Method and apparatus for distributing routing instructions over multiple interfaces of a data router
A method for processing multicast data packets has steps for (a) requesting a second router upstream router by a multiple-processor data router to join a multicast group, the request including identification of a single physical ingress port from a plurality of available ports for receiving the multicast data packets; (b) preparing a multicast forwarding information base (MFIB) limited to only forwarding information incorporating the identified physical ingress port, and distributing the MFIB to a client software module hosting the identified physical ingress port; (c) receiving the multicast data packets at the identified ingress port; and (d) using only the MFIB to route the received multicast data packets.
1. A method for processing multicast data packets comprising steps of:
(a) requesting a second upstream router by a multiple-processor data router to join a multicast group, the request including identification of a single physical ingress port from a plurality of available ports for receiving the multicast data packets;
(b) preparing a multicast forwarding information base (MFIB) limited to only forwarding information incorporating the identified physical ingress port, and distributing the MFIB to a client software module hosting the identified physical ingress port, causing data to be expected at the identified physical ingress port from the second upstream router;
(c) storing the MFIB locally at the client software module;
(d) receiving and identifying the multicast data packets at the identified ingress port as the expected data;
(e) accessing and using only the MFIB to route the received multicast data packets; and
(f) dropping packets received at the identified physical ingress port that are not identified as expected data.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (b) the portion MFIB includes one or more of network layer address information, circuit ID metrics, and physical port metrics.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (b) the MFIB follows protocol independent multicast (PIM).
4. The method of claim 3 wherein in step (b) distribution is from a PIM server to one or more PIM clients.
5. A multicast-enabled data router, comprising:
a plurality of processors including individual ones operating as clients managing multiple physical communication ports, and one processor functioning as a control processor having access to a multicast forwarding information base (MFIB); and
software executing on the processors, the software executing instructions implementing a process comprising:
(a) requesting a second upstream router by a multiple-processor data router to join a multicast group, the request including identification of a single physical ingress port from a plurality of available ports for receiving the multicast data packets;
(b) preparing a multicast forwarding information base (MFIB) limited to only forwarding information incorporating the identified physical ingress port, and distributing the MFIB to a client software module hosting the identified physical ingress port, causing data to be expected at the identified physical ingress port from the second upstream router;
(c) storing the MFIB locally at the client software module;
(d) receiving and identifying the multicast data packets at the identified ingress port as the expected data;
(e) accessing and using only the MFIB to route the received multicast data packets; and
(f) dropping packets received at the identified physical ingress port that are not identified as expected data.
6. The data router of claim 5 wherein the operating protocol followed is protocol independent multicast (PIM).
7. The data router of claim 5 wherein the MFIB is periodically updated at their client processors by the control processor.
8. The data router of claim 5 connected to and operating on the Internet network.