Patent ID: 7103185

Claim:
A method for communicating a session key from a first multicast proxy service node of a secure multicast group to a plurality of other multicast proxy service nodes of the secure multicast group in a communication network, wherein each of the multicast proxy service nodes is capable of establishing multicast communication and serving as a key distribution center, the method comprising the steps of: creating and storing an original group session key associated with the secure multicast group in a first directory that is based on the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory standard; authenticating the first multicast proxy service node with a subset of the multicast proxy service nodes that are affected by an addition of the first multicast proxy service node to the secure multicast group, based on the original group session key stored in the first directory that is based on the LDAP directory standard; receiving a plurality of private keys from the subset of the multicast proxy service nodes; receiving a new group session key for the secure multicast group, for use after addition of the first multicast proxy service node, from a local multicast proxy service node that has received the original group session key through periodic replication of the first directory that is based on the LDAP directory standard; communicating the new group session key to the first multicast proxy service node; and communicating a message to the subset of the multicast proxy service nodes that causes the subset of the multicast proxy service nodes to update their private keys.