Multicast protocols

Multicast protocols include the following categories:

• Layer 3 and Layer 2 multicast protocols:

  • Layer 3 multicast refers to IP multicast working at the network layer.

    Layer 3 multicast protocols—IGMP, MLD, PIM, IPv6 PIM, MSDP, MBGP, and IPv6 MBGP.

  • Layer 2 multicast refers to IP multicast working at the data link layer.

    Layer 2 multicast protocols—IGMP snooping, MLD snooping, PIM snooping, IPv6 PIM snooping, multicast VLAN, and IPv6 multicast VLAN.

• IPv4 and IPv6 multicast protocols:

  • For IPv4 networks—IGMP snooping, PIM snooping, multicast VLAN, IGMP, PIM, MSDP, and MBGP.

  • For IPv6 networks—MLD snooping, IPv6 PIM snooping, IPv6 multicast VLAN, MLD, IPv6 PIM, and IPv6 MBGP.

This section provides only general descriptions about applications and functions of the Layer 2 and Layer 3 multicast protocols in a network. For more information about these protocols, see the related chapters.

	NOTE: The switches support IGMP snooping, IGMP, and PIM.

In Figure 8, Layer 3 multicast protocols include multicast group management protocols and multicast routing protocols.

• Multicast group management protocols:

  Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) and Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) protocol are multicast group management protocols. Typically, they run between hosts and Layer 3 multicast devices that directly connect to the hosts to establish and maintain multicast group memberships.

• Multicast routing protocols:

  A multicast routing protocol runs on Layer 3 multicast devices to establish and maintain multicast routes and correctly and efficiently forward multicast packets. Multicast routes constitute loop-free data transmission paths (also known as multicast distribution trees) from a data source to multiple receivers.

  In the ASM model, multicast routes include intra-domain routes and inter-domain routes.

  • An intra-domain multicast routing protocol discovers multicast sources and builds multicast distribution trees within an AS to deliver multicast data to receivers. Among a variety of mature intra-domain multicast routing protocols, PIM is most widely used. Based on the forwarding mechanism, PIM has dense mode (often referred to as "PIM-DM") and sparse mode (often referred to as "PIM-SM").

  • An inter-domain multicast routing protocol is used for delivering multicast information between two ASs. So far, mature solutions include Multicast Source Discovery Protocol (MSDP) and MBGP. MSDP propagates multicast source information among different ASs. MBGP is an extension of the MP-BGP for exchanging multicast routing information among different ASs.

  For the SSM model, multicast routes are not divided into intra-domain routes and inter-domain routes. Because receivers know the position of the multicast source, channels established through PIM-SM are sufficient for the transport of multicast information.

In Figure 9, Layer 2 multicast protocols include IGMP snooping, MLD snooping, PIM snooping, IPv6 PIM snooping, multicast VLAN, and IPv6 multicast VLAN.

• IGMP snooping and MLD snooping:

  IGMP snooping and MLD snooping are multicast constraining mechanisms that run on Layer 2 devices. They manage and control multicast groups by monitoring and analyzing IGMP or MLD messages exchanged between the hosts and Layer 3 multicast devices. This effectively controls the flooding of multicast data in Layer 2 networks.

• PIM snooping and IPv6 PIM snooping:

  PIM snooping and IPv6 PIM snooping run on Layer 2 devices. They work with IGMP snooping or MLD snooping to analyze received PIM messages. Then, they add the ports that are interested in specific multicast data to a PIM snooping routing entry or IPv6 PIM snooping routing entry. In this way, multicast data can be forwarded to only the ports that are interested in the data.

• Multicast VLAN and IPv6 multicast VLAN:

  Multicast VLAN or IPv6 multicast VLAN runs on a Layer 2 device in a multicast network where multicast receivers for the same group exist in different VLANs. With these protocols, the Layer 3 multicast device sends only one copy of multicast to the multicast VLAN or IPv6 multicast VLAN on the Layer 2 device. This method avoids waste of network bandwidth and extra burden on the Layer 3 device.