Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for multicast management of user interface in a network access device, which comprises setting a user multicast information table for the user interface in the network access device, IGMP protocol processing unit obtaining the user identification information from a user IGMP message, retrieving and updating the user multicast information table based on types of multicast messages; checking the user multicast information table of the user interface when multicast resources of the user interface are not sufficient, immediately terminating the multicast GSQ process and directly performing quick-leaving when the user multicast information table of a multicast group is empty, in conjunction with use of items of multicast state. The present invention can greatly enhance speed and performance of switching for multicast channels of the network access device.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for rapidly recovering multicast service, a first network device having at least one link connected to a second network device and receiving a multicast data stream, the method comprising: a) the first network device performing link fault detection and link recovery; b) the first network device actively sending a multicast request message to the second network device via a recovered link to recover the multicast data stream; c) the second network device parsing said multicast request message and providing the multicast data stream to the first network device. According to the above implementation, after the link is recovered from fault, the network device actively sends the multicast request message to rapidly recover multicast service, which enhances reliability of multicast service and has a minimum effect on existing network devices.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for multicast management of user interface in a network access device, which comprises setting a user multicast information table for the user interface in the network access device, IGMP protocol processing unit obtaining the user identification information from a user IGMP message, retrieving and updating the user multicast information table based on types of multicast messages; checking the user multicast information table of the user interface when multicast resources of the user interface are not sufficient, immediately terminating the multicast GSQ process and directly performing quick-leaving when the user multicast information table of a multicast group is empty, in conjunction with use of items of multicast state. The present invention can greatly enhance speed and performance of switching for multicast channels of the network access device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dealing with a request from a user for leaving and zapping a multicast service channel in a network access apparatus, which supports the multicast service, are provided in this invention. A new state, i.e. unused state, is introduced to implement a slow leaving mechanism. When the last user of a multicast group leaves the group, the group will be set into the unused state instead of being deleted immediately, and a period of reserve time is set for the specific group. If there is any user requesting for joining the group within the period of reserve time, the group will be set back into the active state, otherwise the group will be deleted. This mechanism avoids frequent switching requests from the network access apparatus to the network, relieves the heavy load of the network due to the users' frequent zapping requests and hence improves the network performance.