Patent ID: 6707796
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for reducing forwarding states by a device in a network domain of a communication system, the method comprising:receiving a multicast packet for a (source,group) pair; determining whether the device is the designated multicast source proxy device for the (source, group) pair by maintaining a list of multicast source proxy devices for the (source, group) pair and determining the designated multicast source proxy device for the (source, group) pair from among the multicast source proxy devices in the list of multicast source proxy devices based upon a predetermined priority scheme; wherein each multicast source proxy device in the list of multicast source proxy devices is associated with priority information indicating a relative priority for the multicast source proxy device to be the designated multicast source proxy device wherein the priority information comprises at least one of: a predetermined metric indicating preference value a number of device hops from the multicast source proxy device to a multicast source for the (source, group) pair; and an Internet Protocol address for the multicast source proxy device.