Multicast implementation in a link state protocol controlled ethernet network

A method of installing forwarding state in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet node of a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, the method comprising the steps of:na node of the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network mapping two or more logical multicasts to a physical multicast, the physical multicast including a superset of destinations of the logical multicasts; andinstalling forwarding state for the physical multicast in a forwarding information base of the link state protocol controlled Ethernet node, such that traffic of any one of the logical multicasts is forwarded to the superset of destinations.

A method comprising the steps of:nreceiving, by a link state protocol controlled Ethernet node, a plurality of link state advertisements containing link state information about a configuration of an Ethernet network;using the link state advertisements to build a forwarding information base;receiving, by the link state protocol controlled Ethernet node, a link state advertisement containing multicast membership information related to a logical multicast;mapping, by the link state protocol controlled Ethernet node, the logical multicast to a physical multicast, the physical multicast including a superset of destinations of two or more logical multicasts mapped to it; andinstalling forwarding state in the forwarding information base for the physical multicast, such that traffic of any one of the logical multicasts mapped to the physical multicast is forwarded to the superset of destinations.

A method of implementing multicast on a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, the method comprising the steps of:nconverting, by a destination node, logical multicast membership information associated with a first logical multicast into physical multicast membership information associated with a physical multicast, wherein the physical multicast subsumes the first logical multicast and at least one other logical multicast and includes a superset of destinations of the subsumed logical multicasts, such that traffic of any one of the plurality of logical multicasts is forwarded to the superset of destinations;determining by the destination node, whether it has recently advertised membership in the physical multicast;advertising on the link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, by the destination node, membership to the physical multicast if it has not recently advertised membership in the physical multicast; andnot advertising membership to the physical multicast if it has recently advertised membership in the physical multicast.

A link state protocol controlled Ethernet network, comprising:na source node;a plurality of destination nodes, the destination nodes being configured to transmit link state advertisements containing link state information about connectivity on the network and multicast membership information; anda plurality of intermediate nodes, each of the intermediate nodes containing a forwarding information base containing shortest path unicast forwarding route information computed using the link state information between the source and the destination nodes, at least some of the plurality of intermediate nodes including in their forwarding information base multicast forwarding information for a physical multicast derived from the multicast membership information, the physical multicast subsuming a plurality of logical multicasts and including a superset of destinations of the plurality of logical multicasts, such that traffic of any one of the plurality of logical multicasts is forwarded to the superset of destinations.