System for multicast communications in packet switched networks

摘要

A multicast communication system for small groups using a protocol to indicate to routers receiving a packet according to the protocol to perform the following process: (1) determining a next hop for each of the destination nodes listed in the packet received; (2) partitioning the destination nodes into groups according to the next hop determined for each destination node in the preceding step; (3) replicating the packet such that there is at least one copy of the packet for each of the next hops; (4) modifying the list of addresses for the destination nodes such that the list of addresses for each of the next hops includes only the addresses for the destination nodes to be routed in that next hop; and (5) transmitting the modified copies of the packet to the next hops found in the previous steps for routing to the addresses included in each packet.