Distributed Multicast by Endpoints

摘要

A novel method of conducting multicast traffic in a network is provided. The network includes multiple endpoints that receive messages from the network and generate messages for the network. The endpoints are located in different segments of the network, each segment including one or more of the endpoints. For a source endpoint to replicate a particular message (e.g., a data packet) for all endpoints belonging to a particular replication group (i.e., multicast group) within the network, the source endpoint replicates the particular message to each endpoint within the source endpoint's own segment and to a proxy endpoint in each of the other segments. Each proxy endpoint in turn replicates the particular message to all endpoints belonging to the particular replication group within the proxy endpoint's own segment.