Patent ID: 7707300
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In a network device in a network, a method of establishing a communications path through the network device for a stream of data, the method comprising the steps, of: receiving a first data distribution message from an upstream device in the network; acknowledging receipt of the first data distribution message to the upstream device in the network; forwarding a second data distribution message to a downstream device in the network; and determining if the network device receives an acknowledgment of receipt of the second data distribution message, and if the network device receives an acknowledgment, establishing at least one path through the network device for a stream of data identified by the first data distribution message between the upstream device and a downstream device identified in the acknowledgment; wherein the step of receiving a first data distribution message from an upstream device in the network comprises the steps of: obtaining, from the first data distribution message, a stream identifier that identifies the stream of data for which the communications path is to be established through the network device; storing the stream identifier in a path table, the path table used by a data distribution process in the network device to identify paths for the stream of data through the network device; configuring an upstream device identifier in the second data distribution message with an identity of the network device that received the first data distribution message; wherein the step of establishing at least one path through the network device between the upstream device and the downstream device comprises the steps of: obtaining a downstream device identifier from within the acknowledgment, the downstream device identifier identifying a downstream network device that supports the data distribution protocol and that originated the acknowledgment; obtaining a stream identifier from within the acknowledgment, the stream identifier identifying a stream of data to which the acknowledgment is associated; and creating a path entry in the path table for a stream of data identified by the stream identifier in the acknowledgment received by the network device by associating the downstream device identifier to the stream identifier in the path table to create a path for the stream of data to each downstream device associated with the stream identifier.