Forwarding Multicast Data Packets

1 . A method for forwarding multicast data packets, which is used in non-gateway routing bridge of a data center, the method comprises:

receiving multicast data packets from a multicast source inside the data center;

sending the multicast data packets through a designed router (DR) router port and a gateway router port; wherein the DR router port and the gateway router port correspond to a virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID) and multicast address in the multicast data packet.

2 . The method of the claim 1 , further comprising:

sending the multicast data packets through a membership port matching with the multicast address and the VLAN ID in the multicast data packet.

3 . The method of the claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) report packet;

encapsulating the IGMP report packet into a transparent interconnection of lots of links (TRILL)-encapsulated IGMP report packet, wherein an ingress nickname and an egress nickname of the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP report packet are a local device identifier and a device identifier corresponding to a DR identified by the multicast address and the VLAN ID in the IGMP report packet;

storing a receiving port of the IGMP report packet as a membership port matching with the multicast address and the VLAN ID in the IGMP report packet; and

sending the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP report packet through a DR router port corresponding to the VLAN ID and the multicast address in the IGMP report packet.

4 . The method of the claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a TRILL-encapsulated IGMP general group query packet;

decapsulating the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP general group query packet into a decapsulated IGMP general group query packet;

sending the decapsulated IGMP general group query packet through local ports corresponding to an VLAN ID of the decapsulated IGMP general group query packet.

5 . The method of the claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a IGMP leave packet;

encapsulating the IGMP leave packet into a TRILL-encapsulated IGMP leave packet;

sending the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP leave packet through a DR router port corresponding to a multicast address and a VLAN ID in the IGMP leave packet.

6 . The method of the claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a TRILL-encapsulated IGMP group specific query packet from a DR;

decapsulating the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP group specific query packet into a decapsulated IGMP specific group query packet;

sending the decapsulated IGMP specific group query packet through a membership port corresponding to the multicast address and the VLAN ID of the decapsulated IGMP specific group query packet.

7 . The method of the claim 1 , further comprising:

removing a membership port when no IGMP report packet is received within a configured aging time; and

keeping a membership port when an IGMP report packet is received within the configured aging time.

8 . A multicast data packet forwarding apparatus, comprising:

a receiving module is to receive multicast data packets from a multicast source inside a data center;

a sending module is to send the multicast data packets through a designated router (DR) router port and a gateway router port; wherein the DR router port and the gateway router port correspond to a virtual local area network identifier (VLAN ID) and multicast address in the multicast data packets.

9 . The multicast packet forwarding apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sending module is further to send the multicast data packets through a membership port matching with the multicast address and the VLAN ID in the multicast data packet.

10 . The multicast data packet forwarding apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a multicast protocol module;

The receiving module is further to receive a Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) report packet;

the multicast protocol module is further to encapsulate the IGMP report packet into a transparent interconnection of lots of links (TRILL)-encapsulated IGMP report packet, and to store a receiving port of the IGMP report packet as a membership port matching with the multicast address and the VLAN ID in the IGMP report packet; wherein an ingress nickname and an egress nickname of the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP report packet are a local device identifier and a device identifier corresponding to a DR identified by the multicast address and the VLAN ID in the IGMP report packet; and

the sending module is further to send the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP report packet through a DR router port corresponding to the multicast address and the VLAN ID in the IGMP report packet.

11 . The multicast data packet forwarding apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the receiving module is further to receive a TRILL-encapsulated IGMP general group query packet;

the multicast protocol module is further to decapsulate the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP general group query packet into a decapsulated IGMP general group query packet;

the sending module is further to send the decapsulated IGMP general group query packet through local ports corresponding to an VLAN ID of the decapsulated IGMP general group query packet.

12 . The multicast data packet forwarding apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the receiving module is further to receive a IGMP leave packet;

the multicast protocol module is further to encapsulate the IGMP leave packet into a TRILL-encapsulated IGMP leave packet;

the sending module is further to send the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP leave packet through a DR router port corresponding to a multicast address and a VLAN ID in the IGMP leave packet.

13 . The multicast data packet forwarding apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the receiving module is further to receive a TRILL-encapsulated IGMP group specific query packet;

the multicast protocol module is further to decapsulate the TRILL-encapsulated IGMP group specific query packet into a decapsulated IGMP specific group query packet;

the sending module is further to send decapsulated IGMP specific group query packet through a membership port corresponding to the multicast address and the VLAN ID of the decapsulated IGMP specific group query packet.

14 . The multicast data packet forwarding apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the multicast protocol module is further to remove membership port when no IGMP report packet is received within a configured aging time; and keep a membership port when an IGMP report packet is received within a configured aging time.