MULTICASTING SELECTIVE REPEAT PROTOCOL

摘要

A method of operating a sender is described which provides reliable transmission of a plurality of data packets over a network to a plurality of receivers. One or more of the receivers defines a set of receivers. Each data packet is transmitted to a chosen set of receivers and acknowledgement messages are received from each of the receivers. Each acknowledgement message contains a record of the packets that have been validly received by the receiver sending that acknowledgement packet. A record is generated of the transmission of each packet to each receiver in a data structure which is indexed by packet identity and receive identity. The data structure is combined with each received acknowledgement message so that the data structure then includes a record of which receiver is yet to acknowledge receipt of which data packet. Each data packet is then retransmitted to the set of receivers which the data structure indicates have yet to acknowledge receipt of the data packet, unless all receivers have acknowledged receipt.