Patent ID: 6567929
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for repairing multicast packets in a network carrying multicast packets in a multicast session from a source to a plurality of multicast recipients in that session, comprising:receiving a request from a recipient's receiver to join a first IP multicast session; intercepting said request and sending it to a controller in a repair server; determining from a subscription server whether said recipient has subscribed to a repair service; receiving a positive response at the controller from the subscription server and determining whether a repair/encryption module exists in the repair server for the first multicast session; selecting at the controller a new IP multicast address and port number and a decryption key for a second IP multicast session; sending the new IP multicast address and port number and the decryption key to the translator/decryption module; creating with the controller a new repair/encryption module and providing the new repair/encryption module with the new IP multicast address and port number and the encryption key; monitoring received ones of the packets to the recipient in the first session with the repair server; buffering portions of the packets from the first session at a retransmit server in the network; and detecting missing packets in said repair server and in response to said subscriber request, requesting missing packets from said retransmit server.