The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 28, 2000
3Com Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for and a method of implementing multicast registration in an ATM based ELAN. The present invention provides a mechanism for a LEC to register to receive all multicast group traffic flows without requiring the LEC to generate a separate request for each multicast MAC address. The mechanism of the present invention provides means for a LEC to register to receive all multicast flows by defining an 'all_multicast' TLV and including this TLV in the LE_REGISTER_REQUEST request message sent by the LEC. The LEC, LES and SMS are modified to perform the multicast registration/unregistration method of the present invention. The LEC generates the LE_REGISTER_REQUEST message and includes the all_multicast TLV indicating that the LEC desires to receive all multicast traffic flows in the ELAN. The LES, upon receipt of such an all_multicast TLV, adds the LEC to its list of LECs to receive all multicast traffic and communicates the related information to the SMS. The SMS is adapted to add the LEC to each of the multicast groups currently maintained by the SMS. A similar symmetric process occurs in the event a LEC wishes to stop receiving all multicast traffic.