit is coupled between the router and the host. The report indicates a request to receive a multicast stream that is associated with a group object. A reference counter associated with the group object is incremented and the requested multicast stream is added to a remote multicast replication circuit if the reference counter transitions from zero upon incrementing.

Abstract: A router receives a leave message from a host on a subscriber circuit. The leave message indicates a request to stop receiving a multicast stream that is associated with a group object. The interface between the router and network elements including, but not limited to, a remote multicast replication interface. A group specific query is then sent on the subscriber circuit, and is directed to hosts on the subscriber circuit and regards only the multicast group of the received request. Next the group object association with the subscriber circuit is removed from the record at the router if, in response to the group specific query, no host of the subscriber circuit reports receiving the traffic stream corresponding to the multicast group identified in the leave message.

Abstract: a method for reducing computational and/or bandwidth requirements in a network including a multicast router and a layer 2 network element by efficiently communicating required source state information. The method comprises receiving at the layer 2 network element a source interest list from a host over a multicast network. The layer 2 multicast network element transmits a message to the multicast router, the message formatted to be processed by a multicast routing protocol on the multicast router after a protocol header is removed by a light host management protocol on the multicast router without any additional processing. Responsive to receiving the message at the multicast router, the light host management protocol removes the protocol header and sending the message to the multicast routing protocol to alter a set of multicast sources to be routed to the host.

Abstract: A method reduces computational and/or bandwidth requirements of multicast routing by efficiently communicating required source state information. The method comprises receiving at a first network element, executing a modified host management protocol, a source interest list from a host over a network, the source interest list identifies at least one multicast source to be one of excluded or included from routing to the host. The modified host management protocol identifies a difference between the source interest list and a source state maintained by the first network element. The modified host management protocol provides the difference between the source interest list and the source state and not an entirety of the source interest list to a multicast routing protocol to alter the set of multicast sources to be routed to the host.

Abstract: In a proxy for an upstream multicast router using IGMP or MLD, a process efficiently and scalably manages an interface between the upstream multicast router and the proxy by tracking a subset of multicast sources from the plurality of multicast sources required by an aggregate state of the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes. The tracking uses an interface tracking table for determining the aggregate state for the interface instead of a forwarding information base (FIB) and membership database that tracks more specific data detailing each multicast source required by each multicast subscriber node. The process receives an IGMP or MLD membership report with at least one change in the set of multicast sources to be received on the interface, updates the interface tracking table to reflect the at least one change in the subset of multicast sources and notifies the upstream multicast router of the at least one change.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of dynamically distributing multicast stream to different hosts on a link-aggregation-group is described. A network element receives, on a link-aggregation-group, multicast requests and determines the bandwidth for that request by the information stored in the request. The network element further allocates bandwidth requirement on the least utilized link in link-aggregation-group. The network element additionally updates a forwarding table to indicate that the multicast stream in that request is to be forward out the allocated link.

Abstract: A method performed in a network element coupled between a subscriber end station and a multicast source for tracking a history of IGMP report messages. The network element receives and IGMP report message from the subscriber end station and determines a multicast group address and multicast source IP address corresponding to a multicast group to which the network element is a member. The network element builds an IGMP report history record indicating the subscriber end station's identity and comprises the multicast group address, the multicast source IP address, and a time stamp corresponding to the date and time at which the network element received the IGMP report message. This record is then stored in an IGMP report history database along with a plurality of other IGMP report history records so that the network element can maintain a history of IGMP report messages received from the subscriber end station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of controlling an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) channel change to a first multimedia stream of an IPTV channel, where the channel change is initiated by a set top box coupled to the network device is described. A network device receives a request from a set top box for a high-resolution multimedia stream from a device downstream and transmits a low-resolution multimedia stream upstream in place of the high-resolution multimedia stream request. The network device receives the low-resolution multimedia stream and forwards the low-resolution stream to the requesting set top box. The set top receives the low-resolution stream and displays this stream. Furthermore, the network device transmits the high-resolution multimedia stream request and receives the high-resolution multimedia stream. The set top box receives the high-resolution multimedia stream and displays this stream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of dynamically distributing multicast stream to different hosts on a link-aggregation-group is described. A network element receives, on a link-aggregation-group, multicast requests and determines the bandwidth for that request by the information stored in the request. The network element further allocates bandwidth requirement on the least utilized link in link-aggregation-group. The network element additionally updates a forwarding table to indicate that the multicast stream in that request is to be forward out the allocated link.

Abstract: a method for reducing computational and/or bandwidth requirements in a network including a multicast router and a layer 2 network element by efficiently communicating required source state information. The method comprises receiving at the layer 2 network element a source interest list from a host over a multicast network. The layer 2 multicast network element transmits a message to the multicast router, the message formatted to be processed by a multicast routing protocol on the multicast router after a protocol header is removed by a light host management protocol on the multicast router without any additional processing. Responsive to receiving the message at the multicast router, the light host management protocol removes the protocol header and sending the message to the multicast routing protocol to alter a set of multicast sources to be routed to the host.