Method and device for multicasting

摘要

A group multicasting network comprises a plurality of ring networks interconnected by a tree network. The rings, which include multicast group members, are connected at the leaf nodes of the tree via bridge nodes. Ring nodes perform a ring-based multicast protocol and the tree nodes perform a tree-based multicast protocol. The bridge nodes act as intermediaries between the ring networks and the tree network and as such, perform both the ring-based multicast protocol and the tree-based multicast protocol. <IMAGE>