Patent ID: 8184630
Filing Date: 2012-05-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A router situated in a data network system between sources that send multicast data packets having as a destination IP address a multicast group address and hosts that request multicast data from the sources, the router situated in the data network closest to the hosts and having one or more downstream network interfaces adapted to receive multicast data requests from the hosts that separately comprise INCLUDE filter mode source lists of a multicast group address, indicating that a host wishes to receive data sent by the INCLUDE sources and EXCLUDE filter mode source lists of a multicast group address, indicating that the host wishes to receive data sent by all the sources of the multicast group except the EXCLUDE sources, the router comprising executable instructions stored within a storage medium of the router that when executed in the router stores records within a storage medium of the router upon multicast data requests being received in the one or more downstream network interfaces, the executable instructions causing to be stored a record for each combination of downstream network interface, multicast group address and host from which a multicast data request has been received, the record comprising identifying information of the network interface through which the router has received the multicast data request, the multicast group address from which the multicast data has been requested, identity data of the host from which the multicast data request has been received, a source IP address of the source from which the multicast data has been requested, a source-timer associated with the source, and either a INCLUDE filter mode designator or an EXLUDE filter mode designator.