Multicast and unicast message re-direction system, method, message re-director, and network device
A plurality of local networks each have one or more terminal sets and a message re-director. The message re-directors are adapted to communicate with each other across another network through edge devices. The message re-directors are also adapted to convert multicast messages received locally from the terminal sets into unicast messages for transmission across the other network. The unicast messages are received by the other message re-directors. Each one of the other message re-directors then multicasts information received as part of the multicast messages received to the terminal sets within its local network.
1. A method comprising:
receiving at a message re-director a received unicast message containing information and a message type identifier;
determining at the message re-director whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message using the message type identifier;
if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a multicast message, sending a multicast message from the message re-director containing the information;
if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message, sending from the message re-director a first other unicast message containing the information; and
performing the determining whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message using the message type identifier on the basis of whether the message type identifier identifies a unique identifier of a network device,
wherein the first other unicast message is sent to the network device if the message type identifier identifies the unique identifier of the network device.
2. A message re-director comprising:
a memory adapted to store first instructions;
an interface adapted to receive a received unicast message containing information and a message type identifier; and
a processor adapted to, using the first instructions:
i) determine whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message using the message type identifier;
ii) if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a multicast message, provide second instructions for sending a multicast message containing the information; and
iii) if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message, provide third instructions for sending a first other unicast message containing the information,
wherein the processor is adapted to determine whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message on the basis of whether the message type identifier identifies a unique identifier of a network device; and
if the message type identifier identifies the unique identifier of the network device, provide fourth instructions for sending the first other unicast message to the network device.
3. An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein, the computer readable code means in the article of manufacture comprising:
computer readable code means for, responsive to receiving a received unicast message containing information and
a message type identifier determining whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message using the message type identifier;
computer readable code means for, if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a multicast message providing first instructions for sending a multicast message containing the information;
computer readable code means for, if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message providing second instructions for sending a first other unicast message containing the information;
computer readable code means for, determining whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message using the message type identifier on the basis of whether the message type identifier identifies a unique identifier of a network device, and
computer readable code means for providing third instructions for sending the first other unicast message to the network device if the message type identifier identifies the unique identifier of the network device.
4. A message re-director comprising:
a memory adapted to store first instructions;
an interface adapted to receive a received unicast message containing information and a header including a message type identifier; and
a processor adapted to, using the first instructions:
i) determine whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message using the message type identifier;
ii) if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a multicast message, provide second instructions for sending a multicast message containing the information; and
iii) if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message, provide third instructions for sending a first other unicast message containing the information,
wherein the message re-director is selected from the group consisting of a VoIP telephone, a packet based telephone, a video phone, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a soft phone, a wireless device and a wireless telephone.
5. A message re-director comprising:
a memory adapted to store first instructions;
an interface adapted to receive a received unicast message containing information and a header including a message type identifier; and
a processor adapted to, using the first instructions:
i) determine whether the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message or a multicast message using the message type identifier;
ii) if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a multicast message, provide second instructions for sending a multicast message containing the information; and
iii) if the message type identifier indicates that the information is to be forwarded as a unicast message, provide third instructions for sending a first other unicast message containing the information,
wherein the message redirector comprises a VoIP telephone.