Abstract: A method of routing network packets to a border router joining different network domains includes defining a range of addresses for the border router in a router forwarding table, receiving a network packet, determining addresses included in the network packet, performing a search on the router forwarding table using the determined addresses, and transmitting the packet to the border router if the defined range of addresses matches for the determined addresses.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for reducing forwarding states in a network domain designates a forwarding device to forward multicast packets for the (source, group) pair. A number of (source, group) pairs may be aggregated to form an aggregated (source, group) pair that is rooted at the forwarding device. For each multicast packet forwarded by the forwarding device, the forwarding device inserts an option field identifying the forwarding device. Interior devices in the network domain forward multicast packets based upon at least the forwarding device identified in the option field of the multicast packet, particularly by maintaining a list of forwarding devices in the network domain and electing a designated forwarding device from which to receive multicast packets. The interior devices forward multicast packets received from the designated forwarding device, and drop multicast packets received from other forwarding devices.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for distributing multicast routing information in a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) domain utilizes a PIM router in the PIM domain to collect and distribute multicast routing information. The PIM router collects interdomain multicast routing information from border routers, and distributes the interdomain multicast routing information by periodically sending a bootstrap message containing the interdomain multicast routing information. The PIM router may also send a bootstrap message containing any changed interdomain multicast routing information upon determining that one or more interdomain multicast routes have changed.

Abstract: A technique for reducing reconvergence time by a reconverging device in a PIM-SM domain of a communication system involves sending by the reconverging device to a neighboring device a reconvergence message including a reconvergence indicator, such as a randomly selected Generation Identifier value. In response to the reconvergence message, the neighboring device sends to the reconverging device a PIM Bootstrap Message identifying the Rendezvous Point devices in the PIM-SM domain. The reconverging device creates the appropriate PIM-SM states for the Rendezvous Point devices. Additionally, the neighboring device sends to the reconverging device a PIM Join/Prune Message for each multicast group for which the neighboring device supports a downstream multicast group member. The reconverging device creates the appropriate routing entries for the multicast group memberships, and forwards each PIM Join/Prune Messages towards its corresponding Rendezvous Pointer device.

Abstract: Multicast networks are partitioned into hierarchical security domains. Each security domain may comprise one or more lower security domains. Each security domain includes a security broker that distributes a group key and translates multicast data destined to the security domain, if necessary. A primary security broker at the second level of the hierarchical multicast system distributes the top security key to all peer members, including all peer security domain brokers to establish trust relationships. For each security domain boundary with security domain border routers, a multicast virtual link in configured that connects the security domain border routers and the security broker for the security domain to reduce the latency in forwarding multicast data. It can also make the backbone of the security domain contiguous so that multicast data can travel unchanged across the backbone. The multicast data is forwarded to the security domain through the security broker with security translation.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for reducing multicast forwarding states in a multicast communication system maintains forwarding states in such a way that the non-default forwarding states have non-overlapping source address ranges. Each forwarding state is associated with a source address range encompassing one or more source addresses. When a non-default forwarding state is installed, the source address range for the forwarding state is selected so that the source address range does not overlap with the source address ranges of any other non-default forwarding states. The source address range for a particular forwarding state may be adjusted as new routes are learned or existing routes are changed or aged.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of minimizing multicast traffic in a given multicast domain, the given multicast domain having a plurality of network devices, the plurality of network devices including at least one responsible network device, the responsible network device being responsible for at least one particular multicast traffic, configures a network device in the multicast domain to coordinate multicast messages sent to and from the multicast domain and generates a peering relationship between the configured network device and each responsible network device. The peering relationship ensures that a responsible network device receives multicast messages which reference its particular multicast traffic only.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for transitioning from DVMRP to BGMP for interdomain multicast routing over the Internet multicast backbone (Mbone) switches the Mbone DVMRP distribution tree, piece by piece, into BGMP distribution trees. Each piece is a contiguous BGMP regional tree. The routers in the regional BGMP tree run an extended BGMP protocol. The root of the regional BGMP tree also runs DVMRP, and joins the Mbone DVMRP distribution tree in order to receive multicast packets and forward the multicast packets over the regional BGMP tree. The extended BGMP protocol ensures that no fowarding loops are created between the Mbone DVMRP distribution tree and the regional BGMP tree.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing multicast traffic in a given multicast domain aggregates one or more multicast interfaces into an aggregation interface, each multicast interface linked to a multicast domain other than the given multicast domain via a domain interface, the aggregation interface linked to the given multicast domain via an inbound interface. The apparatus and method then receives at the aggregation interface one or more multicast domain group membership messages from one or more of the other multicast domains, forwards multicast traffic for a particular multicast group from the given multicast domain towards the one or more other multicast domains via the inbound interface, and determines whether one or more of the other multicast domains is interested in the particular multicast group.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for detecting and recovering from failures in a multicast communication system involves joining a multicast group over a primary interface, monitoring for multicast group information received over the primary interface, and determining that there is a multicast group failure if no multicast group information is received over the primary interface for a predetermined amount of time. Recovering from such a failure typically involves joining the multicast group over a backup interface in order to continue receiving multicast group information over the backup interface. A relay/proxy device may join the multicast group on behalf of a multicast host and forward multicast group information to the multicast host.