DATA MULTICAST CHANNELIZATION

摘要

A method for receiving requested multicast data over a plurality of multicas t communications channels (22) includes the steps of determining a source communications channel for receiving requested multicast data; enabling the source communications channel; receiving the requested multicast data throug h the source communications channel; and, forwarding the requested multicast data to requesting processes (28). In the preferred embodiment, the source communications channel is overloaded with multicast data from a plurality of multicast data sources. The method may further include both the steps of filtering from the received multicast data, unwanted multicast data; and routing the filtered multicast data to requesting processes (28). In a preferred embodiment, the determining step can further include hashing an identifier corresponding to a multicast data source of the requested multica st data; and, identifying as the source communications channel, the hashed identifier.