Multicast Routing

Protocols
 Multicast Routing
Multicast Routing can be defined as a single send
operation that results in copies of the sent data being
delivered to many receivers.

It may be one to many or many to many.

Sender Sender Sender

Receivers Receivers Receivers

Multicasting Without support for multicast at
the network layer
Multicasting with support for multicast at the
network layer
 Basic Goal of Multicast Routing
Router with • Find a tree of links that connects
attached hosts that are
all of the routers that have
joined to the multicast
group Hosts belonging attached hosts belonging to the
to the multicast multicast group.
group • Multicast packets will then be
routed along this tree from the
sender to all of the hosts
belonging to the multicast tree.
• The tree may contain routers that
do not have attached hosts
belonging to the multicast group.
• Two approaches adopted for the
same are-
Source-Based Tree Characteristics

• A source-based routing tree is constructed for each individual

sender
• Optimal path from source to receiver, which minimizes delay.
• Good for small number of senders, many receivers such as
Radio broadcasting application
 Group-Shared Tree Characteristics

• A single tree is used to distribute the traffic for all senders in

the group.
• In case of multiple senders,as is the case in diagram,it shares a
common shared root.
• Shared tree may introduce extra delay (source to root)
• Good for many senders
Multicast Routing Protocol Types
 Multicast Open Shortest Path First
(MOSPF)
• Multicast extensions to OSPF.
– Route packets along least-cost paths.
• Hello Protocol
– To form adjacency with neighbor.
• Source-rooted Shortest path tree for each.
• Obsolete,to some extent.
 Protocol Independent Multicast(PIM)
• PIM : Protocol Independent Multicast
– Independent of particular unicast routing protocol (works with all)
• PIM explicitly envisions two different multicast distribution scenarios:-

Dense Mode(PIM-DM): Sparse Mode(PIM-SM):

• Group members densely • Group members “widely
packed, in close dispersed”
proximity.
• Ample Bandwidth • Not ample Bandwidth
 PIM-Dense Mode

• All group members are

densly located.
• Datagrams are multicast
everywhere, unless,
explicitly pruned by a
router.
• Thus it can be said to be
Data driven.
 PIM-SPARSE MODE

• Group members are

widely dispersed.
• Nothing happens until a
receiver explicitly joins
a group.
• RP, or Rendezvous point
is the core, to which all
send requests.
• This can be said to be
receiver driven.
 Core Based Tree(CBT)
• Similar to PIM-Sparse Mode in some ways.
• Source sends the multicast packet to the core router.The core
router decapsulates the packet and forwards it to all intrested
hosts.
• Begins by selection of core or rendezvous router.
• Then all interested routers send a JOIN_REQUEST message.
• Core or already joined intermediate router sends a JOIN_ACK
in response.
• Built tree is maintained by sending ECHO_REQUEST
messages by downstream router to upstream router.
• Upstream router replies by sending a ECHO_REPLY
response.
CBT
 Applications of Multicast Routing

One Sender to Many Many Senders to Many

Receivers Receivers

 Video Distribution  Video Conferencing

 Wide scale Information  Distributed Database access
dissemination, like news.  Distributed Games