Patent ID: 7170897

Claim:
A method for delivering multicast data traffic originating in a broadcast-based computer network to a plurality of destinations on a connection-based network, the method comprising: (a) providing a device connecting the broadcast-based network and the connection-based network, the device comprising a bridge for providing a unidirectional connection between a local interface port associated with said broadcast-based network and a remote interface port associated with said connection-based network; b) at said device, associating said remote interface port with a multicast address; c) setting up a point-to-multipoint virtual channel over the connection-based network, the point-to-multipoint virtual channel having a root at said remote interface port and a plurality of leaves at destination nodes in the connection-based network; and, d) forwarding multicast data frames addressed to the multicast address and originating in the broadcast-based computer network from said remote interface port to said destination nodes.