Patent ID: 6839348
Filing Date: 2005-01-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A multicast network device (MND) having a plurality of interfaces for forwarding messages within a computer network, the computer network having at least one region that includes a plurality of virtual local area network (VLAN) domains and to which the MND is directly-coupled, the MND comprising: a multicast controller for efficiently distributing multicast messages to subscribing entities associated with one or more of the VLAN domains, wherein the multicast controller is configured to: establish a sub-regional Multicast VLAN Identifier (MVLAN-ID) that encompasses a set of the VLAN domains, and one or more color-limited MVLAN-IDs that encompass all but one of the VLAN domains within the set, append the sub-regional MVLAN-ID to multicast messages received either from outside of the VLAN region or from a VLAN domain not included with the set of VLAN domains, append a selected color-limited MVLAN-ID to multicast messages that are received from within the VLAN region, and are associated with a VLAN domain included within the set of VLAN domains, and establish an inter-router VLAN (IRL) designation for use in communicating with one or more neighboring MNDs.