Limiting unauthorized sources in a multicast distribution tree

Abstract

Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, data structures, computer-readable media, and mechanisms for limiting unauthorized multicast sources. One or more access control lists are typically configured in a switching device to a state that denies forwarding of multicast packets with a particular host as its source. In response to a received multicast application admission-control message identifying the particular host, the one or more access control lists in the switching device are updated to allow multicast messages sent from the particular host to be forwarded. In one system, the received multicast application admission-control message is an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) message. In response to the received multicast application admission-control message identifying the particular host, one system automatically adds one or more entries to the one or more access control lists to allow multicast traffic to be sent to and received from a next switching device leading to a corresponding multicast Rendezvous Point.