Patent ID: 7623474
Filing Date: 2009-11-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for sending data in a packet-switched communications network, comprising the steps of: determining a plurality of subset of adjacent network nodes of a packet-switched communications network, which adjacent network nodes communicate without intervening network nodes with a particular network node through an interface on the particular network node, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets includes a plurality of adjacent network nodes; sending from the particular network node, through the interface, subset definition data that indicates which adjacent network nodes belong to which subset of the plurality of subsets; sending data for fewer than all adjacent network nodes in all subsets of the plurality of subsets by including, in a multicast data packet sent over the interface with a multicast destination address, subset identifier data that indicates a particular subset of the plurality of subsets; determining a transport cost to each adjacent network node of the adjacent network nodes; determining a range of transport cost for each subset of the plurality of subsets; determining whether a first transport cost of a first adjacent network node is in a first range associated with a first subset of the plurality of subsets, and if the first transport cost is in the first range, then including the first adjacent network node in the first subset; wherein, said step of determining the plurality of subsets further comprising: determining a maximum number N of adjacent network nodes included in anyone subset based on a size of an identifier for an adjacent network node and a maximum size of a data packet for the interface on the particular network node; and including no more than N adjacent network nodes in any subset of the plurality of subsets.