0779.

book Page i Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Developing IP Multicast Networks

Volume I
Beau Williamson

Cisco Press
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290 USA

0779.book Page ii Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

ii

Developing IP Multicast Networks, Volume I

Beau Williamson
Copyright 2000 Cisco Press
Cisco Press logo is a trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc.
Published by:
Cisco Press
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290 USA
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Number: 98-86505
ISBN: 1-57870-077-9

Warning and Disclaimer

This book is designed to provide information about developing IP multicast networks. Every effort has been made
to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied.
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The opinions expressed in this book belong to the author and are not necessarily those of Cisco Systems, Inc.

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0779.book Page iii Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

iii

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0779.book Page iv Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

iv

About the Author

Beau Williamson is a consulting engineer in the Office of the CTO at Cisco Systems. His area of expertise is general IP networking, and he is currently focused on IP multicast. He received a B.S. degree in mathematics (with a
specialty in computer science) from the University of Texas (Dallas) in 1984 and has been working in the computer
and networking technology fields for more than 20 years. He is frequently called upon by Cisco customers and
internal Cisco engineers around the world to provide consulting services on the design, implementation, and debugging of IP multicast networks. Beau is also the author and developer of Ciscos internal IP multicast training class
and frequent presenter on topics related to IP multicast at Cisco Networkers and Cisco Certified Internetwork
Expert (CCIE) conferences both at home and abroad. He lives in the Dallas, Texas, area with his wife and son.
When not working on IP multicast, he enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including amateur radio, golf, woodworking,
and flying his own plane.

About the Technical Reviewers

Dino Farinacci has been designing and implementing networking protocols for 18 years. He has extensive experience with distance-vector and link-state protocol implementations, as well as with multicast routing protocols,
which have been his focus for the past 5 years. Dino currently works for Cisco Systems in the multimedia group. He
has been an active member of the IETF for more than 10 years, where he has been involved in the design of Open
Shortest Path First (OSPF), Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM), and various IPng candidates. He was a member
of the IPng directorate for a short period of time, where he helped the IETF converge on a single IPng solution.
Currently, he is concentrating on multicast tag switching, inter-domain policy-based multicast routing, and reliable
multicast protocols. He is one of the principal engineers in the Internet to deploy Cisco multicast routers on the
MBone and in many native production ISP infrastructures.
Kevin Almeroth is an assistant professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara. His research interests
include computer networks and protocols, multicast communication, large-scale multimedia systems, and performance evaluation. In addition to his research activities, Dr. Almeroth is an active participant in several Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) working groups, has helped manage multicast for Networld+Interop as part of the
Network Operations Center (NOC) team, is a senior technologist for the IP Multicast Initiative, and is the multicast
working group chair for Internet2.
Erick Mar is a senior systems engineer at Cisco Systems with CCIE certification in routing and switching
(CCIE #3882). As a systems engineer for the last 7 years for various networking manufacturers, he has provided
design and implementation support for Fortune 500 companies. Erick has an MBA from Santa Clara University and
a B.S. in business administration from San Francisco State University.
Bob Quinn is senior technologist for Stardust.com, where he writes white papers and tracks IETF developments for
the IP Multicast Initiative and QoS Forum. He is the principal author of the well-regarded Windows Sockets Network Programming (Addison-Wesley) and chairman of the WinSock 2 Editorial Board that oversees new developments and issues in WinSock application programming interfaces (APIs). You can reach him at [email protected].

0779.book Page v Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without the support of scores of people, all of whom I cant possibly enumerate but to whom Im deeply indebted. In particular, I wish to thank Dino Farinacci; Liming Wei; and their manager, Achutha Rao, from the IP multicast development group at Cisco. Dino and Limings support and patience
through numerous questions and discussions on the topic of IP multicast went far beyond the call of duty. I also
wish to express my thanks to my development editor, Kathy Trace, who suffered through all my deadline slips and
bizarre manuscript format requirements, in addition to generally being my confidant when I needed to bounce ideas
off of someone. Furthermore, I wish to thank my technical reviewers, Dino Farinacci, Manoj Leelanivas, Kevin
Almeroth, Erick Mar, and Bob Quinn for their excellent input on the technical content of this book.
Finally, I owe a tremendous thanks to my wife and my son who provided support and patience as well as tolerating
my occasional loud outbursts directed at the word processing software on my PC when it produced unexpected
results.

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vi

Contents at a Glance
Introduction

xviii

Part I

Fundamentals of IP Multicast

Chapter 1

Introduction to IP Multicast

Chapter 2

Multicast Basics

Chapter 3

Internet Group Management Protocol

Chapter 4

Multimedia Multicast Applications

Part II

Multicast Routing Protocol Overview

Chapter 5

Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

Chapter 6

PIM Dense Mode

128

Chapter 7

PIM Sparse Mode

148

Chapter 8

Core-Based Trees

178

Chapter 9

Multicast Open Shortest Path First

Part III

Implementing Cisco Multicast Networks

Chapter 10

Using PIM Dense Mode

214

Chapter 11

Using PIM Sparse Mode

240

Chapter 12

PIM Rendezvous Points

314

Chapter 13

Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Part IV

Multicast at Layer 2

Chapter 14

Multicast over Campus Networks

Chapter 15

Multicast over NBMA Networks

Part V

Advanced Multicast Topics

Chapter 16

Multicast Traffic Engineering

Chapter 17

Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

Appendix A

PIM Packet Formats

Index 542

24

526

56

78

194

352

408
444

474
508

106

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vii

Table of Contents
Introduction
Part I

xviii

Fundamentals of IP Multicast

Chapter 1 Introduction to IP Multicast

A Brief History of IP Multicast

The Pros of IP Multicast 8

Bandwidth 8
Server Load 10
Network Loading 11
The Cons of IP Multicast 11
Unreliable Packet Delivery
Packet Duplication 12
Network Congestion 13

12

Multicast Applications 15
Multimedia Conferencing 15
Data Distribution 16
Real-Time Data Multicasts 16
Gaming and Simulations 17
MBoneThe Internets Multicast Backbone
MBone Sessions 18
History of the MBone 19
Todays MBone Architecture 21
Tomorrows MBone Architecture 23
Summary

18

23

Chapter 2 Multicast Basics

24

Multicast Addresses 25
IP Class D Addresses 26
Assigned Multicast Addresses 26
Administratively Scoped Multicast Addresses

29

Multicast MAC Addresses 29

Ethernet Multicast MAC Address Mapping 30
FDDI Multicast MAC Address Mapping 32
Token Ring Multicast MAC Address Mapping 32

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viii

Multicast Distribution Trees

Source Trees 35
Shared Trees 36

34

Multicast Forwarding 40
Reverse Path Forwarding 41
Multicast Forwarding Cache 42
TTL Thresholds 43
Administratively Scoped Boundaries
Multicast Routing Protocol Categories
Dense Mode Protocols 47
Sparse Mode Protocols 50
Link-State Protocols 53
Summary

45
47

54

Chapter 3 Internet Group Management Protocol

56

IGMP Version 1 58
IGMPv1 Message Format 58
The IGMPv1 Query-Response Process
Report Suppression Mechanism 61
IGMPv1 Querier 61
The IGMPv1 Join Process 61
The IGMPv1 Leave Process 62

59

IGMP Version 2 64
IGMPv2 Message Format 65
Query-Response Tuning 66
IGMPv2 Leave Group Messages 68
IGMPv2 Group-Specific Query Messages
IGMPv2 Leave Process 69
Querier Election Process 72
Early IGMPv2 Implementations 73
IGMPv1IGMPv2 Interoperability 73
V2 Host/V1 Routers Interoperability 73
V1 Host / V2 Routers 75
Mixed V1 and V2 Routers Interoperability
The Possibilities of IGMPv3
Summary

77

76

69

76

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ix

Chapter 4 Multimedia Multicast Applications

78

Real-Time Protocol 79
Using RTP and RTCP to Audio Conference: An Example
RTP Control Protocol 81
Session Announcement Protocol
SAP Announcements 82
SAP Bandwidth Limits 83

82

Session Description Protocol 84

SDP Message Format 84
SDP Information Description Types 84
Sample SDP Session Description 86
MBone Multimedia Conferencing Applications 86
SDRSession Directory Tool 87
VATMBone Multimedia Audio Tool 91
VICMBone Multimedia Video Tool 94
WBShared Whiteboard Tool 100
Summary
Part II

102

Multicast Routing Protocol Overview

Chapter 5 Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

DVMRP Neighbor Discovery
DVMRP Route Table

107

108

Exchanging DVMRP Route Reports

110

DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Trees

113

DVMRP Multicast Forwarding

DVMRP Pruning

118

DVMRP Grafting

123

DVMRP Scalability
Summary

117

126

127

Chapter 6 PIM Dense Mode

128

PIM Neighbor Discovery 130

PIM Hello Messages 130
PIM-DM Source Distribution Trees
PIM-DM Multicast Forwarding

133

132

106

80

0779.book Page x Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

PIM-DM Pruning 136

Prune Override 138
Prune Delay Accumulation
PIM-DM Asserts

140

141

PIM-DM Grafting

143

Future PIM-DM EnhancementState-Refresh

PIM-DM Scalability
Summary

146

147

Chapter 7 PIM Sparse Mode

148

Explicit Join Model

150

PIM-SM Shared Trees 150

Shared Tree Joins 151
Shared Tree Prunes 154
PIM-SM Shortest Path Trees 156
Shortest Path Tree Joins 157
Shortest Path Tree Prunes 159
PIM Join/Prune Messages
PIM-SM State-Refresh

161

162

Source Registration 163

PIM Register Messages 164
PIM Register-Stop Messages 165
Source Registration Example 165
Shortest Path Tree Switchover 169
SPT Switchover Example 169
Pruning Sources from the Shared Tree
PIM-SM Designated Router 174
The Role of the Designated Router
Designated Router Failover 175
RP Discovery

176

PIM-SM Suitability/Scalability
Summary

177

176

171

174

145

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xi

Chapter 8 Core-Based Trees

CBT Overview

178
179

Joining the Shared Tree 183

Transient State 183
Forwarding Cache 184
Multicast Forwarding 185
Nonmember Sending 185
CBT State Maintenance 187
Echo-Request Messages 187
Echo-Response Messages 187
Flush-Tree Messages 188
Pruning the Shared Tree

188

CBT Designated Router 189

CBT Hello Protocol 189
DR Join Brokering 190
Core Router Discovery
CBT Version 3

191

191

CBT Suitability/Scalability
Summary

191

192

Chapter 9 Multicast Open Shortest Path First

194

MOSPF Intra-Area Multicast Routing 196

Group Membership Link-State Advertisements
Intra-Area Shortest Path Trees 198
MOSPF Forwarding Cache 199
MOSPF Interarea Multicast Routing 201
Multicast Area Border Routers 201
Interarea Group Membership Summary
Wildcard Multicast Receivers 204

202

MOSPF Inter-AS Multicast Routing 207

Multicast Autonomous System Border Routers
MOSPF Suitability/Scalability
Summary

211

209

196

207

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xii

Part III

Implementing Cisco Multicast Networks

Chapter 10 Using PIM Dense Mode

Configuring PIM-DM

214

215

PIM-DM State Rules 217

PIM-DM (*, G) State Rules 218
PIM-DM (S, G) State Rules 218
PIM-DM State Maintenance Rules

220

PIM-DM State Entries 222

PIM-DM State Flags 222
PIM-DM State Example 223
PIM Forwarding
PIM-DM Flooding
PIM-DM Pruning

226
227
229

Dense Mode Grafting

232

New PIM Neighbor Adjacencies

Summary

234

238

Chapter 11 Using PIM Sparse Mode

Configuring PIM-SM

240

241

PIM-SM State Rules 242

PIM-SM (*, G) State Rules 243
PIM-SM (S, G) State Rules 244
PIM-SM Outgoing Interface Rules 244
PIM-SM Outgoing Interface Timers 246
PIM-SM State Maintenance Rules 246
Special PIM-SM (S, G)RP-Bit State Rules
PIM-SM State Entries 251
PIM-SM State Flags 254
Joining the Shared Tree

255

PIM Register Process 259

Receivers Join First 260
Source Registers First 268
Receivers Along the SPT 276

247

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xiii

SPT-Switchover 279
Exceeding the SPT-Threshold 279
SPT-Switchover Process 280
SPT-Switchback Process 289
Pruning 289
Pruning the Shared Tree
Pruning the Source Tree

289
293

PIM-SM Special Cases 300

Unexpected Data Arrival 301
RP on a Stick 303
Turnaround Router 308
Proxy-Join Timer 309
Summary

312

Chapter 12 PIM Rendezvous Points

314

Auto-RP 315
Overview of Auto-RP 316
Configuring Auto-RP Candidate RPs 318
Configuring Auto-RP Mapping Agents 318
Using Multiple Mapping Agents for Redundancy
Using Multiple RPs for Redundancy 320
The Birth of Sparse-Dense Mode 320
A Simple Auto-RP Configuration 322
RP Failover in Auto-RP Networks 323
Constraining Auto-RP Messages 324
Preventing Candidate RP Spoofing 327

319

PIMv2 Bootstrap Router Mechanism 328

Overview of PIMv2 Bootstrap Router 328
Configuring PIMv2 Candidate RPs 331
Configuring PIMv2 Candidate BSRs 331
Using Multiple C-RPs for Redundancy & RP Load Balancing
RP SelectionThe RP Hash Algorithm 333
Using Multiple C-BSRs for Redundancy 333
RP Failover in PIMv2 BSR Networks 335
Constraining BSR Messages 336
RP Placement and Tuning 337
Selecting RP Placement 337
Resource Demands on RPs 338
Forcing Groups to Remain in Dense Mode 341
Forcing Groups to Remain in Sparse Mode 348
Summary

350

332

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xiv

Chapter 13 Connecting to DVMRP Networks

352

Cisco DVMRP Interoperability 353

Enabling DVMRP Interoperability
PIM-DVMRP Interaction 355

354

DVMRP Route Exchanges 367

Advertising Connected Routes (Default Behavior)
Classful Summarization of DVMRP Routes 370
Controlling DVMRP Route Advertisement 372
Controlling DVMRP Route Acceptance 379
Adjusting the Default DVMRP Distance 379
Offsetting DVMRP Metrics 380
Special MBone Features 380
PIM-DVMRP Boundary Issues 382
Unicast-Multicast Congruency 383
PIM Sparse Mode Issues 387
DVMRP Network Connection Examples 390
Physically Congruent Networks 391
Separate MBone Router 394
Debugging Tips 397
Verifying DVMRP Tunnel Status 399
Verifying DVMRP Route Exchanges 401
Summary
Part IV

404

Multicast at Layer 2

Chapter 14 Multicast over Campus Networks

The Flat Earth Society

408

409

Characteristics of LAN Switches 410

Broadcast/Multicast Flooding 411
Constraining Multicast Flooding 412
IGMP Snooping 413
Joining a Group Using IGMP Snooping 413
Performance Impact of IGMP Snooping 416
Leaving a Group with IGMP Snooping 418
Maintaining the Group with IGMP Snooping 422
IGMP Snooping and Send-Only Sources 424
Detecting Routers with IGMP Snooping 426
IGMP Snooping Summary 427

369

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xv

Cisco Group Management Protocol 428

CGMP Messages 428
Joining a Group with CGMP 430
Maintaining the Group with CGMP 431
Leaving a Group with CGMP 432
CGMP Local Leave Processing 432
Performance Impact of CGMP 435
CGMP and Send-Only Sources 435
Detecting Routers with CGMP 436
CGMP Summary 436
Other LAN Switching Issues 437
IGMPv1 Leave Latency Problem 437
Interswitch Link Problem 438
Router Core Switch Problem 440
Summary

442

Chapter 15 Multicast over NBMA Networks

Traditional NBMA Networks

444

445

Multicast over Traditional NBMA Networks 448

Pseudobroadcast 449
PIM and Partial Mesh NBMA Networks 452
PIM NBMA Mode 454
Auto-RP over NBMA Networks 458
Multicast over ATM NBMA Clouds 461
ATM Point-to-Multipoint Broadcast Virtual Circuit 461
ATM Point-to-Multipoint VC per Group 463
PIM Multipoint Signaling 464
Limiting the Number of PIM Multipoint VCs 465
Debugging ATM P2MP Virtual Circuits 466
Classical IP over ATM Networks
Summary
Part V

468

470

Advanced Multicast Topics

Chapter 16 Multicast Traffic Engineering

474

Controlling Multicast Bandwidth Usage 475

Bandwidth Control with Rate Limiting 476
Bandwidth Control with Scoped Zones 480
Configuring Scoped Zones 483
Scoped Zones and BSR 489

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xvi

Controlling Multicast Traffic Paths 489

Alternative Sources of RPF Information
Traffic Engineering Example 498

490

Multicast Load Splitting with GRE Tunnels 500

Configuring Multicast Load Splitting 501
Process Versus Fast Switching 502
Broadcast-Multicast Traffic Conversion
Summary

503

507

Chapter 17 Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

508

Issues in Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

509

Multiprotocol BGP 511

New Multiprotocol BGP Attributes 511
Ciscos MBGP Implementation 512
MBGP Example 513
Multicast Source Discovery Protocol
A Little History 514
MSDP Concepts 515
Future Protocols 518
Border Gateway Multicast Protocol
Multicast Address Set-Claim 521
Summary
Part VI

523

Appendix

Appendix A PIM Packet Formats

526

PIMv2 Packet Headers

527

Address Encoding 528

Unicast Address Encoding 528
Group Address Encoding 529
Source Address Encoding 529
Hello Message

530

Register Message

531

Register-Stop Message
Join/Prune Message
Bootstrap Message

531

532
534

514

519

0779.book Page xvii Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

xvii

Assert Message

537

Graft Message (Dense Mode Only)

537

Graft-Ack Message (Dense Mode Only)

Candidate-RP-Advertisement

538

538

Differences Between PIMv1 and PIMv2 Packets

PIMv1 Headers 539
PIMv1 Address Encoding 540
PIMv1 Messages Not Used in PIMv2 540
Index

542

539

0779.book Page xviii Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

xviii

Introduction
Even though IP multicast has actually been around for some time, it is just beginning to come of age and promises
to be one of the most exciting network technologies to emerge since the introduction of the World Wide Web. Multimedia audio and video conferencing applications that have been available for some time to UNIX workstation users
have now been ported to the Microsoft Windows environments. Using these applications and many other recently
developed multimedia applications, network users have begun to experiment in the world of IP multicast. What they
are finding is that IP multicast provides a wealth of possibilities beyond the most obvious applications of audio/
video multimedia. The financial community is a primary example of where IP multicastenabled networks can be
leveraged to provide efficient delivery of important market data, as well as serve as a vehicle for communicating
among stock market traders. This directly translates into a rapidly growing demand by users to migrate their unicast-only IP networks to multicast enabled networks. This demand is placing enterprise and service provider network engineers under tremendous pressure to learn IP multicast technology. Furthermore, many of the concepts of
IP multicast such as distribution trees and Reverse Path Forwarding are totally foreign to most network designers
and administrators because these concepts are not found in any other network discipline. Consequently, many network professionals are facing a very steep learning curve with little time and extremely limited information with
which to come up to speed on IP multicast.
I was introduced to IP multicast in 1995 while working as a systems engineer for Cisco Systems. I quickly learned
that enabling IP multicast on a Cisco router was extremely simple and required learning only two configuration
commands. However, after IP multicast was enabled, I found that I had little idea as to what was supposed to be
happening in the network. Even worse, the multicast routing and debugging information that was displayed by the
router appeared to me to be nearly undecipherable. As I struggled to learn and understand this fascinating network
technology, I quickly found that there was very little in the way of easy-to-understand information on the topic other
than the RFCs that described the associated protocols. (Most of these RFCs proved to be more of a cure for my
chronic insomnia than anything else.) Over time and with some considerable experimentation, I was able to build a
clear picture of what IP multicast is and does from this limited repository of information, mostly written in serious
geek-speak. I wrote Developing IP Multicast Networks, Volume I to provide other network professionals with an
easy-to-understand book that not only addresses the fundamentals of IP multicast but also provides the necessary
information to implement and debug Cisco-based IP multicast networks.

Objectives
The purpose of this book is to turn you into a qualified IP multicast network engineer. To accomplish this goal, the
book clearly explains the principles involved with IP multicast and provides specific details on implementing Ciscobased IP multicastenabled networks. Regardless of whether you are a network engineer trying to enable IP multicast services in a large Internet service provider network or the network administrator of a small enterprise network,
this book is for you.

Audience
This book is intended for any person or organization that is contemplating making the transition from a unicast-only
IP network to an IP multicastenabled network. This group includes experienced network engineers responsible for
designing networks as well as network operators who are responsible for the day-to-day operation and monitoring
of the network. Even applications developers who have been tasked with writing new programs that will leverage
the powers of IP multicast will benefit from the concepts presented in this book.

0779.book Page xix Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

xix

Although the book assumes no previous experience with IP multicast, it does, however, assume that the reader
already has some knowledge in the area of IP unicast routing. Having said that, the material is presented in a
building-block fashion that takes the reader from the basics of IP multicast concepts through sample multicast
applications, into multicast routing protocols, and beyond. This building-block approach allows the book to address
the needs of both IP multicast neophytes struggling with the basic concepts as well as experienced network engineers who are evolving their networks to support IP multicast.

Organization
The book is organized into five parts and an appendix:

Part IFundamentals of IP MulticastChapters 1 through 4 cover the basic concepts, terminology,

and mechanisms of IP multicast and provide the foundation for later chapters. These fundamentals
include how IP multicast traffic is addressed at both Layers 2 and 3 of the OSI protocol model, as well as
two of the most important concepts in IP multicast: distribution trees and Reverse Path Forwarding.
Chapter 3, Internet Group Management Protocol, is devoted to the mechanisms used between host and
router to signal which multicast flow a host is interested in receiving. Finally, Chapter 4, Multimedia
Multicast Applications, covers several popular multimedia multicast applications and provides an introduction to some of the protocols and methodologies used by these applications.
Part IIMulticast Routing Protocol OverviewChapters 5 through 9 serve as an overview of the
most well-known inter-domain multicast routing protocols, Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol
(DVMRP), multicast OSPF (MOSPF), PIM dense mode (PIM-DM), PIM sparse mode (PIM-SM), and
Core-Based Trees (CBTs). Each chapter is devoted to the concepts, mechanisms, suitability, and scalability of one of these multicast routing protocols. The coverage of DVMRP mechanisms presented in
Chapter 5, Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol, is of particular importance when the topic of
interfacing Cisco routers to DVMRP networks is discussed in Chapter 13, Connecting to DVMRP
Networks.
Part IIIImplementing Cisco Multicast NetworksChapters 10 through 13 get into the details of
implementing IP multicast networks using Cisco routers and the PIM multicast routing protocol. Chapter
10, Using PIM Dense Mode, and Chapter 11, Using PIM Sparse Mode, dive deep into the details of
using Ciscos implementation of PIM sparse mode and dense mode and pick up where Chapters 6 and 7
left off. These two chapters cover the interpretation of the Cisco multicast routing table entries as well as
the state rules and mechanisms that create and maintain them. Chapter 12 addresses the topic of rendezvous point (RP) engineering and includes information on the protocols that are used to distribute Groupto-RP information to all the routers in the network. Finally, Chapter 13, Connecting to DVMRP
Networks, covers the often misunderstood Cisco DVMRP interoperability features that permit Cisco
routers to function as a border router between a DVMRP network and a Cisco PIM network.
Part IVMulticast at Layer 2Chapters 14 and 15 delve into the Layer 2 world of multicasting over
campus networks and nonbroadcast, multiaccess (NBMA) networks. Chapter 14, Multicast over
Campus Networks, discusses some of the issues and problems encountered with constraining multicast
traffic in campus LAN environments. Chapter 15, Multicast over NBMA Networks, identifies the problems that can be encountered in nonbroadcast, multiaccess networks if the unique aspects of these types
of networks are ignored.
Part VAdvanced Multicast TopicsChapters 16 and 17 cover some of the more advanced scenarios
that can be encountered when building large, complex IP multicast networks. Chapter 16, Multicast
Traffic Engineering, addresses limiting and controlling the flow of IP multicast traffic. Finally,
Chapter 17 serves as a brief introduction to the area of inter-domain multicast routing. This final chapter
covers both current and future protocols that are related to solving the complexities of building multicast
distribution trees across multiple domains or autonomous systems in the Internet.

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xx

Approach
You may find that this book departs from some of the more traditional Cisco Press books that devote a fairly substantial portion of their text to configuration examples of Cisco routers. The reason is quite simple: IP multicast is
easy to configure on a Cisco router! As you will soon find out, as few as two Internetwork Operating System (IOS)
commands are needed to enable IP multicast. The true challenge is being able to understand what happens in both
the network and in the routers after IP multicast is enabled.
Case in point: The internal Cisco training class that I have taught on several occasions also departs from the traditional lab exercise style used in the Introduction to Cisco Router Configuration (ICRC) and Advanced Cisco Router
Configuration (ACRC) classes. In the ICRC/ACRC class scenario, each student is primarily focused on configuring
his or her own router with respect to some networking protocol or feature. However, in my internal IP multicast
class, most of the lab exercises are centered around the use of IOS show and debug commands on all routers in the
lab to see what happens after IP multicast is enabled. This is typically accomplished by carefully stimulating the
network with active senders and receivers to see the PIM protocol mechanisms in action.
Likewise, this book focuses on first providing the conceptual fundamentals of IP multicast. Not until we reach
Part 3, Implementing Cisco Multicast Networks, beginning with Chapter 10, do we finally begin to see our first
configuration examples. Even then, the material is more focused on understanding the information that is displayed
by the router and exactly what it means than on any detailed configuration examples. Only when we reach some of
the more advanced chapters, such as Chapter 13, do we really begin to see significantly detailed configuration
examples.
Finally, as you read this book, it may appear to you that IP multicast routing is upside-down because it is more concerned with where the traffic came from than where it is going. I often have to remind students in my IP multicast
classes (who are generally already knowledgeable unicast routing engineers) of this fact by telling them to stand
on their heads. I generally use this imagery to help clarify a particular point that they are struggling to understand
in this upside-down world. Ive yet to have a student actually resort to physically standing on his or her head.
Instead, the image seems to induce a change in mental perspective that somehow causes the lights to come on. As
you read this book, you may want to stand on your head, particularly when trying to comprehend some of the
more advanced concepts and mechanisms. This technique certainly has seemed to help my students in the past.

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0779.book Page 2 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

0779.book Page 3 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

PART

Fundamentals of IP Multicast
This part covers the fundamental concepts of IP multicasting that are crucial to understanding more
advanced topics, such as individual multicast routing protocols.
Chapter 1 presents a brief history of IP multicast along with the rationale behind its use.
Chapter 2 introduces several key concepts that will be the foundation on which a firm understanding of
IP multicast is built. One of the first topics introduced is IP multicast addressing. This section covers not
only Layer 3 multicast group addresses, but also how these addresses map to addresses at Layer 2 for
popular network media, such as Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring. In addition, Chapter 2 presents the
important idea of multicast distribution trees, along with the associated multicast packet forward
algorithms necessary for proper multicast traffic flow.
Chapter 3 is completely devoted to the details of the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP),
which is the host to the router signaling mechanism used in IP multicast.
Chapter 4 focuses on some of the more popular MBone multimedia audio and video conferencing
applications that use IP multicast. In addition, Chapter 4 discusses some of the other protocols that these
applications use to transmit and receive real-time multimedia data, as well as announce the existence of
the multimedia session to others in the network.

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0779.book Page 5 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

CHAPTER

Introduction to IP Multicast
At one end of the IP communication spectrum is IP unicast communication, where a source
IP host sends packets to a specific destination IP host. In this case, the destination address
in the IP packet is the address of a single, unique host in the IP network. These IP packets
are forwarded across the network from the source host to the destination host by routers.
The routers at each point along the path between the source and destination use their unicast
Routing Information Base (RIB) to make unicast forwarding decisions based on the IP
destination address in the packet.
At the other end of the IP communication spectrum is an IP broadcast, where a source host
sends packets to all IP hosts on a network segment. The destination address of an IP
broadcast packet has the host portion of the destination IP address set to all ones and the
network portion set to the address of the subnet (see Figure 1-1). (In some cases the host
portion is set to all zeros, but this form of IP broadcast address is generally no longer used.)
Figure 1-1 IP Broadcast Addresses
196.10.2.255
IP Address

11001000 00001010 00000010 11111111

Subnet
Host
Subnet Mask

11111111 11111111 11111111 00000000

255.255.255.0

IP hosts (including routers) understand that packets, which contain an IP broadcast address
as the destination address, are addressed to all IP hosts on the subnet. Unless specifically
configured otherwise, routers do not forward IP broadcast packets and, therefore, IP
broadcast communication is normally limited to the local subnet. Figure 1-2 clearly
illustrates this point.

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Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

Figure 1-2 IP Broadcast Being Blocked by a Router

198.1.2.1
Host
D
198.1.2.0/24
E0
Router Does Not
Forward Broadcast
198.1.1.0/24

Broadcast (192.1.1.255)

E1

Host
A

Host
B

Host
C

198.1.1.1

198.1.1.2

198.1.1.3

In this example, Host A sends out a broadcast to the local subnet 198.1.1.0/24. Because
Hosts B and C are on the same subnet as Host A, they receive the broadcast. Host D,
however, is on a different subnet (198.1.2.0/24) and does not receive the broadcast because
the router does not forward broadcasts. If routers forwarded these broadcasts, route loops
are likely to cause a catastrophic broadcast storm.
If your goal is to permit a host to send IP packets to other hosts not on the local subnet, then
IP broadcasting is not sufficient to accomplish this goal.
IP multicasting falls between IP unicast and IP broadcast communication and enables a host
to send IP packets to a group of hosts anywhere within the IP network. To do so, the
destination address in an IP multicast packet is a special form of IP address called an IP
multicast group address. (The format of IP multicast group addresses and exactly how hosts
become members of a multicast group are explained in Chapter 2, Multicast Basics.) IP
multicast routers must forward incoming IP multicast packets out all interfaces that lead to
members of the IP multicast group. The IP multicast group address is specified in the IP
destination address field of the packet.
Exactly how the routers learn which interface to forward the packet to is part of the magic
of IP multicast routing. The explanation of how this magic works is one of the goals of this
book. By the time you finish reading this book, you should have a good understanding not
only of how IP multicasting works in general but also of how to design efficient IP multicast
networks using Cisco routers.
This chapter offers a brief history of IP multicasting, a discussion on the pros and cons of
multicast, a description of various multicast applications, and an introduction to the
multicast backbone.

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A Brief History of IP Multicast

A Brief History of IP Multicast

At Stanford University in the early 1980s, a doctoral graduate student, Steve Deering, was
working on a distributed operating system project for his advisor, David Cheriton. This
distributed operating system was called Vsystem and was composed of several computers
tied together into a loosely coupled multiprocessing system via a single Ethernet segment.
The computers on this Ethernet segment worked together and communicated at the
operating system level via special messages sent on the common Ethernet segment. One of
the operating system primitives permitted one computer to send a message to a group of the
other computers on the local Ethernet segment using a MAC layer multicast.
As the project progressed, the need arose to add more computers to the multiprocessing
system. Unfortunately, the only available computers were on the other side of the campus
with production routers between the two networks. Consequently, the graduate students had
to extend the operating systems inter-processor communications to work at Layer 3 of the
OSI reference model so that the computers on the other side of the campus could function
as part of the loosely coupled multiprocessor system. In addition, the MAC layer multicast
messaging would also have to be extended to work at Layer 3. The task of finding a way to
extend the MAC layer multicast capability across the Layer 3 routed network primarily fell
to Steve Deering.
After studying the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Protocol and the Routing Information
Protocol (RIP) IP routing protocols, Steve concluded that the link-state mechanisms of
OSPF could certainly be extended to support multicasting. He also concluded that the basic
mechanisms of RIP could be used as the basis for a new distance vector-based multicast
routing protocol. This idea led to more research into the area of IP multicasting and
ultimately resulted in Steve Deerings doctoral thesis, Multicast Routing in a Datagram
Network, published in December 1991.
Dr. Deerings thesis also described a Host Membership Protocol, which became the basis
for todays Internet Group Membership Protocol (IGMP) that IP multicast hosts use to
signal to the router on the network that they desire to join a multicast group. In addition, Dr.
Deerings thesis described a distance vector-based IP multicast routing protocol that was
the basis for the Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP), also developed by
Dr. Deering a few years later. These two protocols provided the first successful extensions
to the IP packet network model to allow multicasting to be extended to Layer 3 of the OSI
model. Since that time, advances in IP multicasting technology have continued and
additional protocols such as Protocol Independent Multicasting (PIM) and multiprotocol
extensions to the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) have been developed. These protocols
permit IP multicasting to scale beyond the initial limited implementations to large,
enterprise-wide multicast networks and eventually on to a native, completely multicastenabled Internet.

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Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

The Pros of IP Multicast

As the Internet and, in many cases, company intranets have grown in terms of the number
of connected users, a large number of users frequently want to access the same information
at roughly the same time. Using IP multicast techniques to distribute this information can
often substantially reduce the overall bandwidth demands on the network. A good example
of this approach is the rapidly growing area of audio and video Web content.
Heres an example: The ACME Company is using a bank of audio servers to transmit
popular radio talk-show content, such as the Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern shows, in
real time to connected subscribers over the Internet. This is just one of many areas in which
IP multicasting can provide significant advantages to the network providers as well as the
content providers both on the Internet or within company intranets. However, its doubtful
that employees who tune in to Howard Stern through their companys Internet connection
are actually performing a mission-critical task. Of course, if they happen to be in the
entertainment business or do work for the FCC, this might be considered an important jobrelated task.
In the next few sections, the ACME Company example is used to illustrate some of the pros
of IP multicasting. These include (but are not limited to) the following advantages:
bandwidth, server load, and network loading.

Bandwidth
Consider, as an example, the way that the ACME Company is transmitting real-time feeds
of the Rush Limbaugh talk show via an audio compression technique that requires an
8-kbps data stream to deliver. The dashed line on the graph in Figure 1-3 shows that as the
number of connected unicast subscribers increases, the amount of network bandwidth also
increases linearly. On the other hand, if you are multicasting the same program (represented
by the solid line), a single 8-kbps multicast data stream can deliver the program to the
subscribers.
Figure 1-3 Unicast Versus Multicast Bandwidth for Audio
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
Bandwidth 0.4
Mbps
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

Unicast
Multicast
1

20

40
60
Clients

80

100

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The Pros of IP Multicast

Given that ACMEs revenues are based on the number of subscribers (which would somehow relate to the active number of clients at any time), it is reasonable to expect that
ACMEs marketing department goals are to see the number of clients in the tens of
thousands. Meeting this goal is going to require engineering the network to provide
bandwidths in the 100 Mbps range in order to support this single scenario.
Now, suppose that ACME has been very successful with this product and wants to extend
its service offering to include highly compressed, low-rate, 120-kbps video streams to go
along with the 8-kbps audio programs. Figure 1-4 shows that if the unicast model continues
to be used as the delivery method, the bandwidth requirements are driven even higher.
Figure 1-4 Unicast Versus Multicast Bandwidth for Video
14
12
10
Bandwidth 8
6
Mbps
4
2
0

Unicast
Multicast
1

20

40
60
Clients

80

100

Assuming that, in the future, more and more Internet-connected subscribers have the ISDN,
ADSL, or other medium-rate Internet connections necessary to watch ACMEs program
content and are tuned in, bandwidth demands can approach the multimegabit range.
If you further consider that some form of competition in this marketplace exists, ACME
will not be the only supplier of this sort of program content. Other companies will begin
offering similar services via the Internet, which will place additional demands on the
Internets infrastructure.
At this writing, several movie services were beginning to investigate the possibilities of
distributing movies via data networks. Considering that a typical MPEG-2 video stream
requires roughly 1.5 Mbps of bandwidth for a reasonably artifact-free video, IP
multicasting is clearly an excellent choice for delivering this type of program content.
Although you may have to wait some time before you can watch Arnold Schwarzenegger
in the latest Terminator III at home via your Internet connection, you are quite likely to
receive MPEG-2 multicasts of important company events over your companys IP network.

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10

Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

Server Load
Return to the example of the ACME Companys delivery of real-time audio to connected
subscribers via the Internet. If ACME continues to use a unicast delivery mechanism, it will
need to continue to increase the power and number of its real-time audio servers to meet the
increasing number of connected subscribers.
Figure 1-5 shows an example of the number of flows that a real-time audio server must
source to deliver Rush Limbaughs talk show to three clients. Notice that in the unicast case
(shown at the top of Figure 1-5), the server must source a separate flow for each client
listening to the program.
Figure 1-5 Server Load

Unicast
Server

Router

Multicast
Server

Router

As the number of connected clients increases, the load on the server is going to increase
until, at some point, the server will be unable to source the flows at the 8-kbps data rate
necessary to deliver unbroken audio. At this point, ACMEs customers will begin to
complain about poor audio and potentially cancel subscriptions. This is a classic success/
failure situation in which the service offering is so successful that it exceeds the capability
of the technology or network infrastructure to handle the demand. In this case, ACME is
going to have to continue to increase the servers CPU size and its network interface

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The Cons of IP Multicast

11

bandwidth to accommodate more and more clients. Ultimately, ACME will have to provide
multiple real-time audio servers to meet the demand.
On the other hand, if ACME uses IP multicast to deliver its program content (as shown at
the bottom of Figure 1-5), only a single real-time data stream needs to be sourced to deliver
the program to all of the connected clients. In this way, ACME will not need to purchase
more and more real-time audio servers of increasing horsepower as the number of clients
grows. It is obvious that IP multicasting offers a significant advantage in the area of reduced
server horsepower.

Network Loading
Given that IP multicasting can significantly reduce bandwidth requirements when
delivering the same content to multiple clients, the reduction in bandwidth consumption
should equate to a reduction in the load placed on the routers in the network. In general, this
assumption is true, but its important to note that, in some cases, the router workload can
increase at certain points in the network.
Referring once again to the multicast portion of Figure 1-5, we see that the first-hop router
(the one directly connected to the server) is receiving a single data stream from the server.
Note, however, that the first-hop router is replicating the single data stream into two
outgoing data streams so as to deliver the data to the clients downstream. This replication
process places an additional workload on the router, which needs to be considered in the
overall network design. If a router does not have an efficient replication mechanism, the
router load can increase significantly when the number of outgoing interfaces is high.
For example, some older implementations of multicast forwarding code require the router
to duplicate the multicast packet for each additional outgoing interface. This duplication
process requires a new packet buffer to be allocated from memory and the data in the
original packet to be copied to the new buffer for transmission out an outgoing interface. If
the number of outgoing interfaces is high, the duplication process can put a heavy burden
on the router in terms of CPU and memory resources. Newer versions of forwarding code
avoid this duplication process by queuing a pointer to the data in the original packet to each
outgoing interface, thereby allowing each interface to share the same data buffer. This
virtually eliminates the need to replicate the data for each outgoing interface and
significantly reduces the CPU and memory resources necessary to forward the multicast
packet.

The Cons of IP Multicast

Although there are a number of good reasons for wanting to use IP multicasting in
networks, you need to keep in mind that there are limitations and downsides to this
technology. These limitations need to be clearly understood, particularly if you are
developing new applications that plan to use IP multicasting.

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12

Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

Some of the main drawbacks associated with the implementation of an IP multicast system
include unreliable packet delivery, packet duplication, and network congestion.

Unreliable Packet Delivery

IP multicast, like IP unicast, is inherently unreliable. It is only through the use of TCP at
Layer 4 (or some other higher layer protocol) that IP unicast data streams can be made
reliable. However, because IP multicasting assumes a one-to-many communication mode,
it was not designed to use the end-to-end mechanisms inherent in TCP. IP multicast packets
typically use the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which is best-effort in nature. Therefore,
an application that uses IP multicasting must expect occasional packet loss and be prepared
to either accept the loss or to somehow handle this at the application layer or via a reliable
multicast protocol layered on top of UDP.
Dr. Deering states in his doctoral thesis that during periods when paths are being changed
immediately following a topology change, multicast packets that happen to be in flight have
a lower probability of reaching their destinations than do unicast packets. Deering goes on
to explain that even if erroneous unicast forwarding information exists at some routers in
the network during a topology change, the network may eventually succeed in forwarding
the packet to the destination. The reason this happens is that the unicast forwarding
mechanism continues to attempt to forward the packet toward the destination IP address
while the network topology is in transition, though the actual path may be somewhat
circuitous. The forwarding mechanisms of IP multicast, on the other hand, are based on the
source IP address, and to prevent loops, the packet is discarded if it does not arrive on the
interface that would lead back to the source. The significance of Dr. Deerings point is a
subject of some debate, particularly because the impact has not been studied. However,
taken at face value, the theory is worth noting.
If the preceding material seems a bit unclear to you at this point, dont worry; Chapter 2
covers these forwarding mechanisms in greater detail. For now, it is sufficient to understand
that IP multicast forwarding makes use of the source IP address, while IP unicast
forwarding makes use of the destination IP address.

Packet Duplication
Duplicate packets are, just as in the UDP unicast world, a fact of life. However, a key
difference between unicast and multicast routing is that routers intentionally send copies of
a multicast packet out multiple interfaces. This increases the probability that multiple
copies of the multicast packet may arrive at a receiver. For example, in certain redundant
network topologies in which multiple paths exist to the receiver, duplicate packets can
occur until the multicast routing protocol converges and eliminates the redundant path.
Typically, this means that only an occasional packet is duplicated within the network,
although under some transient network-error conditions, a number of duplicates may arrive

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The Cons of IP Multicast

13

at the receiver. (Youll gain a better understanding of where and when duplicate packets can
occur while studying the details of different multicast routing protocols in Chapter 4,
Multimedia Multicast Applications.) Again, well-designed IP multicast applications
should be prepared to detect and handle the arrival of the occasional duplicate packet.

NOTE

On one particular occasion, I recall a U.S. government agency that had designed an IP
multicast application to control a critical piece of government equipment whose
malfunction might result in the loss of life. Unfortunately, the application designers had
failed to account for the possibility of duplicate packets caused by normal IP multicast
network operation. This oversight resulted in the critical control command in the IP
multicast packet being executed multiple times.
Imagine the result if such an application were used to command and control a number of
tanks on the battlefield: All tanks turn right 90 degrees, All tanks turn right 90 degrees,
All tanks turn right 90 degrees . . .

Network Congestion
In the TCP unicast case, the standard TCP backoff and slow-start window mechanisms
automatically adjust the speed of the data transfer and therefore provide a degree of
congestion avoidance within the network. Because IP multicasting cannot use TCP (due to
its connectionless, one-to-many nature), there is no built-in congestion avoidance
mechanism to prevent a multicast stream from exhausting link bandwidth or other critical
router resources. Having said that, it is important for you to note that UDP unicast data
streams suffer the same congestion avoidance problems! Furthermore, the recent growth in
popularity of multimedia audio and video applications both on the Internet and within
private intranets is increasing the amount of UDP unicast traffic.
As you learn more about the workings of IP multicasting, you will find that there is no
provision to prevent you from joining a multicast group that is sourcing data at a rate that
exceeds the total available bandwidth in your portion of the network.
Figure 1-6 shows two IP multicast servers sourcing the same video content. One server
sources the program at 500 kbps, intended for use only in the local corporate headquarters
network environment, while the other server sources the program at 128 kbps, intended for
use by the remote sales offices.

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14

Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

Figure 1-6 Exceeding Network Bandwidth with Multicast Traffic

Corporate HQ

Remote Sales Offices

500 kbps
Video Server
500 kbps

256 kbps

Congested
Circuit
256 kbps
128 kbps
Video Server

If a user at a remote sales office joins the 500-kbps multicast group by mistake, the result
will be that the 256-kbps circuit to the remote sales office will be completely consumed by
the 500-kbps video multicast traffic.
In Chapter 16, you will learn ways to configure the 256-kbps circuit to limit the amount of
bandwidth that the multicast traffic can consume. Another alternative is to use
administratively scoped boundaries to prevent users in the remote office from joining the
500 kbps group. (Administratively scoped addresses and boundaries are addressed in
Chapter 2, Multicast Basics.)
With all this in mind, it should be noted that, in all fairness, IP multicast is no worse than
many of the common audio/video streaming applications in use today. These applications
default to using unicast UDP and not TCP as their delivery mechanismwhich means that
like applications using IP multicast as a delivery mechanism, they do not use any form of
congestion control!

NOTE

Im frequently told by network designers that they do not plan to implement IP multicasting
on their networks because of the lack of congestion control inherent in IP multicasts UDPbased delivery mechanisms. The real truth of the matter is that their users are probably
putting up streaming-video Web servers that supply video clips of departmental training or
other similar material using UDP-based, unicast applications that have no more congestion
control than IP multicast. On the other hand, IP multicasting could possibly reduce the
overall load in the network by sourcing a single multicast video stream instead of multiple
unicast streams. (I sometimes refer to this behavior as being slightly podiabombastic;
which is the tendency to blow off ones foot.)

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Multicast Applications

15

The reason that some of these applications dont default to the use of TCP is that the normal
retransmission mechanism in TCP provides little value because of the real-time nature of
audio. By the time the retransmitted packet arrives, its too late to be useful in the audio
stream. Instead, the application designers would rather pull down the data as fast as the
network permits (at the expense of possible network congestion) and not be artificially
restricted by the congestion avoidance mechanism built into TCP. In most of these cases,
the use of IP multicasting will reduce overall network congestion because a single
transmitted data stream can reach all receivers.

NOTE

In the early days of the MBone, when the primary application was the audio conferencing
tool VAT (which, of course, is based on UDP), the common practice in an audio conference
was to clear ones throat over the microphone several times before beginning any dialog.
This caused the congestion mechanisms of any active TCP streams flowing across potential
congestion points in the network to kick in and back off, thereby giving the UDP-based
audio conference traffic more bandwidth. I guess you might say that this was the first
attempt at a crude form of resource reservation, which was set up via these initial Ahem
packets. (The MBone is discussed in more detail later in this chapter.)

Multicast Applications
Its not uncommon for people to think of IP multicasting and video conferencing as almost
the same thing. Although the first application to be used on an IP multicastenabled
network is often video conferencing, video is only one of many IP multicast applications
that can add value to a companys business model. In fact, after some initial experiments
with video conferencing over the IP multicast network, many companies find that for the
bandwidth consumed, the talking head in a typical audio/video conference provides little
added value to the communication process.
This section looks at some other IP multicast applications that have the potential for
improving productivity, including multimedia conferencing, data replication, real-time data
multicasts, and gaming and simulation applications.

Multimedia Conferencing
Some excellent IP multicast, multimedia conferencing tools were developed for the UNIX
environment for use over the MBone (the next few sections discuss more about the
MBone). These tools (many of which have recently been ported to the Windows 95 and NT
platforms) permit a many-to-many audio-only or audio/video conference to take place via
IP multicast. In addition to the audio and video tools, a UNIX-based Whiteboard tool was
developed that permits users to share a common, electronic whiteboard. Besides these
MBone freeware tools for multimedia conferencing over IP multicast networks, other

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16

Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

companies are now beginning to offer commercial forms of these tools with other valueadded features. (Chapter 4, Multimedia Multicast Applications, looks at the MBone
freeware tools in detail and explains how to download them.)
Many people start with audio/video conferencing because video is a particularly exciting
new way to communicate over a network. After the novelty of video wears off and the
realities of the bandwidths and workstation horsepower that are consumed by video
conferencing (particularly if everyone in the conference is sourcing video at the same time)
become apparent, its not uncommon to see audio-only conferencing become the normal
mode. Additionally, if an audio-only conference is coupled with an IP multicast-based,
data-sharing application (such as the Whiteboard application previously mentioned) that
allows the members of the conference to share graphics information, the result is an
extremely powerful form of multimedia conferencing that does not consume much
bandwidth.

Data Distribution
Data replication is another IP multicast application area that is rapidly becoming very
popular. By using IP multicasting, IS departments are adopting a push model of file and
database updates. Applications such as Starbursts (http://www.starburstcom.com) MFTP
product, as well as work done in the area of reliable multicast by Globalcast (http://
www.gcast.com), permit the reliable delivery of files and data to groups of nodes in the
network. As the name MFTP implies, this product is like a multicast form of FTP. One or
more files may be sent simultaneously with FTP to a group of nodes in the network by using
IP multicasting.
This sort of technology permits companies to push new information such as price and
product information to their remote stores every night so that the stores have up-to-date
information the next business day.

Real-Time Data Multicasts

The delivery of real-time data to large groups of hosts is another area where IP multicasting
is becoming popular. A good example is the delivery of stock ticker information to
workstations on the trading floor. Previously, special applications were built to deliver this
time-critical information to traders on the trading floor. More and more financial and
investment firms are also investigating the use of IP multicasting to deliver information to
their customers as another revenue-generating financial and trading service.
By assigning different financial categories (bonds, transportations, pharmaceuticals, and so
forth) to different multicast groups, traders can use their workstations to receive only the
real-time financial data for which they are interested.

0779.book Page 17 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Multicast Applications

17

Gaming and Simulations

IP multicasting is very well suited for use in network gaming or simulation applications.
Although numerous PC games and simulations permit groups of networked gamers to
battle each other in simulated dogfights or other fantasy environments such as Doom,
virtually all these applications make use of unicast, point-to-point connections.
Typically, a gaming or simulation application must learn of the other participants via either
manual configuration or some other special participant notification mechanism. When the
notification occurs, each PC makes an IP unicast connection to all the other PCs in the game
or simulation. Obviously, this is an Order(N2) problem that requires on the order of N2
interconnections between all N PCs and does not scale to large numbers of participants. The
upper limit for this sort of game or simulation depends largely on the horsepower of the
individual PCs or workstations being used and is usually between 5 and 10 participants.
Another method that is sometimes used in this type of networked environment is to have a
central gaming or simulation server to which all participants must connect via an IP unicast
connection. This places the burden of distributing the real-time game or simulation data to
all of the participants on the server. Again, depending on the horsepower of the server, this
solution can typically scale only to 100 or so participants.
IP multicasting can be used to extend gaming and simulations to extremely large numbers
of participants. Participating PCs or workstations simply join the IP multicast group and
begin sending and receiving gaming and simulation data. Dividing the simulation data into
more than one stream and then communicating this information via separate IP multicast
groups can further extend this concept. This division of data permits the PCs or
workstations to limit the amount of simulation data that they are sending and receiving
(and, hence, the number of IP multicast groups they need to join) to what they currently
need to participate in a game or simulation situation.
For example, each room in a fantasy battle game could be assigned a separate IP multicast
group. Only those PCs or workstations whose participants are in this room need to join this
multicast group to send and receive simulation data about what is happening there. When
players leave the room and go into another room, they leave the IP multicast group
associated with the first room and join the IP multicast group associated with the new room.

0779.book Page 18 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

18

Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

NOTE

The U.S. military has built one of the largest IP multicastbased, war-game simulations that
I have ever seen. This simulation divides the battlefield into map grids, each of which
corresponds to a multicast group. This results in the use of thousands of IP multicast groups
to communicate between the individual participants of the simulation. As each participant,
such as a tank or an F-16 fighter, enters the map grid, the simulation application joins the
associated IP multicast group in order to receive simulation data about what is happening
in the map grid. When the participant leaves the map grid and goes to another, the
application leaves the original multicast group and joins the IP multicast group associated
with the new map grid.

As more IP networks become multicast enabled, more game and simulation application
developers are expected to make use of IP multicasting for large-scale simulations. Its not
unthinkable that sometime in the near future, thousands of gamers will be simultaneously
battling it out over the Internet in the ultimate Doom game.

MBoneThe Internets Multicast Backbone

The Internets Multicast Backbone (MBone) is the small subset of Internet routers and hosts
that are interconnected and capable of forwarding IP multicast traffic.

NOTE

Note that I said small subset, which is to say that IP multicast traffic does not flow to every
point in the Internet (yet). Newcomers to IP multicasting often mistakenly think that if they
are connected to the Internet they can receive IP multicast traffic. They believe that by just
turning on IP multicast routing on their Internet gateway router or by adding some special
application to their PC, they can receive MBone multimedia sessions via their dialup
Internet service provider. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as you will learn in the
following sections.

The next few sections describe various MBone session examples, a history of the MBone,
and the MBone architecture of today and tomorrow.

MBone Sessions
One of the most popular sessions on the MBone is the audio/video multicast of NASAs
shuttle missions. Other interesting and sometimes rather bizarre multimedia content is
often broadcast over the MBone. For example, individuals have set up pet-cams to
broadcast video of their pets. On one occasion, an engineer set up a cat-cam at home and

0779.book Page 19 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

MBoneThe Internets Multicast Backbone

19

kept the workstation at his office tuned in to this video multicast so he could monitor the
cats recovery from its recent surgery.
On another occasion, someone broadcast the live CNN feed of the O. J. Simpson verdict.
This multimedia multicast had over 350 members tuned in at one point. Other media events
have been multicast over the MBone. In 1994, a Rolling Stones concert was multicast over
the MBone from the DEC Systems Research Center. The interesting thing was that about a
half-hour before the concert began, the rock group Severe Tire Damage (several members
of which were Internet engineers) began transmitting audio and video of their band
performing live music. The band timed their show so that they finished as the Rolling
Stones concert was beginning, thereby opening for the Rolling Stones via the MBone.
Besides the popular NASA shuttle missions and the occasional rock concert, sessions from
various conventions and seminars are frequently multicast over the MBone. During a period
when I was unable to travel (while I was recovering from minor knee surgery), I tuned in
to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) audio and video multicast from my home by
way of my Cisco 1600 router and ISDN line that connects me to Ciscos corporate network.
This allowed me to keep up with some of the key IETF sessions (which just happened to
have to do with IP multicasting) that I was interested in attending.
These sorts of events have been largely responsible for the growing demand for MBone
connectivity by more and more Internet users. Although some of the examples that I have
given are more for fun than anything else (would you believe that at one time someone was
multicasting video of several different lava lamps), commercial and private multicasting
over the MBone is rapidly becoming part of the new Internet experience.

History of the MBone

In the early 1990s, several members of the research community complained to the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)the governing body of the Internet at that
timethat the Internet had become a production network and was therefore no longer
available for research and experimentation with new network technologies. As a result, the
U.S. government formed the DARPA Testbed Network (DARTNet) to give the researchers
a playground network on which they could test and evaluate new tools and technologies
without affecting the production Internet.
DARTNet was initially composed of T1 lines connecting various sites including Xerox
PARC, Lawrence Berkley Labs, SRI, ISI, BBN, MIT, and the University of Delaware.
These sites used Sun SPARCstations running routed as the unicast routing daemon as well
as mrouted as the DVMRP multicast routing daemon. Therefore, DARTNet had native IP
multicast support between all sites. Weekly audio conferences between researchers located
at the various DARTNet sites around the United States were soon normal practice.
In early 1992, the IETF made plans to hold their next meeting in March in San Diego,
California. Unfortunately, one of the DARTNet researchers was not going to be able to

0779.book Page 20 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

20

Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

travel to San Diego to participate in the IETF and expressed her disappointment to her
coworkers. Several DARTNet researchers, including Steve Deering and Steve Casner,
decided to audio multicast the IETF proceedings (which not only allowed their colleague
to participate in the IETF sessions from the DARTNet network, but also allowed the
researchers to further test the concepts of IP multicasting over the Internet).
Steve Deering and Steve Casner volunteered to arrange for the audio to be fed into a
borrowed Sun SPARCstation at the San Diego IETF. To get the multicast audio back into
DARTNet, a DVMRP tunnel was configured between the SPARCstation at the IETF and
the DARTNet backbone. Invitations to participate in this IETF audio multicast were also
sent out ahead of time to various Internet research organizations in the United States,
Australia, Sweden, and England, along with information on how to configure a Sun
SPARCstation with a DVMRP tunnel through the Internet back to the DARTNet backbone.
Several sites responded to the invitation and setup DVMRP tunnels to the DARTNet
backbone. The result was the first audio multicast of the IETF to several locations on the
Internet around the world.

NOTE

During one of the plenary sessions at the IETF, Steve Deering and Steve Casner arranged
for the audio output of the SPARCstation to be piped into the public address system in the
room. The attendees of the plenary session were informed that the session was being audio
multicast over the Internet to several locations throughout the United States, Australia,
Sweden, and England. At one point in his presentation, the plenary speaker posed a
question to the multicast audience. Immediately, the voice of one of the multicast
participants in Australia came through as clear as a bell over the public address system
(there was much less congestion on the Internet in those days), and the participant
proceeded to answer the speakers question! Multimedia conferencing by way of IP
multicast over the Internet had come of age.

At the end of the March 1992 IETF, the DVMRP tunnels to DARTNet were torn down and
life on DARTNet generally returned to normal. The audio multicast had been so successful,
however, that plans were made to multicast both audio and video from the next IETF
convention. Invitations were again sent out to even more sites on the Internet, and DVMRP
tunnels were again built from these sites back to the DARTNet backbone. Like the March
IETF multicast from San Diego, the Washington, D.C., IETF held that summer was also
successfully audio and video multicast to participants all over the world.
People were, by now, beginning to see the power of IP multicasting. The network
administrators at DARTNet and the other participating sites decided to leave the DVMRP
tunnels in place for on-going multimedia conferencing over the Internet. These initial
tunnel sites, coupled with DARTNet serving as the initial multicast core network, were
soon dubbed the MBone.

0779.book Page 21 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

MBoneThe Internets Multicast Backbone

21

Todays MBone Architecture

From the initial handful of sites connected to the DARTNet multicast core (via DVMRP
tunnels and Sun SPARCstations running mrouted) in March 1992, the MBone has grown
steadily. Figure 1-7 shows the average number of routes advertised in the MBone over the
last 5 to 6 years.
Figure 1-7 MBone Growth
7000
6000
5000
Routes 4000
3000
2000
1000
0
1992

1993

1994 1995
Year

1996

1997

1998

When this book was written, the average number of DVMRP routes being advertised in the
MBone was rapidly approaching 7000. Although this number is a significant increase over
the 100 or so routes in the early 1990s, keep in mind that the total number of unicast routing
prefixes being advertised in the Internet at the same time was on the order of 50,000.
Clearly, we have a long way to go before the entire Internet supports IP multicasting.
Although the number of routes in the MBone have increased significantly, the basic
architecture of todays MBone has not changed substantially since it was built in 1992. With
just a few exceptions, DVMRP routes are still being exchanged between MBone routers
over a network of DVMRP tunnels. Unfortunately, DVMRP was never designed to be an
inter-domain multicast routing protocol nor will it scale to the size of the Internet. (For one
thing, being a distance vector-based routing protocol, DVMRP has a hop-count maximum
of 32. The diameter of the Internet is certainly greater than 32!) Clearly, either a new
protocol, a new MBone architecture, or both will be necessary to make Internet multicast
traffic as ubiquitous as Internet unicast traffic.
Since the initial MBone was created in 1992, using UNIX hosts running mrouted as MBone
routers, the percentage of MBone routers running mrouted has slowly been decreasing.
Table 1-1 shows statistics (taken at the time this book was written) on the version of the
router code and the number of hosts (routers) running that particular version. In general,
version numbers greater than or equal to 10.0 are Cisco routers exchanging DVMRP routes,
while version numbers less than 10.0 are mrouted UNIX-based hosts. This table clearly
shows that more than 50 percent of the MBone has migrated to commercial-based router
platforms.

0779.book Page 22 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

22

Chapter 1: Introduction to IP Multicast

Table 1-1

MBone Router Versions

Version

Hosts

Percent

11.2PMS

929

26.5

11.1PMS

928

26.5

3.8PGM

719

20.5

3.255PGM

235

6.7

11.0PMS

205

5.9

11.3PMS

129

3.7

3.8PGMS

92

2.6

3.38PGM

45

1.3

11.1PM

41

1.2

11.2PM

36

1.0

11.3PM

17

0.5

11.0PM

11

0.3

3.255PGMS

0.1

10.3pim

32

0.9

3.6PGM

24

0.7

10.2pim

0.2

11.0Mpim

0.1

10.3

0.3

2.2

0.2

10.2

0.2

3.3

0.2

1.0

0.2

3.4

0.1

2.0

0.1

3.5PGM

0.0

3.1

0.0

Total

3503

0779.book Page 23 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Summary

23

Tomorrows MBone Architecture

As this book is being written, much work is underway to design new protocols and
architectures to permit IP multicasting to be extended to all points on the Internet. New
inter-domain multicast routing protocols and forwarding algorithms are being developed to
give Internet service providers (ISPs) the control that they need over multicast peering and
traffic management in order for them to offer a reliable multicast service that doesnt
significantly impact their existing unicast service. Chapter 17 takes a look at some of this
work in progress.
In addition to new inter-domain multicast routing protocols, dynamic multicast address
allocation may also be necessary to support new multicast architectures and to carefully
manage the limited IP multicast address space. (See Chapter 17 for a brief look at these
techniques.)
Not only must the technical issues of inter-domain multicast routing be solved, but the ISPs
that make up the lions share of todays Internet must develop the financial and billing
models to offer IP multicast as a service to their customers. Should the sender pay a
premium for the ability to source multicast traffic (as in the previous ACME example), or
should the customer who wants to receive the multicast content pay? Looking down the
road to a day when many-to-many multimedia conferences over the Internet are a normal
everyday occurrence, its likely that both parties will need to pay. Again, defining the
financial and business models is nearly as complex a process as solving the routing issues
and will have to be addressed.

Summary
Although IP multicasting has been around since the early 1990s, its power is only now
beginning to be realized. Corporations are seeing the benefits in bandwidth utilization and
the capability to deliver content to large numbers of receivers at a time. Internet service
providers are also seeing benefits in offering IP multicast as a service to their customers,
many of whom are willing to pay for this service. The MBone itself has enjoyed rapid
growth in the last few years, and indications are that this trend will continue, although how
the technology will evolve to scale to the numbers of networks in the Internet today is
unclear.
Having said all of this, IP multicasting is still a new and emerging technology that has its
own set of problems, as do all new technologies. There is still much work to be done before
IP multicast capabilities are available to all members of the Internet. Finally, networks must
be carefully designed, using some new design philosophies, to support IP multicasting
without experiencing a myriad of problems. A primary goal of this book is to provide the
reader with the necessary information to make good design choices as they change their
unicast-only networks of today into multicast-enabled networks of tomorrow.

0779.book Page 24 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

0779.book Page 25 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

CHAPTER

Multicast Basics
RFC 1112IP Multicast Dead Sea Scrolls. No, thats not RFC 1112s real title, but it is
what I affectionately call it, particularly when Im teaching a beginners class on IP
multicasting. The real title of this RFC (which is not nearly as much fun to use as IP
Multicast Dead Sea Scrolls) is Host Extensions for IP Multicasting. This RFC was
written by Dr. Steve Deering and describes and standardizes some of his work on the IP host
mechanisms necessary to provide IP multicast capability. The reason I like the name IP
Multicast Dead Sea Scrolls is that this RFC was the first widely accepted definition of how
to do multicasting in an IP networkat least from the IP host perspective. The RFC
includes topics such as IP multicast addresses, sending and receiving IP multicast packets,
and the first version of the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).
This chapter translates the writings on multicast addresses and multicast Media Access
Control (MAC) addresses found in the IP Multicast Dead Sea Scrolls (RFC 1112) from
RFC-speak into language that I hope is easier to understand.

NOTE

The name IP Multicast Dead Sea Scrolls is used here only in jest and is not meant to be
disparaging. I have referred to RFC 1112 in this manner in conversations with Dr. Deering,
and he seemed to appreciate the humor.

This chapter also discusses the important concepts of multicast distribution trees and
multicast forwarding. Chapter 3, Internet Group Management Protocol, covers the
remaining topics in RFC 1112, IGMP (both versions 1 and 2).

Multicast Addresses
Unlike unicast IP addresses that uniquely identify a single IP host, multicast IP addresses
specify an arbitrary group of IP hosts that have joined the group and wish to receive traffic
sent to this group. This section explores the format of IP multicast addresses and how these
addresses are assigned.

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26

Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

IP Class D Addresses
IP multicast addresses have been assigned to the old class D address space by the Internet
Assigned Number Authority (IANA). Addresses in this space are denoted with a binary
1110 prefix in the first 4 bits of the first octet, as shown in Figure 2-1. Thus, IP multicast
addresses span a range from 224.0.0.0 through 239.255.255.255.
Figure 2-1 Multicast Address Format
Class D Addresses

NOTE

Octet 1

Octet 2

Octet 3

Octet 4

1110xxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

The use of classful IP addresses has been eliminated with the adoption of classless interdomain routing (CIDR), which ignores the old class A, B, and C fixed network address
boundaries and uses a network prefix/mask instead. This has allowed the allocation of the
limited IP address space more efficiently as the popularity of the Internet has increased. It
is still common, however, to hear people refer to the IP multicast address space as class D
addresses.

Assigned Multicast Addresses

The IANA controls the assignment of IP multicast addresses. Before you run off to the
IANA to request a block of the IP multicast address space for your company to use, you
need to understand that this address space is a limited resource. Therefore, the IANA is very
reluctant to assign any IP multicast addresses unless there is a very good justification to do
so. The IANA will certainly not assign an arbitrary block of IP multicast addresses to you!
Additionally, the IANA generally does not assign individual IP multicast addresses to new
application programs without a really good technical justification. Instead, they tend to
assign individual IP multicast addresses for use by specific network protocols. This means
that the entire Internet must share the remaining unassigned range of IP multicast addresses
in some dynamic, cooperative method. This situation allows multicast addresses to be
dynamically allocated or leased (as in the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol [DHCP]
model) when needed and then released for use by others when the address is no longer used.
The next couple of sections discuss some of the IP multicast addresses that have been
reserved for use by specific protocols.
Currently, the most widely used method for dynamic IP multicast address allocation is the
Session Directory program (SDR), which is detailed in Chapter 4, Multimedia Multicast
Applications. The techniques used by SDR to avoid IP multicast address collisions,
however, were not designed to scale to the thousands of multicast groups that will be active

0779.book Page 27 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Multicast Addresses

27

in the future. At the time that this book is being written, a great deal of work is being done
in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) either to modify SDR so that it scales well
or to define and implement some new form of dynamic multicast address allocation.

NOTE

Not only is it considered by the Internet community to be rather selfish to expect your newly
developed application to be assigned its own hard-coded, reserved multicast address, its
also generally not in your best interest to design your application to operate this way.
Rather, it is better to design your multicast application so that it can be passed an IP
multicast address and port number as parameters at startup time. This makes the application
much more flexible and ensures that it will continue to be useful as new dynamic multicast
address allocation methods are developed in the future.

Link-Local Multicast Addresses

The IANA has reserved the range of 224.0.0.0 through 224.0.0.255 for use by network
protocols on a local network segment. Packets with an address in this range are local in
scope, are not forwarded by IP routers (regardless of their time-to-live [TTL] values), and
therefore go no farther than the local network. Routers that do happen to forward these
multicasts off of the local subnet are referred to affectionately by network administrators as
broken routers.
Table 2-1 is a partial list of reserved multicast addresses taken directly from the IANA
database. The table lists the reserved link-local addresses, the network protocol function to
which they have been assigned, and the person that requested the address or the RFC
associated with the protocol.
Table 2-1

Link-Local Multicast Addresses

Address

Usage

Reference

224.0.0.1

All Hosts

[RFC 1112, JBP]

224.0.0.2

All Multicast Routers

[JBP]

224.0.0.3

Unassigned

[JBP]

224.0.0.4

DVMRP Routers

[RFC 1075, JBP]

224.0.0.5

OSPF Routers

[RFC 1583, JXM1]

224.0.0.6

OSPF Designated Routers

[RFC 1583, JXM1]

224.0.0.7

ST Routers

[RFC 1190, KS14]

224.0.0.8

ST Hosts

[RFC 1190, KS14]

224.0.0.9

RIP2 Routers

[RFC 1723, SM11]

224.0.0.10

IGRP Routers

[Farinacci]

0779.book Page 28 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

28

Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Table 2-1

Link-Local Multicast Addresses (Continued)

Address

Usage

Reference

224.0.0.11

Mobile-Agents

[Bill Simpson]

224.0.0.12

DHCP Server/Relay Agent

[RFC 1884]

224.0.0.13

All PIM Routers

[Farinacci]

224.0.0.14

RSVP-Encapsulation

[Braden]

224.0.0.15

All CBT Routers

[Ballardie]

224.0.0.16

Designated-SBM

[Baker]

224.0.0.17

All SBMS

[Baker]

224.0.0.18

VRRP

[Hinden]

224.0.0.19 to
224.0.0.255

Unassigned

[JBP]

For example, the IP multicast address of 224.0.0.1 has been assigned the meaning of All
Hosts, and 224.0.0.2 has been assigned the meaning of All Multicast Routers. Both of these
multicast addresses are used extensively by IGMP, which multicast hosts use to communicate
their desire to join a multicast group to a locally connected router (see Chapter 3).
The Open Shortest-Path Forwarding (OSPF) routing protocol, for example, employs local
subnet multicast addresses. If you use OSPF in your network, you may have seen packets
addressed to the 224.0.0.5 and 224.0.0.6 multicast address on your networks. These
addresses permit OSPF routers to communicate important OSPF data to All OSPF Routers
or All OSPF Designated Routers respectively.

Other Reserved Addresses

The IANA typically assigns single multicast address requests for network protocols or
network applications out of the 224.0.1.xxx address range. Multicast routers will forward
these multicast addresses, unlike multicast addresses in the 224.0.0.xxx address range,
which are local in scope and are never forwarded by routers.
Table 2-2 is a partial list of these single multicast address assignments.
Table 2-2

Other Reserved Multicast Addresses

Address

Usage

Reference

224.0.1.0

VMTP Managers Group

[RFC 1045, DRC3]

224.0.1.1

NTP-Network Time Protocol

[RFC 1119, DLM1]

224.0.1.2

SGI-Dogfight

[AXC]

224.0.1.3

Rwhod

[SXD]

0779.book Page 29 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Multicast MAC Addresses

Table 2-2

29

Other Reserved Multicast Addresses (Continued)

Address

Usage

Reference

224.0.1.6

NSS-Name Service Server

[BXS2]

224.0.1.8

SUN NIS+ Information Service

[CXM3]

224.0.1.20

Any Private Experiment

[JBP]

224.0.1.21

DVMRP on MOSPF

[John Moy]

224.0.1.32

Mtrace

[Casner]

224.0.1.33

RSVP-encap-1

[Braden]

224.0.1.34

RSVP-encap-2

[Braden]

224.0.1.39

Cisco-RP-Announce

[Farinacci]

224.0.1.40

Cisco-RP-Discovery

[Farinacci]

224.0.1.52

Mbone-VCR-Directory

[Holfelder]

224.0.1.78

Tibco Multicast1

[Shum]

224.0.1.79

Tibco Multicast2

[Shum]

224.0.1.80 to
224.0.1.255

Unassigned

[JBP]

Administratively Scoped Multicast Addresses

In addition to the multicast address ranges previously described, the IANA has reserved the
range of 239.0.0.0 through 239.255.255.255 as administratively scoped addresses for use in
private multicast domains. These addresses are similar in nature to the reserved IP unicast
ranges, such as 10.0.0.0/8, defined in RFC 1918 and the IANA will not assign them to any
other group or protocol. Therefore, in theory, network administrators are free to use multicast
addresses in this range inside a domain without fear of conflicting with others elsewhere on
the Internet. The use of administratively scoped addresses also helps to conserve the limited
multicast address space because they can be reused in different regions of the network. In
reality, network administrators must configure their multicast routers to ensure that multicast
traffic in this address range doesnt cross into or out of their multicast domain. See the
Administratively Scoped Boundaries section later in this chapter for more information.

Multicast MAC Addresses

The original Ethernet specification (now standardized by the IEEE) made provisions for the
transmission of broadcast and/or multicast packets. As shown in Figure 2-2, Bit 0 of Octet 0
in an IEEE MAC address indicates whether the destination address is a broadcast/multicast
address or a unicast address.

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30

Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-2 IEEE 802.3 MAC Address Format

Octet 0
0

Octet 1
7
0

Octet 2
7
0

Octet 3
7
0

Octet 4
0

Octet 5
7
0

xxxxxx11

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

Broadcast/Multicast Bit
Locally Administrated Address Bit

If this bit is set, then the MAC frame is destined for either an arbitrary group of hosts or
all hosts on the network (if the MAC destination address is the broadcast address,
0xFFFF.FFFF.FFFF). IP multicasting at Layer 2 makes use of this capability to transmit IP
multicast packets to a group of hosts on a LAN segment.
The following sections examine how Layer 3 IP multicast addresses are mapped into IEEE
MAC addresses for Ethernet, FDDI, and Token Ring LANs.

Ethernet Multicast MAC Address Mapping

In the case of Ethernet, IP multicast frames all use MAC layer addresses beginning with the
24-bit prefix of 0x0100.5Exx.xxxx. Unfortunately, only half of these MAC addresses are
available for use by IP multicast. This leaves 23 bits of MAC address space for mapping
Layer 3 IP multicast addresses into Layer 2 MAC addresses. Since all Layer 3 IP multicast
addresses have the first 4 of the 32 bits set to 0x1110, this leaves 28 bits of meaningful IP
multicast address information. These 28 bits must map into only 23 bits of the available
MAC address. This mapping is shown graphically in Figure 2-3.
Figure 2-3 IP Multicast to Ethernet/FDDI MAC Address Mapping
32 Bits

1110
IP Multicast Address
5 Bits
Lost
MAC Address
(Ethernet/FDDI)

28 Bits
Mcast Addr

239.255.0.1

01-00-5e-7f-00-01
25-Bit
Prefix

23 Bits
48 Bits

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31

Just 23 Bits?
Theres an interesting story as to why only 23 bits worth of MAC address space was
allocated for IP multicast. Back in the early 1990s, Steve Deering was bringing some of his
research work on IP multicasting to fruition, and he wanted the IEEE to assign 16
consecutive Organizational Unique Identifiers (OUIs) for use as IP multicast MAC
addresses. Because one OUI contains 24 bits worth of address space, 16 consecutive OUIs
would supply a full 28 bits worth of MAC address space and would permit a one-to-one
mapping of Layer 3 IP multicast addresses to MAC addresses. Unfortunately, the going
price for an OUI at the time was $1000 and Steves manager, the late Jon Postel, was unable
to justify the $16,000 necessary to purchase the full 28 bits worth of MAC addresses.
Instead, Jon was willing to spend $1000 to purchase one OUI out of his budget and give
half of the addresses (23 bits worth) to Steve for use in his IP multicast research.

Performance Impact of MAC Address Mapping

Because all 28 bits of the Layer 3 IP multicast address information cannot be mapped into
the available 23 bits of MAC address space, 5 bits of address information are lost in the
mapping process. This results in 25 or 32:1 address ambiguity when a Layer 3 IP multicast
address is mapped to a Layer 2 IEEE MAC address. This means that each IEEE IP multicast
MAC address can represent 32 IP multicast addresses, as shown in Figure 2-4.
Figure 2-4 MAC Address Ambiguities
32 - IP Multicast Addresses
224.1.1.1
224.128.1.1
225.1.1.1
225.128.1.1
.
.
.
238.1.1.1
238.128.1.1
239.1.1.1
239.128.1.1

Multicast MAC Addresses

0x0100.5E01.0101

It should be obvious that this 32:1 address ambiguity can cause some problems. For
example, a host that wants to receive multicast group 224.1.1.1 will program the hardware
registers in the network interface card (NIC) to interrupt the CPU when a frame with a
destination multicast MAC address of 0x0100.5E00.0101 is received. Unfortunately, this
same multicast MAC address is also used for 31 other IP multicast groups. If any of these
31 other groups are also active on the local LAN, the hosts CPU will receive interrupts any
time a frame is received for any of these other groups. The CPU will have to examine the

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IP portion of each received frame to determine whether it is the desired group, that is,
224.1.1.1. This can have an impact on the hosts available CPU power if the amount of
spurious group traffic is high enough.
In addition to having a possible negative impact on hosts CPU power, this ambiguity can
also cause problems when trying to constrain multicast flooding in Layer 2 LAN switches
based solely on these multicast MAC addresses. This problem is addressed in detail in
Chapter 14, Multicast over Campus Networks.

FDDI Multicast MAC Address Mapping

Because FDDI MAC addresses and IEEE MAC addresses conform to the same format, the
mapping of IP multicast addresses to FDDI MAC addresses uses the same method as
Ethernet (as shown in Figure 2-3) with one minor difference. The low-order bits of FDDI
octets are transmitted first; whereas the high-order bits of Ethernet octets are transmitted
first. These two bit orderings are referred to as little-endian and big-endian ordering
because either the big end or the little end of the octet is transmitted first. The big-endian
Ethernet format is also referred to as the canonical form of an IEEE MAC address.
All other aspects of IP address to FDDI MAC address mapping are identical to the Ethernet
case. If you are using a network sniffer or similar device to look at multicast frames on a
FDDI ring, however, the bit order is going to be reversed. Therefore, the 0x0100.5Exx.xxxx
IP multicast MAC prefix becomes 0x8000.7axx.xxxx on a FDDI ring.

Token Ring Multicast MAC Address Mapping

The format of Token Ring destination MAC addresses, as described by IBM, is shown in
Figure 2-5. As you can see from this figure, Token Ring MAC addresses differ from
canonical, Ethernet MAC address format.
Figure 2-5 Token Ring Destination MAC Addresses
Octet 0
7

Octet 1
0
7

Octet 2
0
7

Octet 3
0
7

Octet 4
7

Octet 5
0
7

11xxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

0xxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

Functional Address Indicator Bit (0=FA)

Locally Administrated Address Bit
Individual/Group Address Bit (0=Individual, 1=Group)

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33

Like FDDI, the low-order bits of Token Ring octets are transmitted first; whereas Ethernet
octets transmit high-order bits first. Notice that Bit 0 of Octet 0 has the same basic
broadcast/multicast definition as the Ethernet MAC address as shown in Figure 2-5, though
IBM refers to this bit as the Group Address Bit. Likewise, the Locally Administrative Bit is
also Bit 1 of Octet 0 as in the Ethernet MAC address. The Token Ring bits are transmitted
in the reverse order of the Ethernet bits.

Token Ring Functional Addresses

Unlike IEEE MAC addresses, Token Ring uses the concept of bit-specific functional
addresses, which are addressed to a group of nodes on the ring. These functional addresses
are denoted by Bit 0 of Octet 2 being cleared, as shown in Figure 2-6.
Figure 2-6 Token Ring Functional Addresses
Octet 1
0
7

Octet 2
0
7

Octet 3
0
7

Octet 4
7

Octet 5
0
7

11000000 00000000

0xxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

Octet 0
7

Functional Address Bits

Functional Address Indicator Bit (0=FA)
Locally Administrated Address Bit
Broadcast/Multicast Bit

Functional addresses are always multicast to a group address (indicated by Bit 0 in Octet 0
being set) and always are administrated locally (indicated by Bit 1 in Octet 0 being set).
Each functional address bit (bits 1 to 7 in Octet 2 as well as all bits in Octets 3, 4, and 5)
indicates a special MAC level function such as active monitor or ring error monitor. Nodes
on the ring use masks to identify these functions.
For example, a node on the ring could be assigned both the active monitor
(0xC000.0000.0001) and the ring error monitor (0xC000.0000.0002) functions. This node
then programs its NIC with a mask of 0xC000.0000.0003 so that the NIC interrupts the
nodes CPU whenever one of these group functional addresses is received.
Many Token Ring NICs do not have the capability to be programmed to interrupt the CPU
when an arbitrary multicast MAC address is received. Therefore, the only alternative is to
use the all-ones (0xffff.ffff.ffff) broadcast MAC address or a functional address for IP
multicast to MAC address mapping as shown in Figure 2-7.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-7 Token Ring Multicast Address Mapping

Functional Address Mapping

Broadcast Address Mapping

224.x.x.x

224.x.x.x

c0-00-00-04-00-00

ff-ff-ff-ff-ff-ff

(Shown in Token Ring,

Noncanonical Format)

Performance Impact of Token Ring Mapping

The CPU performance impact on a Token Ring node because of this extremely poor
multicast address mapping method can be quite considerable. The address ambiguity has
now gone from 25 or 32:1 to 228 or 268,435,456:1. This means all multicast traffic on the
ring will cause a Token Ring nodes CPU to be interrupted for every multicast packet on the
ring!
In addition to causing this CPU performance impact, the all-into-one mapping scheme
virtually precludes Token Ring switches from constraining multicast flooding at the MAC
layer. As a result, Token Ring switches, which operate solely at Layer 2, are powerless to
prevent any Token Ring node that joins a multicast group and begins receiving multicast
traffic from affecting every other node on the ring.

NOTE

IS managers and network administrators who are faced with a growing demand for
multimedia or other multicast-based applications on their Token Ring networks should
carefully consider the downside of using multicast over Token Ring networks. If possible,
you should consider changing to a switched Ethernet environment in these cases.

Multicast Distribution Trees

To understand the IP multicast model, you must have a good working knowledge of
multicast distribution trees. In the unicast model, traffic is routed through the network along
a single path from the source to the destination host. In the multicast model, however, the
source is sending traffic to an arbitrary group of hosts that are represented by a multicast
group address.
To deliver multicast traffic to all receivers, multicast distribution trees are used to describe
the path that the IP multicast traffic takes through the network. The two basic types of

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Multicast Distribution Trees

35

multicast distribution trees are source trees and shared trees, which are described in the
next two sections.

Source Trees
The simplest form of a multicast distribution tree is a source tree whose root is the source
of the multicast traffic and whose branches form a spanning tree through the network to the
receivers. Because this tree uses the shortest path through the network, it also is referred to
frequently as a shortest path tree (SPT).
Figure 2-8 shows an example of an SPT for group 224.1.1.1 rooted at the source, Host A,
and connecting two receivers, Hosts B and C.
Figure 2-8 Host A Shortest Path Tree

Source

Host
A
192.1.1.1

224.1.1.1 Traffic

Notation: (S, G)
S = Source
G = Group

192.3.3.3

192.2.2.2
Receiver

Host
B

Receiver

Host
C

The special notation of (S, G), pronounced S comma G, enumerates an SPT where S is
the IP address of the source and G is the multicast group address. Using this notation, the
SPT for the example in Figure 2-8 would be written as (192.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1).
Notice that this notation implies that a separate SPT exists for every individual source
sending to each group, which is precisely what happens. Therefore, if Host B is also
sending traffic to group 224.1.1.1 and Hosts A and C are receivers, then a separate (S, G)
SPT would exist with a notation of (192.2.2.2, 224.1.1.1) as shown in Figure 2-9.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-9 Host B Shortest Path Tree

Receiver

Host
A
192.1.1.1

224.1.1.1 Traffic

Notation: (S, G)
S = Source
G = Group

192.2.2.2
Source

Host
B

192.3.3.3
Receiver

Host
C

Shared Trees
Unlike source trees that have their roots at the source, shared trees use a single common
root placed at some chosen point in the network. Depending on the multicast routing
protocol, this root is often called a rendezvous point (RP) or core, which lends itself to
shared trees other common names: RP trees (RPT) or core-based trees (CBT).
Figure 2-10 shows a shared tree for group 224.2.2.2 with the root located at Router D.
When using a shared tree, sources must send their traffic to the root for the traffic to reach
all receivers.

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37

Figure 2-10 Shared Distribution Tree

Source 1

Host
A
192.1.1.1

Notation: (*, G)
* = All Sources
G = Group
Source 2

D
(Shared Root)

F 192.4.4.4

Host
D

224.2.2.2 Traffic
C

192.2.2.2
Receiver

Host
B

192.3.3.3
Receiver

Host
C

In this example, multicast group traffic from source Hosts A and D travels to the root
(Router D) and then down the shared tree to two receivers, Hosts B and C. Because all
sources in the multicast group use a common shared tree, a wildcard notation written as
(*, G), pronounced star comma G, represents the tree. In this case, * means all sources,
and the G represents the multicast group. Therefore, the shared tree shown in Figure 2-10
would be written, (*, 224.2.2.2).

Bidirectional Shared Trees

Shared trees can also be subdivided into two types: unidirectional and bidirectional. In the
bidirectional case, multicast traffic may flow up and down the shared tree to reach all
receivers. Figure 2-11 shows an example of a bidirectional shared tree.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-11 Bidirectional Shared Tree

Receiver

Source

Host
A

Host
B

192.1.1.1

192.5.5.5

Receiver

D
(Shared Root)

Host
E
192.4.4.4

Bidirectional
Shared Tree
E

192.3.3.3

192.2.2.2
Receiver

Host
C

Host
D

Receiver

Notice that multicast traffic from Host B is being forwarded by its first-hop router up the
tree toward the root of the shared tree as well as down the tree toward the other receivers
(in this case, Host A).

Unidirectional Shared Trees

Unidirectional shared trees, on the other hand, only permit multicast traffic to flow down
the shared tree from the root to the receivers. Consequently, sources of multicast traffic
must use some other means to first get the traffic to the root so that it can be forwarded down
the shared tree.
One method that can be used is to have the root join an SPT rooted at the source to pull the
traffic to the root for forwarding down the shared tree. Figure 2-12 shows a unidirectional
shared tree where the root has joined the SPT to source Host B to pull Host Bs multicast
traffic to the root. When the root receives the traffic, it is forwarded down the shared tree to
the other receivers. Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) uses this method to get source
multicast traffic to the root or RP.

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39

Figure 2-12 Unidirectional Shared Tree Using SPTs to Get Traffic to the Root
Receiver

Source

Host
A

Host
B

192.1.1.1

192.5.5.5

Receiver

Unidirectional
Shared Tree
Shortest Path Tree

D
(Shared Root)

192.4.4.4

192.3.3.3

192.2.2.2
Receiver

Host
E

Host
C

Host
D

Receiver

Another method that gets source multicast traffic to the root is for the first-hop router
(Router B) to unicast the traffic directly to the root. The CBT multicast routing protocol
uses this method when a source-only host wants to send multicast traffic to the group, as
depicted in Figure 2-13. Host A is a source-only host that has not joined the multicast group
and is therefore not on a branch of the bidirectional shared tree.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-13 CBT Bidirectional Shared Tree Using Unicast to Get Traffic to the Root
Source

Receiver

Host
A

Host
B

192.1.1.1

192.5.5.5
Unicast
Receiver

Unidirectional
Shared Tree

D
(Shared Root)

192.4.4.4

192.3.3.3

192.2.2.2
Receiver

Host
E

Host
C

Host
D

Receiver

In this example, Host A is the source, and Host B is now a receiver. Router B is
encapsulating the multicast traffic received from Host A and unicasting it directly to the root
via an IP-IP tunnel. The root de-encapsulates the packet and sends it down the shared tree.

Multicast Forwarding
In the unicast model, routers forward traffic through the network along a single path from
the source to the destination host whose IP address appears in the destination address field
of the IP packet. Each router along the way makes a unicast forwarding decision, using the
destination IP address in the packet, by looking up the destination address in the unicast
route table and then forwarding the packet to the next hop via the indicated interface toward
the destination.
In the multicast model, the source is sending traffic to an arbitrary group of hosts
represented by a multicast group address in the destination address field of the IP packet.
In contrast to the unicast model, the multicast router cannot base its forwarding decision on
the destination address in the packet; these routers typically have to forward the multicast
packet out multiple interfaces for it to reach all receivers. This requirement makes the
multicast forwarding process more complex than the one used for unicast forwarding.

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Multicast Forwarding

41

This section examines the concept of Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF), which is the basis of
the multicast forwarding process in most multicast routing protocols. This section also
presents information on multicast forwarding caches, TTL thresholds, and administratively
scoped boundaries.

Reverse Path Forwarding

Virtually all IP multicast routing protocols make use of some form of RPF or incoming
interface check as the primary mechanism to determine whether to forward or drop an
incoming multicast packet. When a multicast packet arrives at a router, the router performs
an RPF check on the packet. If the RPF check is successful, the packet is forwarded;
otherwise, it is dropped.
For traffic flowing down a source tree, the RPF check mechanism works as follows:
1 The router examines the source address of the arriving multicast packet to determine

whether the packet arrived via an interface that is on the reverse path back to the
source.
2 If the packet arrives on the interface leading back to the source, the RPF check is

successful and the packet is forwarded.

3 If the RPF check fails, the packet is discarded.

How a multicast router determines which interface is on the reverse path back to the source
depends on the routing protocol in use. In some cases, the multicast routing protocol
maintains a separate multicast routing table and uses it for this RPF check. A good example
of this is the Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP), which is discussed in
Chapter 5, Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol. In other cases, the multicast
protocol uses the existing unicast routing table to determine the interface that is on the
reverse path back to the source. PIM and CBT are examples of multicast protocols that
typically use the unicast routing table to perform the RPF check. PIM and CBT are not
limited to using just the unicast routing table for the RPF check, however. They also can use
reachability information from a DVMRP router table or a Multicast Border Gateway
Protocol (MBGP) route table, or they can statically configure RPF information. The PIM
and CBT protocols also are explored in detail in later chapters.
Figure 2-14 illustrates the RPF check process. This example uses a separate multicast
routing table, although the concept is the same if the unicast routing table or some other
reachability table is used.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-14 RPF Check Fails

Multicast Packet from
Source 151.10.3.21
RPF Check Fails!

Multicast Route Table

Network

Interface

151.10.0.0/16
198.14.32.0/24
204.1.16.0/24

S1
S0
E0

S0
Packet Arrived on
Wrong Interface!
Discard Packet.

S1

S2
E0

A multicast packet from source 151.10.3.21 is received on interface S0. A check of the
multicast routing table shows that the interface on the reverse path back to the source is S1,
not S0. Therefore, the RPF check fails, and the packet is discarded.
Figure 2-15 is another example of a multicast packet from source 151.10.3.21 arriving at
the router, this time via interface S1.
Figure 2-15 RPF Check Succeeds
Multicast Packet from
Source 151.10.3.21
RPF Check Succeeds!
Multicast Route Table
Network

Interface

151.10.0.0/16
198.14.32.0/24
204.1.16.0/24

S1
S0
E0

S0
Packet Arrived on
Correct Interface!

S1

S2
E0

In this case, the RPF check succeeds as interface S1 is on the reverse path back to the
source, and therefore the packet is forwarded to all interfaces on the outgoing interface list.
(Notice that the outgoing interfaces dont have to necessarily include all interfaces on the
router.)

Multicast Forwarding Cache

The section Multicast Distribution Trees, earlier in this chapter, discussed the concept of
building multicast distribution trees that are used to forward multicast traffic through the
network to all receivers. From the routers point of view, each SPT or shared tree can be
represented in a multicast forwarding cache entry (sometimes referred to as a multicast
route table entry) as an incoming interface associated with zero or more outgoing

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43

interfaces. Note that bidirectional shared trees modify this process slightly, as they dont
make a distinction between incoming and outgoing interfaces because traffic can flow up
and down the tree.
Performing the RPF check on every incoming multicast packet results in a substantial
performance penalty on the router. Therefore, it is common for a multicast router to
determine the RPF interface when the multicast forwarding cache is created. The RPF
interface then becomes the incoming interface of the multicast forwarding cache entry. If a
change occurs in the routing table used by the RPF check process, the RPF interface must
be recomputed and the multicast forwarding cache entry updated to reflect this information.
Note that outgoing interfaces are determined in various ways depending on the multicast
routing protocol in use.
Example 2-1 shows a Cisco multicast routing table entry.
Example 2-1

Cisco Multicast Routing Table Entry

(151.10.3.21/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:15/00:01:10, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 171.68.0.91
Outgoing interface list:
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:04:15/00:02:17
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:04:15/00:02:13

This (S, G) entry describes the (151.10.3.21/32, 224.2.127.254) SPT as seen by the router
in Figure 2-14 and Figure 2-15.
From this information you can see that the entry has an incoming interface, Serial1, and
two outgoing interfaces, Serial2 and Ethernet0. Dont let all the other nomenclature in this
example bother you. It will be detailed in Chapter 10, Using PIM Dense Mode, and
Chapter 11, Using PIM Sparse Mode. For now, concern yourself only with the concept
of incoming and outgoing interfaces.

TTL Thresholds
As you recall, each time an IP multicast packet is forwarded by a router, the TTL value in
the IP header is decremented by one. If the TTL of a packet is decremented to zero, the
router drops the packet.
TTL thresholds may be applied to individual interfaces of a multicast router to prevent
multicast packets with a TTL less than the TTL threshold from being forwarded out the
interface. For example, Figure 2-16 shows a multicast router with various TTL thresholds
applied to its interfaces.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-16 TTL Thresholds

Multicast Datgram
w/TTL = 24

oilist:
S1: (TTL-Threshold = 16)
E0: (TTL-Threshold = 0)
S2: (TTL-Threshold = 64)
Packet Not
Forwarded!

Serial0
TTL-Threshold = 16
TTL-Threshold = 0

Serial1

Serial2

X TTL-Threshold = 64

Ethernet0

In this example, a multicast packet arrives via Serial0 with its current TTL value at 24.
Assuming that the RPF check succeeds and that interfaces Serial1, Serial2, and Ethernet0
are all in the outgoing interface list, the packet therefore normally would be forwarded out
these interfaces. Because some TTL thresholds have been applied to these interfaces,
however, the router must make sure that the packets TTL value, which is now down to 23,
is greater than or equal to the interfaces TTL threshold before forwarding the packet out
the interface.
As you can see in this example, the packet is forwarded out interfaces Serial1 and
Ethernet0. Note that a TTL threshold of zero means that there is no TTL threshold on this
interface. The packets TTL value of 23 was below the TTL threshold value on interface
Serial2, however, and therefore the packet was not forwarded out this interface.
TTL thresholds provide a simple method to prevent the forwarding of multicast traffic
beyond the boundary of a site or region based on the TTL field in a multicast packet. This
technique is referred to as TTL scoping. Multicast applications that must keep their traffic
inside of a site or region transmit their multicast traffic with an initial TTL value so as not
to cross the TTL threshold boundaries.
Figure 2-17 shows an example of TTL threshold boundaries being used to limit the
forwarding of multicast traffic. Company ABC has set a TTL threshold of 128 on all router
interfaces at the perimeter of its network.

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Multicast Forwarding

45

Figure 2-17 TTL Threshold Boundaries

Company ABC
Eng

Mkt

TTL-Threshold = 16
TTL-Threshold = 128

Multicast applications that want to constrain their traffic to within Company ABCs
network need to transmit multicast packets with an initial TTL value set to 127.
Furthermore, the engineering and marketing departments have set a TTL threshold of 16 at
the perimeter of their networks. Therefore, multicast applications running inside of these
networks can prevent their multicast transmissions from leaving their respective networks.
Table 2-3 shows the typical initial TTL values and router interface TTL thresholds for
various TTL boundaries.
Table 2-3

Typical TTL Boundary Values

TTL Scope

Initial TTL Value

TTL Threshold

Local net

N/A

Site

15

16

Region

63

64

World

127

128

Administratively Scoped Boundaries

Like TTL thresholds, administratively scoped boundaries may also be used to limit the
forwarding of multicast traffic outside of a domain or subdomain. This approach uses a
special range of multicast addresses, called administratively scoped addresses, as the
boundary mechanism. If we configure an administratively scoped boundary on a routers
interface, multicast traffic whose multicast group addresses fall in this range will not be
allowed to enter or exit this interface, thereby providing a firewall for multicast traffic in
this address range.
Figure 2-18 depicts the administratively scoped boundary mechanism at work. Here an
administratively scoped boundary is set for the multicast address range 239.0.0.0 through
239.255.255.255 on interface Serial0. This mechanism effectively sets up a firewall that
multicast packets in this range cannot cross.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-18 Administrative Boundary Mechanism

Administrative Boundary = 239.0.0.0/8

239.x.x.x Multicasts

239.x.x.x Multicasts

Serial0

Serial1

Recall from the Administratively Scoped Multicast Addresses section in this chapter that
administratively scoped multicast addresses fall into the range of 239.0.0.0 through
239.255.255.255 and are considered to be locally assigned. That is, they are not used on the
Internet. The administratively scoped boundary mechanism allows for the enforcement of
this convention and prevents multicast traffic that falls in this range from entering or leaving
the network.
Figure 2-19 is an example of the use of administratively scoped boundaries. Here,
Company ABC has used different ranges of administrative addresses to prevent the
forwarding of multicast traffic outside of specific boundaries.
Figure 2-19 Administratively Scoped Boundaries

Company ABC
Eng

Mkt

239.128.0.0/16
239.0.0.0/8

In this example, Company ABC has configured an administratively scoped boundary of

239.0.0.0/8 on all router interfaces at the perimeter of its network. This boundary prevents
any multicast traffic in the range of 239.0.0.0 through 239.255.255.255 from entering or
leaving the network. Similarly, the engineering and marketing departments have configured
an administratively scoped boundary of 239.128.0.0/16 around the perimeter of their
networks. This boundary prevents multicast traffic in the range of 239.128.0.0 through
239.128.255.255 from entering or leaving their respective networks. It also means that the
multicast address range 239.128.0.0 through 239.128.255.255 is being used independently

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Multicast Routing Protocol Categories

47

by both the engineering and marketing departments. This reuse of multicast address space
permits multicast addresses to be used more efficiently inside of Company ABC.

Multicast Routing Protocol Categories

The current multicast protocols can be subdivided into three basic categories:

Dense mode protocols (DVMRP and PIM-DM)

Sparse mode protocols (PIM-SM and CBT)
Link-state protocols (MOSPF)

Some protocols, such as PIM, are capable of operating in either dense or sparse mode
depending on how the router is configured. It is also possible to configure Cisco PIM
routers to make the sparse/dense decision dynamically on a multicast group basis.

Dense Mode Protocols

Dense mode protocols such as DVMRP and PIM DM employ only SPTs to deliver (S, G)
multicast traffic using a push principle. The push principle assumes that every subnet in the
network has at least one receiver of the (S, G) multicast traffic, and therefore the traffic is
pushed or flooded to all points in the network. This process is analogous to a radio or TV
broadcast that is transmitted over the air to all homes within the coverage area. Receivers
simply need to tune in to the broadcast to receive the program.

Flood and Prune Behavior

Unlike broadcasting radio waves over the air, however, flooding multicast traffic to every
point in the network comes with an associated cost (bandwidth, router CPU, and so on).
Therefore, to avoid the unnecessary consumption of valuable network resources, routers
send Prune messages back up the source distribution tree to shut off unwanted multicast
traffic. The result is that branches without receivers are pruned off the distribution tree,
leaving only branches that contain receivers.
In Figure 2-20, Router B is responding to unwanted multicast traffic with a Prune message.

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-20 Pruning a Dense Mode Flow

S0

S1

A
E0

Multicast Packets from

Source 151.10.3.21

Prune
E0
B
E1

When Router A receives the Prune message for the (S, G) multicast traffic stream on an
outgoing interface (in this example, Ethernet0), the router places that interface into Pruned
state and stops forwarding the (S, G) traffic out the interface. The interface in this example
is connected to a multi-access network, and we are assuming that no other downstream
routers on this interface still want to receive the traffic. The method used to determine
whether other routers on a multi-access interface need to continue to receive multicast
traffic depends on the protocol in use. The details of how each protocol handles this
situation are covered in the individual protocol chapters later in the book.
Prunes have a timeout value associated with them such that, when they time out, they cause
the router to put the interface back into forward state and to start flooding multicast traffic
out this interface again.
Example 2-2 shows the Cisco multicast route table entry for Router A in Figure 2-20.
Example 2-2

Cisco Multicast Route Table Entry for Router A

(151.10.3.21/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:15/00:01:10, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.0.91
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:15/00:00:00
Ethernet0, Prune/Dense, 00:00:25/00:02:35

Notice that interface Ethernet0 is in prune state (denoted by the Prune/Dense indicator)
and that no group 224.2.127.254 traffic (from source 151.10.3.21) is being forwarded out
this interface. The example also shows that the Prune will timeout in 2 minutes and 35
seconds (as indicated by the last timer value on the line). When the prune times out, the state
of this interface will return to Forward/Dense and traffic will once again begin flowing out
this interface. Assuming that the downstream router (Router B in this case) still has no need
to receive the multicast traffic, it again sends a Prune to shut off the unwanted traffic.

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49

The timeout values used for Prunes depend on the multicast routing protocol in use but
typically range from 2 to 3 minutes. This periodic flood and Prune behavior is characteristic
of dense mode protocols, such as DVMRP and PIM-DM.

Grafting
Most dense mode protocols rapidly can graft a previously pruned branch back onto the
distribution tree. This capability is demonstrated, for example, when a new receiver on a
previously pruned branch of the tree joins the multicast group. In this case, the router
detects the new receiver and immediately sends a Graft message up the distribution tree
toward the source. When the upstream router receives the Graft message, the router
immediately puts the interface on which the Graft was received into forward state so that
the multicast traffic begins flowing down to the receiver.
Figure 2-21 shows the Graft process. In this example, the source, Host E, is transmitting
multicast traffic down the SPT (denoted by the solid arrows) to receivers Host A, B, and C.
Figure 2-21 Dense Mode Grafting
Receiver

Receiver

Host
A

Host
B

Source

Host
E

Graft

Shortest Path Tree

Pruned Branch

Receiver

Host
C

Host
D

New
Receiver

Router E previously has pruned its link to Router C, as it initially had no directly connected
receivers. At this point in the example, Host D joins the multicast group as a new receiver.
This action prompts Router E to send a Graft message up the SPT to Router C to
immediately restart the flow of multicast traffic. By using this Graft process, Router E can

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Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

avoid having to wait for the previous Prune to time out, thereby reducing the join latency
as seen by Host D.

Sparse Mode Protocols

Sparse mode protocols make use of shared trees and occasionally, as in the case of
PIM-SM, SPTs to distribute multicast traffic to multicast receivers in the network. Instead
of using a push model, however, sparse mode protocols make use of a pull model in which
multicast traffic is pulled down to the receivers in the network. The pull model therefore
assumes that multicast traffic is not wanted unless it is requested specifically using an
explicit Join mechanism. Using the TV analogy again, this model is like a pay-per-view
event that is not sent to the receiver unless specifically requested.

NOTE

I realize that Im stretching the cable TV, pay-per-view model a bit here because, in reality,
you are always able to receive the program. When you request a pay-per-view movie, the
cable company sends your cable TV box some sort of authorization code that enables you
to unscramble the program so you can watch it. I think you get the idea, however.

Shared Tree Join Messages

To pull the multicast traffic down to a receiver in a sparse mode network, a shared tree
branch must be constructed from the root node (the RP in PIM-SM or the core in CBT) to
the receiver. To construct this shared tree branch, a router sends a shared tree Join message
toward the root of the shared tree. This Join message travels router by router toward the
root, constructing a branch of the shared tree as it goes.
Figure 2-22 shows Joins being sent up the shared tree to the root. In this example, Router E
has a locally connected receiver and therefore sends a Join message (represented by the
dashed arrow) toward the root via Router C. The message travels hop by hop until it reaches
the root and builds a branch of the shared tree (as shown by the solid arrows).

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51

Figure 2-22 Shared Tree Join Message

(Shared Root)

Join

Shared Tree

Join

Host
Receiver

In some cases (PIM-SM, for example), SPT Join messages may also be sent in the direction
of the source to construct an SPT from an individual multicast source to receivers in the
network. SPTs allow routers that have directly connected receivers to cut through the
network and bypass the root node so that multicast traffic from a source can be received via
a more direct path.
Figure 2-23 depicts an SPT being built using Join messages sent toward a specific multicast
source. In this example, Router E sends an SPT Join message (shown by dashed arrows)
toward the source via Router C. The SPT Join travels hop by hop until it reaches Router A,
building the SPT (shown by solid arrows) as it goes.

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52

Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Figure 2-23 SPT Join Messages

Source
Host
A

(Shared Root)

SPT Join
Shortest Path
Tree

SPT Join

Host
B
Receiver

It is important to note that if the branches of distribution trees in a sparse mode network
(either shared trees or SPTs) are not refreshed, they will time out and be deleted, thereby
stopping traffic flow down the branch of the shared tree. To avoid this problem, the branches
of sparse mode distribution trees are maintained by some form of periodic Join refresh
mechanism that the routers send along the branch. Some protocols (PIM-SM, for example)
handle the refresh by resending the Join message up the tree to refresh the branch
periodically.

Prune Messages
In sparse mode, Prune messages are sent up the distribution tree when multicast group
traffic is no long desired. This action permits branches of the shared tree or SPT that were
created via explicit Joins messages to be torn down when they are no longer needed. For
example, if a leaf router detects that it no longer has any directly connected hosts (or
downstream multicast routers) for a particular multicast group, the router sends a Prune
message up the distribution tree to shut off the flow of unwanted multicast group traffic.
Sending Prune messages, instead of waiting for the branch of the sparse mode distribution
tree to time out, greatly improves leave latency in the network.

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53

Figure 2-24 shows this process in action. Host A has just left the multicast group; therefore,
Router A no longer needs the traffic flowing down the shared tree (indicated by the solid
arrows) and sends a Prune message up the shared tree toward the RP. This message prunes
the link between Router A and Router B from the shared tree and stops the now unnecessary
multicast traffic flow to Router A.
Figure 2-24 Sparse Mode Prune
Receiver
Host
A

Host
B

Prune

Unidirectional
Shared Tree
Shortest Path Tree

Receiver

Source

D
(Shared Root)

Host
E

Host
C

Host
D

Receiver

Link-State Protocols
Link-state protocols such as MOSPF function much like dense mode protocols in that they
both use SPTs to distribute multicast traffic to the receivers in the network. Link-state
protocols, however, dont use the flood and Prune mechanism that is used in DVMRP or
PIM-DM. Instead, they flood special multicast, link-state information that identifies the
whereabouts of group members (that is, receivers) in the network. All routers in the network
use this group membership information to build shortest path trees from each source to all
receivers in the group. (MOSPF is covered in more detail in Chapter 9, Multicast Open
Shortest Path First.)

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54

Chapter 2: Multicast Basics

Summary
This chapter covers some of the most basic concepts of IP multicast including multicast
addressing at both Layer 2 and Layer 3, types of distribution trees, and multicast
forwarding. These topics are the foundation upon which a good understanding of IP
multicast is built. Taking the time to learn these fundamentals thoroughly and to build this
foundation becomes increasingly important as more complex topics are introduced in later
chapters.
The next chapter covers another basic IP multicast building block, IGMP, in detail. IGMP
provides the necessary group membership signaling between hosts and routers.

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CHAPTER

Internet Group
Management Protocol
The Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) grew out of the Host Membership
Protocol from Dr. Steve Deerings doctoral thesis, and the first version, IGMPv1, was
defined in RFC 1112 (the IP Multicast Dead Sea Scrolls referred to in Chapter 2,
Multicast Basics). The most recent version, IGMPv2, was ratified in November 1997 as
a standard by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and is covered in RFC 2236.
IGMP messages are used primarily by multicast hosts to signal their local multicast router
when they wish to join a specific multicast group and begin receiving group traffic. Hosts
may also (with some extensions defined in IGMPv2) signal to the local multicast router that
they wish to leave an IP multicast group and, therefore, are no longer interested in receiving
the multicast group traffic.

NOTE

As you will learn later, IGMP is a rather overloaded protocol. IGMP messages are used for
several purposes other than the original Host Membership model defined in RFC 1112.
Several multicast routing protocols, such as Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol
(DVMRP) and Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) version 1, make use of special IGMP
message types to transmit their routing control information. Other multicast control and
diagnostic functions (such as mtrace), which are totally unrelated to the Host Membership
model, also use a special IGMP message type to accomplish their task, and others are being
proposed still. All of this activity results in what I call the YAPIOI category of protocols,
yet another protocol inside of IGMP.

Using the information obtained via IGMP, routers maintain a list of multicast group
memberships on a per interface basis. A multicast group membership is active on an
interface if at least one host on that interface has signaled its desire, via IGMP, to receive
the multicast group traffic.
This chapter examines the IGMP protocolversions 1 and 2in great detail so that you
can become better acquainted with its operational aspects. This chapter also takes a quick
peek at what IGMP version 3 (in draft proposal stage as this book is being written) may
someday offer in terms of new capabilities.

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Chapter 3: Internet Group Management Protocol

IGMP Version 1
Why bother learning IGMPv1 if IGMPv2 is now the standard? The reason is simple: most
IP stacks in todays hosts still use IGMPv1. The pervasive Microsoft Windows 95 operating
system includes built-in support for IP multicast, but unless you download an upgraded
version of Microsofts Winsock DLL, you will be running IGMPv1. On the other hand, if
you have upgraded to Windows 98, it contains full support for IGMPv2. The same is true
for many UNIX implementations. Unless you install a patch or are running the very latest
version of the UNIX operating system, you very possibly will be using IGMPv1. Because
you are likely to be dealing with older versions of these platforms that support only
IGMPv1, you need to understand how it works and know its limitations.
This section focuses on the details of IGMPv1, including

IGMPv1 Message Format

The IGMPv1 Query Process
IGMPv1 Report Suppression Mechanism
IGMPv1 Query Router
The IGMPv1 Join Process
The IGMPv1 Leave Process

IGMPv1 Message Format

IGMP messages are transmitted inside IP datagrams and denoted by an IP protocol number
of 2. IGMP messages are transmitted with the IP time-to-live (TTL) field set to 1 and,
therefore, are local in scope and not forwarded by routers. Figure 3-1 shows the format of
an IGMPv1 message.
Figure 3-1 IGMPv1 Message Format
0

4
Version

7
Type

15
Unused

23

31

Checksum

Group Address

The following sections define the fields, as depicted in Figure 3-1, that make up an IGMPv1
message.

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IGMP Version 1

59

Version Field
The Version field contains the IGMP version identification and is therefore set to 1. This
field has been eliminated in version 2, as noted in the IGMP Version 2 section later in this
chapter. A predecessor to IGMP version 1, whose version number is 0, is described in
RFC 988.

Type Field
In version 1 of IGMP, the following two message types are used between hosts and routers:

Membership Query
Membership Report

Checksum Field
The Checksum field is a 16-bit, ones complement of the ones complement sum of the
IGMP message. The Checksum field is zeroed when making the checksum computation.

Group Address Field

The Group Address field contains the multicast group address when a Membership Report
is being sent. This field is zero when used in the Membership Query and should be ignored
by hosts.

The IGMPv1 Query-Response Process

IGMP primarily uses a Query-Response model that allows the multicast router to determine
which multicast groups are active (that is, have one or more hosts interested in a multicast
group) on the local subnet. Figure 3-2 shows the Query-Response process in operation.
Figure 3-2 IGMPv1 Query-Response Process
224.1.1.1

H1

Suppressed

224.1.1.1

H2

Report

#3

#2

IGMPv1
Querier

#1
Query to
224.0.0.1
Router A

224.2.2.2

H3

Report
#4

IGMPv1
Non-Querier
Router B

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Chapter 3: Internet Group Management Protocol

In this example, Hosts H1 and H2 each want to receive multicast traffic for group 224.1.1.1.
Furthermore, Host H3 wants to receive multicast traffic for group 224.2.2.2. Router A is the
IGMP Querier for the subnet and is responsible for performing the queries. Router B is a
non-querier and simply listens and records the hosts responses.
The IGMPv1 Query-Response mechanism for this example works as follows:
1 Router A (the IGMP Querier) periodically (the default is every 60 seconds) multicasts

an IGMPv1 Membership Query to the All-Hosts multicast group (224.0.0.1) on the

local subnet. All hosts must listen to this group as long as they have enabled multicast
so that these queries can be received.
2 All hosts receive the IGMPv1 Membership Query, and one host (in this example its

H2) responds first by multicasting an IGMPv1 Membership Report to the multicast

group, 224.1.1.1, of which the host is a member. This report informs the routers on the
subnet that a host is interested in receiving multicast traffic for group 224.1.1.1.
3 Because Host H1 is listening to multicast group 224.1.1.1, it hears the IGMPv1

Membership Report that was multicast by Host H2. Host H1, therefore, suppresses the
sending of its report for group 224.1.1.1 because H2 already has informed the routers
on the subnet that there is at least one host interested in receiving multicast traffic for
group 224.1.1.1. This Report Suppression mechanism helps reduce the amount of
traffic on the local network.
4 Host H3 has also received the IGMPv1 Membership Query, and it responds by

multicasting an IGMPv1 Membership Report to the multicast group 224.2.2.2, of

which it is a member. This report informs the routers on the subnet that a host is
interested in receiving multicast traffic for group 224.2.2.2.
As a result of this Query-Response exchange, Router A now knows that there are active
receivers for multicast groups 224.1.1.1 and 224.2.2.2 on the local subnet. In addition,
Router B has been eavesdropping on the whole process and also knows the same
information.

NOTE

Because of the Report Suppression mechanism, routers cannot keep track of the individual
hosts joined to a multicast group on a subnet. Therefore, they only keep track of the
multicast groups that are active on a subnet. Furthermore, even if the router could keep track
of all active members, doing so would not be desirable because it would prevent IGMP
from scaling on subnets with large numbers of hosts. Finally, it is not necessary for the
router to keep track of each individual member host because traffic is forwarded on a group
address and interface basis.

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61

Report Suppression Mechanism

The IGMP Report Suppression Mechanism helps to reduce the amount of IGMP traffic on
a subnet to the minimum necessary to maintain a multicast group state. The following
describes this mechanism in more detail:
1 When a host receives an IGMP Membership Query, the host starts a countdown

report-timer for each multicast group it has joined. Each report-timer is initialized to
a random value between zero and the maximum response interval. The default is
10 seconds.
2 If a report-timer expires, the host multicasts an IGMP Membership report for the

active multicast group associated with the report-timer.

3 If the host hears another host send an IGMP Membership Report, it cancels its report-

timer associated with the received Membership Report, thereby suppressing the
sending of a Membership Report for the group.

IGMPv1 Querier
If multiple multicast routers are on a subnet, having more than one of them send IGMPv1
Queries is a waste of bandwidth. In this case, an IGMPv1 Querier, a router responsible for
sending all IGMPv1 Queries on a subnet, becomes essential. Unfortunately, RFC 1112 does
not specify how that IGMPv1 Querier is elected. Instead, IGMPv1 relies on the Layer 3 IP
Multicast Routing protocol (PIM, DVMRP, and so on) to resolve this conflict by electing a
Designated Router for the subnet.

NOTE

Notice that there is a distinct difference between the IGMP Querier and the Designated
Router. The multicast routing protocol selects the Designated Router to handle certain
multicast forwarding duties on the subnet. Exactly how the Designated Router is elected
depends on the multicast protocol in use. RFC 1112 assumed that this Designated Router
would also perform the tasks of sending IGMP Query messages. These two functions were
later separated in IGMPv2, which is described later in this chapter.

The IGMPv1 Join Process

To reduce the join latency (particularly when a host is the first to join a multicast group on
a subnet), it is not necessary to wait for the next Membership Query before sending a
Membership Report to join a multicast group. Therefore, when a host wants to join a
multicast group, the host immediately will send one or more unsolicited Membership
Reports for the multicast group it desires to join.

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NOTE

Its important to note that a host only uses IGMP to signal to the local multicast router that
it wants to start or stop receiving IP multicast traffic. It is not necessary for the host to join
the group just to send multicast traffic to the group. Therefore, send-only multicast
applications only need to begin sending traffic addressed to the multicast group to trigger
the local multicast router to start forwarding the multicast traffic to receivers elsewhere in
the network.

Figure 3-3 illustrates this unsolicited join process. Here, Host H3 wants to receive traffic
for multicast group 224.3.3.3.
Figure 3-3 IGMPv1 Join Process
H1

H2

224.3.3.3

H3

Unsolicited
Report

IGMPv1
Non-Querier

IGMPv1
Querier
Router A

Router B

Instead of waiting for the next Membership Query from Router A, it immediately multicasts
an unsolicited IGMPv1 Membership Report to group 224.3.3.3 to inform the routers on the
subnet of its desire to join this group.

NOTE

You occasionally may hear someone use the phrase, sending an IGMP Join to a router.
Although there is no such thing as an IGMP Join packet, the phrase is used frequently in
normal multicast conversations to signify that an unsolicited IGMP Membership Report
was sent to initiate a Join of a multicast group.

The IGMPv1 Leave Process

Unfortunately, IGMPv1 has a rather simple-minded method for hosts to leave a multicast
group; they just quietly go away. There is no Leave Group message in IGMPv1 to notify
the routers on the subnet that a host no longer wants to receive the multicast traffic from a
specific group. The host simply stops processing traffic for the multicast group and ceases
responding to IGMP Queries with IGMP Membership Reports for the group.

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IGMP Version 1

63

As a result, the only way IGMPv1 routers know that there are no longer any active receivers
for a particular multicast group on a subnet is when the routers stop getting Membership
Reports. To facilitate this process, IGMPv1 routers associate a countdown timer with an
IGMP group on a subnet. When a Membership Report is received for the group on the
subnet, the timer is reset. For IGMPv1 routers, this timeout interval is typically three times
the Query Interval, or 3 minutes. This timeout interval means that the router may continue
to forward multicast traffic onto the subnet for up to 3 minutes after all hosts have left the
multicast group. This worst-case timing scenario is shown in Figure 3-4.
Figure 3-4 IGMPv1 Leave Group Timing
General
Query

General
Query

Query Interval
(60 seconds)

General
Query

Query Interval
(60 seconds)

General
Query

Query Interval
(60 seconds)

Leave Latency
3 x Query Interval ~ 3 minutes

Last Host Quietly Leaves Group

Group Traffic Finally Stops

Query Resp. Intervals

(10 seconds)

This 3-minute leave latency can cause problems sometimes. Assume for the moment that
company ABC is sourcing five different channels of high-rate training videos from a
central, video-training server via five different multicast groups. Assume also that the
bandwidth available to each remote field office in ABCs network has been sized to support
two active training-video streams at a time.
If a user at one of these remote sites is unsure which channel (multicast group) contains
which training video, the user may simply channel surf to locate the desired training
video. This action would result in the users workstation joining and leaving each multicast
group as the user surfs the multicast groups for the desired video. In the worst-case
scenario, the user may have joined five of the multicast groups and left four of them in rapid
succession while surfing. As far as the user is concerned, he or she is now receiving the
correct training video (albeit with lots of errors due to some serious congestion problems).
Because the IGMPv1 leave latency can be as high as 3 minutes, however, the router will be
forwarding all five high-rate video streams onto the subnet for up to 3 minutes.

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Chapter 3: Internet Group Management Protocol

If some method had been available for the users workstation to signal the router that it had
left the other four groups, this leave latency could be shortened substantially and the
probability of this problem occurring reduced. This was one of the primary reasons for
developing IGMP version 2.

IGMP Version 2
In November 1997, IGMPv2 was ratified by the IETF as a standard in RFC 2236 that also
serves as an update to RFC 1112, which defined IGMPv1 in an appendix. IGMPv2 was
developed primarily to address some of the shortcomings of IGMPv1 that were discovered
over time and through practical experience.
The Query and Membership Report messages in IGMPv2 are identical to the IGMPv1
messages with two exceptions. The first difference is that IGMPv2 Query messages are
broken into two categories: General Queries, which perform the same function as the old
IGMPv1 Queries, and Group-Specific Queries, which are queries directed to a single group.
The second difference is that IGMPv1 Membership Reports and IGMPv2 Membership
Reports have different IGMP Type codes. The (General) Query-Response process in
IGMPv2, however, is the same as IGMPv1. Because the process is identical in both
versions, this section does not repeat the earlier information. (Refer to the IGMPv1 QueryResponse Process section of this chapter for more details.)
IGMPv2 includes several new features that are discussed in the sections that follow. Here
is a quick summary of the key features added to IGMPv2:

Querier election processProvides the capability for IGMPv2 routers to elect the
Query Router without having to rely on the multicast routing protocol to perform this
process.

Maximum Response Time fieldA new field in Query messages permits the Query
Router to specify the maximum Query-Response time. This field permits the tuning
of the Query-Response process to control response burstiness and to fine-tune leave
latencies.

Group-Specific Query messagesPermits the Query Router to perform the query

operation on a specific group instead of all groups.

Leave Group messagesProvides hosts with a method of notifying routers on the

network that they wish to leave the group.

The last two features enable hosts and routers to reduce the leave latency, which was such
a problem in IGMPv1, from minutes down to a few seconds.

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IGMP Version 2

65

IGMPv2 Message Format

The format of IGMPv2 messages is shown in Figure 3-5. Notice that the Type field has been
merged with IGMPv1s Version field and now occupies a full octet. The values assigned to
the various message types have been chosen carefully to provide backward compatibility
with IGMPv1.
Figure 3-5 IGMPv2 Message Format
0

7
Type

15
Max. Resp.
Time

23

31

Checksum

Group Address

For example, the IGMPv1 Membership Query message contains a 0x1 in the 4-bit Version
field and 0x1 in the 4-bit Type field. Together they combine to form an 8-bit value of 0x11,
which is identical to the IGMPv2 Type code for a Membership Query. The IGMPv2 Type
code for a version 1 Membership Report likewise was carefully chosen to provide
compatibility between IGMPv1 and IGMPv2. This enables IGMPv2 hosts and routers to
recognize IGMPv1 messages when other IGMPv1 hosts or routers are on the network.
The following sections define the fields, as depicted in Figure 3-5, that make up an IGMPv2
message.

Type Field
In version 2 of IGMP, the following four message types are used between hosts and routers:

Membership Query (Type code = 0x11)

There are two subtypes of Membership Query messages:
General QueryUsed to determine which multicast groups are active in
the same fashion as IGMPv1 does. A General Query is denoted by an allzeros Group Address field.
Group-Specific QueryUsed to determine whether a specific multicast
group has any remaining members. A Group-Specific Query contains the
address of the group being queried.

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Version 1 Membership Report (Type code = 0x12)

This message type is provided solely for backward compatibility with
IGMPv1.

Version 2 Membership Report (Type code = 0x16)

Leave Group (Type code = 0x17)

Maximum Response Time Field

This field was unused previously in IGMPv1 messages. The Maximum Response Time
field is used only in Membership Query messages and specifies the maximum time in units
of 1/10 of a second that a host may wait to respond to a Query message. The default value
for this field is 100 (10 seconds).
Hosts use the Maximum Response Time value in this field as the upper limit for the random
setting of their group report-timers, which are used by the Report Suppression mechanism.
The value in this field may be tuned to control either the burstiness of membership
responses or leave latency.

Checksum Field
The Checksum field is a 16-bit, ones complement of the ones complement sum of the
IGMP message. The Checksum field is zeroed when making the checksum computation.

Group Address Field

When a General Query is sent, the Group Address field is set to zero to differentiate it from
a Group-Specific Query, which contains the multicast group of the group being queried.
When a Membership Report or Leave Group message is sent, this field is set to the target
multicast group address.

Query-Response Tuning
Instead of an IGMPv2 host using a statically configured value for the Query-Response
Interval, the Maximum Response Time field was added to the IGMPv2 Query message. The
Maximum Response Time field permits the response time to be configured on the IGMP

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Querier, which informs all hosts of the upper limit on the delay of their responses to the
query by placing the delay value in this field.
Tuning the Maximum Response Time value controls the burstiness of the response process.
This feature can be important when large numbers of groups are active on a subnet and you
want to spread the responses over a longer period of time. For example, Figure 3-6 depicts
a timing diagram showing General Queries and Responses for IGMPv2 default timer
settings for a subnet with 18 active groups spread across 18 different hosts.
Figure 3-6 IGMPv2 Query-Response Tuning
General
Query

General
Query

Query Resp.
Interval = 10 seconds

Query Interval = 125 seconds

Query Response Interval

Host Membership Reports

As you can see from this example, the 18 reports tend to be spread across the entire QueryResponse Interval. This tendency is due to the random selection of the report-timer values
by the hosts in their Report Suppression process. This distribution is affected by the
randomness of the hosts random-number algorithm in their IGMPv2 implementation. The
responses, however, generally are spread across most of the Query-Response Interval.
By increasing the Maximum Response Time value, as shown in Figure 3-7, the period over
which hosts may spread their responses to the General Query increases, thereby decreasing
the burstiness of the responses.

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Chapter 3: Internet Group Management Protocol

Figure 3-7 Decreasing Response Burstiness

General
Query

General
Query

Query
Resp.
Interval

Query
Resp.
Interval

Query Interval
General
Query

General
Query

Query Interval
General
Query

Query
Resp.
Interval

Query
Resp.
Interval

General
Query

Query
Resp.
Interval

Query Interval

Query
Resp.
Interval

Query Interval

Reducing this burstiness comes with some penalties. Increasing the Query Response
Interval by using a larger Maximum Response Time value also increases the leave latency
because the Query Router must now wait longer to make sure that there are no more hosts
for the group on the subnet. Therefore, your network design must strike a balance between
burstiness and leave latency.

NOTE

I remember an important government project that was pushing what todays IP multicast
technology is capable of doing. This network typically would have the number of active
groups on a subnet in the thousands! Therefore, when the Query Router sent an IGMP
General Query, the hosts on the subnet generated thousands of reports. Needless to say,
careful tuning of the Query and Query-Response Intervals was crucial to making IP
multicast technology work properly on this busy multicast network.

IGMPv2 Leave Group Messages

IGMPv2 defines a new Leave Group message type that hosts should send when they leave
the group. The RFC says, When a host leaves a multicast group, if it was the last host to
respond to a query with a Membership Report for that group, it should send a Leave Group
message to the all-routers multicast group (224.0.0.2).

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The RFC goes on to say that a host may always send a Leave Group message when it
leaves a group. Unfortunately, the wording in this part of the RFC is may and not must.
This subtle distinction is important when using IGMP Snooping or Cisco Group
Management Protocol (CGMP) to optimize LAN switches to constrain multicast flooding.
If a host does not always send a Leave Group message, then these optimization techniques
quickly can break down because there is no mechanism to report that the individual host
has left the group, and multicast traffic for this group need not be forwarded out this port
on the switch.
Fortunately, most IGMPv2 implementations (including most UNIX systems as well as
Microsoft Windows 98 and NT V5.0) appear to find it easier to implement the Leave Group
processing by always sending a Leave Group message when the host leaves the group.
Checking whether the host was the last to respond to a query for the group takes
considerably more code.

IGMPv2 Group-Specific Query Messages

The other new message type in IGMPv2 is the Group-Specific Query, which is sent by the
IGMP Query Router, and whose purpose is exactly what its name impliesthat is, to query
a single group instead of all groups. In a Group-Specific Query, the Group Address field
contains the target group being queried. IGMPv2 hosts that receive this message respond
in the same manner as they do to a General Query.
In addition to the Group Address field containing the target group address, another
difference between Group-Specific Queries and General Queries is that Group-Specific
Queries further reduce Leave Group latency by using a much smaller value of Maximum
Response Time. The default is 1 second.

IGMPv2 Leave Process

Without an efficient Leave process, as is the case in IGMPv1, the router continues to
forward multicast traffic onto the local subnet for several minutes after the last host leaves
the group. The addition of the Leave Group and Group-Specific IGMPv2 messages,
coupled with the Maximum Response Time field, permit IGMPv2 to reduce the leave
latency to only a few seconds. This situation is a significant improvement over IGMPv1,
which has a worst-case leave latency of 3 minutes (assuming the default IGMPv1 timer
values are in use).
Figure 3-8 depicts IGMPv2s new Leave process. In this example, Hosts H2 and H3 are
currently members of multicast group 224.1.1.1, although Host H2 wants to leave the
group.

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Figure 3-8 IGMPv2 Leave ProcessHost H2 Leaves

224.1.1.1

H1

#1

224.1.1.1

H2

Leave to
224.0.0.2

#3

H3

Leave to
224.1.1.1

Group Specific
Query to 224.1.1.1

IGMPv2
Router A

#2

The sequence of events for Host H2 to leave the group is as follows:

1 Host H2 multicasts an IGMPv2 Leave Group message to the All-Routers (224.0.0.2)

multicast group to inform all routers on the subnet that it is leaving the group.
2 Router A (assumed to be the IGMP Query Router in this example) hears the Leave

Group message from Host H2. However, because routers keep a list only of the group
memberships that are active on a subnetnot individual hosts that are members
Router A sends a Group-Specific Query to determine whether any hosts remain for
group 224.1.1.1. Note that the Group-Specific Query is multicast to the target group
(that is, 224.1.1.1). Therefore, only hosts that are members of this group will respond.
3 Host H3 is still a member of group 224.1.1.1 and, therefore, hears the Group-Specific

Query and responds to the query with an IGMPv2 Membership Report to inform the
routers on the subnet that a member of this group is still present. Notice that the
Report Suppression mechanism is used here, just as in the General Query case, to
avoid an implosion of responses when multiple members of the group are on the
subnet.
Host H3 is now the last remaining member of group 224.1.1.1. Now, assume that Host H3
also wants to leave the group, as shown in Figure 3-9.

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71

Figure 3-9 IGMPv2 Leave ProcessH3 Leaves

#1
H1

224.1.1.1

H2

H3

Leave to
224.0.0.2
#2
Group Specific
Query to 224.1.1.1

IGMPv2
Router A

#3
No Response
Group 224.1.1.1
Membership Deleted

The following sequence of events occurs when Host H3 leaves the group:
1 Host H3 multicasts an IGMPv2 Leave Group message to the All-Routers (224.0.0.2)

multicast group to inform all routers on the subnet that it is leaving the group.
2 Again, Router A hears the Leave Group message (this time from Host H3) and sends

a Group-Specific Query to determine whether any hosts remain for group 224.1.1.1.
3 There are now no remaining members of group 224.1.1.1 on the subnet; therefore, no

hosts respond to the Group-Specific Query. Getting no response, Router A waits a

Last Member Query Interval (the default is 1 second) and sends another GroupSpecific Query to which there is still no response. (The default number of tries is two.)
At this point, Router A times out the group and stops forwarding its traffic onto the
subnet.
Figure 3-10 depicts how the new mechanisms in IGMPv2 have reduced the leave latency.

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Figure 3-10 IGMPv2 Leave Group Timing

Leave Latency < 3 seconds

Group
Specific
Query

Group
Specific
Query

Query Router
Time
Last Host

Last Host Query Resp.

Interval = 1 sec

Last Host Query Resp.

Interval = 1 sec

Leave
Group

Instead of a total leave latency of roughly two complete query intervals, or 3 minutes, the
leave latency is now less than 3 seconds.

Querier Election Process

Another important feature added in version 2 of IGMP is the Querier Election process.
Instead of depending on the upper-layer multicast routing protocol, IGMPv2 uses the IP
addresses in General Query messages to elect the IGMP Query Router via the following
procedure:
1 When IGMPv2 routers start, they each multicast an IGMPv2 General Query message

to the All-Multicast-Systems group (224.0.0.1) with their interface address in the

Source IP Address field of the message.
2 When an IGMPv2 router receives a General Query message, the router compares the

source IP address in the message with its own interface address. The router with the
lowest IP address on the subnet is elected the IGMP Querier.
3 All non-querier routers start a querier timer that is reset whenever a General Query

message is received from the IGMP Querier. The default duration of this timer is two
times the Query Interval, or 250 seconds. If the querier timer expires, it is assumed
that the IGMP Querier has gone down, and the election process is run again to elect a
new IGMP Querier.

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Early IGMPv2 Implementations

Although IGMPv2 was ratified only recently by the IETF, early implementations based on
the IETF working drafts have been around for some time. Not surprisingly, some minor
differences exist between the final specification and these early implementations. Some of
the last minute changes/additions to the IGMPv2 specification are

Query Interval timerThis timer was changed to 125 seconds. Early

implementations used a value of 60 seconds. This discrepancy can cause a problem
when a router with an early implementation is operating on the same LAN as a router
that is the IGMP Querier and is IGMPv2 compliant. In this case, the early
implementation router may believe erroneously that the IGMP Querier (the IGMPv2compliant router) has gone down because the General Queries are 125 seconds apart.

Router Alert optionThis IP packet header option was added late in the definition
to address some IGMP security issues. Early implementations of IGMPv2 running in
hosts may not send IGMP messages with the Router Alert option in the IP header. The
omission can cause a problem if an IGMPv2-compliant router is configured to ignore
IGMP messages without the Router Alert option.

IGMPv1IGMPv2 Interoperability
Version 2 of IGMP is designed to be as backward compatible with version 1 as possible. To
accomplish this, some special interoperability rules are defined in RFC 2236. The next few
sections examine interoperability scenarios:

V2 Host/v1 RoutersDefines how a version 2 host must behave in the presence of

an older version 1 router on the same LAN.

V1 Host/v2 RoutersDefines how a version 2 router must behave in the presence of

an older version 1 host on the same LAN.

Mixed v1 and v2 RoutersDefines how a version 2 router must behave in the

presence of an older version 1 router on the same LAN.

V2 Host/V1 Routers Interoperability

Version 1 routers see an IGMPv2 report as an invalid IGMP message type and ignore it.
Therefore, to maintain proper group membership, a version 2 host must send IGMPv1
reports when a version 1 router is active as the IGMP Querier. Figure 3-11 shows a
version 2 host on a LAN with an IGMPv1 Query Router.

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Chapter 3: Internet Group Management Protocol

Figure 3-11 IGMPv2 Host and IGMPv1 Router Interaction

#2
IGMPv1

H1

IGMPv2

IGMPv1

H2

H3

IGMPv1
Report

IGMPv1
Query

IGMPv1
Router A

RULE

#1

When a version 2 host detects that the IGMP Querier is a version 1 router, it must always
respond with IGMPv1 Reports. A version 2 host may also suppress sending Leave Group
messages in this situation.

Version 2 hosts can detect the difference between IGMPv1 and IGMPv2 Queries by
examining the octet corresponding to the Maximum Response Time field. In IGMPv1
Queries, this field is zero (and is interpreted as 100, or 10 seconds, by version 2 hosts),
whereas in IGMPv2 Queries it contains a nonzero Maximum Response Time value. When
an IGMPv1 Query is heard, the host marks the interface as an IGMPv1 interface and ceases
sending IGMPv2 messages.
To maintain this interface state, the version 2 host starts a 400-second version 1 router
present countdown timer whenever an IGMPv1 Query is received on the interface. This
timer is reset (back to 400 seconds) when another IGMPv1 Query is received. If the
version 1 router present countdown timer expires, the interface is marked back to an
IGMPv2 interface and IGMPv2 messages may once again be sent.

RULE

A version 2 host must allow its Membership Reports to be suppressed by either IGMPv1 or
IGMPv2 Membership Reports.

In order to maintain the proper operation of the Report Suppression mechanism, version 2
hosts also must be prepared to receive either IGMPv1 or IGMPv2 Reports from other hosts
on the LAN and to suppress their reports in the normal fashion.

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75

V1 Host / V2 Routers
Figure 3-12 shows a version 1 host on a LAN with a version 2 IGMP Query Router.
Version 1 hosts respond in the normal fashion to either IGMPv1 or IGMPv2 Queries
because IGMPv2 Queries have essentially the same format. Only the second octet differs
in an IGMPv2 message and is ignored by a version 1 host.
Figure 3-12 IGMPv1 Host and IGMPv2 Router Interaction
#3
IGMPv2

H1

IGMPv1

#2
IGMPv2

H2

H3

224.1.1.1
V2 Report

224.1.1.1
V1 Report

IGMPv2
Query

IGMPv2
Router A

#1

As a result, if a version 2 router is the IGMP Querier and there are version 1 hosts on the
LAN that are also members of a group, then IGMPv1 Reports for that group are always
received. This situation exists because IGMPv2 Reports do not trigger Report Suppression
in version 1 hosts. Version 1 hosts do not understand IGMPv2 Reports and, therefore,
ignore them. Thus, in some situations, as shown in Figure 3-12, both an IGMPv1 Report
and an IGMPv2 Report are received in response to a General Query.

RULE

Version 2 routers must set a version 1 host present countdown timer associated with the
group reported to note that there is a version 1 host on the LAN that is a member of this
group. This timer should be the same as the Group Membership Interval.
While version 1 hosts are present for a particular group, routers must ignore any Leave
Group messages received for the group.

If the IGMP Query Router were to process Leave Group messages, it would respond by
sending a Group-Specific Query to the group in the Leave Group message; however,
version 1 hosts ignore this message as an invalid IGMPv1 message type. If the version 1
host is the last member of the group, then there is no response to the Group-Specific Query
and the version 2 routers on the subnet incorrectly time out this group. For this reason, the
IGMPv2 Leave process is suspended for a group whenever a version 1 host is a member of
the group.

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Mixed V1 and V2 Routers Interoperability

The initial draft implementations of IGMPv2 made several attempts at automatic detection
of IGMPv1 routers and dynamic IGMPv1 mode configuration. None of these methods were
reliable, however, which led to another rule.

RULE

If any version 1 routers are present on a subnet, the use of IGMPv1 must be administratively
configured on all routers in the subnet.

The Possibilities of IGMPv3

Before IGMP version 2 even was ratified, work already had begun on version 3. Although
it is far too early to begin implementing code based on the IGMPv3 specification, it is worth
looking at one of the key enhancements this new version of IGMP promises to provide.
A common problem, particularly in multimedia conferencing, is that when a host joins a
multicast group, it is basically requesting that traffic from all sources in the group be
delivered to the hosts subnet. Although several sources may be actively sending traffic to
the group, a host actually may want to receive traffic from just one source.
For example, assume that a multimedia audio conference is in session and a speaker is
delivering a lecture. What happens if one member of the conference begins to jam the
session maliciously by talking or sending music? This scenario is a growing possibility as
multicast multimedia conferences on the Internet come under attack by a small segment of
the Internet community that interferes by jamming the conference with unwanted audio.
Most audio multimedia conferencing tools have a widget that allows the user to mute any
of the other members, thereby silencing the audio of this malicious user. Unfortunately, this
measure does not stop the flow of the unwanted traffic from being delivered to the hosts
subnet. This malicious behavior can take the form of a denial of service attack when the
jammers traffic stream exceeds or congests the traffic flow to the hosts subnet.
IGMPv3 may provide a key that will help to solve this problem by giving conference
members more control over the sources they want to receive via the network. Version 3 of
IGMP extends the Join/Leave mechanism beyond multicast groups to permit joins and
leaves to be issued for specific source/group pairs via IGMPv3 (S, G) Join/Leave messages
(as shown in Figure 3-13).

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Summary

77

Figure 3-13 IGMPv3 (S, G) Join/Leaves

Source = 1.1.1.1
Group = 224.1.1.1

R1

R2

Source = 2.2.2.2
Group = 224.1.1.1

R3

IGMPv3:
Join 1.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1
Leave 2.2.2.2, 224.1.1.1

H1 - Member of 224.1.1.1

In this example, two sources, 1.1.1.1 and 2.2.2.2 are both multicasting to group 224.1.1.1.
Host H1 wants to receive traffic addressed to this group from Source 1.1.1.1 but not from
Source 2.2.2.2. To do so, H1 sends an IGMPv3 message containing a list of (S, G)s that it
wishes to join and a list of (S, G)s that it wishes to leave. Router R3 can now use this
information to prune traffic from Source 2.2.2.2 so that only Source 1.1.1.1 traffic is being
delivered to R3. For more information on IGMPv3, see http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/
draft-ietf-idmr-igmp-v3-00.txt.

Summary
In this chapter, youve seen how IGMP is used as the basic signaling mechanism to inform
the routers on a subnet of a hosts desire to become a member of a particular multicast
group. IGMPv2 extended this signaling mechanism to allow hosts to signal when they no
longer wanted to belong to a multicast group. This extension to the protocol significantly
has reduced the leave latency that, in turn, allows routers and switches to respond quickly
and shut off the flow of unnecessary multicast traffic to parts of the networks where it is no
longer needed.
Finally, it is important to remember that IGMP is the only mechanism a host can use to
signal routers of its desire to receive multicast traffic for a specific group. Hosts are neither
aware of, nor should they be concerned with, which routing protocol is in use by the routers
in the network. Instead, the routers in the network are responsible for knowing and
understanding the multicast routing protocol in use and for making sure that the multicast
traffic is delivered to the members of the group throughout the network.

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CHAPTER

Multimedia Multicast
Applications
For many people, the first thing the term IP multicast brings to mind is video conferencing.
Therefore, it is very likely that your first exposure to a multicast application will be one of
the many exciting multimedia applications used for video and audio conferencing. Because
these multimedia conferencing applications are so popular, taking a closer look at some of
them makes sense.
This chapter starts by exploring some of the underlying protocols used by multimedia
conferencing applications. The first twoReal-Time Protocol (RTP) and its companion
protocol, Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP)are used to encapsulate the multimedia
conference audio and video data streams and to monitor the delivery of the data to the endstations in the conference. Next, this chapter examines the Session Announcement Protocol
(SAP) and the Session Description Protocol (SDP). Conference-directory applications use
these protocols to announce and to learn about the existence of the multimedia conference
session in the network. Finally, this chapter looks at the popular MBone multimedia
conferencing applications that provide video and audio conferencing as well as some
limited data sharing.

Real-Time Protocol
RTP is a network layer protocol, documented in RFC 1889, that permits applications to
transmit various types of real-time payloads such as audio, video, or other data that has realtime characteristics. RTP typically rides on top of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and can
be used over either unicast or multicast data streams. The protocol also provides payload
type identification, sequence numbering, and timestamping, as well as a mechanism to
monitor the delivery of the data.
RTP itself does not provide any guaranteed delivery mechanisms and normally relies on the
lower-layer protocol to perform this function. Because it frequently rides on top of IP and
UDP (as is the case for most multicast multimedia applications), however, RTP depends on
the application to deal with the problems of lost datagrams and out-of-order delivery. These
conditions can be detected by the use of the Sequence Number field in the RTP header.

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RTP consists of two components:

The RTP component, which carries the real-time data.

The RTP Control Protocol (RTCP) component, which provides information about the
participants of a session and monitors the delivery of data by using some simple
quality-of-service measurements, such as packet loss and jitter.

The next section provides an audio conference example to describe the properties of RTP
further.

Using RTP and RTCP to Audio Conference: An Example

Multimedia multicast applications typically allocate a multicast group address and two
ports: one for the RTP data stream (in this case audio) and the other for the RTCP control
stream. In most cases, the control port is numerically one higher than the data port.
The incoming audio signal is sampled in small, fixed time slots (for example, 40 ms) by the
audio application. The audio from these time slots then is encoded using one of several
audio-encoding schemes (pulse code modulation [PCM], adaptive differential pulse code
modulation [ADPCM], linear predicative coding [LPC], and so on), and the encoded data
is placed inside of an RTP packet. The header of the RTP packet contains a sequence
number and a timestamp as well as an indication of the encoding scheme used.

NOTE

The Robust Audio Tool (RAT) is an audio conferencing application that uses multiple
encoding methods to provide some redundancy to the audio data stream. The RTP packet
contains an audio sample encoded using a primary encoding scheme followed by one or
more audio samples encoded using some secondary encoding scheme. The audio samples
that follow the primary sample are delayed slightly so that they can be used as an alternative
if the primary data in a previous RTP packet is lost or corrupted.

When the audio application receives an RTP packet, the sequence number and timestamp
in the RTP header are used to recover the senders timing information and determine how
many packets have been lost. The encoded audio data sample in the RTP packet then is
placed in a play-out buffer with previously received audio samples. The audio samples are
placed in the play-out buffer in contiguous order based on their sequence number and
timestamp so that when they are decoded and played out to the speaker, the original audio
is recovered.

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81

The play-out buffer also serves as a de-jitter buffer. Congestion on the network can lead to
variable interpacket arrival times that result in choppy audio playback. By using a larger
play-out buffer and then delaying the play out of the data until the buffer is nearly full,
variations in jitter can be smoothed out and choppy audio playback avoided. The downside
of using a large play-out buffer is that it introduces delay in the audio stream. The delay is
not a problem for one-way audio broadcasts, but it can become a problem if the application
is an interactive audio conferencing tool.
Because it is useful to know who is participating in the conference and how well they are
receiving the transmission, the audio application periodically multicasts a receiver report
(RR) in an RTCP packet on the control port. These receiver reports contain the users name
and information on the number of packets lost and the interarrival jitter for each source in
the conference. Senders can use this information to determine how well their transmissions
are being received by each receiver and, in some cases, change to some other encoding
method to try to improve the reception. RTCP is described in more detail in the next section.
Senders also periodically multicast sender reports (SRs) in RTCP packets to the same
control port. These sender reports contain the same information as receiver reports but also
include a 20-byte sender information section that contains timestamps, bytes sent, and
packets sent on the data port. Members of the group can use this information to compute
round-trip time (RTT) information and other statistics on the traffic flow.

RTP Control Protocol

All RTP-based applications use RTCP periodically to transmit session control information
to all participants of the conference to accomplish the following functions:
1 Provide feedback on the quality of data reception and, in many cases, modify

encoding schemes to improve overall reception quality. Third-party applications can

also use this information to diagnose delivery problems and to determine areas of the
network that are suffering poor reception quality.
2 Uniquely identify each transport layer source in the conference by the use of a

canonical name (CNAME). This CNAME may be used to associate several data
streams from a given participant as part of a single multimedia session. This is
important if you are trying to synchronize audio and video data streams.
3 Transmit RTCP packets so the total number of participants can be determined. This is

required of all participants in order to accomplish functions 1 and 2. The information

is necessary so that the rate at which RTCP control data is transmitted can be adjusted
to some small percentage of the total session bandwidth.
4 Distribute information (username, location, and so on) that identifies the participants

in the session in a user-friendly manner. This information normally is displayed in the

user interface of the application.

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If you are using RTP over IP multicast, functions 1, 2, and 3 are mandatory to allow the
application to scale to a large number of participants. The fact that many of the popular
multimedia multicast applications use the RTP model has the following very important
implication on multicast network design:
Every end-station in an RTP-based multimedia multicast session is a source of
multicast traffic!
Even if the end-station is tuned in only to the video broadcast of the company meeting and
actually is not sending any audio or video data, it still is multicasting periodic RTCP
packets and, therefore, is a multicast source and receiver. Because the end-station is sending
multicast traffic also (albeit at a low rate), this traffic is likely to cause a multicast state to
be instantiated in some or all routers in the network, depending on the multicast routing
protocol in use. The additional state generated by these so-called receiving end-stations
should be (and more often is not) considered when doing multicast network design, because
some multicast protocols do not scale well with large numbers of senders.

Session Announcement Protocol

The Session Announcement Protocol (SAP) is an announcement protocol for multicast
conference sessions and was developed by the Multiparty Multimedia Session Control
(MMUSIC) working group of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The current
version of SAP (SAPv1) is described in IETF draft, draft-ietf-mmusic-sap-00.txt.
SAP clients announce their conference sessions periodically by multicasting SAP packets
containing session information to an appropriate well-known multicast address and port.
The session information inside the packet uses the Session Description Protocol (SDP),
which is described in the Session Description Protocol section of this chapter. When
privacy is desired, the SDP information may be encrypted optionally to avoid its being read
by unauthorized parties.
This section continues with a discussion on SAP announcements and their bandwidth
limitations.

SAP Announcements
The well-known multicast address and port used to multicast a SAP announcement depends
on the multicast scope mechanism in effect at the SAP client. The scope of a multicast
session is based either on the sessions time-to-live (TTL) value or on an administrative
address range that falls within the 239.0.0.0 through 239.255.255.255 multicast address
range.

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If TTL-scoped announcements are in use, the well-known address is 224.2.127.254 and the
UDP port is 9875. TTL-scoped session announcements always are multicast with the same
TTL with which the session is multicast.
If administrative-scoped announcements are in use, then a reserved address within the
administratively scoped zone (usually the highest address) is used along with a well-known
port. Therefore, SAP clients may need to listen to several multicast groups to receive all
announcements when administrative-scoped announcements are in use.

NOTE

Because of the complexities of administratively scoped zone discovery, administrativescoped announcements are seldom used.

SAP Bandwidth Limits

SAP announcements are rate limited so that the amount of network bandwidth consumed
does not grow without bound. When TTL-scoped announcements are in use, the rate at
which SAP announcements are multicast depends on the TTL scope of the session and the
total number of announcements being sent by other SAP clients in the network. Table 4-1
lists the bandwidth limits for each TTL scope as documented in the SAP specification. A
SAP client limits the rate of its announcements so that total bandwidth consumed by all
announcements in the network of a particular TTL scope do not exceed these limits.
Table 4-1

TTL-Scoped Bandwith Limits

TTL

Bandwidth

1 to 15

2 kbps

16 to 63

1 kbps

64 to 127

1 kbps

128 to 255

200 bps

Therefore, as the numbers of session announcements in the network grow, the less
frequently a SAP client announces its sessions.
When administratively scoped announcements are in use, the total bandwidth for all
announcement traffic within an administratively scoped zone is recommended to be no
more than 500 bps.

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Session Description Protocol

The Session Description Protocol (SDP) is the companion protocol to SAP and is used
to encode the actual session information. SDP was also developed in the Multiparty
Multimedia Session Control (MMUSIC) working group of the IETF and is defined
currently in the IETF draft document, draft-ietf-mmusic-sdp-xx.txt.
This section continues with a description of SDPs message format, an overview of its
information description types, and a sample SDP session description.

SDP Message Format

The word Protocol in Session Description Protocol is somewhat misleading. SDP is not
really a transport protocol in the same sense as SAP. SDP is actually an ASCII-text-based
format specification that uses a number of lines of text to describe a session. Each line of
text in a SDP announcement has the form
type=value

where type is a SDP Description Type that is always exactly one case-significant character.
value is a structured text string whose format depends on type and typically is made up of
several fields delimited by a single space character or a free-format string. SDP Description
Types are described in more detail in the next section.
Each SDP session description starts with a session-level section denoted by a v= line as the
first line. The session-level section describes the session in general and is applicable to all
media streams in the session. This section is followed by zero or more media-level sections,
each beginning with an m= line. These media-level sections provide detailed information
about a single media stream in the session.

SDP Information Description Types

A complete description of all the SDP description types is beyond the scope of this book.
If you really want to break apart a SDP message to see what the fields mean, then I
encourage you to refer to the IETF draft document that defines SDP. Although SDP session
descriptions are in textual form, they are not very easy to readunless, of course, you are
a serious geek like I am, in which case you may find them fascinating reading. It is useful,
however, to understand at least the sort of information that can be carried in a SDP session
description.
Table 4-2 lists the session description types used in the session-level section of a SDP
session description. The information types in the session-level section must appear in the
order shown in Table 4-2. Types shown in boldface on the table are mandatory; all others
are optional.

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Table 4-2

85

SDP Session Description Types

Type

Description

v=

Protocol version

o=

Owner/creator and session ID

s=

Session name

i=

Session information

u=

URL of description

e=

E-mail address

p=

Phone number

c=

Connection information (option if included in all media)

b=

Bandwidth information

t=

Time the session is active

r=

Repeat times

z=

Time zone adjustments

k=

Encryption key

a=

Zero or more attribute lines

Following the session-level section are zero or more media-level sections, each describing
one of the media streams in the session. The media description types used in these medialevel sections are shown in Table 4-3 and must appear in the order as shown. Types shown
in boldface on the table are mandatory; all others are optional. The attribute (a=)
information type is used primarily to extend SDP so that it may carry information specific
to a particular media tool.
Table 4-3

SDP Media Description Types

Type

Description

m=

Media name and transport address

c=

Connection information (option if included at session-level)

b=

Bandwidth information

k=

Encryption key

a=

Zero or more attribute lines

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Sample SDP Session Description

To satisfy the curiosity of readers who want to see a SDP session description, I have
included one from the SDP specification in Example 4-1. (If you unexpectedly find reading
this example really interesting, I suspect you may have a latent geek tendency.)
Example 4-1

Sample SDP Session Description

v=0
o=mhandley 2890844526 2890842807 IN IP4 126.16.64.4
s=SDP Seminar
i=A Seminar on the session description protocol
u=http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/M.Handley/sdp.03.ps
[email protected] (Mark Handley)
c=IN IP4 224.2.17.12/127
t=2873397496 2873404696
a=recvonly
m=audio 49170 RTP/AVP 0
m=video 51372 RTP/AVP 31
m=application 32416 udp wb
a=orient:portrait

Some of the fields in Example 4-1 have fairly obvious meanings (well, at least they are to
me because I am definitely a geek). For example:

s=SDP Seminar is the session name and i=A Seminar on the session description
protocol is the session description.

The c=IN IP4 224.2.17.12/127 line states that all media streams in the session are
transmitting on multicast group 224.2.17.12 with a TTL of 127 using Internet protocol
IP version 4.

m=audio 49170 RTP/AVP 0 states that the audio media stream is using port 49170
to transmit RTP encapsulated audio data whose encoding format is described by RTP
Audio/Video profile 0.

The m=video 51372 RTP/AVP 0 line states that the video media stream is using port
51372 to transmit video data whose encoding format is described by RTP Audio/
Video profile 31.

MBone Multimedia Conferencing Applications

Without a doubt, the most widely used multimedia conferencing applications are the
MBone freeware applications that provide audio, video, and electronic whiteboard and
session directory services. Your introduction to IP multicast applications is likely to be with
one or more of these multimedia conferencing applications.

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These applications initially were developed to run on UNIX platforms, and versions are
available that run on most popular UNIX workstations including SunOS, Solaris, HP-UX,
FreeBSD, Linux, and several others. Several of the applications also have been ported (with
varying degrees of success) to run on Microsoft Windows 95 and NT platforms.
You can download these applications from several sites on the World Wide Web. One
of my favorites is the Multimedia Conferencing Applications Archive located at
http://www.video.ja.net/mice/index.html.
The next few sections briefly introduce the following popular MBone conferencing
applications:

SDRSession Directory Tool

VATMBone Multimedia Audio Tool
VICMBone Multimedia Video Tool
WBShared Whiteboard Tool

SDRSession Directory Tool

Before you can join a multimedia session, you need to know what multicast group address
and port are being used for the session. It would also be nice to know when the session is
going to be active and what sort of applications (audio, video, and so forth) are necessary
to run on your workstation to participate. The MBone Session Directory tool (SDR) was
developed to help accomplish this task. The R in SDR stands for revised. The original
Session Directory tool (SD), which was written by Lawrence Berkley Labs, is now
obsolete.
SDR is a multicast application that listens for SAP packets on a well-known IP multicast
group (for example, 224.2.127.254). These SAP packets contain a session description, the
time the session is active, its IP multicast group addresses, media format, contact person,
and other information about the advertised multimedia session. The information inside the
SAP packet is formatted using the ASCII-text-based SDP described in the Session
Description Protocol section earlier in this chapter.
The following sections describe SDRs Session Announcement window, information
caching, launching applications with SDR, and SDRs media plug-ins.

SDR Session Announcement Window

Figure 4-1 shows SDRs Session Announcement window. Each line corresponds to a
multimedia session announcement that SDR received in a SAP packet. As these packets are
received, SDR updates this window by adding the multimedia session name to the list.
SDR, therefore, permits you to learn what multimedia sessions are being announced in the
network.

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Figure 4-1 SDRs Session Announcement Window

NOTE

Note that Ive said announced here, as it is possible to run multicast applications that are
not announced by SDR. By announcing a session using SDR, however, the session creator
simplifies the task of joining the session for others. Its not uncommon for IP multicast
beginners to misunderstand how SDR works. They frequently seem to think that SDR
magically detects any and all IP multicast traffic in the network and displays this
information on the screen. The reality is that if someone doesnt announce a multicast
session by sending SAP multicast packets to SDRs well-known multicast group address,
then SDR has no idea the multicast session exists. By the same token, just because a session
is listed in SDRs main window doesnt mean it is actually active in the network.

SDP Information Caching

As you recall from the Session Announcement Protocol section earlier in this chapter,
SAP packets (containing SDP information) are sent periodically by the SAP client
responsible for announcing the multimedia session. The rate at which a SAP client repeats
an announcement primarily depends on the total number of announcements being sent in
the network. Therefore, the greater the number of announcements in the network (which
equates to the number of lines in the SDR Session Announcement window), the less
frequently an announcement is repeated. Unfortunately, this means it may take anywhere
from minutes to hours for a newly activated SDR application to hear all announcements and
to build a complete listing of the multimedia sessions in the network.

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To avoid this problem, when the SDR program exits, it creates SDP cache files, each
containing the information from a single received SDP session description packet. When
SDR is next activated, it reads these SDP cache files as part of the initialization process and
prepopulates its multimedia session listing with the information from these SDP cache files.
This step eliminates the wait time to relearn the current multimedia sessions being
advertised on the network.

Launching Applications via SDR

Now that you have learned which sessions are advertised from the Session Announcement
window, you may opt to launch the appropriate IP multicast application(s) associated with
the media stream(s) that make up the multimedia session.
By clicking on a multimedia session title in the SDR main window, a Session Information
window such as the one shown in Figure 4-2 is opened. In this example, the NASA
Television multimedia session was clicked. Now, you can see the session information that
was contained in the SAP announcement packet received by SDR.
Figure 4-2 Session Information Window

At the top of the window is a description of this multimedia session along with scheduling
information to let you know when the session is active. Additional contact information
about the multimedia session creator such as name, e-mail address, and phone number can
be obtained by clicking the Contact Details bar in the center of the window. Although not
shown in this example, a More Information button may be displayed next to the Contact
Details button. This button is displayed when the session creator supplies a URL where the
user may obtain additional information about the session via the World Wide Web.

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NOTE

SDR comes with a built-in, albeit limited, Web browser that is launched when you click the
More Information button. If the user has another Web browser installed on the workstation,
SDR may be configured to launch this browser instead.

In the bottom portion of the Session Information window is a list of the media types in use
by this multimedia session, along with information regarding the IP multicast group
address, port number, TTL, and media encoding format. In this example, both an audio and
video media stream are associated with this session. We can join all media streams in the
multimedia session by clicking the Join button at the lower-left corner of the window. This
will launch the multicast applications associated with each media stream. You can also click
the individual Audio and/or Video media buttons to launch only the applications associated
with these media streams.

SDRs Media Plug-Ins

SDR uses plug-in configuration files to map various media streams to one or more media
tools for encoding/decoding of the media streams. These plug-in configuration files also
define the necessary switches that go along with the media encoding formats and attributes
so that SDR can launch the media tool with the necessary options. For example, when you
click on the Video button in the NASA Television channel example, SDR searches its list
of plug-ins for a match based on media type, protocol, and encoding format. In this case,
SDR finds a match on the built-in VIC media tool plug-in that has a video rtp h261
definition. If SDR finds a plug-in configuration match on more than one media tool, SDR
asks you to select the media tool you want to launch.
After determining which media tool to launch, SDR formats the command line with the
switches appropriate for the encoding formats and so on, launches the media tool, and
passes it the command line with all the switches. This step typically is done via the EXEC
call in a UNIX environment. Other operating system environments may use slightly
different techniques.
Application developers may extend SDRs list of media stream types and their associated
applications to support new applications. This process requires writing additional plug-in
configuration files that define media, protocol, encoding formats, switch information, and
so on and then placing the files in SDRs plug-in subdirectory. The details of writing plugin configuration files for new media tools are beyond the scope of this book. Details on this
process, however, may be found under SDRs Help option.

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VATMBone Multimedia Audio Tool

VAT, which is the MBones popular multimedia audio tool, provides a many-to-many audio
conference capability. Figure 4-3 shows an example of the main VAT conference window.
Figure 4-3 VAT Conference Window

On the left side of the window is a listing of all of the members of the audio conference.
When one of the members begins to speak, the small square to the left of the members
name is filled in with a black square and the audio is heard on the workstations speaker.
You may mute an individual member by clicking the box to the left of the members name,
or you can mute the entire conference by deselecting the Listen button above the speaker
icon.
The two sliders on the right side of the window control the speaker gain and the microphone
gain. Immediately to the left of these sliders are bar-graphstyle volume unit (VU) meters
that indicate the levels of the incoming and outgoing audio signals. (Note: Because no audio
is being sent or received in the example shown in Figure 4-3, the bar graph segments are
not visible.)
The right mouse button is used as your push-to-talk button and functions as long as the
mouse pointer is anywhere inside the VAT window. You should adjust your microphone
gain so that the bar graph only occasionally peaks into the red portion of the scale as you
talk.

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Clicking on the Menu button at the bottom of the window brings up the Options Menu
window shown in Figure 4-4. This menu allows you to control various aspects of VATs
operation.
Figure 4-4 VAT Options Menu

VAT Audio Encoding Formats

Using the center Network section of the menu shown in Figure 4-4, you can select different
audio encoding modes, depending on your bandwidth and desired audio quality. This
setting controls your transmitted audio only. VAT automatically determines the coding

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method used on all incoming audio and decodes it properly. The available encoding formats
are listed in decreasing order of bandwidth and audio quality in Table 4-4.
Table 4-4

VAT Audio Encoding Methods

Mode

BW

Encoding Method

PCM

78 kb/s

8-bit mu-law encoded 8 kHz PCM (20-ms frames)

PCM2

71 kb/s

8-bit mu-law encoded 8 kHz PCM (40-ms frames)

PCM4

68 kb/s

8-bit mu-law encoded 8 kHz PCM (80-ms frames)

DVI

46 kb/s

Intel DVI ADPCM (20-ms frames)

DVI2

39 kb/s

Intel DVI ADPCM (40-ms frames)

DVI4

36 kb/s

Intel DVI ADPCM (80-ms frames)

GSM

17 kb/s

GSM (80-ms frames)

LPC4

9 kb/s

Linear Predictive Coder (80-ms frames)

In the example shown in Figure 4-4, the selected mode is PCM2, which instructs VAT to
encode the audio using PCM 8-bit mu-law using an 8-kHz clock and 40-ms samples.

VAT Audio Playback Modes

VAT has two playback modes that can be selected in the Network section of the menu
window: Conference mode and Lecture mode. These options control how dynamically VAT
adjusts the size of the playout buffer that is used to de-jitter the arriving audio data packets.
In Conference mode, which is selected if the Lecture button on the menu is not pressed,
VAT vigorously attempts to keep the size of the playout buffer small in order to reduce
delay. Excessive delay can be annoying in an interactive conference in which multiple
speakers are active. On the other hand, if only a single speaker is talking, such as in the case
of an audio broadcast, delay is not really an issue. In these cases, keeping the playout buffer
too small can result in choppy audio when packets arrive too late. Selecting Lecture mode
tells VAT to reduce the size of the playout buffer much more gradually in response to
decreasing interarrival times of audio data.

NOTE

The RecvOnly button that appears directly under the Lecture button on the VAT Options
menu (Figure 4-4) simply disables the microphone and prevents accidental transmission of
any audio.

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VICMBone Multimedia Video Tool

VIC is the MBone multimedia video tool that provides many-to-many video conferencing
capabilities. Figure 4-5 presents an example of VIC showing multiple video streams being
received on the popular Places all over the world session. Notice that the VIC tool is capable
of receiving and displaying all the video sources in the session simultaneously.
Figure 4-5 VIC MBone Multimedia Video Tool

Places all over the world is a just-for-fun session where various participants send low-rate
video of their part of the world. Senders are requested to keep their video transmission rates
below 10 kb/s so that excessive network bandwidth is not consumed. The window to the
right of each image is a sender information block, which gives some basic information
about the sender.

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In this example, the senders name and location are shown along with the current frame rate
(0.5 f/s) and transmission rate (11 kb/s). The value shown in the parentheses is the current
loss rate and indicates how well the video stream is being received. You can obtain even
more information about this video source by clicking the Info button in the lower-right
corner of the sender information block. The Info pull-down menu is shown in Figure 4-6.
Figure 4-6 Info Pull-Down Menu

Selecting Site Info on the pull-down menu displays the Site Info window as shown in
Figure 4-7.
Figure 4-7 VAT Site Information Window

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This window gives additional information about the video source including the encoding
method (h261), image size (352x288 pixels), tools (VIC-2.8 running on a SunOS-5.6
UNIX platform), e-mail address of the sender, and so on. The last two lines reflect the last
time that an RTP packet was received and the last time an RTCP packet was received from
this source. These are updated periodically.
You can also obtain additional RTP statistics on the data stream by using the Stats button at
the bottom of this window or by selecting RTP Stats from the Info pull-down menu shown
previously in Figure 4-6.
Figure 4-8 is an example of the RTP Statistics displayed using either of these two methods.
This information can be very useful when attempting to debug a video-quality problem.
Figure 4-8 RTP Statistics Display

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Displaying Video
Viewing the images in the main VIC window is difficult because of their small size. By
clicking on the desired thumbnail image in VICs main window, however, you can launch
another window that contains this video, as shown in Figure 4-9. The Size button at the
bottom of this window allows you to select several different display sizes and window
formats.
Figure 4-9 Expanded VIC Source Window

Clicking on the Modes button at the bottom of the window displays the Modes pull-down
menu shown in Figure 4-10.

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Figure 4-10 VIC Modes Pull-Down Menu

This menu allows you to enable the voice-switched and/or timer-switched display modes.
If voice-switched mode is enabled, the video in the window switches to the speaker, using
cues that it receives from VAT. If the timer-switched mode is enabled, the video in the
window cycles through all unmuted video sources in the session. The other two options on
this menu have to do with the use of hardware video decoders and are beyond the scope of
this book.

Transmitting Video
If you are lucky enough to have a camera to source your own video, you need to call up
VICs Menu window, shown in Figure 4-11, to set some transmission parameters before
you start transmitting.

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Figure 4-11 VICs Menu Window

At the top of the window are the control sliders that limit transmission bandwidth and frame
rate. You want to adjust these to ensure that you dont consume too much network
bandwidth. In the Places all over the world session example, senders should adjust these
sliders to ensure that their video doesnt exceed 10 kbps, thereby minimizing the total
bandwidth consumed by all video sources in the multicast session.

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Immediately below the Transmission section is the Encoder section that allows you to select
the video encoding methods and options. The most common video encoding is h261, which
is a video compression method designed primarily for video conferencing over low-rate
(less than 128 kbps) lines.
The Encoder section also has a Quality slider you can use to modify further the amount of
bandwidth the transmitted video uses at the expense of image quality. For example, when
transmitting h261 encoded video, reducing the Quality value results in a decrease in image
resolution and a decrease in the bandwidth consumed for a given frame rate. Increasing the
Quality value has the opposite effect. The remaining items on the menu are not discussed
here, as they are beyond the scope of this book.

WBShared Whiteboard Tool

Just as its name implies, Whiteboard (the application name is simply wb) is an electronic
whiteboard that members of the multicast session may share. Whiteboard differs from the
other multimedia conferencing applications already discussed in this chapter in that it uses
a reliable multicast protocol to guarantee data delivery to all participants. If the delivery of
data was not guaranteed, all participants in the session might not see the same thing on their
whiteboards.

NOTE

Audio and video data, especially for interactive conferences, must be delivered to all
participants at a constant rate. The amount of time it takes to retransmit a missed audio or
video packet is much too long for the retransmitted audio data to arrive in time. Therefore,
audio and video data streams usually are not transmitted over a guaranteed transport
mechanism. Whiteboard data, on the other hand, does not lose its significance if its delivery
is a second or two late. Therefore, it is reasonable to employ some form of retransmission
method to guarantee data delivery.

Figure 4-12 shows an example of the Whiteboard application. Users can make use of
several graphics tools (shown in the menu along the right edge of the display) to draw on
the whiteboard, including the typing of text directly on the whiteboard.

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Figure 4-12 WBThe Electronic Whiteboard

Buttons along the bottom-left corner of the whiteboard permit users to import text or
PostScript files or create a new blank whiteboard page. When a user creates a new
whiteboard page, previous pages are not lost. Instead, the slider in the lower corner allows
users to switch between whiteboard pages in the session. Immediately to the left of the
slider is the name of the participant who created the currently displayed whiteboard page
along with a page number.

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Summary
The MBone multimedia conferencing applications described in this chapter are powerful
communication tools that can run over multicast-enabled networks. Its unfortunate that so
many newcomers to IP multicast networking think of video conferencing as the primary
reason to implement an IP multicast network. The reality is that video frequently provides
very little value to most conferences and usually consumes considerable amounts of
bandwidth. After the novelty of video conferencing wears off, many people find that an
audio-only conference using VAT, coupled with an electronic whiteboard, generally is more
productive and cost-effective than a full-blown video conference. As other multicast-based
data-sharing applications become commonplace, these audio plus data-sharing conferences
probably will become the long-awaited killer application that causes the demand for IP
multicast networks to take off.

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PART

II

Multicast Routing
Protocol Overview
This part is entirely devoted to providing an overview of the most popular intra-domain multicast routing
protocols that are either currently in use or, as in the case of Core-Based Trees (CBTs), at least well
defined by the IETF. Although some of these protocols have been used for inter-domain multicast routing,
this part focuses only on their use for intra-domain multicast routing.
Chapter 5 is a fairly in-depth discussion of the first widely used multicast routing protocol, Distance
Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP). This protocol is covered in great detail because a sound
understanding of DVMRP is necessary to fully comprehend later chapters in the book that address
interconnecting Cisco routers to DVMRP networks.
Chapters 6 and 7 provide details on the two modes of operation of the Protocol Independent Multicast
(PIM) routing protocol. Chapter 6 presents the details of PIM dense mode (PIM-DM) protocol operation,
while Chapter 7 covers the details of PIM sparse mode (PIM-SM) protocol operation. These two PIM
protocols (PIM-SM in particular) are the primary focus of this book. These two chapters are the key to
understanding IP multicast in a Cisco network.
Chapter 8 presents a brief overview of CBTs. While this protocol is not deployed to any significant
degree, it has been the subject of much work in the IETF and is presented to provide a somewhat complete
treatise on the topic of multicast routing protocols.
Chapter 9 presents the details of Multicast Open Shortest Path First (MOSPF), which is really a multicast
routing extension to the existing OSPF unicast routing protocol.
While the chapters in this part are not intended to cover every protocol to the same extent, you should have
sufficient information to make an informed decision as to which protocol best suits your networking
needs.

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CHAPTER

Distance Vector
Multicast Routing Protocol
Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) was the first true multicast routing
protocol to see widespread use. Based on Steve Deerings seminal work, DVMRP is similar
in many ways to Routing Information Protocol (RIP) with some minor variations added to
support multicast.
Some key characteristics of DVMRP are

Distance vector based (similar to RIP)

Periodic route updates (every 60 seconds)
Infinity = 32 hops (versus 16 for RIP)
Poison Reverse has special meaning
Classless (that is, route updates include masks)

Currently, not all router vendors implement the same multicast routing protocols. However,
most vendors support DVMRP to some degree; hence, it has become the Esperanto of
multicast routing protocols and can be used between virtually all routers. As a result, this
chapter explores DVMRP in a little more depth than comparable chapters explore their
respective protocols. This information is presented simply to lay a firm foundation for later
chapters on Ciscos Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM)-DVMRP interoperability
features. This chapter offers comprehensive information on the following topics: DVMRP
Neighbor Discovery, route tables, exchanging DVMRP Route Reports, source distribution
trees, multicast forwarding, pruning, grafting, and scalability.

DVMRP Neighbor Discovery

DVMRP Neighbor Discovery, as you will soon discover (sorry about the pun) is important
because DVMRP routers must maintain a database of DVMRP adjacencies with other
DVMRP routers. This is especially true when DVMRP is operating over multiaccess
networks, such as Ethernet, FDDI, and so forth, because the network can have many
DVMRP routers. As you will see later in this chapter, the normal operation of a DVMRP
router requires it to know its DVMRP neighbors on each interface.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

To accomplish this, DVMRP Probe messages are periodically multicast to the All DVMRP
Router group address (224.0.0.4). Figure 5-1 shows the DVMRP Neighbor Discovery
mechanism in action between two DVMRP routers connected to a common Ethernet
network.
Figure 5-1 DVMRP Neighbor Discovery
171.68.37.2
DVMRP Router 2
2 Receives Probe
from DVMRP Router 1

1 Sends Probe
Neighbor List = NULL

mrouted

mrouted
DVMRP Router 1
171.68.37.1

3 Sends Probe
Neighbor List = 171.68.37.1

4 Sends Probe
Neighbor List = 171.68.37.2

Heres an explanation of the DVMRP Neighbor Discovery mechanism depicted in

Figure 5-1:
1 Router 1 sends a Probe packet first. Because Router 1 has not yet heard any other

Probes from other routers, the Neighbor List in the Probe packet is empty.
2 Router 2 hears the Probe sent by Router 1 and adds the IP address of Router 1 to its

internal list of DVMRP neighbors on this interface.

3 Router 2 then sends a Probe of its own with the IP address of Router 1 in the Neighbor

List.
4 Router 1 hears the Probe sent by Router 2 and adds the IP address of Router 2 to its

internal list of DVMRP neighbors on this interface. At the next Probe interval,
Router 1 sends a Probe with the IP address of Router 2 in the Neighbor List.
When a DVMRP router receives a Probe with its own IP address listed in the Neighbor List,
the router knows that a two-way adjacency has been successfully formed between itself and
the neighbor that sent the Probe.

DVMRP Route Table

In DVMRP, source network routing information is exchanged in the same basic manner as
it is in RIP. That is to say, periodic (every 60 seconds) Route Report messages are sent
between DVMRP neighbors. These Route Reports contain entries that advertise a source
network (with a mask) and a hop-count that is used as the routing metric.

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109

The routing information stored in the DVMRP routing table is separate from the unicast
routing table and is used to

Build source distribution trees

Perform multicast forwarding (that is, Reverse Path Forwarding [RPF] checks)

These tasks are discussed in the sections DVMRP Source Distribution Trees and
DVMRP Multicast Forwarding later in this chapter.
Example 5-1 shows a DVMRP route table in a Cisco router.
Example 5-1

DVMRP Route Table

DVMRP Routing Table - 8 entries
130.1.0.0/16 [0/3] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
135.1.0.0/16 [0/3] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
135.1.22.0/24 [0/2] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
171.69.0.0/16 [0/3] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.27.0/24 [0/3] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.32.0/24 [0/2] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.33.0/24 [0/3] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.120.0/24 [0/3] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:

GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]

Heres an explanation of the first entry:

130.1.0.0/16 indicates that there is a DVMRP route for source network 130.1.0.0 with
a 16-bit mask.

[0/3] indicates that the administrative distance is 0 and the DVMRP metric is 3 hops.

via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0 indicates the IP address of the next hop and the interface in
the direction of the source network.

[version mrouted 3.8] [flags: GPM] provides information about the DVMRP
neighbor that sent this route information.

uptime 00:19:03 indicates that this route has been active for 19 hours and 3 seconds.
expires 00:02:13 indicates that the route will expire in 2 minutes and 13 seconds
unless another Route Report is received to refresh this route.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

Exchanging DVMRP Route Reports

As stated previously, DVMRP Route Reports are periodically exchanged in a manner
similar to the way RIP unicast routing protocol information is exchanged. The key
difference is that DVMRP routes are advertised with a subnet mask, making the protocol
effectively a classless protocol. This section takes a closer look at the DVMRP Route
Report exchange mechanism.
Figure 5-2 shows a portion of a multicast network consisting of two DVMRP routers
(in this case, two UNIX workstations running the mrouted DVMRP routing process)
connected via a common Ethernet.
Figure 5-2 DVMRP Route ExchangeInitial State
Initial State
DVMRP Route Table
Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

S0

204.1.16.0/24

S0

10

171.68.37.2
DVMRP Router 2
mrouted

S0

E0
Initial State

E0
S0

mrouted
DVMRP Router 1
171.68.37.1

DVMRP Route Table

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

S0

198.14.32.0/24

S0

The contents of their DVMRP route tables reflect DVMRP routes that have been learned
via their Serial links and are shown before any Route Reports have been exchanged over
the Ethernet. Notice that both routers have an entry for the 151.10.0.0/16 network.
Assume that Router 2 sends its route report first as shown by Step 1 in Figure 5-3.

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Exchanging DVMRP Route Reports

111

Figure 5-3 DVMRP Route ExchangeSteps 1 and 2

171.68.37.2
DVMRP Router 2

DVMRP Route Table

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

S0

204.1.16.0/24

S0

10

mrouted
E0

S0
1 Sends Route Report
151.10.0.0/16, M=3
204.1.16.0/24, M=10

2 Receives Route Report and Updates Entry

E0
S0

mrouted
DVMRP Router 1
171.68.37.1

DVMRP Route Table

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

E0

198.14.32.0/24

S0

204.1.16.0/24

E0

11

Updated
Added

This Route Report, containing two route advertisements, is received by Router 1 (Step 2),
which responds by adding a new entry for network 204.1.16.0/24 to its DVMRP route table.
Additionally, because Router 2 has a better metric to network 151.10.0.0, Router 1 also
updates its existing entry for network 151.10.0.0 with the new metric (4) and next hop
interface (E0).

NOTE

Notice that just as in RIP, the metrics of incoming route advertisements are incremented by
the cost, typically 1 hop, of the incoming interface.

Now, Router 1 responds by sending its own Route Report (Step 3) to Router 2 as shown in
Figure 5-4.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

Figure 5-4 DVMRP Route ExchangeStep 3

171.68.37.2
DVMRP Router 2

DVMRP Route Table

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

S0

204.1.16.0/24

S0

10

mrouted
E0

S0
151.10.0.0/16, M=36
198.14.32.0/24, M=3
204.1.16.0/24, M=43

Poison
Reverse

3 Sends Route Report

E0
mrouted
S0
DVMRP Router 1
171.68.37.1

DVMRP Route Table

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

E0

198.14.32.0/24

S0

204.1.16.0/24

E0

11

Notice that Router 1 Poison Reverses the two routes that it has received via interface E0 by
adding infinity (32) to the current metric. This change informs Router 2 that Router 1 is a
child (that is, Router 1 is downstream of Router 2) and that Router 1 expects to receive
multicast traffic from these source networks from Router 2.

NOTE

Poison Reverse is used differently in DVMRP than in most unicast distance vector routing
protocols that use Poison Reverse to advertise the unreachability of a particular route. In
unicast routing protocols such as RIP, a Poison Reverse route is indicated by advertising the
route with a metric of infinity (for instance, infinity = 16 in RIP). When a neighboring router
receives this advertisement, the router can mark this route as unreachable via this neighbor.
In DVMRP, however, Poison Reverse signals to a routers upstream DVMRP neighbor that
this router is downstream in the multicast distribution tree.

Router 2 receives this Route Report and updates its own DVMRP route table by adding a
new entry for network 198.14.32.0/24 as shown by Step 4 in Figure 5-5.

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113

Figure 5-5 DVMRP Route ExchangeSteps 4 and 5

4 Receives Route Report
and Adds Entry
DVMRP Route Table

Added

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

E0

204.1.16.0/24

S0

10

198.14.32.0/24

E0

171.68.37.2
DVMRP Router 2
mrouted
E0

S0
5 Sends Route Report
151.10.0.0/16, M=3
204.1.16.0/24, M=10
198.14.32.0/24, M=36

E0
mrouted
S0
DVMRP Router 1
171.68.37.1

Poison
Reverse

DVMRP Route Table

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

E0

198.14.32.0/24

S0

204.1.16.0/24

E0

11

In Step 5 (also shown in Figure 5-5), Router 2 sends another route report and Poison
Reverses the 198.14.32.0/24 route that it received from Router 1 by adding infinity (32) to
the current metric. This change informs Router 1 that Router 2 is a child (downstream) and
expects to receive multicast traffic from source network 198.14.32.0/24 from Router 1.

DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Trees

DVMRP is a dense mode protocol that uses source distribution trees, also known as
shortest path trees (SPTs), to forward multicast traffic. DVMRP source distribution trees
are built by the DVMRP routers from truncated broadcast trees, which are based on the
metrics in the routers DVMRP route tables. To build a truncated broadcast tree, routers
signal their upstream router (the neighbor advertising the best metric to a source network)
that they are downstream by advertising a special Poison Reverse route metric for the
source network back to the upstream router.

RULE

When sending a Route Report to the upstream DVMRP router for source network X, Poison
Reverse the route by adding infinity (32) to the current metric for Network X and
advertising it back to the upstream neighbor.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

These Poison Reverse route advertisements tell the upstream (parent) router to forward any
multicast traffic from the source network out this interface so that the downstream child
router can receive it. Basically, the downstream router is telling the upstream router to put
me on the truncated broadcast tree for this source network.
The following should help to clarify the situation. Figure 5-6 shows a sample DVMRP
truncated broadcast tree being built for Network S.
Figure 5-6 DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree
Source Network S
A

B
X

mrouted
1

mrouted
mrouted

33

33

mrouted
2

35

1
mrouted

mrouted
34

35
3

mrouted
2
n
m

Route for source network of metric n

Poison Reverse (metric + infinity) sent to upstream parent router.
Router depends on parent to receive traffic for this source.

In this example, both Routers A and B advertise a route to Network S (shown by the solid
arrows) with a metric (hop-count) of 1 to Routers C and D. Because Router D is
downstream of Router B for Network S, Router D adds infinity (32) to the received metric
to Poison Reverse the route advertisement (shown by the dashed arrows) to Network S and
returns the route advertisement to Router B. This informs Router B that Router D is a child
router and that the link to D should be placed in the outgoing interface list (that is, on the
truncated broadcast tree) for Network S.
Likewise, Router C receives advertisements with a metric of 1 from both Routers A and B.
Using the lowest IP address as the tiebreaker, Router C selects Router B as its parent (that
is, upstream) router toward Network S and sends a Poison Reverse (shown by the dashed
arrow) to Router B. As a result, Router B places the link to Router C in the outgoing
interface list that describes the truncated broadcast tree for Network S.

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115

Routers C and D now both advertise a route to Network S out their common Ethernet.
To avoid the delivery of duplicate packets, the router with the best metric to Network S is
elected as the designated forwarder that is responsible for forwarding multicast packets
from Network S to hosts on the Ethernet. In this case, the metrics are equal, so again, the
lowest IP address is used as the tiebreaker, which results in Router D being the designated
forwarder.
Route advertisements (solid arrows) continue to propagate away from Network S through
Routers D and E on down to Routers X and Y as shown in Figure 5-6. At each point, the
upstream router is sent a Poison Reverse advertisement (dashed arrows) to tell it to put the
interface in the outgoing interface list for Network S. In the end, a truncated broadcast tree
for Source Network S has been built as depicted by the solid arrows in Figure 5-7.
Figure 5-7 Resulting Truncated Broadcast Tree for Network S
Source Networks

mrouted

mrouted

mrouted

mrouted
C
1

mrouted

mrouted
E

1
1

mrouted

Network S1 Source Tree

Truncated broadcast trees (such as the one shown in Figure 5-7) describe the distribution
tree that is used to deliver multicast traffic from a specific source network to all other
locations in the network regardless of whether there are any group members in the network.
When a source begins to transmit, the multicast data is flooded down the truncated
broadcast tree to all points in the network. DVMRP routers then prune this flow where the
traffic is unwanted. (Pruning is described in more detail in the DVMRP Pruning section
later in this chapter.)
The preceding example kept things simple by showing only the advertisements and the
resulting truncated broadcast tree for Network S. In fact, each source network is associated
with a truncated broadcast tree. Figure 5-8 shows the truncated broadcast tree that is built
for Source Network S1.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

Figure 5-8 Truncated Broadcast Tree for Network S1

mrouted
1
mrouted
C
1

B
X

mrouted

mrouted

1
mrouted
D

mrouted
E

Note: IP Address of D < C < B < A

Network S1 Source Tree

Y
1

mrouted

Source Network S1

Because each source network has its own truncated broadcast tree, the example in
Figure 5-8 shows a completely different tree that is rooted at Source Network S1 than the
tree shown in Figure 5-7.
The key point here is that every subnet has a unique truncated broadcast tree that is defined
by the DVMRP route metrics and the Poison Reverse mechanism. Multicast data is initially
flooded over these truncated broadcast trees to reach all routers in the network.

NOTE

To avoid getting flamed by readers who have experience with DVMRP, let me point out that
I have taken a little liberty here with my description of how distribution trees are built in
DVMRP. In reality, until some multicast source in Network S begins transmitting traffic, no
forwarding data structures (other than the DVMRP route table) are created for Network S
in the router. However, as soon as the first packet is received from some multicast source,
say Si, an (Si, G) entry is created in the multicast forwarding table (assuming that the RPF
check succeeds). At this point, the outgoing interface list in the (Si, G) entry is populated
based on the Poison Reverse information for Network S in the DVMRP route table, thereby
creating the distribution tree. This on-demand state creation mechanism saves considerable
memory in the routers.

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DVMRP Multicast Forwarding

Because multicast routing is upside-down routing (that is, you are interested in where the
packet came from versus where it is going), the information in the DVMRP routing table is
used to determine whether an incoming multicast packet was received on the correct
interface. If not, the packet is discarded to prevent multicast loops. Again, forwarding based
on the incoming interface is referred to as Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF), and the test to
ensure a packet arrived on the correct interface is called the RPF check.
An example of an RPF check where a multicast packet arrives on the wrong interface is
shown in Figure 5-9.
Figure 5-9 DVMRP RPF Check Failure
Multicast Packet from
Source 151.10.3.21

DVMRP Route Table

X
mrouted

S0

S1

mrouted
E0

mrouted

RPF Check Fails!

E1

mrouted

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

E1

198.14.32.0/24

S0

204.1.16.0/24

E0

11

Packet Arrived on
Wrong Interface!

In this example, a multicast packet has arrived from source 151.10.3.21 via interface S0.
However, based on the 151.10.0.0/16 entry in the DVMRP route table, multicast traffic
from this source should be arriving via interface E1(not S0). The RPF check, therefore,
fails, and the multicast packet is quietly discarded.

NOTE

Under normal, stable DVMRP operation, packets would not arrive on the wrong interface
because the upstream router would not have forwarded the packet unless the downstream
router Poison Reversed the route in the first place. However, there are cases such as
immediately after a network topology change when DVMRP routing has not yet converged
across all routers (remember, this is distance vector based routing) where this can occur.

Figure 5-10, on the other hand, shows a successful RPF check. Here, a packet is received
from multicast source 198.14.32.10 via interface S0.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

Figure 5-10 DVMRP RPF Check Succeeds

Multicast Packet from
Source 198.14.32.10

RPF Check Succeeds!

DVMRP Route Table

mrouted

S0

S1

mrouted
E0

E1

Network

Intf

Metric

151.10.0.0/16

E1

198.14.32.0/24

S0

204.1.16.0/24

E0

11

Packet Arrived on
Correct Interface!
mrouted

mrouted

This time the DVMRP route table entry 198.14.32.0/24 indicates that S0 is the correct
interface for traffic arriving from this source network. Therefore, the RPF check succeeds,
and the packet is forwarded out all outgoing interfaces for this source.

DVMRP Pruning
The section DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Trees describes how the initial truncated
broadcast trees are built using DVMRP Route Reports. This process occurs even if there are
no active receivers on the distribution tree. Like most dense mode protocols, DVMRP uses
a Flood-and-Prune mechanism to initially deliver multicast traffic to all routers in the
network. In the case of DVMRP, the traffic is flooded down a truncated broadcast tree to
any possible receivers.
However, to conserve precious network resources, you need to shut off (or prune) the traffic
flow down branches of the truncated broadcast tree where there are no receivers. Therefore,
leaf routers without any directly connected receivers send DVMRP Prune messages up the
truncated broadcast tree to stop the flow of unwanted multicast traffic and prune the
unwanted branches of the truncated broadcast tree. What remains after DVMRP Pruning is
a source distribution tree or SPT for this specific source.
Unfortunately, because DVMRP is a Flood-and-Prune protocol, the source distribution tree
that results from DVMRP Pruning reverts to a truncated broadcast tree as soon as the Prunes
time out. (Typically, DVMRP Prunes are good for only 2 minutes, after which they expire
and traffic is again flooded.) Like PIM-DM, this Flood-and-Prune behavior can also result
in the (S, G) state being created in the DVMRP routers in the network, even when there are
few receivers.

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DVMRP Pruning

NOTE

119

The truncated broadcast tree itself is not pruned as a result of the DVMRP Prunes because
it is described by the contents of the DVMRP route table entries across all the routers in the
network. These DVMRP route table entries are not modified by DVMRP Prune messages.
Instead, the information received in a DVMRP Prune message (which is normally a Prune
for a specific (S, G) traffic flow) is stored in a separate data structure in the router. This
information is used to modify the flow of (S, G) traffic down the truncated broadcast tree.

Figure 5-11 shows the network with an active Source Si, sending to multicast Group G.
Figure 5-11 DVMRP PruningInitial Flooding

Source Si
1
B

X
mrouted

mrouted
mrouted

mrouted
C

mrouted

mrouted

Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)
DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables
(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

Receiver 1 has joined Group G to receive traffic from Si. The solid arrows in the diagram
show the initial flow of (Si, G) traffic down the truncated broadcast tree (dashed arrows)
before any pruning occurs.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

In Figure 5-12, Router C is not the designated forwarder for the Ethernet where Receiver 1
is attached and is therefore a leaf node that has no other directly connected receivers.
Figure 5-12 DVMRP PruningStep 1

Source Si
A

B
X

mrouted

mrouted
mrouted
Prune

mrouted
C

mrouted

mrouted

Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)
DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables
(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

Router C, therefore, sends a Prune message to Router B to stop the flow of unnecessary
(Si, G) traffic. Router B then responds by pruning the link to C as shown in Figure 5-13.

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121

Figure 5-13 DVMRP PruningStep 2

Source Si
A

Prune
X

mrouted

mrouted
mrouted

mrouted
C

mrouted

mrouted

Prune
Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)
DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables
(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

At this point, both Routers X and Y are also leaf nodes without any directly connected
receivers and also send Prune messages up the truncated broadcast tree to Router E.
Router E is aware (via DVMRP Probes) that it has only two DVMRP neighbors (Routers
X and Y) on this interface. Because both neighbor routers on this interface have sent Router
E a Prune message for (Si, G) traffic, Router E knows it can now prune this interface. In
Figure 5-14, the removal of the solid arrow from Router E toward Routers X and Y indicates
this condition.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

Figure 5-14 DVMRP PruningStep 3

Source Si
A

B
X

mrouted

mrouted
mrouted
Prune

mrouted
C

mrouted

mrouted

Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)
DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables
(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

Finally, Router E has pruned all (Si, G) traffic from its downstream interfaces, and it too
sends a Prune message up the distribution tree to Router D (see Figure 5-14). Router D
responds by pruning the link to Router E, which results in the final pruned state in the
network, as seen in Figure 5-15.

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123

Figure 5-15 DVMRP PruningFinal Pruned State

Source Si
A

B
X

mrouted

mrouted
mrouted

mrouted
C

mrouted

mrouted

Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)
DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables
(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

DVMRP Grafting
DVMRP supports a reliable Graft mechanism that grafts back previously pruned branches
of a tree. Without this mechanism, the join latency for new hosts in the group might be
severely affected because the pruned state in the upstream routers would have to time out
before multicast traffic could begin to flow. Depending on the number of routers along the
pruned branch and the timeout values in use, several minutes might elapse before the host
begins to receive the multicast traffic. By using a Graft mechanism, DVMRP reduces this
join latency to a few milliseconds.
Unlike the Prune mechanism, which is unreliable, the Graft mechanism is made reliable by
the use of Graft-Ack messages. These messages are returned by the upstream router in
response to received Graft messages. This step prevents the loss of a Graft message because
of congestion, which would cause the Graft process to fail.

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Continuing with the sample network from the earlier section on pruning, take a look at an
example of the Graft mechanism in action. Figure 5-16 shows the network immediately
after Receiver 2 on Router Y joins the multicast group. Because Router Y still has state for
(Si, G), which indicates that the router was pruned, it knows that it must send a Graft
message (indicated by the small solid arrow in Figure 5-16) upstream to Router E to
reestablish the flow of traffic.
Figure 5-16 DVMRP GraftingInitial State

Source Si
A

B
X

mrouted

mrouted
mrouted

mrouted
C

mrouted

mrouted

Graft
Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)

Receiver 2
(Group G)

DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables

(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

When Router E receives the Graft message, Router E changes the interface state from
pruned to forwarding and acknowledges the Graft from Router Y by sending back a GraftAck message (refer to Figure 5-17).

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DVMRP Grafting

125

Figure 5-17 DVMRP GraftingStep 1

Source Si
A

B
X

mrouted

mrouted
mrouted
Graft

mrouted

mrouted

mrouted
E
Graft-Ack

Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)

Receiver 2
(Group G)

DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables

(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

However, because Router E also has previously pruned the (Si, G) source, it must also send
a Graft message upstream to Router D to restart the flow of multicast traffic.
Finally, when Router D receives the Graft from Router E, it returns a Graft-Ack message
and changes the interface state from pruned to forwarding. This completes the grafting of
the previously pruned branch and starts the flow of multicast traffic down to Receiver 2 as
shown in Figure 5-18.

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Chapter 5: Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol

Figure 5-18 DVMRP GraftingStep 2

Source Si
A

B
X

mrouted

mrouted
mrouted
Graft-Ack

mrouted
C

mrouted

mrouted

Y
mrouted

Receiver 1
(Group G)

Receiver 2
(Group G)

DVMRP Truncated Broadcast Tree Based on Route Tables

(S, G) Multicast Packet Flow

DVMRP Scalability
Although DVMRP has been deployed in the MBone and in other intra-domain multicast
networks, some rather severe scalability issues prevent it from being used in large-scale
multicast environments.
Because DVMRP uses hop-count as a metric with an infinity (unreachable) value of 32
hops, it clearly cannot be used in a network with a diameter larger than 31 hops without
extensive tunneling. For this reason (as well as several others), DVMRP cannot be used as
the multicast protocol that interconnects the entire Internet. (Anyone out there believe that
the Internet has a diameter less than 32 hops? No, of course you dont!)
Historically, as new areas of the Internet have desired to connect to the MBone, tunneling
through large non-multicast portions of the Internet has been necessary. Thus, an
extensively tunneled MBone has grown somewhat haphazardly through the use ofdespite
heroic attempts to the contrarya rather arbitrary collection of tunnels that interconnect
only a small portion of the overall Internet.

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Summary

127

In addition to the issue of the diameter of the Internet, DVMRP has all the limitations
of a distance vector protocol, including slow convergence and a periodic route update
mechanism that cannot handle the nearly 50,000 prefixes active in the Internet. (Can you
imagine DVMRP trying to send out 50,000 route updates every 60 seconds?) Clearly, if IP
multicast is to become ubiquitous throughout the Internet, a multicast routing protocol
other than DVMRP is necessary for use in the backbone.

Summary
Todays multicast network engineers should consider using DVMRP in their networks in
much the same way as RIP is used for unicast networks. Virtually all IP networks of any
size have been designed around other, more efficient unicast routing protocols such as Open
Shortest Path First (OSPF), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP),
Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
Without a very compelling reason, such as to provide backward compatibility, most
network engineers wouldnt even think about deploying a unicast network based on RIP.
Multicast networks should be no different. DVMRP should be employed in new network
designs only when necessary to interface with existing DVMRP infrastructuresand then
only until the network can be migrated to some other more efficient multicast protocol.

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CHAPTER

PIM Dense Mode

Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) gets its name from the fact that it is IP routing
protocol independent. That is, regardless of which unicast routing protocol(s) is (are) used
to populate the unicast routing table (including static routes), PIM uses this information to
perform multicast forwarding; hence, it is protocol independent. Although we tend to refer
to PIM as a multicast routing protocol, it actually uses the existing unicast routing table to
perform the Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) check function instead of maintaining a
separate multicast route table. Because PIM doesnt have to maintain its own routing table,
it doesnt send and/or receive multicast route updates like other protocols, such as Multicast
Open Shortest Path First (MOSPF) or Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol
(DVMRP). By not having to send multicast route updates, PIMs overhead is significantly
reduced in comparison to other multicast protocols.

NOTE

Cisco Systems PIM implementation also permits the RPF check function to use other
sources of routing information, such as a DVMRP route table, static multicast routes called
mroutes, and most recently, special multicast Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes.
These capabilities are discussed in more detail in later chapters.

Some key characteristics of PIM dense mode (PIM-DM) are

Protocol independent (uses unicast route table for RPF check)

No separate multicast routing protocol ( la DVMRP)
Flood-and-prune behavior (3-minute cycle)
Classless (as long as classless unicast routing is in use)

Although PIM can be configured to operate in either sparse or dense mode, this chapter
provides a brief overview of PIM-DM operation including information on neighbor
discovery, source trees, multicast forwarding, pruning, asserts, grafting, and scalability. A
more detailed discussion of PIM-DM configuration appears in Chapter 10, Using PIM
Dense Mode. (A brief overview of PIM sparse mode is given in Chapter 7, PIM Sparse
Mode, with a more detailed discussion on its configuration in Chapter 11, Using PIM
Sparse Mode.)

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PIM Neighbor Discovery

Like DVMRP, PIM uses a Neighbor Discovery mechanism to establish PIM neighbor
adjacencies. To establish these adjacencies, every Hello-Period (default: 30 seconds) a PIM
multicast router multicasts a PIM Hello message to the All-PIM-Routers (224.0.0.13)
multicast address on each of its multicast-enabled interfaces.

NOTE

In PIMv1, these PIM Hello messages were sometimes called PIM Query messages. Like
all PIMv1 packets, these packets are multicast to the 224.0.0.2 All Routers multicast group
address and ride inside of Internet Group Membership Protocol (IGMP) packets that have
special type codes. On the other hand, PIMv2 has its own assigned protocol number (103)
and, therefore, does not ride inside of IGMP packets.

PIM Hello Messages

PIM Hello messages contain a Holdtime value, which tells the receiver when to expire the
neighbor adjacency associated with the sender if no further PIM Hello messages are
received. The value that is sent in the Holdtime field is typically three times the senders
PIM Hello-Period, or 90 seconds if the default interval of 30 seconds is used.
Keeping track of adjacent PIM-DM routers is very important to building and maintaining
PIM-DM source distribution trees as explained in the section PIM-DM Source
Distribution Trees later in this chapter.

PIM-DM Designated Router

In addition to establishing PIM Neighbor adjacencies, PIM Hello messages are also used
to elect the Designated Router (DR) for a multi-access network. PIM routers make note (via
PIM Hello messages) of the router on the network with the highest IP address. This PIM
router becomes the DR for the network.

NOTE

The DR is primarily used in sparse mode networks and has little meaning in dense mode
networks. The only exception to this rule is when IGMPv1 is in use on an interface. In this
case, the PIM-DR also functions as the IGMP Query Router since IGMPv1 does not have
a Query Router election mechanism.

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PIM Neighbor Discovery

131

When more than one router exists on a LAN segment, the network engineer often has a need
to force the DR election so that a specific router on the segment is elected as DR.
Unfortunately, sometimes it is either inconvenient or impossible to renumber the IP address
of the routers to accomplish this goal. A recently proposed enhancement to the PIM
protocol will add a new DR-Priority option to PIMv2 Hello messages that will be used in
the PIM DR election process. The DR-Priority option will allow the network engineer to
specify the DR priority of each router on the LAN segment (default priority = 1) so that the
router with the highest priority will be elected as the DR. If all routers on the LAN segment
have the same priority, then the highest IP address is again used as the tiebreaker.

NOTE

Routers indicate that they support the new DR-Priority feature by the inclusion of the DRPriority option in the PIMv2 Hello message that they transmit. Routers that do not support
this option will not send Hello messages with this option (duh!). When PIMv2 routers
receive a Hello message without the DR-Priority option (or when the message has priority
of zero), the receiver knows that the sender of the Hello does not support DR-Priority and
that DR election on the LAN segment should be based on IP address alone.

On Cisco routers, PIM neighbor adjacencies as well as the elected DRs can be displayed
using the show ip pim neighbor IOS command. Example 6-1 shows some sample output
of a show ip pim neighbor command on a Cisco router.
Example 6-1

show ip pim neighbor Command Output

wan-gw8>show ip pim neighbor
PIM Neighbor Table
Neighbor Address Interface
153.68.0.70
FastEthernet0
153.68.0.91
FastEthernet0
153.68.0.82
FastEthernet0
153.68.0.86
FastEthernet0
153.68.0.80
FastEthernet0
153.68.28.70
Serial2.31
153.68.28.50
Serial2.33
153.68.27.74
Serial2.36
153.68.28.170
Serial0.70
153.68.27.2
Serial1.51
153.68.28.110
Serial3.56
153.68.28.58
Serial3.102

Uptime
2w1d
2w6d
7w0d
7w0d
7w0d
22:47:11
22:47:22
22:47:07
1d04h
1w4d
1d04h
12:53:25

Expires
00:01:24
00:01:01
00:01:14
00:01:13
00:01:02
00:01:16
00:01:08
00:01:21
00:01:06
00:01:25
00:01:20
00:01:03

Mode
Dense
Dense (DR)
Dense
Dense
Dense
Dense
Dense
Dense
Dense
Dense
Dense
Dense

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Chapter 6: PIM Dense Mode

In Example 6-1, router wan-gw8 has several neighbors on interface FastEthernet0. Notice
that neighbor 153.68.0.91 is the DR on this FastEthernet segment and has been up for 2
weeks and 6 days (as indicated by 2w6d in the Uptime column). Furthermore, the
adjacency with this neighbor expires in 1 minute and 1 second if router wan-gw8 doesnt
receive any further PIM Hellos from this neighbor (for example, if the neighbor router went
down or connectivity to it was lost). In this case, a new DR would be elected for the
FastEthernet segment.

PIM-DM Source Distribution Trees

Because PIM-DM is a dense-mode protocol, source distribution or shortest path trees
(SPTs) are used as the sole means of distributing multicast traffic to receivers in the
network. These source distribution trees are built on the fly, using the flood-and-prune
mechanism as soon as a multicast source begins transmitting.
Unlike DVMRP, which uses its own multicast routing table and a special Poison Reverse
mechanism to initially construct a minimal spanning distribution tree, PIM-DM uses its
PIM neighbor information to construct a similar source distribution tree. In PIM-DM,
neighbors are initially considered to be on the SPT, with the incoming interface being the
interface in the direction of the source (based on the unicast routing table) and all other
PIM-DM neighbors being downstream for this source. This initial form of SPT is referred
to as a Broadcast Tree because a router sends the multicast traffic to all neighbors in a
broadcastlike fashion. (In contrast, DVMRP routers use Truncated Broadcast Trees to
initially flood multicast traffic to all downstream routers.)

NOTE

This is a slight modification of a technique called Reverse Path Flooding where incoming
traffic that passes the RPF check is flooded out all other interfaces. The difference here is
that the flooding occurs only out interfaces where at least one PIM-DM neighbor has been
detected or that have a directly connected receiver(s).

Figure 6-1 shows an example of the initial flooding of multicast traffic in a PIM-DM
network down a Broadcast Tree.

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PIM-DM Multicast Forwarding

133

Figure 6-1 PIM-DM Distribution Tree (Initial Flooding)

Source

B
G

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

Here, you see a multicast source transmitting data that is picked up by Routers A and B and
flooded to their downstream PIM-DM neighbors Routers C and D. Keep in mind that you
are looking at the initial flow of traffic before any pruning takes place because of redundant
paths (such as the two incoming paths to Router C) or duplicate forwarders (such as Routers
C and D on their common Ethernet).
This tree is trimmed back to a minimal spanning tree of all PIM-DM routers after all
pruning has occurred.

PIM-DM Multicast Forwarding

When a PIM-DM router initially receives a multicast packet, the packet undergoes an RPF
check to ensure that it arrived on the correct interface in the direction of the source. In PIM,
this RPF check is performed by using the information in the unicast routing table. The PIMDM router searches the unicast routing table for the longest match of the source IP address

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Chapter 6: PIM Dense Mode

in the packet and uses this information to determine the incoming interface for multicast
traffic from this source. If multiple entries for the source network exist in the unicast routing
table (which would occur if there are equal cost paths to a network), the router chooses only
one interface. This implies the following important rule regarding not only PIM but also IP
multicast in general.

RULE

A router can have only ONE incoming interface for any entry in its multicast routing table.

In PIM (either dense mode or sparse mode), when multiple entries exist in the unicast
routing table, the entry with the highest next-hop IP address is used for the RPF check and
hence the incoming interface. For example, consider Router R4 in the network shown in
Figure 6-2.
Figure 6-2 Sample Network
Source
192.168.1.10

192.168.1.0/24
(E0) .1
.1 (S0)
(E1) .1 R1
172.16.2.0/24

172.16.3.0/24
.2 (S0)

.2 (E0)
.1 (S0)
R2

R3 .1 (E0)

172.16.4.0/24
(S0) .2

172.16.9.0/24
.2 (E0)

R4 .1 (E1)
172.16.5.0/24

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PIM-DM Multicast Forwarding

135

The routing information in Router R4 for the 192.168.1.0 source network is shown in the
routing table in Example 6-2.
Example 6-2

Routing Table for R4

R4>sh ip route
. . .
Gateway of last resort is not set

D
C
D
C
C
D
D
D
D
D
D
D

172.16.0.0/24 is subnetted, 10 subnets

172.16.8.0 [90/2195456] via 172.16.4.1, 20:02:31, Serial1
172.16.9.0 is directly connected, Ethernet0
172.16.10.0 [90/2195456] via 172.16.9.1, 20:02:31, Ethernet0
172.16.4.0 is directly connected, Serial1
172.16.5.0 is directly connected, Ethernet1
172.16.6.0 [90/2707456] via 172.16.4.1, 20:02:31, Serial1
172.16.7.0 [90/2195456] via 172.16.4.1, 20:02:31, Serial1
172.16.1.0 [90/2707456] via 172.16.9.1, 00:00:13, Ethernet0
172.16.2.0 [90/2221056] via 172.16.9.1, 00:00:13, Ethernet0
172.16.3.0 [90/2195456] via 172.16.9.1, 00:00:18, Ethernet0
192.168.1.0/24 [90/2733056] via 172.16.4.1, 00:00:14, Serial1
[90/2733056] via 172.16.9.1, 00:00:14, Ethernet0
192.168.100.0/24 [90/2835456] via 172.16.4.1, 00:00:14, Serial1
[90/2835456] via 172.16.9.1, 00:00:14, Ethernet0

Notice that there are two equal cost paths in the unicast routing table for source network
192.168.1.0. However, using the rule regarding only having one incoming interface for
multicast, the path via 172.16.9.1, 00:00:14, Ethernet0 is used as the RPF or incoming
interface. You can confirm this outcome by using the show ip rpf command, which
produces the output shown in Example 6-3.
Example 6-3

RPF Information for Source 192.168.1.10

R4>sh ip rpf 192.168.1.10
RPF information for ? (192.168.1.10)
RPF interface: Ethernet0
RPF neighbor: R3 (172.16.9.1)
RPF route/mask: 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0
RPF type: unicast

Here, the RPF information for multicast source 192.168.1.10 is via interface Ethernet0
through the RPF neighbor R3 (172.16.9.1).

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Chapter 6: PIM Dense Mode

PIM-DM Pruning
PIM-DM sends Prune messages under the following conditions:

Traffic arriving on non-RPF point-to-point interfaces

Leaf router and no directly connected receivers
Non-Leaf router on a point-to-point link that has received a Prune from its neighbor
Non-Leaf router on a LAN segment (with no directly connected receivers) that has
received a Prune from a neighbor on the LAN segment and another neighbor on the
LAN segment does not override the Prune

Figure 6-3 continues the PIM-DM network example that was introduced in Figure 6-1. In
Figure 6-3, Router C is sending a Prune message to Router B as a result of traffic arriving
on the non-RPF interface for the source. In this example, assume that the metric to the
source network is better via the link between Router A and C than it is between Router B
and C.
Figure 6-3 PIM-DM Pruning of Non-RPF Interface
Source

Prune

B
G

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

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PIM-DM Pruning

137

In the next step, shown in Figure 6-4, Router B has responded to the Prune by pruning its
link to C. Additionally, Router I is a Leaf router without any directly connected receivers,
so it now sends a Prune to Router E.
Figure 6-4 PIM-DM PruningStep 1
Source

B
G

H
Prune

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

Router E now responds by pruning its link to Router I (see Figure 6-5), and because
Router E has no directly connected receivers and all downstream links are pruned, it too
sends a Prune message to Routers C and D.

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Chapter 6: PIM Dense Mode

Figure 6-5 PIM-DM PruningStep 2

Source

B
G

Prune

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

However, because Receiver 1 is directly connected to the same interface, Routers C and D
ignore this Prune. (As long as the source continues sending, Router E continues to send
Prune messages. However, it rate-limits these Prune messages to roughly every 3 minutes
because the interface is a multi-access network. This action avoids an explosion of Prune
messages that would consume bandwidth on this network segment.)

Prune Override
The Prune mechanism on multi-access networks operates differently in PIM than it does in
DVMRP. Whereas DVMRP keeps track of its neighbors on an interface and records the fact
that a neighbor has sent a Prune, PIM-DM does not. Instead, PIM expects to receive
overriding Joins from downstream neighbors that wish to continue receiving traffic in
response to Prunes by other neighbors on the same interface.

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PIM-DM Pruning

NOTE

139

Using a legislative analogy, you could say that a PIM router lets its downstream neighbors
all vote on a proposed Prune bill that will prune a multicast source from the subnet.
Each router has the ability to veto the bill by using a Join message. However, PIM doesnt
bother to count the votes; it just listens for a few seconds to see whether there is a veto to
the proposed Prune bill on the subnet floor. Hearing none, PIM passes the bill and prunes
the interface.
DVMRP, on the other hand, operates by counting all Prune votes on the subnet floor. There
is no time limit on voting, and routers can change their vote (like most wishy-washy
politicians) at any time by using a DVMRP Graft message. Only when the vote to prune
becomes unanimous with no abstentions does DVMRP pass the bill and prune the source.
Finally, because DVMRP and PIM-DM are both flood-and-prune protocols, any Prune
legislation that is passed has a limited life and must be brought back to the senate (subnet)
floor to be voted on again every 2 to 3 minutes.

Routers G and H, shown in Figure 6-6, are good examples of this mechanism at work.
Figure 6-6 PIM Prune Override
Source

Prune
A

B
G

Join

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

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Chapter 6: PIM Dense Mode

Router G is a leaf node without any directly connected receivers, so it sends a Prune
message on the Ethernet to Router F. However, because Prune messages are multicast to the
All-PIM-Router (224.0.0.13) group address, Router H overhears the Prune message sent to
Router E. Because H does have a directly connected receiver, H sends a PIM Join message
to override the Prune sent by Router G.

Prune Delay Accumulation

To make pruning work properly, a 3-second Prune-delay timer is started when a PIM router
receives a Prune message on a multi-access network. If no overriding Join message is
received to cancel this timer, the Prune takes place when the timer expires. You need to be
mindful of this multi-access prune delay when designing PIM networks. In some situations,
this delay can accumulate when unwanted multicast traffic is flowing across multiple multiaccess networks.
Figure 6-7 shows an example of this type of delay and how it can affect Prune latency.
Figure 6-7 PIM Prune-Delay Accumulation
B
Source

X
Prune
3 sec delay

Prune
3 sec delay

X
Prune

Prune
3 sec delay

3 sec delay

Total: 12 sec delay

This example shows a string of routers connected to each other via multi-access (for
instance, Ethernet) networks. Now a multicast source begins transmitting traffic that is
flooded all the way down to Router E. However, Router E is a leaf node without any directly
connected receivers, so it sends a Prune message back upstream to Router D. Router D must
wait the normal 3-second multi-access network Prune-delay time to see whether an
overriding Join comes from another PIM router on the network. At the end of this delay
period, Router D prunes the interface and (because it has no directly connected receivers
and all downstream interfaces are pruned) sends its own Prune message upstream to Router
C. This process continues until Router A receives the Prune and has waited the 3-second
Prune-delay period for a total Prune delay of 12 seconds. Because PIM Prunes have a
lifetime of 3 minutes, this process occurs again when the Prune at Router A times out.

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PIM-DM Asserts

141

PIM-DM Asserts
Going back to the network example (shown in Figure 6-6), source traffic is now flowing
only to points in the network where receivers are present. That leaves one final issue: the
duplicate traffic being delivered by Routers C and D onto the Ethernet where Receiver 1 is
connected.
To address this issue and shut off all but one flow of multicast to this network, PIM uses an
Assert mechanism to elect a forwarder for a particular multicast source. The Assert
mechanism is triggered by the following rule.

RULE

If a router receives a multicast packet via an interface in the outgoing interface list
associated with a multicast source, send a PIM Assert message out the interface to resolve
which router will continue forwarding this traffic.

When the Assert mechanism is triggered on an interface, a PIM router sends a PIM Assert
message containing its metric to the source. All PIM routers on the network examine the
metric in the PIM Assert message to determine which router has the best metric back to the
multicast source. The router with the best metric continues to forward traffic from this
source onto the network while all other PIM routers prune their interface. If there is a tie in
the metrics, the router addresses are used as the tiebreaker and the highest IP address wins.
Figure 6-8 shows the PIM Assert mechanism in action.
Figure 6-8 PIM Assert Mechanism
Incoming Multicast Packet
(Successful RPF Check)

S0

E0

Assert
<distance, metric>

S0
1

E0

2
Assert
<distance, metric>

Heres a description of the two-step PIM Assert mechanism in Figure 6-8:

Step 1 Both routers begin receiving traffic from the same source through their

serial interface and forward it onto the common Ethernet network. As a

result, each router receives a packet from the multicast source via an
interface (in this case, Ethernet0) that is on its outgoing interface list.
This action triggers both routers to send PIM Assert messages to resolve
who should be the forwarder.

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Chapter 6: PIM Dense Mode

Step 2 The routers send and receive PIM Assert messages that contain the

administrative distance (used as the high-order portion of the compared

value) and the routing protocol metric for the source (used as the loworder portion of the compared value). The values in the PIM Assert
messages are compared and the lowest value (that is, has the best metric
to the source when both administrative distance and route metric are
considered) wins the Assert battle. The loser(s) stop sending the source
traffic onto the network by pruning their interface(s) for this source
traffic.
Returning to the sample network (see Figure 6-9), Routers C and D are sending PIM Assert
messages in response to receiving a multicast packet from the source via their outgoing
interface (the Ethernet network).
Figure 6-9 PIM Assert Example
Source

C and D Send Asserts to

Determine Forwarder.

B
G

Assert

Assert

F
H

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

Assuming that Routers C and D have the same metrics and that C has a higher IP address,
C wins the Assert battle and continues to forward traffic onto the Ethernet while Router D
prunes its interface, as shown in Figure 6-10.

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PIM-DM Grafting

143

Figure 6-10 PIM NetworkAfter Assert

Source

C Wins Assert.
D Prunes interface.

B
G

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

PIM-DM Grafting
PIM-DM also has a capability to graft back previously pruned branches of a distribution
tree so that restarting the flow of multicast traffic can be accomplished with minimum delay.
Figure 6-11 shows the network example with a third receiver now joined to the multicast
group off Router I.

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Chapter 6: PIM Dense Mode

Figure 6-11 PIM-DM GraftingStep 1

Source

B
G

H
Graft

Receiver 1

Graft-Ack

Receiver 3

Receiver 2

When Router I receives the IGMP Membership Report from Receiver 3, Router I knows
that it must send a Graft message to Router E to restart the flow of multicast traffic. (It
knows this because it still has multicast state, albeit pruned, for the source.) When Router E
receives the Graft message from Router I, it responds by sending back a Graft-Ack
message.
Because Router E had previously sent a Prune for this source (although it was ignored
because Receiver 1 is directly connected to this network), it too sends a Graft message to
Router D, which immediately responds by sending a Graft-Ack message, as shown in
Figure 6-12. At this point, multicast traffic begins to flow through Router E and Router I to
Receiver 3.

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145

Figure 6-12 PIM-DM GraftingStep 2

Source

B
G

Graft-Ack

Graft

Receiver 1

I
Receiver 3
Receiver 2

Future PIM-DM EnhancementState-Refresh

As this book was going to press, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) was
completing work on an extension to the PIM-DM protocol specification that would all but
eliminate the periodic flood-and-prune behavior of PIM-DM. This extension is called StateRefresh and basically does what the name implies: It refreshes downstream state so that the
pruned branches of the Broadcast Tree do not time out.
State-Refresh is accomplished by first-hop routers periodically sending an (S, G) StateRefresh message down the original Broadcast Tree as long as Source S is still sending traffic
to Group G.
Figure 6-13 shows an example of (S, G) State-Refresh messages being sent hop by hop in
a network whose (S, G) Broadcast Tree has been pruned back by the PIM-DM Prune and
Assert mechanisms described in the previous sections.

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Figure 6-13 State Refresh

Source
Pruned (S, G) SPT
(S, G) State-Refresh

B
G

Receiver 1

In this example, only Receiver 1 is an active member of Group G and is receiving traffic
from Source S along the path shown by the solid arrows. To refresh the state of this tree and
prevent the pruned interfaces from timing out, the first-hop routers, Routers A and B, are
both periodically sending (S, G) State-Refresh messages, as shown by the dashed arrows in
the drawing. When these messages reach the routers along the original (S, G) Broadcast
Tree, they reset the prune timers in their (S, G) outgoing interface list. This prevents the
pruned interfaces (indicated in the drawing by the solid arrows) from timing out and
causing (S, G) traffic to again be flooded everywhere in the network.
The new State-Refresh mechanism provides an additional benefit that may not be
immediately obvious. It also refreshes interfaces that were pruned as a result of the Assert
process. This is accomplished by including the same basic route metric information in the
State-Refresh message that is passed in Assert messages. This further reduces PIM-DM
overhead because it eliminates the need to periodically rerun the Assert mechanism to
prune off redundant paths.

PIM-DM Scalability
If the unicast network is well designed and makes good use of hierarchical IP Address
assignment and route aggregation, PIM-DM has the potential to scale much better than
DVMRP scales. The reason is that PIM uses the underlying unicast routing table in the

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Summary

147

routers to perform its RPF checks and, unlike DVMRP, does not send separate multicast
routing updates. However, PIM-DM has the same basic flood-and-prune behavior as
DVMRP and, therefore, can suffer from the periodic flooding of unwanted traffic through
the dense mode domain. The proposed State-Refresh extension to the PIM specification
(although still not implemented when this book went to press) will prevent prune state from
timing out and avoid the periodic flooding of unwanted traffic.

Summary
PIM-DM is best used in high-speed networks where the bandwidth consumed by periodic
flooding is not an issue. Using PIM-DM for general-purpose multicast on networks that
employ medium- to low-speed WAN links is generally not desirable. Even when the StateRefresh extension becomes a reality, PIM-DM will still create (S, G) state in every router
in the network. In networks that have large numbers of active sources and groups, the
amount of multicast routing state that must be maintained in the routers in the network can
become an issue. Furthermore, networks that have large numbers of sources, such as
financial networks, or in which RTP-based multimedia applications are used, tend to suffer
from bursty source problems.

NOTE

Most of the sources in these networks tend to send a single multicast packet every few
minutes. The State-Refresh enhancement will not help in these scenarios because the (S, G)
state in the first-hop routers will time out if the time interval between packets sent by the
source is greater than 3 minutes. Because of these factors, most PIM multicast network
engineers are opting for PIM sparse mode, which requires less state in the routers and does
not suffer from a flood-and-prune behavior.

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CHAPTER

PIM Sparse Mode

Protocol Independent Multicast sparse mode (PIM-SM), like PIM dense mode (PIM-DM),
uses the unicast routing table to perform the Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) check function
instead of maintaining a separate multicast route table. Therefore, regardless of which
unicast routing protocol(s) is (are) used to populate the unicast routing table (including
static routes), PIM-SM uses this information to perform multicast forwarding; hence, it too
is protocol independent.
Some key characteristics of PIM-SM are

Protocol independent (uses unicast route table for RPF check)

Explicit Join behavior

No separate multicast routing protocol ( la Distance Vector Multicast Routing

Protocol [DVMRP])
Classless (as long as classless unicast routing is in use)

This chapter provides an overview of the basic mechanisms used by PIM-SM, which
include

Explicit Join model

Shared trees
Shortest path trees (SPT)
Source registration
Designated Router (DR)
SPT switchover
State-Refresh
Rendezvous point (RP) discovery

In addition, some of the mechanisms that are used in PIM-DM (covered in Chapter 6, PIM
Dense Mode) are also used by PIM-SM. These include

PIM Neighbor Discovery

PIM Asserts

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This chapter does not repeat these topics. However, the reader is encouraged to review these
topics before proceeding with this chapter. Finally, its important to keep in mind that this
chapter is strictly an overview of PIM-SM and covers only the basics. The details of the
mechanisms, state rules, and so forth are covered in Chapter 11, Using PIM Sparse Mode.

Explicit Join Model

Just as its name implies, PIM-SM conforms to the sparse mode model where multicast
traffic is only sent to locations of the network that specifically request it. In PIM-SM, this
is accomplished via PIM Joins, which are sent hop by hop toward the root node of tree. (The
root node of a tree in PIM-SM is the RP in the case of a shared tree or the first-hop router
that is directly connected to the multicast source in the case of a SPT.) As this Join travels
up the tree, routers along the path set up multicast forwarding state so that the requested
multicast traffic will be forwarded back down the tree.
Likewise, when multicast traffic is no longer needed, a router sends a PIM Prune up the tree
toward the root node to prune off the unnecessary traffic. As this PIM Prune travels hop by
hop up the tree, each router updates its forwarding state appropriately. This update often
results in the deletion of the forwarding state associated with a multicast group or source.
The key point here is that in the Explicit Join model, forwarding state in the routers is set
up as a result of these Joins. This is a substantial departure from flood-and-prune protocols
such as PIM-DM where router forwarding state is set up by the arrival of multicast data.

PIM-SM Shared Trees

PIM-SM operation centers around a single, unidirectional shared tree whose root node is
called the rendezvous point (RP). These shared trees are sometimes called RP trees because
they are rooted at the RP. (Shared trees or RP trees are frequently known as RPTs so as to
avoid confusion with source trees, which are also known as shortest path trees; hence, the
acronym SPTs.)
Last-hop routers (routers that have a directly connected receiver for the multicast group)
that need to receive the traffic from a specific multicast group, join this shared tree. When
the last-hop router no longer needs the traffic of a specific multicast group (that is, when
there are no longer any directly connected receivers for the multicast group), the router
prunes itself from the shared tree.

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Because PIM-SM uses a unidirectional shared tree where traffic can only flow down the
tree, sources must register with the RP to get their multicast traffic to flow down the shared
tree (via the RP). This registration process actually triggers an SPT Join by the RP toward
the Source when there are active receivers for the group in the network. (SPT Joins are
described in more detail in the section, PIM-SM Shortest Path Trees, and registers are
described in more detail in the Source Registration section.)

Shared Tree Joins

Figure 7-1 shows the first step of a Shared Tree Join in a sample PIM-SM. In this step, a
single host (Receiver 1) has just joined multicast Group G via an Internet Group
Membership Protocol (IGMP) Membership Report.
Figure 7-1 PIM Shared Tree JoinsStep 1

RP

IGMP
Report
Receiver 1
(Group G )

Because Receiver 1 is the first host to join the multicast group in the example, Router C had
to create a (*, G) state entry in its multicast routing table for this multicast group. Router C
then places the Ethernet interface in the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry as shown
by the solid arrow in Figure 7-2. Because Router C had to create a new (*, G) state entry, it
must also send a PIM (*, G) Join (indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 7-2) toward the
RP to join the shared tree. (Router C uses its unicast routing table to determine the interface
toward the RP.)

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Figure 7-2 PIM Shared Tree JoinStep 2

RP

(*,G) Join

Receiver 1
(Group G )

The RP receives the (*, G) Join, and because it too had no previous state for multicast
Group G, creates a (*, G) state entry in its multicast routing table and adds the link to
Router C to the outgoing interface list. At this point, a shared tree for multicast Group G
has been constructed from the RP to Router C and Receiver 1, as shown by the solid arrows
in Figure 7-3. Now, any traffic for multicast Group G that reaches the RP can flow down the
shared tree to Receiver 1.
Figure 7-3 Shared Tree JoinsStep 3

RP

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Lets continue the example and assume that another host (Receiver 2) joins the multicast
group as shown in Figure 7-4. Again, the host has signaled its desire to join multicast
Group G by using an IGMP Membership Report that was received by Router E.

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PIM-SM Shared Trees

153

Figure 7-4 Shared Tree JoinsStep 4

RP

E
IGMP Report
Receiver 2
(Group G )

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Because Router E didnt have any state for multicast Group G, it creates a (*, G) state entry
in its multicast routing table and adds the Ethernet interface to its outgoing interface list
(shown by the solid arrow in Figure 7-5). Because Router E had to create a new (*, G) entry,
it sends a (*, G) Join (indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 7-5) toward the RP to join
the shared tree for Group G.
Figure 7-5 Shared Tree JoinsStep 5

RP

(*,G) Join

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

When Router C receives the (*, G) Join from Router E, it finds that it already has (*, G)
state for Group G (that is, its already on the shared tree for this group). As a result,
Router C simply adds the link to Router E to the outgoing interface list in its (*, G) entry.

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Figure 7-6 shows the resulting shared tree (indicated by the solid arrows) that includes
Routers C and E along with their directly connected hosts (Receiver 1 and Receiver 2).
Figure 7-6 Shared Tree JoinsStep 6

RP

Receiver 2
(Group G )

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Shared Tree Prunes

Because PIM-SM uses the Explicit Join model to build distribution trees as needed, it also
uses Prunes to tear down the trees when they are no longer needed. (We could just stop
sending periodic Joins to refresh the tree and allow the tree branches to time out. However,
that isnt a very efficient usage of network resources.)
As an example, assume that Receiver 2 leaves multicast Group G by sending an IGMP
Leave message (shown in Figure 7-7).
Figure 7-7 Shared Tree PrunesStep 1

RP

E
IGMP Leave
Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

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Because Receiver 2 was the only host joined to the group on Router Es Ethernet interface,
this interface is removed from the outgoing interface list in its (*, G) entry. (This is
represented by the removal of the arrow on Router Es Ethernet in Figure 7-8.) When the
interface is removed, the outgoing interface list for this (*, G) entry is null (empty), which
indicates that Router E no longer needs the traffic for this group. Router E responds to the
fact that its outgoing interface list is now null by sending a (*, G) Prune (shown in
Figure 7-8) toward the RP to prune itself off the shared tree.
Figure 7-8 Shared Tree PrunesStep 2

(*,G) Prune

RP

Receiver 1
(Group G )

When Router C receives this Prune, it removes the link to Router E from the outgoing
interface list of the (*, G) entry (as indicated by the removal of the arrow between Router C
and Router E in Figure 7-9). However, because Router C still has a directly connected host
for the group (Receiver 1), the outgoing interface list for the (*, G) entry is not null (empty).
Therefore, Router C must remain on the shared tree, and a Prune is not sent up the shared
tree toward the RP.
Figure 7-9 Shared Tree PrunesStep 3

RP

Receiver 1
(Group G )

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NOTE

Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

The prune examples in this section did not cover the situation in which a (*, G) prune is
being sent on a multi-access network (such as an Ethernet segment) with several other
PIM-SM routers still joined to the same shared tree. However, the same Prune Override
mechanism that was described in Chapter 6 on PIM-DM is also used in PIM-SM by the
other routers on the network to prevent the shared tree from being pruned prematurely.

PIM-SM Shortest Path Trees

One of the primary advantages of PIM-SM is that, unlike other sparse mode protocols (such
as core-based trees), it doesnt limit us to receiving multicast traffic only via the shared tree.
Just as it is possible to use the Explicit Join mechanism to join the shared tree, whose root
is the RP, this mechanism can be used to join the SPT whose root is a particular source. The
advantage should be obvious. By joining the SPT, multicast traffic is routed directly to the
receivers without having to go through the RP, thereby reducing network latency and
possible congestion at the RP. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that routers must
create and maintain (S, G) state entries in their multicast routing tables along the (S, G)
SPT. This action, of course, consumes more router resources.
Still, the overall amount of (S, G) information maintained by the routers in a PIM-SM
network that uses SPTs is generally much less than is necessary for dense mode protocols.
The reason is that the Flood-and-Prune mechanism used by dense mode protocols results
in all routers in the network maintaining (S, G) state entries in their multicast routing tables
for all active sources. This is true even if there are no active receivers for the groups to
which the sources are transmitting. By joining SPTs in PIM-SM, we gain the advantage of
an optimal distribution tree without suffering from the overhead and inefficiencies
associated with other dense mode protocols such as PIM-DM, DVMRP, and Multicast
Open Shortest Path First (MOSPF). (By now, you are probably beginning to understand
why PIM-SM is generally recommended over other dense mode protocols.)
This leads to an obvious question: If using SPTs in PIM-SM is so desirable, why join the
shared tree in the first place? The problem is that without the shared tree to deliver the first
few multicast packets from a source, routers have no way of knowing that a source is active.

NOTE

Several methods (including the use of dynamic Domain Name System [DNS] entries) have
been proposed to tell routers which sources are currently active for which groups. Using
this information, a router could immediately and directly join the SPT of all active sources
in the group. This would eliminate the need for a shared tree and its associated Core or RP.
Unfortunately, none of the methods proposed to date have met with much acceptance in the
Internet community.

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157

The sections that follow present the basic concepts of building SPTs using (S, G) Joins and
Prunes. Keep in mind that the goal here is to understand the basic concepts of joining the
SPT. The details as to why and when PIM-SM routers actually join the SPT are discussed
later.

Shortest Path Tree Joins

As you recall from the section Shared Tree Joins, routers send a (*, G) Join toward the
RP to join the shared tree and receive multicast traffic for Group G. However, by sending
an (S, G) Join toward Source S, a router can just as easily join the SPT for Source S and
receive multicast traffic being sent by S to Group G.
Figure 7-10 shows an example of an (S, G) Join being sent toward an active source to join
the SPT. (The solid arrows in the drawing indicate the path of the SPT down which traffic
from Source S1 flows.) In this example, Receiver 1 has already joined Group G (indicated
by the solid arrow from Router E).
Figure 7-10 SPT JoinStep 1
Source S1
(Group G )

SPT

(S1, G) Join

RP

Receiver 1
(Group G )

For the sake of this example, assume that Router E somehow magically knows that
Source S1 is active for Group G.

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NOTE

Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

In reality, Router E would have learned that Source S1 is active because it would have
received a packet from the source via the shared tree. However, to make the point that PIM
SPTs are independent from shared trees (and to simplify this example), we are going to
ignore this minor detail and concentrate on the fact that a router can explicitly join a SPT
just as a router can join the shared tree.

Because Router E wants to join the SPT for Source S1, it sends an (S1, G) Join toward the
source. Router E determines the correct interface to send this Join out by calculating the
RPF interface toward Source S1. (The RPF interface calculation uses the unicast routing
table, which in turn indicates that Router C is the next-hop router to Source S1.)
When Router C receives the (S1, G) Join, it creates an (S1, G) entry in its multicast
forwarding table and adds the interface on which the Join was received to the entrys
outgoing interface list (indicated by the solid arrow from Router C to Router E in
Figure 7-11). Because Router C had to create state for (S1, G), it also sends an (S1, G) Join
(as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 7-11) toward the source.
Figure 7-11 SPT JoinStep 2
Source S1
(Group G )

RP

(S1, G) Join
C

SPT

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Finally, when Router A receives the (S1, G) Join, it adds the link to Router C to the outgoing
interface list of its existing (S1, G) entry as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 7-12.
(Router A is referred to as the first hop router for Source S1 and would have already created
an (S1, G) entry as soon as it received the first packet from the source.)

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159

Figure 7-12 SPT JoinStep 3

Source S1
(Group G )

RP

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Shortest Path Tree Prunes

SPTs can be pruned by using (S1, G) Prunes in the same manner that shared trees were
pruned by using (*, G) Prunes.

NOTE

Again, the prune examples in this section do not cover the situation where an (S, G) prune
is being sent on a multi-access network (such as an Ethernet segment) with several other
PIM-SM routers still joined to the same SPT. However, the same Prune Override
mechanism that was described in Chapter 6 on PIM-DM is also used in PIM-SM by the
other routers on the network to prevent the SPT from being pruned prematurely.

Continuing with the SPT example, assume that Router E no longer has a directly connected
receiver for Group G and therefore has no further need for (S1, G) traffic. Therefore,
Router E sends an (S1, G) Prune toward Source S1 (as shown by the dashed arrow in
Figure 7-13).

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Figure 7-13 SPT PrunesStep 1

Source S1
(Group G )

(S1, G) Prune

RP

When Router C receives the (S1, G) Prune from Router E, it removes the interface on which
the message was received from the outgoing interface list of its (S1, G) entry (indicated by
the absence of the solid arrow between Routers C and E in Figure 7-14). This results in
Router Cs (S1, G) entry having an empty outgoing interface list. Because the outgoing
interface list is now empty, Router C has to send an (S1, G) Prune toward the source S1
(as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 7-14).
Figure 7-14 SPT PrunesStep 2
Source S1
(Group G )

RP

(S1, G) Prune

When Router A receives the (S1, G) Prune from Router C, it removes the interface on which
it received the Prune from the outgoing interface list of its (S1, G) entry (indicated by the
absence of the solid arrow between Routers A and C in Figure 7-15). However, because
Router A is the first-hop router for Source S1 (in other words, it is directly connected to the

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PIM Join/Prune Messages

161

source), no further action is taken. (Router A simply continues to drop any packets from
Source S1 because the outgoing interface list in Router As (S1, G) entry is empty.)
Figure 7-15 SPT PrunesStep 3
Source S1
(Group G )

NOTE

RP

To avoid being flamed by readers who are experienced PIM-SM users, I should point out
that the previous SPT examples have been radically simplified to make the concepts of
SPTs in PIM-SM easier to understand. Again, the key point here is that the PIM-SM explicit
Join/Prune mechanism can be used to Join/Prune SPTs as well as shared trees. This
capability becomes important in later sections on source registering and SPT switchover.

PIM Join/Prune Messages

Although we have been referring to PIM Prunes and Joins as if they were two individual
message types, the reality is that there is only a single PIM Join/Prune message type. (See
Appendix A, PIM Packet Formats, for a detailed description of the format of PIM Join/
Prune messages.) Each PIM Join/Prune message contains both a Join list and a Prune list,
either one of which may be empty, depending on the information being conveyed up the
distribution tree. By including multiple entries in the Join and/or Prune lists, a router may
Join/Prune multiple sources and/or groups with a single PIM Join/Prune message. This
greatly improves the efficiency of the periodic refresh mechanism because typically only a
single message is necessary to refresh an upstream routers state.

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The entries in the Join and Prune lists of PIM Join/Prune messages share a common format,
containing (among other things) the following information:

Multicast source addressIP address of the multicast source to Join/Prune. (If the
Wildcard flag is set, this is the address of the RP.)

Multicast group addressClass D multicast group address to Join/Prune.

WC bit (Wildcard flag)This entry is a shared tree (*, G) Join/Prune message.
RP bit (RP Tree flag)This Join/Prune information is applicable to and should be
forwarded up the shared tree.

By manipulating the preceding information in each Join/Prune list entry, various requests
may be signaled to an upstream router.
For example, a PIM Join/Prune message with an entry in the Join list of
Source address = 192.16.10.1
Group address = 224.1.1.1
Flags = WC, RP
indicates that this item is a (*, G) (denoted by the WC and RP flags being set) Join for
Group 224.1.1.1 whose RP is 192.16.10.1.
A PIM Join/Prune message with an entry in the Prune list of
Source address = 191.1.2.1
Group address = 239.255.1.1
Flags = none
indicates that this is an (S, G) (denoted by the WC and RP flags being clear) Prune for
source 191.1.2.1, Group 239.255.1.1.

NOTE

The reason that this information on the Join/Prune message contents is presented here is that
it (particularly the part about the RP flag) will be important when we discuss pruning specific
source traffic flows from the shared tree in the Shortest Path Tree Switchover section.

PIM-SM State-Refresh
To prevent a stale PIM-SM forwarding state from getting stuck in the routers, it is given a
finite lifetime (3 minutes), after which it is deleted. (For example, if an upstream router
loses a Prune because of congestion, the associated forwarding state could remain in the
router for a long time.) The lifetime is established by associating a 3-minute expiration
timer with each (*, G) and (S, G) state entry in the multicast routing table. When these
timers expire, the state entry is deleted. As a result, downstream routers must periodically
refresh this forwarding state to prevent it from timing out and being deleted. To do so,

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Source Registration

163

routers send PIM Join/Prune messages to the appropriate upstream neighbor once a minute.
When the upstream neighbor receives the PIM Join/Prune message, it refreshes its existing
multicast forwarding state and resets the 3-minute expiration timers.
Routers refresh shared trees by periodically (once a minute) sending (*, G) Joins to the
upstream neighbor in the direction of the RP. Additionally, routers refresh SPTs by
periodically (once a minute) sending (S, G) Joins to the upstream neighbor in the direction
of the source.
These periodic (*, G) and (S, G) Joins are sent by routers as long as they have a nonempty
outgoing interface list in their associated (*, G) and (S, G) entries (or a directly connected
host for multicast Group G). If these periodic Joins were not sent, multicast state for G
would eventually time out (after 3 minutes) and the distribution tree associated with the
(*, G) and/or (S, G) multicast routing entry would be torn down.

NOTE

I find that this periodic refresh mechanism is one of the most frequently overlooked aspects
of PIM-SM when students are initially learning PIM-SM fundamentals. This results in
confusion regarding the maintenance of certain timers in the multicast forwarding table as
well as confusion when this periodic Join message traffic is observed during debugging
sessions.

Source Registration
In the section PIM-SM Shared Trees, you learned how routers use (*, G) Joins to join the
shared tree for multicast Group G. However, because PIM-SM uses a unidirectional shared
tree, multicast traffic can only flow down this tree. Therefore, multicast sources must
somehow get their traffic to the RP so that the traffic can flow down the shared tree. PIMSM accomplishes this by having the RP join the SPT back to the source so it can receive
the sources traffic. First, however, the RP must somehow be notified that the source exists.
PIM-SM makes use of PIM Register and Register-Stop messages to implement a source
registration process to accomplish this task.

NOTE

A common misconception is that a source must register before any receivers can join the
shared tree. However, receivers can join the shared tree, even though there are currently no
active sources. But when a source does become active, the RP then joins the SPT to the
source and begins forwarding this traffic down the shared tree. By the same token, sources
can register first even if there are no active receivers in the network. Later, when a receiver
does join the group, the RP Joins the SPT toward all sources in the group and begins
forwarding the group traffic down the shared tree. These scenarios are covered in more
detail in Chapter 11.

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The following sections discuss the mechanics of the source registration process that makes
use of PIM Register and PIM Register-Stop messages. This process notifies an RP of an
active source in the network and delivers the initial multicast packets to the RP to be
forwarded down the shared tree. At the end of this section, a detailed, step-by-step example
shows this process in action.

PIM Register Messages

PIM Register messages are sent by first-hop DRs (that is, a DR that is directly connected to
a multicast source) to the RP. The purpose of the PIM Register message is twofold:
1 Notify the RP that Source S1 is actively sending to Group G.
2 Deliver the initial multicast packet(s) sent by Source S1 (each encapsulated inside of

a single PIM Register message) to the RP for delivery down the shared tree.
Therefore, when a multicast source begins to transmit, the DR (to which the source is
directly connected) receives the multicast packets sent by the source and creates an (S, G)
state entry in its multicast routing table. In addition, because the source is directly
connected (to the DR), the DR encapsulates each multicast packet in a separate PIM
Register message and unicasts it to the RP. (How the DR learns the IP address of the RP is
discussed in the RP Discovery section.)

NOTE

Unlike the other PIM messages that are multicast on a local segment and travel hop by hop
through the network, PIM Register messages and their close cousins, PIM Register-Stop
messages (discussed in the next subsection) are unicast between the first-hop router and
the RP.

When an RP receives a PIM Register message, it first de-encapsulates the message so it can
examine the multicast packet inside. If the packet is for an active multicast group (that is,
shared tree Joins for the group have been received), the RP forwards the packet down the
shared tree. The RP then joins the SPT for Source S1 so that it can receive (S1, G) traffic
natively instead of it being sent encapsulated inside of PIM Register messages. If, on the
other hand, there is no active shared tree for the group, the RP simply discards the multicast
packets and does not send a Join toward the source.

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Source Registration

165

Does Anyone Know a Multicast Source?

Every time I describe the PIM Register process to students learning PIM-SM, I cant help
but use an analogy of an elementary school class. Remember back when you were in
elementary school, and a few kids in class always seemed to have the answer to the
teachers question and were dying to be called on? Their response to these questions would
be to throw their hand high into the air while blurting out, Oh, oh, me, me, ME! (This was
generally accompanied by painful facial expressions that were a result of attempts to raise
their hand higher than anyone else in class, sometimes nearly to the point of dislocating a
shoulder.) Now imagine that the teacher has just asked, Who has multicast traffic for me?
I like to think of PIM Register messages as the Oh, oh, me, me, ME! message sent by
first-hop DRs that are trying to notify the teacher (the RP) that they have multicast traffic.
Of course, in PIM-SM first-hop DRs (just like many elementary students) dont wait to be
called on before blurting out their Oh, oh, me, me, ME! Register messages.

PIM Register-Stop Messages

The RP unicasts PIM Register-Stop messages to the first-hop DR, instructing it to stop
sending (S1, G) Register messages under any of the following conditions:

When the RP begins receiving multicast traffic from Source S1 via the (S1, G) SPT
between the source and the RP.

If the RP has no need for the traffic because there is no active shared tree for the group.

When a first-hop DR receives a Register-Stop message, the router knows that the RP has
received the Register message and one of the two conditions above has been met. In either
case, the first-hop DR terminates the Register process and stops encapsulating (S1, G)
packets in PIM Register messages.

Source Registration Example

Refer back to the point in the network example (see Figure 7-6) where two receivers have
joined multicast Group G (as a result of receiving IGMP Membership Reports from directly
connected hosts). At this point, Routers C and E have successfully joined the shared tree
back to the RP. Lets now assume that multicast Source S1 begins sending multicast traffic
to Group G, as shown in Figure 7-16.

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Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

Figure 7-16 Source RegistrationStep 1

Source S1
(Group G )

RP

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

Because Router A is the first-hop DR, it responds to the incoming multicast traffic from
Source S1 by encapsulating the multicast packets in a PIM Register message and unicasting
them (as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 7-17) to the RP. (Note that Register messages
are not sent hop by hop like other PIM messages, but are sent directly to the RP as a normal
unicast packet.)
Figure 7-17 Source RegistrationStep 2
Source S1
(Group G )
Register

Receiver 1
(Group G )

RP

Receiver 2
(Group G )

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Source Registration

167

When the RP receives the Register message, the RP de-encapsulates the message and sees
that the packet is addressed to multicast Group G. The RP also sees that an active shared
tree with a nonempty outgoing interface list exists and therefore sends the de-encapsulated
packet down the shared tree (depicted by the solid arrows in Figure 7-17). Furthermore,
because an active shared tree exists for this group (with a nonempty outgoing interface list),
the RP sends an (S1, G) Join back toward Source S1 to join the SPT and to pull the (S1, G)
traffic down to the RP. The (S1, G) Join travels hop by hop back to the first-hop DR,
Router A (see Figure 7-18).
Figure 7-18 Source RegistrationStep 3
Source S1
(Group G )
(S1 , G) Join

Receiver 1
(Group G )

RP

Receiver 2
(Group G )

When the (S1, G) Join reaches Router A, an (S1, G) SPT has been built from Router A to
the RP (indicated by the solid arrows from Router A to the RP in Figure 7-18). Now the
(S1, G) traffic begins to flow to the RP via this newly created (S1, G) SPT.
At this point, the RP no longer needs to continue to receive the (S1, G) traffic encapsulated
in Register messages, so the RP unicasts a Register-Stop message back to the first-hop DR
(Router A), as shown in Figure 7-19.

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Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

Figure 7-19 Source RegistrationStep 4

Source S1
(Group G )
Register-Stop

Receiver 1
(Group G )

RP

Receiver 2
(Group G )

Lets continue with the example and assume another multicast source, S2, connected to
Router D begins sending to Group G. The same registration process would occur and would
result in the RP joining the (S2, G) SPT to pull the (S1, G) traffic down to the RP so that it
could be forwarded on down the shared tree for Group G.
At this point, the RP has joined both the (S1, G) and (S2, G) SPTs, (as seen in Figure 7-20)
for the two active sources for Group G. This traffic is being forwarded down the (*, G)
shared tree to Receivers 1 and 2. Now, the paths are complete between the sources and the
receivers, and multicast traffic is flowing properly.

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Shortest Path Tree Switchover

169

Figure 7-20 Source RegistrationStep 5

Source S1
(Group G )
(S1 , G) SPT

(S2 , G) SPT

RP

(*, G) RPT
Source S2
(Group G )
C

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

Shortest Path Tree Switchover

PIM-SM enables a last hop DR (that is, a DR with directly connected hosts that have joined
a multicast group) to switch from the shared tree to the SPT for a specific source. This step
is usually accomplished by specifying an SPT-Threshold in terms of bandwidth. If this
threshold is exceeded, the last-hop DR joins the SPT. (Cisco routers have this threshold set
to zero by default, which means that the SPT is joined as soon the first multicast packet
from a source has been received via the shared tree.)

SPT Switchover Example

Lets return to the network example at the point where there are two receivers and two
active sources (refer to Figure 7-20). Because Router C is a last-hop DR, it has the option
of switching to the SPTs for Source S1 and Source S2. (For now, we are concentrating on
Source S1 because it is the more interesting case.) To accomplish this, Router C would send
an (S1, G) Join toward Source S1, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 7-21.

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Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

Figure 7-21 SPT SwitchoverStep 1

Source S1
(Group G )
(S1 , G) SPT

RP

(S1 , G) Join

Source S2
(Group G )
C

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

When Router A receives this Join, it adds the interface over which the Join was received to
the outgoing interface list of the (S1, G) entry in its multicast forwarding table. This
effectively adds the link from Router A to Router C to the (S1, G) SPT, as indicated in
Figure 7-22. At this point, (S1, G) multicast traffic can flow directly to Router C via the
(S1, G) SPT.

NOTE

Normally, Group SPT-Thresholds are configured consistently on all routers in the network.
If this situation occurred in our example, Router E would also initiate a switch to the SPT
by sending an (S, G) Join to the upstream router toward the source that, in this case, would
be Router C. However, to keep the example simple, we only examined the case where
Router C initiated the switch. Finally, remember that the routers, not the receivers, initiate
the switchover to the SPT.

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Shortest Path Tree Switchover

171

Figure 7-22 SPT SwitchoverStep 2

Source S1
(Group G )
(S1 , G) SPT

RP

D
Source S2
(Group G )

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

You have probably noticed that there are now two paths over which (S1, G) multicast traffic
can flow to reach Router C: the shared tree and the SPT. This would result in duplicate
packets being delivered to Router C and is a waste of network bandwidth. So, we need to
tell the RP to prune the (S1, G) multicast traffic from the shared tree, which is precisely the
topic of our next section.

Pruning Sources from the Shared Tree

When encountering the situation shown in Figure 7-22, in which source traffic is flowing
down the shared tree that is also receiving via the SPT, a special type of Prune is used to tell
the RP to prune this sources traffic from the shared tree. This special prune is referred to
as an (S, G) RP-bit Prune because it has the RP flag set in the Prune list entry. As you recall
from the section PIM Join/Prune Messages, the RP flag (also referred to as the RP-bit)
indicates that this message is applicable to the shared tree and should be forwarded up the
shared tree toward the RP. Setting this flag/bit in an (S1, G) Prune and sending it up the
shared tree tells the routers along the shared tree to prune Source S1 multicast traffic from
the shared tree.

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Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

Referring to Figure 7-23, Router C sends an (S1, G) RP-bit Prune up the shared tree toward
the RP to prune S1 multicast traffic from the shared tree. After receiving this special prune,
the RP updates its multicast forwarding state so that (S1, G) traffic is not forwarded down
the link to Router C. However, because this link was the only interface on the shared tree
that had (S1, G) traffic flowing down it, the RP no longer has any need for the (S1, G) traffic
either.
Figure 7-23 Pruning Sources from the Shared TreeStep 1
Source S1
(Group G )
(S1 , G) SPT

RP

(S1 , G) RP-bit
Prune

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Source S2
(Group G )
E

Receiver 2
(Group G )

To shut off the now unneeded flow of (S1, G) traffic, the RP sends an (S1, G) Prune back
toward Source S1. This Prune (shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 7-24) travels hop by
hop through Router B until it reaches the first-hop router, Router A.

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Shortest Path Tree Switchover

173

Figure 7-24 Pruning Sources from the Shared TreeStep 2

Source S1
(Group G )
(S1 , G) Prune

RP

D
Source S2
(Group G )

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

Figure 7-25 shows the result. Now, the (S1, G) SPT has been pruned, leaving only the link
between Router A and Router C. Note that Router E is still receiving (S1, G) traffic from
Router C (indicated by the solid arrow from C to E), although Router E is not aware that its
upstream neighbor (Router C) has switched over to the SPT for Source S1.

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Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

Figure 7-25 Pruning Sources from the Shared TreeStep 3

Source S1
(Group G )
(S2 , G) SPT

RP

(*, G) RPT

(S1 , G) SPT

Source S2
(Group G )
C

Receiver 1
(Group G )

Receiver 2
(Group G )

Also note in Figure 7-25 that (S2, G) traffic is still flowing to the RP and down the shared
tree to reach Receiver 1 and Receiver 2.

PIM-SM Designated Router

As discussed in Chapter 6, PIM elects a DR on each multi-access network (for example an
Ethernet segment) using PIM Hello messages. In PIM-DM, the DR had meaning only if
IGMPv1 was in use on the multi-access network because IGMPv1 does not have an IGMP
Querier Election mechanism. In that case, the elected DR also functions as the IGMP
Querier. However, in PIM-SM, the role of the DR is much more important, as you will see
shortly.

The Role of the Designated Router

Consider the network example shown in Figure 7-26, in which two PIM-SM routers are
connected to a common multi-access network with an active receiver for Group G. Because
the Explicit Join model is used, only the DR (in this case, Router A) should send Joins to
the RP to construct the shared tree for Group G. If both routers are permitted to send (*, G)
Joins to the RP, parallel paths would be created and Host A would receive duplicate
multicast traffic.

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PIM-SM Designated Router

175

Figure 7-26 PIM-SM Designated Router

(*, G) Join
RP
Router A

Router B
.254 (DR)

.253

192.16.1.1/24
.1

Host A
(Member of Group G)

By the same token, if Host A begins to source multicast traffic to the group, the DR
(Router A) is the router responsible for sending Register messages to the RP. Again, if both
routers were permitted to send Register messages, the RP would receive duplicate multicast
packets.

Designated Router Failover

When more than one router is connected to a LAN segment, PIM-SM provides not only a
method to elect the DR but also a way to detect the failure of the current DR. If the current
DR (Router A) shown in Figure 7-26 were to fail, Router B would detect this situation when
its neighbor adjacency with Router A timed out. Now, a new DR election takes place, and
Router B becomes the active DR for the network.
In this case, Router B is already aware that an active receiver (Host A) exists on the network
because it has been hearing IGMP Membership Reports from the host. As a result, Router B
already has IGMP state for Group G on this interface, which would cause B to send a Join
to the RP as soon as it was elected the new DR. This step re-establishes traffic flow down a
new branch of the shared tree via Router B. Additionally, if Host A were sourcing traffic,
Router B would initiate a new Register process immediately after receiving the next
multicast packet from Host A. This action would trigger the RP to join the SPT to Host A
via a new branch through Router B.

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Chapter 7: PIM Sparse Mode

RP Discovery
For PIM-SM to work properly, all routers within the PIM-SM domain must know the
address of the RP. In small networks that use a single RP for all multicast groups, manually
specifying the IP address of the RP in the configuration of each router might be possible.
However, if the size of the network grows or if the RP changes frequently, manual
configuration of every router becomes an administration nightmare. This problem is further
compounded by the fact that different multicast groups use different RPs in other locations
in the domain to either optimize the shared tree or spread the RP workload across multiple
routers.
PIMv2 defines a Bootstrap mechanism that permits all PIM-SM routers within a domain to
dynamically learn all Group-to-RP mappings and avoid the manual RP configuration
problem. In addition, Ciscos PIM implementation has another mechanism, Auto-RP, which
can accomplish the same thing. (Ciscos Auto-RP was developed before the PIMv2
specification was written so that existing Cisco PIM-SM networks could dynamically learn
Group-to-RP mappings.) Both of these mechanisms are discussed in Chapter 12, PIM
Rendezvous Points.

PIM-SM Suitability/Scalability
Because PIM-SM uses the Explicit Join model, multicast traffic is better constrained to only
those portions of the network where it is actually desired. Therefore, PIM-SM does not
suffer from the inefficiencies found in flood-and-prune protocols such as DVMRP and
PIM-DM. As a result, PIM-SM is better suited to multicast networks that have potential
members at the end of WAN links.
In addition to the obvious advantages of the Explicit Join model, PIM-SM enables network
engineers to use SPTs to reduce the network latency commonly associated with the use of
shared trees. The decision to use or not use SPTs can be made on a group-by-group basis.
For example, a low-rate, many-to-many multicast application (such as SDR) running over
a star-topology network may not warrant the use of SPTs. In this case, the use of Infinity as
the groups SPT-Threshold could force all group traffic to remain on the shared tree. This
ability to control the use of SPTs gives network engineers greater control over the amount
of state created in the routers in the network. Ultimately, the amount of state in the routers
in the network is one of the primary factors that affects the scalability of any multicast
routing protocol.
PIM-SM is arguably the best choice for an intra-domain multicast routing protocol for most
general-purpose multicast networks. The possible exceptions are dedicated, special purpose
networks that are designed to run very specific network applications under the complete
control of the network administrators. (In these cases, PIM-SM may still be the best choice,
although other protocols could possibly be made to work adequately given the tight controls
that the network administrators have over the network and its applications.)

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Summary

177

Summary
This chapter has presented an overview of the fundamentals of PIM-SM. The key points of
PIM-SM are the use of an Explicit Join model to build shared trees and SPTs. In addition,
because traffic only flows down the shared tree in traditional PIM-SM, there must be some
way to get traffic from a source to the RP. This task is accomplished by the RP joining the
SPT toward the source. However, first the RP must be made aware that the source exists,
which requires the PIM Register mechanism. The final point, and possibly the most
overlooked aspect of PIM-SM, is that routers with directly connected receivers usually
immediately join the SPT to a newly detected source and bypass the RP.

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CHAPTER

Core-Based Trees
The Core-Based Tree (CBT) multicast routing protocol is truly a work-in-progress and has
been so for several years. The original version, CBTv1, was superseded by CBTv2 (defined
in RFC 2189) which is, unfortunately, not backward compatible with CBTv1. However,
because CBTv1 was never really implemented in any production networks to speak of,
backward compatibility is not an issue. CBTv2 has also not really seen any significant
deployment to date, which is probably good, because a new draft specification for CBTv3
is already out that supersedes and is not backward compatible with CBTv2.
This chapter provides a brief discussion of the concepts and mechanisms used by version 2
of the CBT multicast routing protocol. The coverage includes a brief overview followed by
more details on the following CBTv2 topics:

Joining the CBT shared tree

Pruning the CBT shared tree
CBT state maintenance
CBT Designated Router
Core Discovery

Finally, a very short discussion of some of the changes proposed in version 3 of the CBT
protocol is followed by an examination of the scalability and suitability to the use of CBT
in todays multicast network.

CBT Overview
The original designers of CBT were concerned with the scalability of multicast as the
number of active groups in the network grows. Therefore, a primary goal of CBT is the
reduction of multicast state in the routers in the network to O(G) (pronounced order G).
To accomplish this goal, CBT was designed as a sparse mode protocol (similar in many
ways to Protocol Independent Multicast Sparse Mode [PIM-SM]) that uses only
bidirectional shared trees to deliver multicast group traffic to portions of the network that
have specifically joined the group. These bidirectional shared trees are rooted at a Core
router, (hence the name, Core-Based Trees) and permit multicast traffic to flow in both
directions, up or down the tree. The bidirectional nature of these trees means that routers

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Chapter 8: Core-Based Trees

already on the shared tree do not have to perform any special tasks to forward locally
sourced multicast traffic to the Core. Instead, the first-hop CBT router can simply send the
traffic up the tree. Each router on the tree simply forwards the traffic out all interfaces on
the tree other than the interface on which the packet was received.
Figure 8-1 is an example of a CBT that has several member hosts, M1 to M7, joined to the
tree. In this example, member M3 is also a source of multicast traffic to the group. Because
it is both a member and a source, M3 is called a member source.
Figure 8-1 Traffic Flow on CBTs

M7
N8

N9

CBT

CBT

Core

M6

C
CBT

N1

M4
N2

M5
A

B
N3

CBT

CBT

D
CBT

E
CBT

N4

M1

CBT
N5

M2

F
CBT
N6

M3

N7

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CBT Overview

181

Notice that the traffic sent by M3 flows both up and down the shared tree as shown by the
arrows in Figure 8-1. The bidirectional nature of CBT means that no special processing is
necessary to get the traffic to the Core so that it can flow down the other branches of the
CBT to other members. The key benefit here is that there is also no need for additional
forwarding state in the routers for member senders.

NOTE

Note that CBT differs from PIM-SM in that source traffic cannot flow up the shared tree
because it is unidirectional. Instead, PIM-SM uses shortest path trees (SPTs) between the
rendezvous point (RP) and the source to get the traffic to the RP so it can be forwarded down
the shared tree.

Unfortunately, routers that have nonmember sources attached (that is, routers that are not
on the shared tree) still must send any traffic sent by these locally attached nonmember
sources to the Core via an IP-in-IP tunnel so that the traffic can flow down the tree to the
receivers. Unlike PIM-SM, CBT does not have a way to eliminate the encapsulation of this
traffic short of the nonmember source joining the group.
Finally, because CBT has the notion of a shared tree only to minimize state in the routers,
it does not support SPTs. As a result, CBT does not have the capability to cut over to SPTs.
Although this approach does achieve the goal of reducing the amount of multicast state in
the routers (by maintaining only (*, G) state entries in the multicast routing table) traffic
can suffer from increased latency. This increase can occur because of suboptimal Core
placement, which can cause multicast traffic to take a less than optimum path across the
network.
Figure 8-2 shows how multicast traffic can take a suboptimal path to reach certain receivers
in the network.

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Chapter 8: Core-Based Trees

Figure 8-2 Suboptimal Traffic Flow

M7
N8

N9

CBT

CBT

Core

M6

C
CBT

N1

M4
N2

M5
A

B
N3

CBT

CBT

E
F

CBT

CBT
N4

M1

CBT
N5

M2

CBT
N6

M3

N7

M8

In this example, member M8 has caused Router G to join the CBT via the path through
Router B. In addition, M8 is also sourcing multicast traffic onto network N7 which is being
forwarded up the shared tree to the Core. Member M3 is receiving this traffic flow via the
path through Routers G-B-A-F. However, in this example, Router G has a direct link to
Router F which would be a more optimal path for the traffic flow from M8 to M3.
Unfortunately, CBT does not provide a capability for Router F to join the SPT for source
M8 and, therefore, latency is increased.
Now that the basic concepts of how traffic flows in a CBT network have been presented, the
next sections provide a basic explanation of how the shared tree is constructed and
maintained.

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Joining the Shared Tree

183

Joining the Shared Tree

When a CBT router receives an Internet Group Membership Protocol (IGMP) Membership
Report from a locally connected host, the router initiates the CBT Join process by sending
a CBT Join-Request message to the next-hop router in the direction of the Core. (Much like
PIM-SM, CBT calculates the next-hop router in the direction of the Core by using the
information in the unicast routing table. Therefore, CBT is also considered to be protocol
independent.)

NOTE

CBT Join-Request, like most CBT messages, are multicast with a Time To Live (TTL) of 1
to the All-CBT-Routers multicast group (224.0.0.15) whenever the link supports multicast.
If the link does not support multicast, the Join-Request is unicast to the next-hop router in
the direction of the Core. In addition, CBT has been assigned its own protocol number (7)
and, therefore, all CBT packets are transmitted using this protocol.

The CBT routers in the network forward the Join-Request message hop by hop toward the
Core until the message reaches either the Core or a CBT router that is already on the shared
tree. At this point, the Core (or the on tree router) sends back a Join-Ack message in
response to the Join-Request to confirm the join. Only when the Join-Ack is received is the
branch of the shared tree successfully established and multicast traffic permitted to flow up/
down the branch.
The CBT router that originated the Join-Request is also responsible for retransmission of
the Join-Request if no corresponding Join-Ack is received within the Retransmit Interval
(RTX-INTERVAL), which is typically 5 seconds. If the retransmission of several JoinRequests fails to produce a corresponding Join-Ack within the 7.5 second (typical) JOINTIMEOUT interval (which is always 3.5 times the RTX-INTERVAL per the CBT specification),
the join process is aborted with an error condition and retriggered by the next incoming
IGMP Membership Report from the locally attached host.

Transient State
As a Join-Request threads its way through the network on the way to the Core (or an on
tree router), each router along the path sets up a transient Join state entry, which contains
the following:
(group, incoming interface, {outgoing interface list})

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These transient Join state entries permit routers to forward Join-Ack messages in the
reverse path back down the tree to the originator(s) of the Join-Request. When a CBT router
receives a Join-Ack message, the <group, arrival interface> of the message must match
the <group, incoming interface> of a transient Join state entry. If there is no match, the
Join-Ack is ignored. If there is a match, the matching transient Join state router is converted
to a Forwarding Cache entry and the Join-Ack forwarded out the outgoing interface(s)
indicated in the transient Join state entry. If a corresponding Join-Ack is not received within
the TRANSIENT-TIMEOUT interval (which is specified in the CBT spec as 1.5 times the RTXINTERVAL, or roughly 7.5 seconds), the associated transient Join state entry is deleted.

Forwarding Cache
After transient Join state is confirmed by the receipt of a corresponding Join-Ack message,
the information in the transient state is converted into a multicast forwarding cache entry
and the original transient Join state is deleted.
Multicast forwarding cache entries are indexed by group and contain a list of interfaces over
which Joins have been successfully confirmed. Although forwarding cache entries do not
maintain the notion of an incoming or outgoing interface, the upstream, or parent,
interface in the direction of the Core is noted. The remaining interfaces in the list are
considered to be child interfaces, which implies that forwarding cache entries have the
following format:
(group, parent interface, {child interface list})

NOTE

It is also worth noting that the parent interface and the child interface list are mutually
exclusive. That is to say, the parent interface never appears in the child interface list.

When transient Join state is converted to a forwarding cache entry, the forwarding cache is
searched for an existing entry for the group. If one is not found, a new forwarding cache
entry for the group is created and the incoming interface in the transient Join state entry
becomes the upstream or parent interface in the forwarding cache entry. In either case, all
outgoing interfaces in the transient Join state entry are added to the list of child interfaces
in the forwarding cache entry. The resulting multicast forwarding cache entry is then used
to forward subsequent group multicast traffic up and down the tree.

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185

Multicast Forwarding
When a multicast packet arrives, the destination group address in the packets IP header is
used as the index into the forwarding cache. If a matching forwarding cache entry is found
and the packet arrives on one of the interfaces in the interface list, the packet is forwarded
out all remaining interfaces in the interface list. If a match is not found or if the arriving
interface is not listed in the forwarding entrys interface list, the packet is simply discarded.
Notice that CBT does not use Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) checks on arriving multicast
packets. Because traffic can flow both up and down the shared tree, RPF checks are not
applicable. As a result, great care must be taken in the design of the CBT shared tree
maintenance algorithms to ensure that no multicast route loops are ever generated.

Nonmember Sending
Up to now, our discussion of CBT has focused on the forwarding of multicast group traffic
sent by members of the group who by definition are on the shared tree. In general, this is
the norm because many of the popular multicast applications (particularly multimedia
conferencing applications that use the Real-Time Protocol [RTP] model) fall into the
category of sender is receiver. However, the basic multicast host model described in RFC
1112 (our IP Multicast Dead Sea Scrolls) does not require a sender to be a member of the
group to which it is sending.
CBT handles the case of nonmember senders by using an IP-in-IP tunnel to forward this
traffic to the Core. Figure 8-3 shows a nonmember (S1) sending to the group. Because
Router G is not on the tree, it must encapsulate the traffic and send it to the Core in the IPin-IP tunnel shown. When the IP-in-IP encapsulated traffic reaches the Core at the other end
of the tunnel, it is de-encapsulated and forwarded down the shared tree to all of the receivers
as shown in Figure 8-3.

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Chapter 8: Core-Based Trees

Figure 8-3 Nonmember Sending

M7
N8

N9

CBT

CBT

Core

M6

CBT
N1

M4
N2

M5
A

CBT

IP-IP
Tunnel

B
N3
CBT

E
F

CBT

CBT
N4

M1

CBT
N5

M2

CBT
N6

M3

N7

S1 (Non-Member)

In the current version of CBT (version 2) defined in RFC 2189, there was no way to convert
this IP-in-IP tunnel over to a branch of the shared tree. Furthermore, if there is no member
of the group to which the nonmember is sending, CBTv2 has no means to tell the router at
the end of the tunnel to stop sending this unwanted group traffic. This is obviously a key
deficiency in CBTv2, particularly if the send-only source is physically many hops away
from the core because unnecessary bandwidth is consumed on each link along this path.
To overcome this deficiency, the newer CBTv3 draft specification permits the CBT router
to send a special, unidirectional Join to the Core to establish a one-way branch of the tree.
When established, this one-way branch permits native (nonencapsulated) nonmember
traffic to flow up the tree toward the Core so that it can be forwarded to other members on
the tree. However, because this is a one-way branch, unnecessary group traffic does not flow
down branch in the direction of the nonmember sender.

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CBT State Maintenance

187

CBT State Maintenance

Because CBT uses the Explicit Join model, the branches of the CBT must be refreshed
periodically. The periodic refresh mechanism used in CBT is based on sending keepalive
messages on the upstream link to the parent and listening for a corresponding response.
These keepalive messages allow a child router to monitor the reachability of its parent and
to take action to repair the tree should connectivity be lost. The keepalive messages used to
accomplish the above are the CBT Echo-Request and Echo-Response messages, which are
described in the next sections.

Echo-Request Messages
As long as a CBT router has a forwarding cache entry whose child interface list is not
NULL, it periodically (every ECHO-INTERVAL, which is typically 60 seconds) sends an
Echo-Request message on the parent link. The Echo-Request message contains no group
information itself. Instead, it is a request for the parent router to report back (via EchoResponse message) all active groups on this network.
CBT uses an Echo-Request suppression mechanism so that only one child router sends an
Echo-Request when multiple child routers exist on a broadcast-capable, multi-access
network. When a CBT router receives an Echo-Request on its parent interface, it restarts
its ECHO-INTERVAL timer and suppresses the sending of its own Echo-Request. This
suppression mechanism helps to reduce Echo-Request traffic because only one needs to be
sent upstream every ECHO-INTERVAL period.

Echo-Response Messages
A router that receives an Echo-Request message over one of its child interfaces responds
by sending back an Echo-Response message that contains a list of all groups for which the
interface is a child. When this response is received, each child router scans this group
information and refreshes its matching forwarding entries. Forwarding cache entries that
are not refreshed in this manner eventually (in GROUP-EXPIRE-TIME seconds, which, per the
CBT spec, is 1.5 x ECHO-INTERVAL or roughly 90 seconds) time out and are deleted.
Following this deletion, the router sends a Quit-Notification message (detailed in the
section Pruning the Shared Tree) for the group upstream and a Flush-Tree message
(discussed in the next section) for the group downstream to completely tear down this
branch of the tree.

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Flush-Tree Messages
As the name implies, Flush-Tree messages are used to tear down downstream branches of
a tree whenever the integrity of a branch has been compromised because of loss of
connectivity upstream. If a router loses connectivity with its parent, Flush-Tree messages
for the group are sent down all child interfaces. When the routers downstream receive the
Flush-Tree message for a group, the message is forwarded on all child interfaces and the
associated forwarding cache entry is deleted. The net result is to completely delete all
branches of the tree from the originating router down. Any routers that were on these
deleted branches and that had directly attached members retrigger the Join process, which
causes a new branch to be constructed.

Pruning the Shared Tree

A CBT may be pruned in basically the same manner as PIM-SM shared trees (as described
in Chapter 7, PIM Sparse Mode) and for basically the same reasons. When the last
directly connected member leaves the group on a Leaf router, the multicast group traffic no
longer needs to continue to flow down the tree. One option would be to just stop sending
Echo-Requests to refresh the parent routers state for the tree and allow the branch to time
out. However, this step would take a finite period of time during which network resources
are being consumed to deliver unwanted multicast traffic. Therefore, the CBT Leaf router
sends a form of a Prune message up the tree to immediately stop the flow of the traffic.
The notion of pruning in CBT is implemented by the use of Quit-Notification messages,
which CBT routers send upstream toward the Core. Routers send Quit-Notification
messages whenever the child interface list of a forwarding cache entry becomes NULL.
Unlike Join-Request messages, Quit-Notification messages are not acknowledged. Instead,
they are simply repeated (the number of repeats is specified in the CBT specification by the
MAX-RTX parameter), spaced apart by HOLDTIME seconds (typically 3 seconds) to reduce
the possibility of the message being lost by its parent.
When a CBT router receives a Quit-Notification message on a child interface that is a pointto-point link, it simply deletes the child interface from the forwarding cache entry. On the
other hand, if a CBT router receives a Quit-Notification message on a child interface that is
a broadcast capable, multi-access network (such as an Ethernet segment), other child CBT
routers may possibly exist on the interface. If the parent just deletes the child interface from
the forwarding cache entry, one of the other downstream routers on the interface could be
starved of group traffic that it still wishes to receive.
To avoid this situation, CBT uses a Prune Override mechanism similar to PIM. When a
CBT router receives a Quit-Notification message on a child interface that is a broadcast,
multi-access network, it starts a child-deletion-timer. This child-deletion-timer is specified
in the CBT spec as 1.5 times HOLDTIME (which is a generic response interval defined in
CBT to be 3 seconds) or roughly 4.5 seconds. This delay gives other CBT routers on the
subnet the opportunity to override the Quit-Notification by sending a Join-Request.

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CBT Designated Router

189

During this child-deletion delay, if the parent router receives a Join-Request, the childdeletion-timer is canceled and the child interface is not deleted. However, if the childdeletion-timer expires, then no other downstream, on-tree router is present and the child
interface can be deleted from the forwarding cache entry.

NOTE

To avoid multiple sibling routers from all sending an overriding Join-Request at the same
time, each schedules the Join-Request to be sent between 0 and HOLDTIME seconds. If,
during this time, a Join-Request from a sibling is heard, the scheduled Join-Request
transmission is canceled.
In addition, the new draft CBTv3 specification changes this pruning procedure such that the
other child routers use group-specific Echo-Request messages to override the QuitNotification message and prevent the link from being pruned from the shared tree.

CBT Designated Router

CBT also elects a Designated Router (DR) on multi-access, broadcast-capable subnets in a
manner similar to PIM-SM. This section covers some of the basic functions of the CBT DR.
Like PIM DRs, CBT DRs must be elected on multi-access networks, such as Ethernet
segments. In addition, CBT DRs perform a function called Join brokering, which is unique
to CBT. Both of these topics are discussed next.

CBT Hello Protocol

CBTs Hello protocol is used solely to elect the CBT DR on a multi-access, broadcastcapable subnet. This differs from the PIM Hello protocol that is used not only to elect the
PIM DR but also to establish and maintain PIM neighbor adjacencies. (PIM DRs and the
PIM Hello protocol are covered in the PIM Neighbor Discovery section in Chapter 6,
PIM Dense Mode.)
To elect the DR, CBT routers periodically (typically every 60 seconds) multicast Hello
messages to the All-CBT-Router group with a TTL of 1. These Hello messages contain a
preference value of from 1 to 255 (the default is usually 255) where 1 is considered to be
most eligible to be elected as the CBT DR. These preference values can be configured on a
per interface basis by the network administrator so that the election of the CBT DR can be
controlled. If two or more CBT routers advertise the same preference value in their Hello
messages, the IP address of the advertising router is used as the tiebreaker and the lowest
IP addressed router wins.

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Once a router has been elected the DR, it continues to advertise itself as the elected DR by
setting the preference value to zero in the CBT Hello message. Furthermore, Hello
messages have a suppressing effect on other routers whose preference is worse (higher)
than the preference being advertised. In other words, a router that receives a Hello message
with a better preference does not send a Hello message of its own. The net effect is that once
a CBT DR is elected, it continues to send CBT Hellos (with a preference of zero) while all
other routers on the subnet suppress the sending of Hello messages. (For this reason, CBT
Hellos can not be used to maintain CBT neighbor information.)
Given that the elected CBT DR is sending Hellos with a preference value of zero (regardless
of its originally configured preference), one would expect that DR preemption would not
be possible. However, a new CBT-DR election process is triggered by the arrival of a new
CBT router on the network. (In the animal kingdom, this event is similar to a younger male
lion challenging the current male leader for dominance of the lion pride.) When a CBT
router comes up, it always immediately transmits two CBT Hello messages with its
configured preference value. This unsolicited transmission of a CBT Hello message with a
nonzero preference triggers a new DR election process. Routers with a better preference
(lower) respond by transmitting a Hello with their better preference value. Routers
configured with a lower preference suppress sending their Hello messages. (The routers
know they cant win anyway, so why bother losing any fur trying to be king of the jungle.)
In the end, if the preference value of the new router is better (lower) than the configured
value of the current CBT DR, the new router assumes the role of the CBT DR.

DR Join Brokering
The CBT DR is considered the join broker for all Joins crossing the multi-access,
broadcast-capable subnet and determines how the Join-Request is to be routed off the
subnet based on its routing viewpoint. (All routers on the subnet dont necessarily share the
same routing viewpoint. Without a single CBT DR to make the join-routing decision,
conflicts in routing information could result in tree loops.) When a CBT DR receives a JoinRequest message from a downstream router, the best path to the Core may be through one
of the other routers on the same subnet. In this case, the CBT DR unicasts the Join-Request
directly to this router, thereby making it the upstream router for the group. As a result of the
Join brokering performed by the CBT DR, the upstream router for the group may be some
other router on the subnet than the CBT DR.
Finally, the CBT DR is also the router responsible for initiating the Join process as a result
of any directly connected member hosts on the multi-access, broadcast-capable subnet. In
this case, it would originate the Join-Request message itself.

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191

Core Router Discovery

For CBT to work properly, all routers within the CBT domain must know the address of the
Core router. In small networks that use a single Core for all multicast groups, manually
specifying the core in the configuration of each router might be possible. However, if the
size of the network grows or the core changes frequently, manual configuration of every
router becomes an administration nightmare. This problem is further compounded by the
fact that different multicast groups use different cores in other locations in the domain to
optimize the trees. CBT uses the same Bootstrap mechanism used in PIMv2 to permit all
CBT routers within a domain to dynamically learn all <core, group> mappings and avoid
the manual core configuration problem. (This PIMv2 Bootstrap router mechanism is
described in detail in Chapter 12, PIM Rendezvous Points, in the section titled, oddly
enough, PIMv2 Bootstrap Router Mechanism.)

CBT Version 3
When this book was being written, version 3 of CBT had been published in initial, Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF) draft form. CBTv3 is primarily concerned with extensions
that permit it to better handle inter-domain multicast by the use of CBT border routers
(BRs). Compared to its predecessors, version 3 requires significantly more state
information in the routers so that this BR function can be implemented efficiently.
For example, CBTv2 needed to maintain (*, G) state information only in the form of its
forwarding cache entries. (As you recall, minimizing router state to O(G) is one of the
stated advantages of CBT.) However, CBTv3 defines new (*, Core) and (S, G) states in
order to support pruning of multicast traffic flowing into, out of, or across the domain
through the BRs. This, in turn, has resulted in a fairly substantial change and extension to
the CBT packet formats that are not backward compatible with CBTv2.

CBT Suitability/Scalability
Compared to protocols that support SPTs, CBTs biggest advantage is that it is more
efficient in terms of the amount of multicast state it creates in the routers. In networks with
large numbers of sources and groups, CBTs ability to minimize multicast state to O(G) is
very appealing. However, this efficiency results in a lack of support for SPTs (which some
may argue is a plus) when network latency is an issue. Furthermore, the simple (*, G) state
model that is maintained in CBTv2 does not handle nonmember senders or inter-domain
border routers particularly well. To remedy this, work on CBTv3 is (at the time this book
was written) underway. CBTv3 is a substantially more complex protocol that departs from
the simple bidirectional (*, G)-state-only model and introduces new (*, Core) and (S, G)
states as well as the concept of unidirectional branches of the CBT. It could be argued that
these extensions can potentially cause the amount of state in a CBT domain to approach the
amount of state in a similar PIM-SM domain.

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Summary
This chapter has provided a brief overview of the mechanisms of version 2 of the CBT
multicast routing protocol, which is based on the use of a bidirectional, shared tree rooted
at a Core router in the network. Because CBTv2 supports only traffic forwarding along this
shared tree and does not support the notion of SPTs, the amount of state that must be
maintained is considerably reduced. Although the overall idea of minimizing router state is
quite attractive, CBT continues as a work-in-progress with little or no actual network
implementations.

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CHAPTER

Multicast Open
Shortest Path First
OSPFv2 (currently defined in RFC 2328) is a link-state unicast routing protocol that uses a
two-tier, network hierarchy. At the top of the hierarchy is Area 0, sometimes called the
backbone area, to which all other areas in the second tier must connect, either physically or
through a virtual link. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is hierarchical because all interarea
traffic must flow through the backbone area, Area 0. Inside each OSPF area, routers flood
link-state information that describes the network topology within the area, and each router
maintains a copy of this information in its area database. Each time the topology changes,
new link-state information is flooded throughout the area so that all routers get an updated
picture of the topology. Using the topology information in the area databases, each router
(using itself as the root) constructs a lowest cost, spanning tree of the networks within the
area via a special Dijkstra algorithm. This lowest cost, spanning tree is then used to build a
unicast forwarding table. Special area border routers (ABRs) connect second-tier areas to
Area 0 and maintain separate area databases for each area it connects (including Area 0) so
that it can forward traffic across the area boundaries.

NOTE

I realize that my Tiny Guide to OSPF in the preceding paragraph is an extremely highlevel description of OSPF. Therefore, if you are unfamiliar with OSPF, you may want to do
some additional reading on OSPF basic concepts before proceeding. Another Cisco Press
book, OSPF Network Design Solutions, by Thomas M. Thomas, ISBN 1578700469, can
provide you with additional information on the OSPF protocol and OSPF network design.
If you dont have at least a little background on OSPF, you may find the remainder of this
chapter to be nothing more than an excellent cure for insomnia because it assumes at least
some basic OSPF knowledge.

Multicast Open Shortest Path First (MOSPF), defined in RFC 1584, Multicast Extensions
to OSPF is, as the RFC title implies, an extension to the OSPFv2 unicast routing protocol.
MOSPF provides additional OSPF data format definitions and operating specifications
based, in part, on the Link-State Multicast Routing section of Steve Deerings seminal
work published in 1991. These extensions to the OSPF protocol permit multicast traffic to
be forwarded within an OSPF unicast network using shortest path trees (SPTs) by either a
partial or full set of MOSPF routers. (An MOSPF router is one that supports the multicast

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Chapter 9: Multicast Open Shortest Path First

extensions to OSPF and has been configured to function as an MOSPF router. All routers
in the OSPF network need not be running MOSPF extensions for multicast traffic to be
forwarded. However, routers that are configured to function as MOSPF routers perform
multicast routing in addition to performing normal OSPF routing.)
This chapter provides a brief overview of the concepts and mechanisms of MOSPF
including the following topics:

MOSPF intra-area multicast routing

MOSPF interarea multicast routing
MOSPF inter-AS multicast routing

Finally, a brief discussion of MOSPFs suitability and scalability is presented.

MOSPF Intra-Area Multicast Routing

The fundamental concept of MOSPF intra-area multicast routing is based on the following
assumption stated in the OSPF specification, RFC 2328: If all routers within an area know
which network segments have multicast group members, they can use the Dijkstra
algorithm to construct Shortest-Path Trees for any (source-network, group) pair in the
area. Using these SPTs, a router can then perform a Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) check
on incoming multicast packets and (if the check succeeds) determine which of its remaining
interfaces (if any) are on the tree and should therefore receive copies of the multicast
packet.

Group Membership Link-State Advertisements

The biggest addition to the OSPF data formats needed to support multicast is the definition
of a new link-state advertisement (LSA) that is used to flood information about group
membership throughout the area. Each group membership LSA contains the following
basic information:

Multicast group address (link-state ID)

Advertising router ID
List of the router interfaces (identified by IP address) that have members for this group

Group membership LSAs are flooded throughout the OSPF area and are maintained in the
MOSPF routers local group database in the same fashion as router and network LSAs.
Group membership LSAs are also similar to network LSAs in that only the Designated
Router (DR) originates group membership LSAs on behalf of the multi-access network.
For example, assume that Router C (shown in Figure 9-1) is the OSPF DR for network N1.
Because there is a member on network N1, Router C originates a group membership LSA

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197

for Group G that contains the IP address of its interface on network N1. This LSA is flooded
throughout the area and informs all MOSPF routers that a member of Group G exists on
Network N1.
Figure 9-1 MOSPF Area Containing Sources and Members for Multicast Group G

OSPF Area

Member

Member

N9

N8

MOSPF

MOSPF

Member

C
MOSPF
N1

Member
N2

Source 2
A

B
N3

MOSPF

MOSPF

G
F

MOSPF

MOSPF
N4

Source 1

Source 3

MOSPF
N5

MOSPF
N6

Member

N7

Member

Because it is possible to mix OSPF and MOSPF routers in a network, an MOSPF router
needs to be elected as the DR on any multi-access network. This can be accomplished by
setting the OSPF router priority to zero on all non-MOSPF routers on the multi-access
network. (If an OSPF-only router (that is, a non-MOSPF router) were to be elected as DR
for a multi-access network, group membership LSAs would not be originated for this
network and multicast traffic forwarding would not function correctly.)

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Intra-Area Shortest Path Trees

After the databases in all area routers have synchronized, the combination of group
membership LSAs along with router and network LSAs provides each MOSPF router with
the information necessary to construct intra-area SPTs for any (source-network, group) pair
within the area. To construct these trees, an MOSPF router uses a Dijkstra algorithm to
construct a single multicast SPT that is rooted at the source-network. Note that the Dijkstra
algorithm must be run for each (source-network, group) SPT to be created.

NOTE

This same computationally intensive Dijkstra algorithm is used to construct the unicast
shortest path first (SPF) tree used for intra-area unicast routing by OSPF. However, in this
case the unicast SPF tree is rooted at the local router.

Figure 9-1 is an example of an OSPF area that has three multicast sources and several active
member hosts for Group G located at various points in the network. After the area database
has synchronized, each router has the capability to construct the (S, G) SPTs for Sources 1,
2, and 3. Note that these SPTs are source-subnet specific and not individual source specific.
Therefore, although there are multiple sources on Network N3 for Group G, only a single
(N3, G) source-network SPT needs to be constructed.

NOTE

We will continue to use the shorthand (S, G) notation for these trees throughout this
chapter, even though the S refers to source-subnet instead of individual source. In real
practice, we avoid this ambiguity by extending this notation to (S/m, G) where S is the
source IP address, m is the network mask length, and G is the group address. For example,
(172.16.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1) denotes a specific source (172.16.1.1) sending to group
224.1.1.1, whereas (172.16.0.0/16, 224.1.1.1) refers to any source in the 172.16.0.0/16
network sending to group 224.1.1.1.

Part A of Figure 9-2 shows the resulting MOSPF (N4, G) SPT, which is rooted at sourcenetwork N4 and contains Sources 1 and 3. Part B of Figure 9-2 shows the resulting (N3, G)
SPT, which is rooted at source-network N3 where Source 2 resides.

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199

Figure 9-2 Resulting MOSPF SPTs for Networks N3 and N4

Sources 1 & 3

Source 2

N4

N3

Router D

Router B

Router A
Router G
N2

N1

Router F
N1

N6

Router X
N8

Router B

Router C

N7

Router C
Router Y

Router A
N2

N9
Router F

Router X
N8

Router Y

Router G

N9

N7

(SN4, G) Shortest-Path Tree

A
MOSPF Router

N6
(SN3, G) Shortest-Path Tree
B

Network

These SPTs are used as the basis for forwarding multicast traffic inside the area as long as
the group membership information remains static. If there are any changes to group
membership or if the network topology changes (say because of a flapping link), the SPTs
must be recalculated with the Dijkstra algorithm.

MOSPF Forwarding Cache

The Dijkstra algorithm is very computationally intensive and would place the MOSPF
router under too much strain if it had to compute every source-network SPT in the network
in advance of the receipt of any multicast traffic. Therefore, to reduce the number of
Dijkstra computations to O(S) (pronounced order S), MOSPF uses an on-demand scheme
where an MOSPF router does not compute the (S, G) SPT until the first multicast packet
from a source in network S is received for group G. The MOSPF router then uses the results
of this (S, G) SPT calculation to populate its MOSPF forwarding cache for use in
forwarding (S, G) traffic.

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Entries in the MOSPF forwarding cache are organized by group address and sourcenetwork address. Each entry in the forwarding cache contains the following basic
information:

Upstream neighbor
Incoming interface
Outgoing interfaces

Table 9-1 shows the MOSPF forwarding cache in Router A for the network example shown
in Figure 9-1. These entries were populated using the information from the (SN, G) SPTs
(shown in Figure 9-2) that were calculated by Router A as soon as the first packet was
received from sources in networks N3 and N4. (The upstream neighbor address is not
required for multicast forwarding. It is simply maintained as part of the data structure.
Future versions of MOSPF may use this information to accomplish other functions.)
Table 9-1

MOSPF Forwarding Cache in Router A

Group

SourceNetwork

Upstream
Neighbor

Incoming
Interfaces

Outgoing
Interfaces

N3

Router B

N1

N2

N4

Router D

NA-D

N1, N2, NA-F

Although the use of on-demand SPT calculations and an MOSPF forwarding cache help to
reduce the demands on the MOSPF router under steady state network conditions, they dont
provide much relief when the topology of the area changes. Each time the topology
changes, all MOSPF routers within the area must invalidate their entire MOSPF forwarding
caches. Consequently, the Dijkstra algorithm must be rerun to build new forwarding-cache
entries for any incoming multicast packets. (Note that topology changes outside the area do
not cause the Dijkstra algorithm to run.)
Given the potential for a flapping WAN link in a remote part of an OSPF area to cause all
MOSPF routers to rerun the Dijkstra algorithm for all active (source-network, group) pairs,
it is even more crucial for network engineers to pay close attention to OSPF area design. As
the number of source networks and active groups within an area increase, a point may
finally be reached at which the network becomes unconditionally unstable and is unable to
recover from a single topology change.
In addition, because topology changes invalidate the entire cache, all forwarding-cache
entries associated with a group must be invalidated if there are any changes to the group
membership LSAs stored in the local group database. This, in turn, results in the Dijkstra
algorithm having to be rerun for all active sources in the group. Therefore, rapidly changing
group membership can result in a substantial increase in router CPU workload in networks
where hosts frequently join and leave multicast groups.

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201

Although flooding group membership information within the area, and then having to run
the Dijkstra algorithm, has its disadvantages, it does have one advantage that most multicast
protocols dont have. The advantage is that because MOSPF routers have a complete
knowledge of all group members inside of the area, they therefore know the diameter of the
group membership. This can be useful as routers can simply discard a multicast packet if it
has an insufficiently large enough Time To Live (TTL) to reach the closest member in the
area. Therefore, a multicast packet can be dropped early on in the path instead of traveling
multiple hops only to be dropped because of a zero TTL before reaching a group member.

MOSPF Interarea Multicast Routing

Up to this point, we have been concerned with how MOSPF routes multicast traffic inside
a single OSPF area. This section, however, examines the mechanisms that MOSPF employs
to forward multicast packets between OSPF areas. This occurs when a multicast source is
in one area while one or more receivers reside in a different area(s).
The way that MOSPF handles interarea multicast routing is in many ways similar to
OSPFs handling of unicast. In OSPF, routers that connect a second-tier area to the
backbone area are called area border routers (ABRs) and are responsible for forwarding
routing information (primarily in the form of OSPF summary LSAs) and unicast traffic
between the two areas. ABRs do not pass router or network LSAs between the areas;
therefore, the topology of one area is not seen by a bordering area. (Only OSPF summary
LSAs, which summarize the networks inside an area, and external-AS LSAs, which
summarize external network connections made inside the area, are exchanged across
ABRs.)

Multicast Area Border Routers

To support interarea multicast, RFC 1584 defines interarea multicast forwarders, which are
a subset of the OSPF ABRs in the network and are configured to perform multicast-related
tasks such as

Summarizing group membership into Area 0

Forwarding multicast packets between areas

Given these tasks and their similarity to the unicast-related tasks performed by ABRs, I
prefer to call these routers multicast area border routers (MABRs) and do so for the
remainder of this chapter. (Why the protocol authors didnt use this term is a mystery to me,
as it seems to be a more descriptive term than interarea multicast forwarder.)

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Interarea Group Membership Summary

For multicast traffic to flow down the OSPF hierarchy (that is, from the backbone area to
the other second-tier areas), backbone area routers must know which MABRs are
connected to areas that have active group members. To facilitate this, MABRs summarize
the group membership information in their non-backbone area and flood this information
into the backbone area via group membership LSAs. However, unlike unicast OSPF
summary LSAs that are flooded symmetrically across area borders, the group membership
summary is asymmetric and flows from only non-backbone areas into the backbone area as
shown in Figure 9-3.
Figure 9-3 Group Membership Summary into the Backbone
Area 0

(GA, GB)
MABR1

(GA)
MABR2
Area 2

Area 1

MB

MA

MB

MA

MA

MOSPF Router
Group Member

In this example, Area 1 contains one member of group A (MA) and two members of
Group B (MB). This group membership is summarized by MABR1 and flooded into the
backbone area (Area 0) via group membership LSAs (indicated by the dashed arrow). Area
2 contains two members of Group A and this information is summarized and flooded into

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203

the backbone area by MABR2. (Notice that group membership information does not flow
back out across the MABRs and therefore routers in the two non-backbone areas are
unaware of the others group membership status.)
Figure 9-4 now shows two active sources, S1 and S2, that are sending to multicast Groups B
and A, respectively. The group membership information that was flooded into the backbone
area by MABRs 1 and 2 inform the routers in the backbone area to include the MABRs in
any SPTs associated with these groups. As a result, the (S1, B) SPT (dashed arrows) and the
(S2, A) SPT (dotted arrows) are constructed in the backbone area and permit Group A and
Group B traffic to be forwarded into Areas 1 and 2 as appropriate.
Figure 9-4 Resulting SPTs in the Backbone Area
Area 0
(S1, B)

(S2, A)

MABR1

MABR2
Area 2

Area 1

MB

MA

MB

MA

MA

MOSPF Router
Group Member
Source

At this point, intra-area SPTs in the two areas are built in the normal fashion with the
MABRs as the root of the tree. (In other words, the MABRs appear to be the source of the
traffic to all the routers inside the area.)

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Wildcard Multicast Receivers

The preceding example works fine when multicast sources reside in the backbone area and
we are trying to get traffic into a non-backbone area. However, rarely do all sources of
multicast traffic reside in the backbone area. (The reason is that most Real-Time Protocol
(RTP) based multicast applicationsVIC and VAT, for examplemulticast RTP Control
Protocol (RTCP) send control traffic to the group even if they are not sending any audio/
video content. Therefore, even a receive-only VAT client in a non-backbone area is a
constant source of multicast traffic.) Obviously, if a multicast source exists in a nonbackbone area and there are receivers outside of the area, some other method must be used
to get the traffic out of the area.
MOSPF handles this situation by defining a new wildcard multicast receiver flag (W-bit,
meaning wildcard) in the rtype field of router LSA packets. (Refer to the OSPF
specification for more details on the format of the fields in router LSA packets.) The W-bit
indicates that the advertising router wishes to receive all multicast traffic and therefore is a
wildcard multicast receiver. Therefore, when a router must calculate a new SPT for an
incoming multicast packet, it searches through its local area database for router LSAs that
have the W-bit set and treats these routers as if they were members of the destination group.
All MABRs set the W-bit in router LSAs that they originate into non-backbone areas. This
has the effect of pulling all multicast traffic originated by sources inside the non-backbone
area to the MABR. The MABR can then forward this traffic into the backbone area as
necessary.
Figure 9-5 depicts the same network used in the previous example, but with the sources
(S1, B) and (S2, A) now in the non-backbone areas.

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205

Figure 9-5 Sources in Non-Backbone Areas

Area 0

MABR1

MABR2
Area 2

Area 1

MB

MA

MB

(S1, B)

MA

MA

(S2, A)

MOSPF Router
Group Member
Source

Consider source (S2, A) now in Area 2. The normal intra-area (S2, A) SPT (dotted arrows)
is constructed as usual. However, because MABR2 is a wildcard multicast receiver (it sets
the W-bit in Router LSAs originated into Area 2), the (S2, A) SPT is extended to include
MABR2. Furthermore, because MABR1 is originating summarized group membership
LSAs for groups A and B into the backbone area, (see Figure 9-3), all routers in the
backbone (including MABR2) construct an (S2, A) SPT that includes MABR1. This
backbone SPT permits (S2, A) traffic to flow across the backbone to MABR1 and into
Area 1 (as shown by the dotted arrows).

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In the case of source (S1, B) in Area 1, a normal intra-area (S1, B) SPT (dashed arrows) is
constructed and allows traffic to flow to members inside Area 1. Like MABR2 in Area 2,
MABR1 is a wildcard multicast receiver in Area 1 that causes it to be included in the (S1, B)
SPT. However, because there is no members of Group B inside the backbone area (other
than MABR1 itself), MABR1 simply discards any Group B multicast traffic that it receives.
Unfortunately, the wildcard receiver concept can result in unnecessary multicast traffic flow
inside a non-backbone area. Consider the situation shown in Figure 9-6 in which the
previous sources are active, but there are no receivers in the network.
Figure 9-6 Non-Backbone Source-Only Network
Area 0

MABR1
Area 1

MABR2
Area 2

(S1, B)

(S2, A)

MOSPF Router
Group Member
Source

In this situation, network resources are unnecessarily consumed by routing multicast traffic
across the area to the MABR. Therefore, network engineers should watch for sources that
have the potential for high-rate, low membership group traffic and try to move them close
to the area borders. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to move or control the location
of these sources. In such cases, the only solution is to sufficiently overprovision the
bandwidth in the MOSPF network to accommodate the worst-case scenario.

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207

MOSPF Inter-AS Multicast Routing

This section takes a brief look at the mechanisms that MOSPF provides for inter-AS
multicast routing. In the case of unicast traffic, OSPF uses autonomous system border
routers (ASBR) to forward multicast traffic into and out of the OSPF domain. Although
common practice is to place ASBRs in the backbone area, it is not a requirement. ASBRs
may reside in non-backbone areas when network topology and interconnectivity dictates.
In OSPF, an ASBR originates an external LSA for each external network for which it has a
route. (Frequently, only the default route is injected into the OSPF domain.) These external
LSAs are flooded throughout the OSPF domain (with the exception areas configured as stub
areas) and permit routers within the domain to compute the best exit for unicast traffic
destined for these external networks.

Multicast Autonomous System Border Routers

The MOSPF specification, RFC 1584, also defines Inter-AS Multicast Forwarders that are
responsible for forwarding multicast traffic into and out of the MOSPF domain. It is
assumed Inter-AS Multicast Forwarders are also running some other multicast routing
protocol that permits multicast distribution trees to cross the border into and out of the
external AS.

NOTE

Historically, the other multicast routing protocol has typically been Distance Vector
Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP). However, this will change in the near future as other
more scalable protocols are developed that are better suited for use as an inter-domain
multicast routing protocol. (Refer to the section titled Issues in Inter-Domain Multicast
Routing in Chapter 17, Inter-Domain Multicast Routing, for a brief overview.)

Although the term is not used in RFC 1584, it seems only natural to refer to these routers
as Multicast AS Border Routers (MASBRs) because that is what their functionality implies.
MASBRs are configured as wildcard multicast forwarders and signal this to other routers
in the area by originating a router LSA with the W-bit set in the rtype field. This causes all
multicast traffic inside the area to flow to the MASBR so that it can be forwarded out to the
external AS as appropriate.
Figure 9-7 shows an example of two active multicast sources, (S1, B) and (S2, A), whose
traffic is being pulled into the backbone areas by MABRs 1 and 2. This traffic travels on
across the backbone to the MASBR for forwarding out to the external AS (shown by the
dashed and dotted lines). Note that all multicast traffic sourced inside the MOSPF domain
is pulled to the MASBR regardless of whether the external AS has any receivers for the
traffic or not.

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Figure 9-7 Multicast Traffic Flowing out of the MOSPF Domain

MASBR

Area 0

MABR1

External AS

MABR2
Area 2

Area 1

(S1, B)

(S2, A)

MOSPF Router
Group Member
Source

Figure 9-8 shows an example of multicast traffic flowing into the MOSPF from sources
(S1, B) and (S2, A) that are now in the external AS. Because the MABRs are forwarding
summarized group membership information into the backbone area, the routers in the
backbone construct (S1, B) and (S2, A) SPTs that forward this traffic to the MABRs as
shown. (Note that as far as the routers in the backbone are concerned, the roots of these
SPTs appear to be the MASBR). When the traffic reaches the MABRs, it is forwarded into
the non-backbone areas (as shown by the dashed and dotted arrows in Figure 9-8).

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MOSPF Suitability/Scalability

209

Figure 9-8 Multicast Traffic Flowing into the MOSPF Domain

MASBR

Area 0

External AS
(S1, A)
(S2, B)

MABR1

MABR2
Area 2

Area 1

MB

MA

MB

MA

MA

MOSPF Router
Group Member
Source

Although it is possible to configure an MASBR in one of the non-backbone areas, placing

it in the backbone area is typically better. Doing so allows incoming multicast traffic to be
efficiently pruned because an MASBR in the backbone is aware of the total group
membership in the OSPF domain. The MASBR placed in a non-backbone area would not
have this information.

MOSPF Suitability/Scalability
The biggest advantage to MOSPF is that it shares OSPFs capability to respond rapidly to
changes in network topology because it uses link-state routing methods to compute
multicast distribution trees. This capability, however, comes at the huge expense of rapidly
increasing router CPU resources as the number of (source-network, group) pairs in the

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network increase. This, in turn, directly translates into an increase in the number of Dijkstra
computations in each router. Highly dynamic networks (where group membership and/or
the network topology changes frequently because of unstable WAN links) also suffer from
an increased number of Dijkstra computations required to reconstruct the (source-network,
group) SPTs in the area.
MOSPF is probably best suited for special-purpose multicast networks where the network
administrators have absolute rigid control over very crucial factors that affect the
performance and scalability of MOSPF, such as

Location of sources
Number of sources
Number of groups
Group membership

Because most of these factors are often not under absolute rigid control of todays corporate
IS networks, the long-term suitability and scalability of MOSPF in these networks should
be carefully questioned. (Some network administrators may insist that they do have this sort
of control in their corporate IS network, but I would argue that they need to do a reality
check to make sure they are not suffering from delusions of grandeur.)
Finally, the reason that these variables are generally not under absolute rigid control is that
it is usually impossible to completely control the set of applications installed on every PC
in the network. (For example, there is little to stop users from installing freeware MBone
multimedia conferencing tools on their laptops, PCs, and workstations. Attempting to
control this with access lists in the routers can quickly become a network administration
nightmare.) Therefore, MOSPF is probably truly suited only for a small percentage of all
general-purpose IP networks in use today.

NOTE

Some may argue that a more significant number of MOSPF networks are already deployed,
and therefore they are more suitable for general-purpose IP networks than I have lead the
reader to believe. However, I would challenge those people. In my opinion, the MOSPF
networks that are deployed today are composed of very limited numbers of multicast
sources. (I believe this assumption to be reasonable because any compelling multicast
applications are quite new.) Given this and in light of some of the scalability issues raised
in this chapter around Dijkstra computations in the routers, it is my opinion that the generalpurpose IP networks that have deployed MOSPF networks are potential accidents waiting
to happen. As more hosts in these networks begin to source multicast traffic, the
computational demands of the Dijkstra algorithm will very likely overwhelm the routers.
Of course, two age-old caveats apply here: Your mileage may vary and Yall be careful
now, ya hear!

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Summary

211

Summary
This chapter has provided a very brief overview of the MOSPF extension to OSPFv2 that
permits multicast traffic to be routed in an OSPF unicast network. The basic concept
employed by MOSPF for intra-area multicast routing is the flooding of group membership
information throughout the area, using a special group membership LSA. When the
MOSPF routers know where all members are in the area, SPTs can be constructed for each
source-subnet, using the same Dijkstra algorithm that is used for OSPF unicast routing.
In the case of interarea multicast routing, the group membership in each area is summarized
and injected into Area 0 by the MABRs. These MABRs also function as wildcard receivers,
which automatically join all active multicast groups so that all multicast traffic can be
injected into Area 0 for forwarding to other areas as well as other external autonomous
systems.
Finally, the scalability of MOSPF in networks with large numbers of multicast sourcesubnets has been a topic of many a heated debate. Although MOSPF is currently deployed
in some production networks, it is still too early to tell whether these networks will continue
to scale up as more multicast applications come online.

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PART

III

Implementing Cisco
Multicast Networks
This part is dedicated to the detailed design, implementation, and debugging of IP multicast networks
using Cisco routers.
Chapters 10 and 11 present the basic configuration tasks and operations of Cisco routers using PIM
Dense Mode (PIM-DM) and PIM Sparse Mode (PIM-SM), respectively. These chapters provide details
on the multicast routing state that is used in Cisco routers to describe multicast distribution trees, as well
as forward multicast traffic. The basic rules that govern the creation and maintenance of these state entries
are presented to help the reader understand exactly how a Cisco router will behave. These chapters provide
detailed, step-by-step network scenarios with explanations of how the rules are applied. At each critical
step, examples of the resulting state in the Cisco router are displayed to further promote the understanding
of the PIM mechanisms at work.
Chapter 12 addresses the topic of PIM rendezvous points (RPs). In this chapter, the details of the AutoRP and Bootstrap router mechanisms are presented along with information on how these features can be
configured and used in Cisco routers.
Chapter 13 addresses the topic of connecting Cisco PIM routers to DVMRP networks in considerable
depth.

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CHAPTER

10

Using PIM Dense Mode

This chapter builds on the basic information about Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM)
dense mode (or PIM-DM) mechanisms covered in Chapter 6, PIM Dense Mode, and
explores these mechanisms in considerable detail, using Ciscos implementation as an
example. To accomplish this, the mechanisms of PIM-DM mode are reviewed step by step,
using sample networks under typical situations. Each step examines the interim state that
is created in a Cisco router and provides the tools necessary to interpret the output of
various show commands. Furthermore, some of the basic rules that Cisco routers use to
create and maintain multicast forwarding state will be covered. Use these rules to predict
what the router will do under various circumstances. This knowledge is important when
trying to troubleshoot PIM-DM networks.

Configuring PIM-DM
Configuring PIM-DM (or PIM sparse mode [PIM-SM] for that matter) is really quite
straightforward. On each router in the network, IP multicast routing must be enabled by
using the following global command (which was first introduced in IOS version 10.1):
ip multicast-routing

Then, it is best to enable PIM-DM on every interface in every router in the network, using
the following interface command:
ip pim dense-mode

The reason for turning on multicast on every interface is that IP multicast routing is upsidedown routing that forwards (or does not forward) multicast packets based on where the
packets came from (source IP address) as opposed to where they are going (multicast group
address). Consequently, the control mechanism over multicast traffic paths is not quite the
same as the control mechanism over unicast routing.

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NOTE

Chapter 10: Using PIM Dense Mode

In actuality, the recommended method for enabling multicast on an interface is the use of
the ip pim sparse-dense-mode command. This command allows the router to use either
dense or sparse mode, depending on the existence of rendezvous point (RP) information for
each multicast group. This makes it much easier to switch the entire network from dense
mode to sparse mode (or vice versa) as needed.

Not turning on multicast routing on every interface is a common mistake when network
administrators are first enabling multicast routing. Failure to enable multicast on every
interface often results in Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) failures. As you recall from
Chapter 2, Multicast Basics, and Chapter 6, the RPF interface for a particular source of
multicast traffic is the interface that would be used if the router were to send traffic to this
particular source.
For example, Figure 10-1 shows two routers within a network with parallel but unequal cost
links.
Figure 10-1 Failure to Enable Multicast on Every Interface
Source

Well Just Use

the Spare 56 K Line for
the Multicast Traffic
and Not the T1.

T1

56 K

B
RPF Failure!

Receiver
Network
Engineer

ip pim dense-mode

no ip pim dense-mode

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217

Our friendly network engineer has decided to enable ip pim dense-mode only on the spare
56 K line so that the multicast traffic doesnt affect the unicast traffic. Unfortunately, this
results in an RPF failure for the traffic arriving over the 56 K link. Why? Because the
unicast routing table will show that the best metric to the Source is via the T1 link and,
therefore, PIM will compute the T1 as the RPF interface (also referred to as the incoming
interface) for multicast traffic arriving from the Source. However, because multicast was
enabled only on the 56 K link, the multicast traffic is arriving only on the non-RPF interface
and is therefore dropped by Router B.
If this sort of network topology is necessary, it is possible to force Router B to perform an
RPF to the 56 K link using static mroutes or Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol
(DVMRP) routes. However, this can quickly get out of hand and become an administration
nightmare if used on a large-scale basis throughout the network. (We discuss the use of
static mroutes and DVMRP routing for traffic engineering purposes in Chapter 16.)

PIM-DM State Rules

Although configuring PIM-DM is relatively easy, it is another thing completely to
understand what the router does in response to arriving multicast traffic, Prunes, grafts, and
so on. Therefore, a good working knowledge of some of the basic state rules that a Cisco
router employs to create and maintain multicast forwarding state is extremely valuable.
This is particularly useful when trying to debug multicast problems in your network.
In Cisco routers, multicast forwarding state takes the form of (*, G) and (S, G) entries in
the multicast routing table, or mroute table. This information can be displayed in a Cisco
router by using the show ip mroute command. (See Example 10-1, in the section titled
PIM-DM State Entries for an example of this information.)
The following section explains some of the basic state maintenance rules used in PIM-DM.
In some cases, these rules are generic to both PIM-DM and PIM-SM (albeit sometimes for
different reasons) and are labeled as general rules. The rules that are only applicable to
dense mode are labeled as such.

NOTE

Let me point out that I am giving only the basic state rules (not a complete set of all the
rules) so you have a basic understanding of how a Cisco router creates and maintains state.
The reason Im not giving you all the state rules is that, if I tried to explain them at one time,
it would probably make your brain explode and that is not my goal. (I have heard a rumor,
however, that the U.S. military once explored using the complete set of state rules as an
offensive weapon that would cause its enemys brains to explode. I believe that this plan
was abandoned because a suitable delivery vehicle could not be found.)

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PIM-DM (*, G) State Rules

Although not specifically required by the PIM-DM specification, Ciscos implementation
automatically creates parent (*, G) state whenever (S, G) state is created. The primary
reason is that all (S, G) data structures in Ciscos implementation of PIM are linked to a
parent (*, G) data structure. The additional memory consumed as a result of maintaining
these (*, G) entries in PIM-DM is minimal and is offset by gains in various internal
optimizations in PIM. This leads to the first PIM general rule.

General Rule 1
Whenever it is necessary to create an (S, G) entry and a corresponding parent (*, G) entry
does not exist, a new (*, G) entry is automatically created first.

Dense mode (*, G) entries are not used for multicast forwarding. They mainly function to
maintain information pertaining to the group as a whole. For example, (*, G) entries denote
the mode in which the group is operating (in this case dense mode) and, in dense mode, also
reflect the interfaces where other PIM neighbors or directly connected members of the
group exist. This information is used to initially populate the outgoing interface list (OIL)
of any newly created (S, G) entries for the group. This leads to the first dense mode rule.

Dense Mode Rule 1

The outgoing interface list of a dense mode (*, G) entry reflects the interfaces where (1)
other PIM-DM neighbors exist or (2) directly connected members of the group exist.

PIM-DM (S, G) State Rules

In PIM-DM, the arrival of multicast traffic creates (S, G) entries. (Again, if a parent (*, G)
entry doesnt exist, it is first created and its outgoing interface list is populated as described
in the previous section.)
The incoming interface for the (S, G) entry is computed by calculating the RPF interface
for Source S. The RPF interface is calculated by using the following rule.

General Rule 2
The RPF interface is computed as the interface with the lowest cost path (based on
administrative distance/metric) to the IP address of the source (or in the case of a sparse
mode (*, G) entry, the RP). If multiple interfaces have the same cost, the interface with the
highest IP address is chosen as the tiebreaker.

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219

The default behavior is to take the lowest cost path to the source that is indicated in the
unicast routing table. However, it is possible to RPF to a different interface using other
sources of information, such as the Multicast Border Gateway Protocol (MBGP) table,
DVMRP route table, or the static mroute table. Each table has its own administrative
distance that can effect the RPF calculation. (MBGP is discussed briefly in Chapter 17,
Inter-Domain Multicast Routing. Additionally, the DVMRP route table is introduced in
Chapter 13, Connecting to DVMRP Networks, and static mroutes are described in
Chapter 16, Multicast Traffic Engineering.)

NOTE

Just as in the case of Cisco unicast routing, multicast RPF calculations use administrative
distances when a route is learned from more than one routing source. This would occur
when multiple routing protocols run in the router or when static routes are defined. The
value of the administrative distance (often times simply referred to as distance) of each
route is used as the high-order portion of the cost comparison when multiple routes for the
same network are encountered. In this case, the route with the lowest distance is selected.

Table 10-1 shows the default administrative distances for the various sources of RPF data.
Table 10-1 Administrative Distance
Table

Default Distance

Unicast

(Distance of route)

iMBGP1

200

eMBGP2

20

DVMRP

Static mroutes

1.

Routes learned from internal MBGP peers

2.

Routes learned from external MBGP peers

It is important to note that static mroutes are preferred over other sources if the
administrative distances are equivalent. Also, if multiple matching routes are found within
a table, the longest matching route is used. This does not occur across tables! For example,
if there is a 151.10.0.0/16 route in the DVMRP route table (assuming a default DVMRP
distance of zero) and a matching 151.10.1.0/24 router in the unicast route table, the
DVMRP route is used, even though the unicast route has a longer match. However, if the
DVMRP route table has both a 151.10.0.0/16 and a 151.10.1.0/24 route entry, then the
151.10.1.0/24 route is used because it is from the same table.

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When the (S, G) entry is created, its outgoing interface list is initially populated with a copy
of the outgoing interface list from its parent (*, G) entry. (Because the outgoing interface
list of the parent, dense mode (*, G) entry contains a list of all PIM neighbors or directly
connected members, this copy operation results in traffic initially being forwarded in a
flood-and-prune manner via the newly created (S, G) entry.) This leads to General Rule 3.

General Rule 3
When a new (S, G) entry is created, its outgoing interface list is initially populated with a
copy of the outgoing interface list from its parent (*, G) entry.

However, it is quite likely that the incoming interface of an (S, G) entry was also in the copy
of the outgoing interface list of the parent (*, G) entry. If you were to stop at this point, the
incoming interface would also appear in the outgoing interface list for this (S, G) entry. This
is a big no-no as it would lead to a multicast routing loop. Therefore, every time the RPF
interface for an (S, G) entry is calculated, a check is made to determine whether the
interface also exists in the outgoing interface list. If it does, the interface is removed from
the outgoing interface list. The next general rule summarized this process.

General Rule 4
The incoming interface (RPF interface) of a multicast forwarding entry must never appear
in its outgoing interface list.

PIM-DM State Maintenance Rules

When a multicast packet arrives and an appropriate PIM-DM state is created, the state
entries are updated periodically as a result of various events.
The most common maintenance event is the periodic recalculation of the RPF interface
(incoming interface) for all entries in the multicast forwarding table. The recalculation is
done so that multicast routing can converge after a change in the network topology.

General Rule 5
The RPF interface (that is, the incoming interface) of every multicast state entry is
recalculated every 5 seconds and the outgoing interface list is adjusted appropriately based
on General Rule 4 (to prevent the incoming interface from appearing in the outgoing
interface list).

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Additionally, when a dense mode (S, G) entry is created, the status of each interface in the
outgoing interface list is marked Forward/Dense to initially flood traffic out all outgoing
interfaces in dense mode. Pruning one of these interfaces (as a result of receiving a Prune
from a downstream neighbor for this (S, G) traffic) does not delete the interface from the
outgoing interface list. Instead, it is marked Prune/Dense, and a 3-minute Prune timer is
started. When this 3-minute Prune timer expires, the interface is returned to Forward/
Dense state and traffic begins flooding out this interface again.

Dense Mode Rule 2

Outgoing interfaces in dense mode (S, G) entries are not removed as a result of Prunes.
Instead, they are marked as Prune/Dense and left in the outgoing interface list.

Finally, the interfaces in the outgoing interface list of all (S, G) entries are kept
synchronized (within the constraints of General Rule 4) with the interfaces in the outgoing
interface of the parent (*, G) entry. This allows any additions or deletions of PIM neighbors
or directly connected group members, which is reflected by changes in the outgoing
interface list of the dense mode (*, G) entry, to be reflected in the corresponding (S, G)
entries. General Rule 6 summarizes this process.

General Rule 6
Additions or deletions to the outgoing interface list of a (*, G) entry are replicated (within
the constraints of General Rule 4) to all associated (S, G) entries for the group.

General Rule 6 typically comes into play when a new PIM-DM neighbor is detected on
another interface. This interface is first added to the outgoing interface list of the (*, G)
entry according to Dense Mode Rule 1. Next, the new interface is added to the outgoing
interface lists of the associated (S, G) entries according to General Rule 6 so that traffic will
be flooded to this new neighbor.
By applying both the general and dense mode rules presented above, you can predict how
a Cisco router will behave under typical dense mode operating conditions. If the whys and
hows of the above rules seem a bit unclear at the moment, dont worry. The sections
beginning with PIM-DM Flooding step through some typical dense mode scenarios and
show how these rules result in changes in multicast forwarding state in the router and how
these changes accomplish the desired multicast forwarding behavior. After reviewing these
examples, what the rules accomplish will be much clearer.

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PIM-DM State Entries

Before diving into some detailed examples of PIM-DM operation, it is important to have a
good understanding of the PIM-DM state information that is displayed by the show ip
mroute command. This information is frequently the source of much confusion for new
multicast users and yet is one of the most important bits of information gained from the
router when debugging a multicast problem. This section looks at some sample output from
this command for dense mode state and examines it line by line. Defining the flags that are
displayed with each entry and explaining what they mean will help you understand these
entries. This is the subject of the next section.

PIM-DM State Flags

Each entry in the mroute table displays one or more state flags in the Flag field at the end
of the first line of the entry. Table 10-2 explains the state flags that appear in the Flag field
of dense mode entries. Understanding when these state flags are set and cleared and what
they mean is a big step toward understanding mroute state.
Table 10-2 PIM-DM State Flags
D

Dense mode flag

The meaning of this flag should be pretty obvious. It indicates

that the multicast group is a dense mode group. (Note: The D
flag appears only on (*, G) entries.

Connected flag

The C flag appears on both (*, G) and (S, G) entries and

indicates that there is a directly connected member for this
multicast group (that is, a receiver).

Local flag

The L flag appears on both (* G) and (S, G) entries and

indicates that the router itself is a member of this group.
Hence, the router will process all multicast traffic sent to this
group at process level.
A good example of a group that the router itself would join is
the PIM RP-Discovery (224.0.1.40) group that is used to
distribute Auto-RP information.

Pruned flag

The P flag indicates that the outgoing interface list is either

Null or all interfaces in the outgoing interface list are in the
Prune state. This flag results in a Prune being sent to the
upstream (RPF) neighbor for this (S, G) entry.

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Table 10-2 PIM-DM State Flags (Continued)

T

Shortest path tree (SPT) flag

The T flag (or SPT flag) appears only on (S, G) entries and
indicates that this traffic is being forwarded via the (S, G)
entry (that is, the SPT). This flag is set whenever the first
(S, G) packet is received corresponding to this mroute table
entry (therefore, in dense mode the T flag is always set on
(S, G) entries).

Join SPT flag

For dense mode groups, the J flag appears only on the (*, G)
entry and is simply used internally to tell PIM that an (S, G)
state should be automatically created for any arriving (S, G)
traffic. (This flag can be ignored for dense mode groups.)

PIM-DM State Example

Now that the various flags that can be encountered in a dense mode entry have been defined,
consider Example 10-1, which shows the sample output of a show ip mroute command.
Example 10-1

Sample Output of show ip mroute Command

(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:10/00:02:50, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Prune/Dense, 00:00:10/00:02:50

The first line of the (*, G) entry shown in Example 10-1

(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D

provides general information about the (*, G) entry in the multicast forwarding table (also
referred to as the mroute table) and is broken down in Table 10-3.

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Table 10-3 General Information on (*, G) Entry in Example 10-1

(*, 224.2.127.254)

Indicates that this is the (*, G) entry for multicast group 224.2.127.254.

00:00:10/00:00:00

Uptime/expire timer counters. The uptime timer shows that this entry has
been up for 10 seconds, but that the expire timer is not running. (This
situation is normal for (*, G) dense mode entries that have associated (S, G)
entries. When all the (S, G) entries are deleted, this timer will start. At that
point, if the timer expires, the (*, G) will be deleted.) Expire timers usually
count down from 3 minutes. When the expiration time is reached, the state
entry is deleted.

RP 0.0.0.0

Indicates the IP address of the RP. Because this is a dense mode group, there
is no RP and, therefore, 0.0.0.0 is displayed.

flags: D

Indicates that this group is a dense mode group. (Note: The S (Sparse) and D
flags are shown only on the (*, G) entries.)

The second line of the (*, G) entry in Example 10-1 reads as follows:
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0

This line, which gives RPF information about the entry, including the incoming interface
and the upstream RPF neighbor, is broken down in Table 10-4.
Table 10-4 RPF Information on (*,G) Entry in Example 10-1
Incoming interface: Null

Indicates the incoming interface. However, because this entry is a

dense mode (*, G) entry, this information is not used. Dense mode
forwards using (S, G) entries instead of (*, G) entries. Therefore, the
incoming interface is shown as Null.

RPF nbr 0.0.0.0

Indicates the IP address of the upstream (RPF) neighbor for this

multicast traffic. Again, because you dont forward on dense mode
(*, G) entries, this information is always 0.0.0.0.

The next few lines of the (*, G) entry in Example 10-1 are repeated here:
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00

These lines display the outgoing interface list for the entry. The outgoing interface list of
dense mode (*, G) entries reflects any interfaces having a PIM neighbor or a directly
connected member of the group. This information is used to initially populate the outgoing
interface list of any (S, G) entries for Group G. The entries in this list are broken down in
Table 10-5.

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Table 10-5 Outgoing Interface List for (*, G) Entry in Example 10-1
Serial0

Indicates the outgoing interface.

Forward/dense

Indicates the forwarding state and mode of the interface. Because this entry
is in the outgoing interface list of a dense mode (*, G) entry, it always
reflects forward and dense mode.

00:00:10/00:00:00

Uptime/expire timer for this interface. The uptime indicates how long this
interface has been in its current state (forward or Prune). The expire timer in
this example is not running because forwarding dense mode interfaces never
time out. (Its also not running because its in the outgoing interface list of a
dense mode (*, G) entry and is not used for forwarding.)

Heres the next line of Example 10-1 output:

(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:10/00:02:50, flags: T

This line provides general information about an (S, G) entry in the multicast forwarding
table (also referred to as the mroute table) and is broken down in Table 10-6.
Table 10-6 General Mroute Information for (S, G) Entry in Example 10-1
(128.9.160.43/32,
224.2.127.254)

Indicates that this is the (S, G) entry for IP multicast source 128.9.160.43
(the /32 is a mask) sending to multicast group 224.2.127.254.

00:00:10/00:02:49

Uptime/expire timer counters. The uptime shows that this entry has been up
for 10 seconds. The expire timer is running and is counting down from
3 minutes. Because this is an (S, G) entry, the timer will be reset back to
3 minutes every time the router forwards an (S, G) packet. If the expiration
timer reaches zero, the router assumes that the source has stopped sending to
the group and the state entry is deleted.

flags: T (SPT)

Indicates that multicast traffic for this source/group is being forwarded using
this entry. (In other words, the (S, G) traffic is being forwarded on the
shortest path tree.)

The second line of the (S, G) entry is

Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129

This line gives RPF information about the entry including the incoming interface and the
upstream RPF neighbor. This information is broken down in Table 10-7.

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Table 10-7 RPF Information on (S, G) Entry in Example 10-1

Incoming interface: Serial0

Indicates that Serial0 is the incoming (RPF) interface for this

(S, G) traffic.

RPF nbr 198.92.1.239

Indicates the IP address of the upstream (RPF) neighbor in the

direction of the source is 198.92.1.239.

The remaining lines in the (S, G) entry in Example 10-1 are as follows:
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Prune/Dense, 00:00:10/00:02:50

These lines display the outgoing interface list for the (S, G) entry. The entries in this list are
broken down in Table 10-8.
Table 10-8 Outgoing Interface List for (S, G) Entry in Example 10-1
Serial3

Indicates the outgoing interface.

Prune/Dense

Indicates the forwarding state and mode of the interface. Dense mode (S, G)
outgoing interface list entries reflect either Forward/Dense or Prune/Dense
depending on whether the interface has been pruned or not.

00:00:10/00:02:50

Uptime/expire timer for this interface. The uptime indicates how long this
interface has been in its current state (forward or Prune).
If the current state of the interface is Forward/Dense, the expire timer will
not be running because forwarding dense mode interfaces never time out
(that is, they continue to forward until they are pruned).
If the current state of the interface is Prune/Dense, the expire timer reflects
how long before the Prune expires and this dense mode interface will begin
to flood traffic out the interface again. This Prune expiration timer is a
countdown timer that begins counting down from 3 minutes whenever the
interface is pruned.

PIM Forwarding
When the appropriate mroute table entries have been set up in the router, multicast traffic
can be forwarded. This is accomplished as follows:

Whenever a multicast packet is received, a search for the longest match of the mroute
table is performed using the source address (S) and group address (G) of the incoming
packet. This longest match search will first try to match an (S, G) entry in the table
and use it. If no matching (S, G) entry exists, it will try to find a matching (*, G) entry
and use it.

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227

Note that dense mode uses only source trees that correspond to (S, G) entries in the mroute
table, and, therefore, dense mode multicast traffic is only forwarded using the (S, G) entries.
Therefore, if a matching (S, G) entry doesnt exist when a multicast packet for a dense
mode group arrives, an (S, G) entry is created based on the rules given in the section PIMDM State Rules earlier in the chapter.

When a matching entry is found (or created), an RPF check is performed on the
incoming packet. This is accomplished by comparing the incoming interface in the
matching mroute table entry with the packets actual incoming interface. If the packet
didnt arrive via the incoming interface, the packet is dropped.
Note

Maintaining incoming interface information in the mroute table

entries reduces processing overhead considerably because all that
is necessary is a simple check to see whether the arrival interface
matches the incoming interface. If this information was not
maintained, the router would have to scan the unicast routing
table each time a multicast packet arrived to perform the RPF
check function. This process would have a significant impact on
performance. Instead, the incoming interface information in each
mroute entry is recalculated once every 5 seconds to account for
any topology changes in the network.

If the packet arrived via the correct interface (that is, the RPF check succeeded), the
packet is forwarded out all unpruned interfaces in the outgoing interface list.

PIM-DM Flooding
This section examines in detail the initial PIM-DM flooding process and the multicast
forwarding state that is set up in the router.
Figure 10-2 depicts a portion of a sample PIM-DM network. In this example, assume that
no multicast traffic has been flowing up to this point. Now, lets assume that Router A
begins receiving multicast packets from a new multicast source (128.9.160.43) for group
224.2.127.254 via Serial0.

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Figure 10-2 PIM-DM Initial Flooding

Multicast Packets
(128.9.160.43, 224.2.127.254)

E0
S0
S1

S0

S3

C
Member of
224.2.127.254

S0

B E0

Because you are using PIM-DM, these packets are initially flooded to all PIM neighbors.
To make this happen, Router A responds to the arrival of the first of these multicast packets
by creating a new (S, G) entry and its parent (*, G) entry (based on General Rule 1). This
information is derived by issuing the show ip mroute command 10 seconds after the initial
packet arrives (see Example 10-2). Notice the uptime timer values on the entries.
Example 10-2

Initial State in Router A

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:10/00:02:49, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:00:10/00:00:00

Notice that Router A has automatically created the parent (*, G) entry, (*, 224.2.127.254),
and populated its outgoing interface list with interfaces Serial0, Serial1, and Serial3 (based
on Dense Mode Rule 1). These are the interfaces on Router A that have PIM neighbors.
Note that the PIM neighbor connected to Router As Serial0 interface is not shown.

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The (S, G) entry, (128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), shown in Example 10-2 has its
incoming interface computed as Serial0, with an RPF neighbor set to 198.92.1.129 (this
neighbor is not shown in Figure 10-2), using the RPF calculation stated in General Rule 2.
The (S, G) entry has also had its outgoing interface list initially populated from a copy of
the interfaces in the (*, G) outgoing interface list (based on Dense Mode Rule 1). Finally,
Serial0 (the incoming interface) was removed from the outgoing interface list (based on
General Rule 4) so that the incoming interface does not appear in the outgoing interface list
and cause a route loop.
Notice that all interfaces in the (S, G) outgoing interface list are in Forward/Dense state
and their expiration timers are not running in order to flood traffic out all interfaces until a
Prune is received.

PIM-DM Pruning
Continuing with the example shown in Figure 10-2, notice that Router B is a leaf node (that
is, it has no downstream neighbors) for this (S, G) multicast traffic and also has no directly
connected members for group G. This is reflected in the output of the show ip mroute
command shown in Example 10-3.
Example 10-3

Initial State in Router B

rtr-b>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:12/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:00:12/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:12/00:02:48, flags: PT
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.2.1
Outgoing interface list: Null

Once again, the arrival of the first (S, G) multicast packet caused Router B to create the
(S, G) and (* G) entries (based on General Rule 1). Notice that the Flags field of the (*, G)
entry indicates that this is a dense mode group, and because the (*, G) entry is not used to
forward multicast traffic in dense mode, the entry reflects a Null incoming interface. In
addition, the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) contains a single entry, Serial0, which is
the interface that connects to its PIM neighbor, Router A.
The incoming interface of the (S, G) entry has been computed as Serial0 (based on General
Rule 2) with an RPF neighbor of 198.92.2.1, which is the IP address of Serial3 on Router A.

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The outgoing interface list was initially populated with interfaces from the (* G) outgoing
interface list, that is, Serial0. However, applying General Rule 4 and removing the
incoming interface from the outgoing interface list leaves a Null outgoing interface list in
the (S, G) entry as shown in the output of the initial state in Router B above.
Because the outgoing interface list is Null, Router B sets the P flag in the (S, G) entry and
sends an (S, G) Prune (shown in Figure 10-3) upstream to Router A to shut off the flow of
unnecessary (S, G) multicast traffic.
Figure 10-3 PIM-DM Pruning
Multicast Packets
(128.9.160.43, 224.2.127.254)

E0
S0
S1

S0
S3
Prune

C
Member of
224.2.127.254

S0

B E0

When Router A receives the Prune, the router responds by pruning interface Serial3.
(Remember that there is no Prune delay on point-to-point links. Therefore, Serial3 was
immediately pruned by Router A.) This results in the mroute state shown in Example 10-4.
Example 10-4

State in Router A After Pruning

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:02:39, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Prune/Dense, 00:01:29/00:01:31

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Notice that interface Serial3 in the outgoing interface list of the (S, G) entry (shown in
boldface) is now in Prune/Dense state and that the interface timers are now reflecting Prune
information. The Prune timeout information of 00:01:29/00:01:31 indicates that interface
Serial3 was pruned 1 minute and 29 seconds ago and that the prune will expire in 1 minute
and 31 seconds. When the expiration timer counts down to zero, the interface will be placed
in Forward/Dense state, which will result in (S, G) traffic again being flooded out Serial3
to Router B. This cycle will continually repeat itself every 3 minutes while source S is still
sending Group G traffic, thereby causing Router B to send a Prune to Router A again.
Normally, when a packet is received on a non-RPF interface, the router will send a Prune
in an attempt to try to get the upstream router to prune its interface and stop sending the
traffic. If, for some reason, the upstream router ignores this prune and keeps sending, you
dont want to send a prune for every packet received on this non-RPF interface. To avoid
this, the sending of Prunes is rate limited.
For example, suppose for the moment that a configuration error or some other routing
anomaly causes Router A to begin receiving (S, G) traffic via a point-to-point, non-RPF
interface, say, Serial1, as shown in Figure 10-4.
Figure 10-4 Rate-Limited Prunes
To Source
128.9.160.43

Non-RPF
Interface

To Source
128.9.160.43

S1
Rate-limited
Prunes

E0
S0
C

S0
S1
S3

Multicast Packets
from 128.9.160.43

Multicast Packets
from 128.9.160.43

S0

B E0

This could be caused by Router C being configured with the ip igmp static-group <group>
command on interface Serial0 that forces the router to forward group traffic out this
interface as if there were a directly connected member on the interface. (I dont know why
you would intentionally do this other than to demonstrate rate-limited Prunes, but stranger
things have been known to happen.)

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If this occurs, Router A will respond to the arrival of packets over the non-RPF interface by
sending rate-limited Prunes back out the interface in an attempt to shut off the flow of (S, G)
traffic. Note that if there was not a (S, G) state before, Router A would automatically create
the state with a Null outgoing interface list and continue to send back rate-limited Prunes.

NOTE

Rate-limited pruning of packets arriving on non-RPF interfaces occurs only on point-topoint interfaces. In the case of multi-access networks such as Ethernet, Prunes are not sent
in response to packets arriving on non-RPF interfaces. Instead, the packets are simply
discarded.

Dense Mode Grafting

Lets assume that Router B has a directly connected host Join Group G as shown in
Figure 10-5. Now, Router B needs to get the flow of (S, G) traffic started as quickly as
possible to deliver it to Router Bs directly connected member. If Router B just simply waits
until the upstream Prune state on Router A times out, the result could be a worst-case delay
of 3 minutes before traffic is received. Fortunately, because Router B still has (S, G) state,
it is aware that this source is active and can respond by sending a Graft message to its
upstream neighbor to quickly restart the flow of multicast traffic. (The upstream neighbor
is indicated in the RPF nbr field of the (S, G) entry.)
Figure 10-5 PIM-DM Grafting
Multicast Packets
(128.9.160.43, 224.2.127.254)

E0
S0
S1

S0
S3
Graft
S0

B E0

Member of
224.2.127.254

C
Member of
224.2.127.254

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The router output in Example 10-5 shows the updated state in Router B after the directly
connected member has joined the group.
Example 10-5

State in Router B After the Graft

rtr-b>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:02:39, flags: CT
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Dense, 00:00:26/00:00:00

Notice that the C flag has been set in the (S, G) entry, which indicates that Router B has a
directly connected member for this traffic. Also, the (S, G) outgoing interface is no longer
Null as it now includes Ethernet0. This interface was added to the outgoing interface list
as a result of a directly connected member joining the group roughly 26 seconds ago. (The
uptime counter value of 00:00:26 in the Ethernet0 entry of the (S, G) outgoing interface list
reflects this situation.) Example 10-6 displays the state in Router A after it has received and
processed the Graft from Router B.
Example 10-6

State in Router A After the Graft

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:02:39, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:00:26/00:00:00

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Notice that the state of interface Serial3 in the (S, G) outgoing interface list was updated to
Forward/Dense as a result of the Graft that was received approximately 26 seconds ago.
The uptime counter value of 00:00:26 in the Serial3 entry in the (S, G) outgoing interface
list reflects this situation.
At this point, the flow of traffic to Router B has been restored as shown in Figure 10-6 as a
result of Serial3 being grafted back onto the SPT.
Figure 10-6 PIM-DM Network After Graft
Multicast Packets
(128.9.160.43, 224.2.127.254)

E0
S0
S1

S0
S3

C
Member of
224.2.127.254

S0

B E0

Member of
224.2.127.254

New PIM Neighbor Adjacencies

If multicast traffic is already flowing when a new PIM neighbor adjacency is established, it
may be necessary to modify the dense mode forwarding state so that this new neighbor is
immediately included in the flooding of the currently active multicast stream.
If the new neighbor is on a newly activated point-to-point link, the router will add this
interface to the outgoing interface list of all dense mode (*, G) entries and synchronize the
outgoing interface lists of all (S, G) entries to match their parent (*, G). For example, lets
assume that multicast traffic is already flowing as indicated by the arrows in the dense mode
network shown in Figure 10-7 and that the link from Router A to Router D is not yet up.

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New PIM Neighbor Adjacencies

Figure 10-7 New PIM Neighbor on a Point-to-Point Link

Multicast Packets
(128.9.160.43, 224.2.127.254)
S0
S3

E0
S0
S1

A S2

New Link

S0

S0

B E0

Member of
224.2.127.254

Member of
224.2.127.254

D E0

Member of
224.2.127.254

At this point, the state in Router A would be as shown in Example 10-7.

Example 10-7

State in Router A Before New Link Is Activated

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:02:39, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00

235

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However, as soon as the new link has come up and an adjacency with dense mode Router D
is established, the state in Router A is updated so that flooding to Router D begins to occur
immediately (see Example 10-8).
Example 10-8

State in Router A After New Link

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:00:00, RP 0.0.0.0, flags: D
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial2, Forward/Dense, 00:00:05/00:00:00
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:04:10/00:02:39, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial3, Forward/Dense, 00:04:10/00:00:00
Serial2, Forward/Dense, 00:00:05/00:00:00

Notice in that interface Serial2 was added to the outgoing interface list of the (*, G). This
is a direct result of Dense Mode Rule 1, which causes the outgoing interface list of a dense
mode (*, G) entry to always list those interfaces having directly connected members or
PIM-DM neighbors. In addition, note that Serial2 has been added to the outgoing interface
list of the (S, G) entry. This results in traffic being forwarded to Router D out interface
Serial2. The addition of Serial2 to the (S, G) outgoing interface list is a result of General
Rule 6, which keeps the outgoing interface list of (S, G) entries in sync with any additions
or deletions to the outgoing interface list of their parent (*, G) entry.
Figure 10-8 shows a slightly different situation where the new adjacency (Router C) is
being established on a multi-access network (Ethernet) with other existing dense mode
neighbors (Router A and Router B).

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237

Figure 10-8 New PIM Neighbor on a Multi-access Network

Multicast Packets
(128.9.160.43, 224.2.127.254)
S0
New PIM
Neighbor
E0 A
E1

B E0

E1

C E0

Member of
224.2.127.254

In this case, interface Ethernet0 on Router A will already be in all the appropriate outgoing
interface lists and the new neighbor, Router C, will simply begin receiving the traffic that
is already being flooded to the other neighbors on the network. Wait a minute! What if all
of the existing neighbors (in this case Router B) on the network had already pruned this
traffic flow? The new neighbor would not begin receiving the multicast traffic until the
prune times out as much as 3 minutes later! Worse, Router C doesnt even know to send a
Graft message upstream to restart the traffic flow because it is unaware that this multicast
traffic stream even exists! (Remember that in dense mode, state is not created until traffic
arrives.)
These new neighbor situations cause the addition of another rule for dense mode.

Dense Mode Rule 3

When a new PIM neighbor is added to the list of PIM neighbors on an interface, the
interface is reset to Forward/Dense state in all PIM-DM (S, G) outgoing interface lists.

By applying this rule to dense mode groups whenever a new PIM neighbor is detected, the
flooding of multicast traffic to the new neighbor can be initiated with a minimum delay.
This allows the new neighbor to immediately create state for this multicast traffic flow and
prune it if it is unwanted.

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Summary
This chapter presented a set of dense mode rules that govern PIM-DM multicast state
maintenance in Cisco routers, as well as a set of general rules that apply not only to PIMDM but also to PIM-SM state maintenance. In addition to these rules, the format of the
mroute table entries that contain this multicast state information in Cisco routers was
presented along with the necessary information on how to interpret them. Finally, the
examples on PIM-DM flooding, forwarding, pruning, and grafting presented in this chapter
demonstrate how the state maintenance rules are applied under common PIM-DM
circumstances and how the mroute table entries are effected.
A working knowledge of these rules and how they come into play and an understanding of
the output from a show ip mroute command are essential tools for multicast network
engineers faced with designing, implementing, or debugging a PIM-DM network.

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CHAPTER

11

Using PIM Sparse Mode

This chapter continues building on the knowledge base of Protocol Independent Multicast
(PIM) sparse mode (or PIM-SM) mechanisms introduced in Chapter 7, PIM Sparse
Mode. The use of numerous network examples and an examination of the state that is
created in a Cisco router using PIM-SM supplement the detailed exploration of these
mechanisms. This state is analyzed and explained in a step-by-step fashion, using the output
of show ip mroute commands taken from the Cisco routers in the sample networks.
Furthermore, the chapter covers the basic rules that Cisco routers use to create and maintain
sparse mode multicast forwarding state. These rules enable you to predict what a Cisco
router will do under various circumstances in PIM-SM networks. This knowledge is critical
when trying to troubleshoot PIM-SM networks.

NOTE

Several of the concepts that were presented in Chapter 10, Using PIM Dense Mode, such
as the PIM forwarding rules, are also applicable to PIM-SM. Therefore, it would be a good
idea to read Chapter 10 if you havent done so already.

Configuring PIM-SM
PIM-SM is only slightly more complicated to configure than PIM-DM. All you need is
knowledge of three configuration commands, and you can have sparse mode up and
running. As in PIM-DM, you need to enable PIM on each router in the network by using
the following global command:
ip multicast-routing

Next, enable PIM-SM on every interface in every router in the network by using the
following interface command:
ip pim sparse-mode

The final step is to configure each of the routers in the network with the IP address of the
rendezvous point (RP), using this global command:
ip pim rp-address <address>

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This command tells the router where to send the (*, G) joins when it needs to join the shared
tree in sparse mode. The use of Ciscos Auto-RP and PIMv2s Bootstrap mechanism are
discussed in Chapter 12, PIM Rendezvous Points. These are two features that enable
Cisco routers in the network to dynamically learn the address of the RP without having to
manually configure this information on every router in the network.

NOTE

The recommended method for enabling multicast on an interface is the use of the ip pim
sparse-dense-mode command. This allows the router to use either dense or sparse mode,
depending on the existence of RP information for each multicast group, and makes it much
easier to switch the entire network from dense mode to sparse mode (or vice versa) as
needed. Sparse-dense mode also allows the use of Auto-RP without having to configure
every router in the network with Bootstrap RP information to get Auto-RP data to flow
through the network via multicast. (We discuss Auto-RP in more detail in Chapter 12.)

PIM-SM State Rules

The preceding section established that configuring PIM-SM is only marginally more
complex than configuring PIM-DM. That is to say, it is simple. If, on the other hand, you
need to understand what a PIM-SM router in the network will do in response to directly
connected hosts joining a group or the arriving multicast traffic, Joins, or Prunes, then this
is where you, as a network administrator, are going to earn your pay. Having a solid
working knowledge of basic PIM-SM state rules employed by a Cisco router is going to be
crucial, particularly when trying to debug PIM-SM problems in your network.
The following section explains the key PIM-SM state maintenance rules just as Chapter 10
did for PIM-DM. As you recall, several of the general rules that were presented in that
chapter also apply to PIM-SM. Just so you dont have to keep flipping back and forth
between this chapter and the previous chapter to locate a specific rule, here is a list of the
general rules that were presented in Chapter 10.

General Rule 1Whenever it is necessary to create an (S, G) entry and a

corresponding parent (*, G) entry does not exist, a new (*, G) entry is automatically
created first.

General Rule 2The Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) interface is computed as the
interface with the lowest cost path (based on administrative distance/metric) to the IP
address of the source (or in the case of a sparse mode (*, G) entry, the RP). If multiple
interfaces have the same cost, the interface with the highest IP address is chosen as
the tiebreaker.

General Rule 3When a new (S, G) entry is created, its outgoing interface list
(OIL) is initially populated with a copy of the outgoing interface list from its parent
(*, G) entry.

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NOTE

243

General Rule 4The incoming interface of a multicast forwarding entry must never
appear in its outgoing interface list.

General Rule 5The RPF interface (that is, incoming interface or IIF) of every
multicast state entry is recalculated every 5 seconds, and the outgoing interface list is
adjusted appropriately based on General Rule 4 (to prevent the incoming interface
from appearing in the outgoing interface list).

General Rule 6Additions or deletions to the outgoing interface list of a (*, G) entry
are replicated (within the constraints of General Rule 4) to all associated (S, G) entries
for the group.

Let me reiterate that I am giving you only the key state rules and not a complete set of all
rules and their exceptions so you have a basic understanding of how a Cisco router creates
and maintains sparse mode state.

PIM-SM (*, G) State Rules

Unlike dense mode, sparse mode (*, G) entries are used for forwarding multicast traffic.
Each PIM-SM (*, G) entry in the mroute table defines the incoming and outgoing interfaces
that the router uses to forward Group G traffic down the shared tree. In PIM-SM, (*, G)
state is typically (although there are some exceptions) created only on demand, either as a
result of directly connected host joining the group or in response to the receipt of a (*, G)
Join from a downstream router.
This situation leads to the first PIM-SM state rule.

PIM-SM Rule 1
A sparse mode (*, G) entry is created as a result of an Explicit Join operation.

The initial creation of sparse mode (*, G) state can be caused by the receipt of either a
(*, G) Join from a downstream PIM neighbor or an Internet Group Membership Protocol
(IGMP) Membership Report from a directly connected host desiring to join Group G.
Because traffic flows down a shared tree from the RP, the incoming interface for a sparse
mode (*, G) entry is computed differently than an incoming interface for an (S, G) entry.
In the case of a sparse mode (*, G) entry, the IP address of the RP is used to calculate the
RPF interface. This establishes a second PIM-SM rule.

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Chapter 11: Using PIM Sparse Mode

PIM-SM Rule 2
The incoming interface of a sparse mode (*, G) entry always points up the shared tree
toward the RP.

PIM-SM (S, G) State Rules

In PIM-SM, (S, G) entries are typically created on demand by the receipt of an Explicit
(S, G) Join. (They can also be created as a result of an (S, G) Prune, but we will save this
discussion for later.) An (S, G) Join is sent when a router wants to receive (S, G) traffic via
the shortest path tree (SPT). (S, G) state may also be created when a last-hop router
switches over to the SPT. This would occur on a router that has a directly connected
member of the group and the traffic rate flowing down the shared tree exceeds the SPTThreshold for the group.
This leads to the next PIM-SM state rule:

PIM-SM Rule 3
A sparse mode (S, G) entry is created under the following conditions:
Receipt of an (S, G) Join/Prune message
On a last-hop router when it switches to the SPT
Unexpected arrival of (S, G) traffic when no (*, G) state exists
At the RP when a Register message is received

Notice that the first item in PIM-SM Rule 3 is virtually identical to PIM-SM Rule 1 for
(*, G) state entries. I could have generalized PIM-SM Rule 1 to cover both cases; however,
I find that people tend to forget that the PIM-SM SPTs are also created (and hence (S, G)
state created) by using the same basic Explicit Join mechanism as the shared tree.
Therefore, I have stated this rule separately to emphasis the point.

PIM-SM Outgoing Interface Rules

The outgoing interface lists of (*, G) and (S, G) entries are handled a little differently in
sparse mode than they were in dense mode. In sparse mode, an interface is added or
removed from the outgoing interface list as a result of Explicit Joins or Prunes.

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245

This leads to the following rule governing outgoing interfaces:

PIM-SM Rule 4
An interface is added to the outgoing interface list of a sparse mode (*, G) or (S, G) entry
in either of the following conditions:
When an appropriate (*, G) or (S, G) Join is received via this interface
When a directly connected member of the group exists on the interface

As an example, if a (*, G) Join is received from a downstream neighbor over an interface,

that interface is added to the outgoing interface of the (*, G) entry. (Note: This event may
also result in the addition of this interface to the outgoing interface lists of all child (S, G)
entries for the group, based on General Rule 6 which keeps the (S, G) outgoing interfaces
in sync with the parent (*, G) entry.)
Lets take a look at an example for an (S, G) Join. Assume that a router receives an (S, G)
Join from a downstream neighbor via some interface. In this case, the interface is added to
the outgoing interface list of the (S, G) entry onlythe (S, G) Join is specific to SPT for
Source S and Group G and is not applicable to the shared tree that the (*, G) entry controls.
The removal of interfaces from the outgoing interface list of sparse mode (*, G) and (S, G)
entries are governed by PIM-SM Rule 5.

PIM-SM Rule 5
An interface is removed from the outgoing interface list of a sparse mode (*, G) or (S, G)
entry in either of the following situations:
When an appropriate (*, G) or (S, G) Prune (that is not overridden) is received via

this interface (and where there is no directly connected member)

When the interfaces expiration timer counts down to zero

Notice that this situation is different from dense mode where you leave the pruned interface
in the outgoing interface list and change its state to Prune/Dense. Therefore, you should
never see an interface in a sparse mode outgoing interface list whose state is marked as
Prune/Sparse. (If you do, its a bug!)

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PIM-SM Rule 4 and PIM-SM Rule 5 basically mean that the outgoing interface list of a
sparse mode (*, G) or (S, G) entry always reflects the interfaces in which (1) a downstream
PIM-SM neighbor has joined the tree or (2) a directly connected member of the group
exists.

PIM-SM Outgoing Interface Timers

Interface expiration timers of interfaces in sparse mode outgoing interface lists are also
handled differently than similar elements are handled in dense mode. Whenever an
interface is added to an outgoing interface list of a sparse mode (*, G) or (S, G) entry, the
expiration timer is initialized to 3 minutes and begins to start counting down to zero. Thus,
if nothing else happens to reset this count (back to 3 minutes), the interface would be
removed from the outgoing interface list according to the first item in PIM-SM Rule 5.

PIM-SM State Maintenance Rules

After all sparse mode state has been created through Explicit Joins and/or Prunes, the state
entries are updated periodically as a result of various events. The most important event is
the periodic recalculation of the RPF interface (incoming interface) for all entries in the
multicast forwarding table. This topic was discussed in Chapter 10 and is described by
General Rule 5. The recalculation of RPF interface information is necessary so that
multicast routing can converge after a change in the network topology.
To prevent interfaces from being removed prematurely from the outgoing interface list, the
reset of interface expiration timers are governed by PIM-SM Rule 6.

PIM-SM Rule 6
The expiration timer of an interface is reset to 3 minutes as a result of either of the following
conditions:
An appropriate (*, G) or (S, G) Join is received via this interface.
An IGMP Membership Report is received from a directly connected member on this

interface.

Because downstream neighbors periodically (once a minute) refresh state by sending (*, G)
and (S, G) Joins, the first part of PIM-SM Rule 6 will keep the interfaces expiration timer
from reaching zero. This behavior can best be observed by periodically issuing a show ip
mroute command and watching the interface expiration timers. The expiration timers will
continuously count down from 3 minutes to 2 minutes (roughly) and then be reset back up
to 3 minutes.

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247

Special PIM-SM (S, G)RP-Bit State Rules

Chapter 7 discussed the capability of PIM-SM last-hop routers to switch from the shared
tree to a sources SPT to cut through the network and reduce latency. When the last-hop
router has switched to the (S, G) SPT for (S, G) traffic, that router no longer needs to
receive the same (S, G) traffic down the shared tree.
To stop the flow of this redundant (S, G) traffic down the shared tree, a router with (S, G)
state will send a special (S, G) Prune with the RP-bit set up the shared tree. Because the
RP-bit is set in this (S, G) Prune, this message as an (S, G)RP-bit Prune.
Setting the RP-bit in an (S, G) Prune indicates to the receiving router that the prune is
applicable to the shared tree (otherwise known as the RP Tree, hence the name RP-bit).
The receiving router therefore interprets this message as a request to prune the specified
(S, G) traffic from this branch of the shared tree.

Sending (S, G)RP-Bit Prunes

As you recall from the overview of PIM-SM presented in Chapter 7, there are times when
a router wishes to prune a specific sources traffic from the shared tree. This would occur
when a router has joined the SPT for the source and no longer wants to receive the sources
traffic via the shared tree. This prune is accomplished by sending an (S, G)RP-bit Prune up
the shared tree. However, to avoid sending conflicting (S, G) Join and (S, G)RP-bit Prunes
out the same interface, the following rule, PIM-SM Rule 7, is applied.

PIM-SM Rule 7
Routers will send an (S, G)RP-bit Prune up the shared tree when the RPF neighbor for the
(S, G) entry is different from the RPF neighbor of the (*, G) entry.

The preceding rule basically means that the (S, G)RP-bit Prune will originate at the point
where the shared tree and the SPT diverge. In many cases, the origination of the (S, G)RPbit Prune will occur at the last-hop router that joined the (S, G) SPT. (The example in
Figure 11-1 shows this situation.) However, this is not true when the shared tree and the
SPT are congruent at the last-hop router. (An example is shown later in SPT-Switchover.)

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Receiving (S, G)RP-Bit Prunes

When a router receives an (S, G)RP-bit Prune from a downstream neighbor, it does the
following:
1 Creates an (S, G) state entry (if it doesnt already exist).
2 Sets the RP-bit in the (S, G) entry (denoted by the R flag).
3 Populates the outgoing interface list of the (S, G) entry with a copy of the interfaces

from the parent (*, G) entry based on General Rule 3.

4 Removes (that is, prunes) the interface from which the (S, G)RP-bit Prune was

received from the outgoing interface list.

5 (Re)computes the RPF information (incoming interface and RPF neighbor) of the

(S, G) entry based on the RP address instead of the source address.

The reason that the last step is performed may not be immediately obvious and deserves
additional discussion. Because the RP-bit signifies that this (S, G) forwarding state is
applicable to the shared tree, the incoming interface of the (S, G) entry must point up the
shared tree toward the RP instead of toward Source S. This leads to the PIM-SM Rule 8 that
controls the calculation of the RPF interface for sparse mode (S, G) entries.

PIM-SM Rule 8
The RPF interface (that is, the incoming interface) of a sparse mode (S, G) entry is
calculated by using the IP address of the source except when the RP-bit is set, in which case
the IP address of the RP is used.

After this rule (along with General Rule 4, which prevents the incoming interface from
appearing in the outgoing interface list) has been applied, the resulting (S, G)RP-bit entry
will control the forwarding/pruning of (S, G) traffic flowing down the shared tree.
The reason that the (S, G)RP-bit entry will control the flow of (S, G) traffic down the shared
tree is that the incoming interface of the (S, G) entry is now pointing up the shared tree as
a result of the RP-bit being set and PIM-SM Rule 8 being applied. Additionally, the
interface that the (S, G)RP-bit Prune was received on is removed from the outgoing
interface list of the (S, G) entry because this was, after all, a Prune.
Figure 11-1 shows an example of two routers, Router B and Router C, both receiving (S, G)
traffic down the shared tree.

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PIM-SM State Rules

249

Figure 11-1 Traffic Flow Before (S, G)RP-Bit Prune

D
Source
10.1.1.1

E0

RP
S0
S0

S1
S0

A
(10.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1)
Traffic

S1
S1

S0

S2
S0

Example 11-1 shows the initial state in Router A.

Example 11-1

Initial State in Router A Before (S, G)RP-Bit Prune

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:12/00:00:00, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:12/00:02:48
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:04:28/00:02:32

Assume that Router B joins the SPT to Source S via Router D and sends an (S, G)RP-bit
Prune to Router A, which stops the redundant flow of (S, G) traffic down the shared tree as
shown in Figure 11-2.

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Chapter 11: Using PIM Sparse Mode

Figure 11-2 Traffic Flow After (S, G) RP-Bit Prune

D
Source
10.1.1.1

E0

RP
S0
S0

S1
(S, G)RP-bit
Prune
(10.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1)
Traffic

S0
A
S1

S1

S2

S0

S0

When Router A receives the (S, G)RP-bit Prune, it creates an (S, G) entry based on the rules
presented earlier in this section. The state in Router A is shown in Example 11-2.
Example 11-2

State in Router A After the (S, G)RP-Bit Prune

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:04:35/00:00:00, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:19/00:02:41
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:04:35/00:02:25
(10.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:07/00:02:43, flags: RT
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:07/00:02:53

Now, when a (10.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1) packet arrives at Router A via the shared tree, Router A
will search its mroute table for a matching entry. Finding the matching (S, G) entry,
Router A will use it (because an existing (S, G) entry is always used) to forward the packet.
Router A then checks the incoming interface information in the (10.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1) entry
to see whether the arriving packet passes the RPF check. Because the RP-bit (denoted by
the R flag in the (S, G) entry) is set, the incoming interface (Serial0) points up the shared

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tree toward the RP instead of toward the source (via Serial1) as a result of the application
of PIM-SM Rule 8. Because the packet is flowing down the shared tree and, therefore,
arrives via Serial0, the RPF check succeeds and Router A will then forward the packet out
all interfaces in the outgoing interface list.
Hopefully, you noticed that interface Serial1 is not in the outgoing interface list of the
(10.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1) entry. The interface is missing because it was removed by the
(S, G)RP-bit Prune. The result is that the (S, G) traffic is pruned from the leg of the shared
tree that runs from Router A to Router B.

NOTE

If the preceding (S, G)RP-bit Prune mechanism is perfectly clear to you at this point, give
yourself a major pat on the back, as you have just learned one of the more difficult concepts
of PIM-SM. However, if it is not clear, dont despair. We will return to this process in the
section on SPT-Switchover later in this chapter.

PIM-SM State Entries

Having a solid understanding of the PIM state information that is displayed by the show ip
mroute command is even more important in sparse mode than in dense mode. This section
looks at a sample output from this command for a sparse mode group and examines it line
by line.
Consider the sample output of a show ip mroute command shown in Example 11-3.
Example 11-3

Sample Output for show ip mroute Command

(*, 224.2.127.254), 00:03:10/00:00:00, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 198.92.1.129
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:10/00:02:50
Serial3, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:10/00:02:50
(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:40/00:02:20, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 198.92.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Serial3, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:40/00:02:20

The first line in Example 11-3 contains general information about the (*, G) entry in the
multicast forwarding table (also referred to as the mroute table) and is broken down in
Table 11-1.

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Table 11-1 General Information on (*, G) Entry for Example 11-3

(*, 224.2.127.254)

Indicates that this is the (*, G) entry for multicast group 224.2.127.254.

00:03:10/00:00:00

Uptime/expire timer counters. The uptime shows that this entry has been up
for 3 minutes and 10 seconds, whereas the expire timer is not running. (This
condition is normal for (*, G) sparse mode entries when a child (S, G) entry
exists.) Expire timers usually count down from 3 minutes. When the
expiration time is reached, the state entry is deleted.

RP 10.1.5.1

Indicates the IP address of the RP.

flags: S

Indicates that this group is a sparse mode group. (Note: The S (Sparse) and D
flags are shown only on (*, G) entries.)

The second line in Example 11-3 provides RPF information about the entry including the
incoming interface (also referred to as the RPF interface) and the upstream RPF neighbor
and is broken down in Table 11-2.
Table 11-2 RPF Information on (*, G) Entry for Example 11-3
Incoming interface: Serial0

Indicates that the incoming interface for traffic flowing down the
shared tree is Serial0. (Note: Because the RP is the root of the
shared tree, the incoming interface is always the Null interface
when this command is executed on the RP.)

RPF nbr 198.92.1.129

Indicates the IP address of the upstream (RPF) neighbor for this

multicast traffic.

The next few lines of the (*, G) entry in Example 11-3 are shown here:
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:10/00:02:50
Serial3, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:10/00:02:50

These lines display the outgoing interface list for the entry. The outgoing interface list
of sparse mode (*, G) entries reflects downstream interfaces on the shared tree. This
information is used to initially populate the outgoing interface list of any (S, G) entries
for Group G. The entries in this list are broken down in Table 11-3.
Table 11-3 Outgoing Interface List Information on (*, G) Entry for Example 11-3
Serial1

Indicates the outgoing interface.

Forward/Sparse

Indicates the forwarding state and mode of the interface.

Because this entry is in the outgoing interface list of a dense
mode (*, G) entry, it always reflects forward and dense mode.

00:03:10/00:02:50

Uptime/expire timer for this interface. The uptime indicates

how long this interface has been in forward state. The expire
timer indicates that this interface will expire in 2 minutes and
50 seconds at which time it will be removed from the outgoing
interface list.

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Heres the next line of Example 11-3:

(128.9.160.43/32, 224.2.127.254), 00:00:40/00:02:20, flags: T

This line gives you general information about an (S, G) entry in the multicast forwarding
table (also referred to as the mroute table) and is broken down in Table 11-4.
Table 11-4 General Mroute Information for (S, G) Entry in Example 11-3
(128.9.160.43/32,
224.2.127.254)

The (S, G) entry for IP multicast source 128.9.160.43 (the /32 is a mask)
sending to multicast group 224.2.127.254.

00:00:40/00:02:53

Uptime/expire timer counters. The uptime shows that this entry has been up
for 40 seconds. The expire timer is running and is counting down from 3
minutes. Because this is an (S, G) entry, this timer will be reset back to 3
minutes every time the router forwards an (S, G) packet. (In this case, a
packet was received roughly 7 seconds ago.) If the expiration timer reaches
zero, the router assumes that the source has stopped sending to the group and
the state entry is deleted.

flags: T

Indicates that multicast traffic for this source/group is being forwarded using
this entry. (In other words, the (S, G) traffic is being forwarded on the SPT.)

The second line of the (S, G) entry is

Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 198.92.2.1

This line gives you RPF information about the entry including the incoming interface (also
referred to as the RPF interface) and the upstream RPF neighbor and is broken down in
Table 11-5.
Table 11-5 RPF Information on (S, G) Entry in Example 11-3
Incoming interface: Serial1

Indicates that Serial1 is the incoming (RPF) interface for the (S, G)
traffic flowing down the SPT.

RPF nbr 198.92.2.1

Indicates the IP address of the upstream (RPF) neighbor for this

multicast traffic is 198.92.2.1.

The remaining lines in the (S, G) entry in Example 11-3 are as follows:
Outgoing interface list:
Serial3, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:40/00:02:20

These lines display the outgoing interface list for the (S, G) entry. The entries in this list are
broken down in Table 11-6.

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Table 11-6 Outgoing Interface List for (S, G) Entry in Example 11-3
Serial3

Indicates the outgoing interface.

Forward/Sparse

Indicates the forwarding state and mode of the interface.

00:00:40/00:02:20

Uptime/expire timer counters. The uptime shows that this entry has been up
for 40 seconds. The expire timer is running and is counting down from 3
minutes. The expire timer will be reset back to 3 minutes every time an
(S, G) Join is received from a downstream neighbor via this interface. (In
this case, an (S, G) Join was received roughly 40 seconds ago.) The expire
timer can also be reset by the existence of directly connected members on
this interface.

PIM-SM State Flags

In the PIM-SM state entries in Example 11-3, you saw the Flag field on each entry and
encountered just a few of the possible sparse mode flags. Table 11-7 explains the State flags
that can be found in the Flag field of sparse mode entries. After you have a good understanding of when these State flags are set and cleared and what they mean, you will have
come a long way toward understanding mroute state.
Table 11-7 PIM-SM State Flags
S

Sparse mode flag

The meaning of this flag should be pretty obvious. The S flag

indicates that the multicast group is a sparse mode group.
(Note: The S flag appears only on (*, G) entries.

Connected flag

The C flag appears on both (*, G) and (S, G) entries and indicates
that there is a directly connected member for this multicast group.

Local flag

The L flag appears on both (* G) and (S, G) entries and indicates

that the router itself is a member of this group. Therefore, the router
will process all multicast traffic sent to this group at process level.
A good example of a group that the router itself would join is the
PIM RP-Discovery (224.0.1.40) group that distributes Auto-RP
information.

Pruned flag

The P flag indicates that the outgoing interface list is Null. This
condition causes a Prune to be sent to the upstream (RPF) neighbor
for this (*, G) or (S, G) entry.

SPT flag

The T flag (or SPT flag) appears only on (S, G) entries and indicates
that this traffic is being forwarded via the (S, G) entry (that is, the
SPT). This flag is set whenever the first (S, G) packet is received
corresponding to this mroute table entry.

Proxy-Join timer flag

The X flag appears only on (S, G) entries and indicates that the
Proxy-Join timer is running. (This flag was introduced in IOS 12.0
and is discussed in the section titled Proxy-Join Timer later in the
chapter.)

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Table 11-7 PIM-SM State Flags (Continued)

J

Join SPT flag (*, G)

For sparse mode (*, G) entries, the J flag is set whenever the rate of
traffic flowing down the shared tree exceeds the SPT-Threshold.
(This calculation is done once a second.) When the J flag has been
set on the (*, G) entry, the next (S, G) packet received down the
shared tree will cause source S to be cut over to the SPT.
(This switchover occurs only if the C flag is also set.)

Join SPT flag (S, G)

The J flag is set on sparse mode (S, G) entries to indicate that this
source was previously cut over to the SPT. This flag tells PIM to
check the traffic rate flowing down the SPT against the SPTThreshold to see whether this source should be switched back to the
shared tree. (This calculation is only done once a minute to prevent
a flip-flop condition.)

Register flag

The F flag is used on (S, G) entries to indicate that we must send

Register messages for this traffic. (How we got F out of Register
is a mystery to me.)
The F flag is typically set on an (S, G) entry when a multicast source
S is directly connected to the router sending traffic to Group G.
(Note: The F flag is set on the parent (*, G) entry if any child (S, G)
entries have the F flag set.)

RP-bit flag (S, G) only

The R flag is the RP-bit flag and indicates that the information in the
(S, G) entry is applicable to the shared tree. (The shared tree is
sometimes called the RP Tree, hence the name, RP-bit.)
(S, G)RP-bit entries are used to prune redundant (S, G) traffic from
the shared tree after a downstream router has joined the SPT for
Source S.
(Note: When the RP-bit is set, the (S, G) incoming interface is
switched to point toward the RP instead of the source, S. This is
done so that the RPF check will succeed for (S, G) traffic flowing
down the shared tree.)

Joining the Shared Tree

Now that you have a good understanding of the basic sparse mode state rules and also how
to interpret the sparse mode mroute state information, lets now take a closer look at the
various mechanisms used by PIM-SM, beginning with joining the shared tree.
The example in Figure 11-3 depicts the sequence of events that take place when a host
(Rcvr A) joins a multicast group, thereby triggering the local Designated Router (DR)
(in this case, Router B) to join the shared tree for the group.

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Figure 11-3 Joining the Shared Tree

RP
10.1.5.1
S0
A

S1

S0

3 PIM Join

10.1.5.2
E0
10.1.2.1
10.1.2.2
1 IGMP Join
Rcvr A

2 PIM Join

E0

E1
B

Host Rcvr A signals its desire to join multicast group 224.1.1.1 by multicasting an IGMP
Membership Report to 224.1.1.1 (step 1). We frequently refer to this action as sending an
IGMP Join although, technical speaking, we are actually sending an IGMP Membership
Report. Its just easier to say IGMP Join, and everyone knows what we mean.
When the DR, Router B, receives this IGMP Join for group 224.1.1.1, the DR scans its
mroute table for a (*, G) entry for this group. Because there has been no previous activity
for this group, Router B does not find a (*, 224.1.1.1) entry and therefore must create a new
(*, G) entry. The result is that the state shown in Example 11-4 is created in Router B.
Example 11-4

State in Router B After Receiving the IGMP Join from Rcvr A

rtr-b>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:05/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:05/00:02:55

The output of the show ip mroute command in Example 11-4 shows a single (*, G) entry
for group 224.1.1.1. The first line of this entry indicates that it was created (based on PIMSM Rule 1) roughly 5 seconds ago. In this case, the entry was created as a result of the
receipt of the IGMP Join from Rcvr A. The entry will expire in roughly 3 minutes and the
RP for this group is 10.1.5.1 (Router C). Finally, because there is a directly connected
member (Rcvr A) for this group, the C flag has been set on this (*, G) entry.

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The second line shows the incoming (RPF) interface for this (*, G) entry to be Ethernet0.
This RPF information was computed using PIM-SM Rule 2 and General Rule 2, which
dictate the address to use (source or RP) in the RPF calculation and how to calculate the
RPF information. In this case, the RPF information in the second line points up the shared
tree toward the RP through RPF neighbor 10.1.2.1, which is Router A.
The remaining lines of the entry show the outgoing interface list, and it contains a single
entry for Ethernet1, which was added as a result of PIM-SM Rule 4, which controls the
population of outgoing interfaces. In this case, Ethernet1 was added to the outgoing
interface list as the indirect result of the receipt of an IGMP Join from Rcvr A via Ethernet1.
Technically speaking, Ethernet1 was added to the outgoing interface list because the IGMP
Membership Cache contains an entry indicating that there is at least one directly connected
member of this group on this interface. You can verify this by using the show ip igmp
group command to show the contents of the IGMP Membership Cache, as shown in
Example 11-5.
Example 11-5

Results of the show ip igmp group Command

rtr-b>show ip igmp group
IGMP Connected Group Membership
Group Address
Interface
224.1.1.1
Ethernet1

Uptime
00:0010

Expires
00:01:39

Last Reporter
171.70.144.21

Notice that the output of this command shows only the Last Reporter for this group on this
interface. The router does not need to keep track of all members of the group on the
interface; in fact, all the router needs to know is whether at least one member of the group
is still active on this interface. (This example only has a single member active on the
interface, so presumably it is the address of Rcvr A.)
Finally, successive show ip mroute commands would show that the interface expire timer
for Ethernet1 in the outgoing interface list was periodically being reset back to 3 minutes.
In this case, the timer is being reset because an entry for this group exists on this interface
in the IGMP Membership Cache.
Lets continue with the next step of the joining the shared tree example shown in Figure
11-3. Because Router B created a new (*, G) entry, it sends a triggered (*, G) Join up the
shared tree to its RPF neighbor, Router A (step 2). The Join is actually multicast on
Ethernet0 and is heard by all PIM neighbors on the network. However, the address of the
RPF neighbor, in this case 10.1.2.1, is contained in the Join, which informs Router A that
the Join is addressed to it.
When Router A receives this (*, G) Join, A too must create a new (*, G) entry for group
224.1.1.1 in the same fashion (and by applying the same rules) as did Router B. This results
in the following state in Router A (see Example 11-6), which was obtained using the show
ip mroute command.

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Example 11-6

State in Router A After Processing (*, G) Join from Router B

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:10/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:10/00:02:50

In this case, Serial0 is the incoming interface and Ethernet0 was added to the outgoing
interface list as a result of the receipt of the (*, G) Join from downstream neighbor,
Router B.
Pay particular attention to the fact that the C flag is not set in the (*, 224.1.1.1) entry in
Router A. Why? Because in this example, Router A does not have any directly connected
members of group 224.1.1.1. However, if a host on Ethernet0, for example, were to join the
group at some point, then the C flag would also be set in the (*, 224.1.1.1) entry on
Router A. (We can use the show ip igmp group command to verify that there is or isnt a
directly connected member for this group.)
Once again, if you do successive show ip mroute commands, you will see that the interface
expire timer on Ethernet0 in the outgoing interface list is periodically being reset back to 3
minutes. This time, however, the interface expire timer is being reset by the receipt of (*, G)
Joins sent periodically (once a minute) by Router B to refresh this branch of shared tree.
Refer back to Figure 11-3 for the final step of the example. Because Router A also had to
create a new (*, G) entry, A sends a triggered (*, G) Join up the shared tree to its RPF
neighbor, Router C (step 3). In this case, the RPF neighbor is the RP.
When the RP receives the (*, G) Join from Router A, it responds by creating a (*, G) entry
in its mroute table, as shown by the output of a show ip mroute command listed in
Example 11-7.
Example 11-7

State in the RP After Processing the (*, G) Join from Router A

rtr-c>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:14/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:14/00:02:45

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259

Here again, Router C applied the same rules to the creation of the (*, G) state as did
Router B and Router A. This process caused Serial0 (the interface by which the (*, G) Join
was received) to be placed in the entrys outgoing interface list. If you again do successive
show ip mroute commands, you will see that the interface expire timer on Serial0 is also
being reset by the receipt the periodic (*, G) Joins from Router A that are arriving roughly
once a minute.
Notice that the incoming interface in the (*, G) entry on the RP is a bit different from the
other routers. The incoming interface is Null, and the RPF neighbor is 0.0.0.0 (that is, there
is no RPF neighbor). This occurs simply because the RP is the root of the shared tree,
and, therefore, both the incoming interface and the RPF neighbor are meaningless. A good
analogy to this situation would be to stand at the North Pole. Now take 10 steps to the north.
You cant! Just as you cant travel any further up the shared tree than the RP.
At this point, you have successfully set up state in all the routers shown in Figure 11-3,
which effectively builds a branch of the shared tree for group 224.1.1.1. This branch starts
at the RP (Router C) and extends through Router A on down to Router B where the directly
connected member, Rcvr A, resides. Any multicast traffic arriving at the RP (the next
section explains how traffic gets to the RP) is forwarded down this branch and received by
Rcvr A.

PIM Register Process

Now that you have examined the details of how mroute state is set up to build the shared
tree from the RP down to the receivers, you need to understand how multicast traffic gets
to the RP in the first place.
Recall from Chapter 7 that PIM-SM uses a unidirectional shared tree where multicast traffic
can only flow down the branches from the RP. To get multicast traffic to the RP, first-hop
routers (routers with directly connected sources) use a Register process to basically notify
the RP of the existence of a source of multicast traffic. The RP processes the Register
messages sent by the first-hop router and then joins the SPT to the source to pull the
multicast traffic flow to the RP. This traffic is then delivered down the shared tree to the
receivers.
Naturally, the preceding description is a simplified version of the PIM Register process. The
next few sections look at this process in considerable detail, again using several sample
networks and the output of show ip mroute commands to explain the process.
We will break the PIM Register process into three scenarios and examine each in detail.
These scenarios are

Receivers join the shared tree first

Sources register first
Receivers along the SPT between source and RP join the group

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Receivers Join First

Figure 11-3 showed how mroute state is built all the way up the shared tree to and including
the RP when a receiver joins the multicast group. Lets assume that process has already
taken place and two branches of the shared tree have been built before any sources begin
sending.
Figure 11-4 shows a portion of the network that includes the RP with two branches of the
shared tree already built on Serial0 and Serial1.
Figure 11-4 Initial Network with Two Branches of the Shared Tree
RP
E0

S0
A

S0

S1
B

S3
S0

S1

Shared Tree

If we look at the state in the RP before any source begins sending, we would see the state
shown in Example 11-8.
Example 11-8

State in the RP with Two Branches of the Shared Tree

rtr-c>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:14/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:36/00:02:24
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:14/00:02:45

The other two routers in the example, Router A and Router B, initially do not have any state
because they have not had any directly connected hosts either join the group or begin
sending to the group. If you do a show ip mroute command for the sample group 224.1.1.1
on these routers at this point, you would see the output shown in Example 11-9.

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PIM Register Process

Example 11-9

261

Initial State in Router A and Router B

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
Group 224.1.1.1 not found.

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1

Group 224.1.1.1 not found.

Now that the stage is set, lets activate a multicast source for group 224.1.1.1 and see what
happens. Figures 11-5 through 11-8 reflect the following eight steps that are involved in the
Register process when the receiver joins first:
Step 1 Source begins sending Group G traffic.
Step 2 Router A encapsulates packets in Register messages; unicasts to RP.
Step 3 Router C (RP) de-encapsulates packets; forwards down shared tree.
Step 4 RP sends (S, G) Join toward source; builds SPT.
Step 5 RP begins receiving (S, G) traffic down SPT.
Step 6 RP sends Register Stop to Router A.
Step 7 Router A stops encapsulating traffic in Register messages.
Step 8 (S, G) traffic is flowing down a single path (SPT) to RP.

These eight steps are detailed in the following sections.

Receivers Join First: Registering Steps 13

Figure 11-5 shows the first three steps of the Register process in action. Lets examine what
happens at each step.
Figure 11-5 Registering Steps 13 (Receivers Join First)
2 Register Messages

(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets

RP

S3
E0

Source
171.68.37.121

S0
A

S0

S1
B

S0

S1

Shared Tree

3 (*, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Traffic

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A multicast source (171.68.37.121) begins sending to group 224.1.1.1. Notice that the
source did not bother to join the multicast group first. This would have caused Router A to
join the shared tree and would complicate the example. Therefore, assume that the source
is a send-only multicast source so that you can focus on the state created by the Register
process.
When Router A receives the first multicast packet from the source, it searches for a match
in its mroute table. In this case, it has neither a matching (S, G) entry nor a matching (*, G)
entry. Therefore, to process the incoming multicast packet, Router A must create an (S, G)
entry. This step automatically causes a (*, G) entry to also get created based on General
Rule 1 that requires a parent (*, G) to exist for any (S, G) entries.
Router A now checks the IP address of the source and sees that it is an address within the
subnet defined on Ethernet0 (Step 1). In other words, the source is directly connected to
Router A. Therefore, Router A begins encapsulating the packets from the source in Register
messages and unicasting them to the RP.
When the RP receives these Register messages, it de-encapsulates them and examines the
destination address of the multicast packet inside (Step 2). In this case, the RP finds that the
destination is multicast group 224.1.1.1 for which it has a (*, G) entry. The RP then
forwards the multicast packet out all interfaces in the outgoing interface list. This action
results in the packet being sent down the shared tree via interfaces Serial0 and Serial1.
If you type quick enough, you can catch this transitory state in Router A with an show ip
mroute command. The output is shown in Example 11-10.
Example 11-10

State in Router A While Registering

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:56, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.191,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:57, flags: FPT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0, Registering
Outgoing interface list: Null

Lets stop here and take the above output apart line by line and make sure what is happening
is clear.

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The first entry is, of course, the (*, G) entry for group 224.1.1.1. The first line of this entry
shows that the RP is 10.1.5.1 (Router C), the group is a sparse mode group (S flag), and the
entry is pruned (P flag) because the outgoing interface list is Null. The second line shows
that the incoming interface is pointing toward the RP via Serial0 and that the RPF neighbor
(upstream in the direction of the RP) is 171.68.28.191 (Router B). The fact that this (*, G)
entry is pruned (that is, the outgoing interface list is Null) frequently confuses Cisco
multicast neophytes. Let me explain.
The (*, G) entry controls the forwarding of group multicast traffic down the shared tree,
where there are directly connected members of the group or other downstream routers that
have joined the group. Because there are neither at this point (remember, the source did not
join the multicast group), the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry is Null and therefore
the P flag is set. This would not be the case if the source had also joined the multicast group
before it began sending. However, because I want to focus just on the Register process,
I specifically used an example of a send-only host here.
The second entry in the output of the show ip mroute command is the (S, G) entry for the
source, 171.68.37.121, which is sending to group 224.1.1.1. The first line of this entry
shows that the source sent the first packet roughly 3 seconds ago and that this entry will
expire and be deleted in roughly 2 minutes in 57 seconds. (Note: (S, G) entry expire timers
are reset back to 3 minutes each time a multicast packet is forwarded using the entry.) The
Flags field indicates that Register messages must be sent(F flag) for this (S, G) traffic (that
is, because S is a directly connected source). The flags also indicate that at least one packet
has been forwarded using this entry (T flag) and that the entry is pruned (P flag) because
the outgoing interface list is Null.
The second line of the entry shows the incoming interface for this traffic is Ethernet0 and,
because this is a directly connected source (that is, it is on the subnet connected to
Ethernet0), the RPF neighbor is 0.0.0.0. In other words, no RPF neighbor exists for this
source because it is directly connected to Router A.
Again, the fact that the outgoing interface list is Null (hence, the P flag being set) might
seem to be an error. However, this condition is currently correct because the outgoing
interface list of an (S, G) entry reflects interfaces where there are directly connected
members of the group or downstream neighbors that have joined the SPT for this source.
Once more, neither of these two conditions has been met, and therefore the outgoing
interface list of the (S, G) entry is Null.

Receivers Join First: Registering Step 4

Figure 11-6 shows Step 4 in the receiver-joins-first example of the Register process.

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Figure 11-6 Registering Step 4 (Receivers Join First)

Register Messages

(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets

RP
S0

E0
Source
171.68.37.121

S0
Join

S1
B

Join 4

S3
S0

S1
(*, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Traffic

Shared Tree

Because the RP has (*, 224.1.1.1) state whose outgoing interface list is not Null, the RP
sends an (S, G) Join toward the first-hop router (Router A) so that Router A can join the SPT
and pull multicast traffic from source 171.68.37.121 sending to group 224.1.1.1 via
native multicast. The (S, G) Join travels hop by hop through Router B and on to Router A,
setting up an SPT between the source and the RP.
If we could freeze time at this moment and type the show ip mroute command on all the
routers, we would see the output shown in Examples 11-11, 11-12, and 11-13.
Example 11-11

State in RP (Router C) Immediately After (S, G) Join

rtr-c>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:09:21/00:02:38, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:09:21/00:02:38
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:14/00:02:46
(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1, 00:00:01/00:02:59, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial3, RPF nbr 171.68.28.139,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:01/00:02:59
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:01/00:02:59

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Example 11-12

265

State in Router B Immediately After (S, G) Join

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:01/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 171.68.28.140,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:01/00:02:59, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.190
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:01/00:02:59

Example 11-13

State in Router A Immediately After (S, G) Join

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:02/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.191,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:2/00:02:58, flags: FT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0, Registering
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:01/00:02:59

Working backwards from the RP toward Router A, Example 11-11 shows that the RP has
created a new (S, G) entry as a result of sending the (S, G) join. Pay particular attention to
the fact that the outgoing interface list of the (S, G) was populated with a copy of the
outgoing interface list from the parent (*, G) entry according to General Rule 3. The
incoming interface points toward the source through RPF neighbor 171.68.28.139
(Router B) via interface Serial3, based on PIM-SM Rule 8 and General Rule 2.
Example 11-13 shows that Router A has received the (S, G) Join (via Router B) and has
added Serial0 to the outgoing interface list of the (S, G) entry. This step caused the P flag
to be reset because the outgoing interface list is no longer Null.

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Example 11-12 shows that Router B has created (*, G) and (S, G) state as a result of the
(S, G) Join received from the RP. Notice that the (*, G) entry on Router B is also pruned
(P flag is set) because the outgoing interface list is Null. This state is normal given the
current conditions for the same reason seen on Router A earlier. That is, Router B has no
directly connected members or downstream neighbors that have joined the shared tree.
Therefore, the (*, G) entry is pruned.
The (S, G) entry, on the other hand, has an incoming interface that points toward the source
via RPF neighbor 171.68.28.190 (Router A) via Serial0. The outgoing interface list
contains Serial1, which is the interface by which the (S, G) Join from the RP was received.
The combination of the incoming interface and outgoing interface list on the (S, G) entry
in Router B allows traffic from the source to flow down the SPT, through Router B on its
way to the RP.
Finally, Example 11-13 shows that Router A has added interface Serial0 to the outgoing
interface list of its (S, G) entry as a result of the (S, G) Join received from Router B via
Serial0. Now that the outgoing interface list is no longer Null, the P flag is reset in the (S, G)
entry.
Because we were somehow able to type the show ip mroute command at this frozen instant
in time, we were able to catch Router A still indicating Registering on the (S, G) entry.
However, in actual practice, this event usually happens so fast that you cant catch the router
in this state.

Receivers Join First: Registering Steps 5 and 6

Figure 11-7 shows Steps 5 and 6 in the receivers-join-first registering example.
Figure 11-7 Registering Steps 5 and 6 (Receivers Join First)
(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets

RP

5
S0

E0
Source
171.68.37.121

Register Messages

S0

S1
B

S3
S0

S1
(*, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Traffic

6 Register-Stop
Shared Tree

The RP now begins receiving (S, G) traffic natively via the newly created SPT (Step 5).
The next time the RP receives an (S, G) Register message, the RP sees that it is now
receiving (S, G) traffic successfully via the SPT (indicated by the T flag being set in the
(S, G) entry) and responds by sending back an (S, G) Register-Stop message (Step 6).

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Receivers Join First: Registering Steps 7 and 8

Figure 11-8 depicts the final two steps in the receivers-join-first registering example.
Figure 11-8 Registering Steps 7 and 8 (Receivers Join First)
(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets
S0

E0
Source
171.68.37.121

RP

S0

S1
B

S3
S0

S1
(*, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Traffic

Shared Tree

When Router A receives the (S, G) Register-Stop message from the RP, it stops sending
multicast packets from the source encapsulated in Register messages and updates its (S, G)
state entry by clearing the Registering indicator (Step 7).
The Register process is now complete, and (S, G) traffic is flowing to the RP only via the
SPT (Step 8). From the RP, this traffic is then forwarded down the branches of the shared
tree to the receivers.
Now that the entire process has completed, the state in Routers C and B will be the same as
the output shown in Examples 11-11 and 11-12, respectively. The exception is the output
of Router A, which is shown in Example 11-14.
Example 11-14

State in Router A After Register

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.191,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:3/00:02:58, flags: FT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:03/00:02:57

The difference between Examples 11-14 and 11-13 may not be obvious. However, if you
look closely, youll notice that the Registering indicator on the second line of the (S, G)
entry is now gone. This change indicates that Router A is no longer sending Register
messages to the RP for this (S, G) traffic.

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NOTE

Chapter 11: Using PIM Sparse Mode

Occasionally, a first-hop router can appear to get stuck in the Registering state where the
word Registering continuously appears in the (S, G) entry. This is an indication of a
problem in the network. This problem most often occurs when not all interfaces in the
network (between the first-hop router and the RP) have been enabled for multicast. At other
times, some sort of reachability problem in the network can cause this problem. Finally, this
condition can sometimes occur if the first-hop router has been configured with a static RP
address via the ip pim rp-address command and another router between it and the RP is
configured with an ip pim accept-rp command that denies this RP address as a valid RP.
(The ip pim accept-rp command is discussed in more detail in Chapter 12.)

Source Registers First

In the previous sections, it was assumed that receivers would join the multicast group
(hence create branches of the shared tree) first. Frequently, however, the multicast source
may begin sending traffic before any receivers join the group.
In this case, the Register process works pretty much the same way, except the RP doesnt
bother to join the SPT to the source until a receiver has joined the group and caused a branch
of the shared tree to be created.
Using the same network example, but this time assuming that there are no receivers joined
to the group (and hence no branches of the shared tree have been created), would have the
state in the routers shown in Example 11-15.
Example 11-15

State in Routers Before Register

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
Group 224.1.1.1 not found.

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1

Group 224.1.1.1 not found.

rtr-c>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1

Group 224.1.1.1 not found.

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Figures 11-9 through 11-13 shows the following nine steps of the Register process when a
source registers before any receivers join the group.
Step 1 Source begins sending Group G traffic.
Step 2 Router A encapsulates the packets in Registers; unicasts to RP.
Step 3 Router C (RP) has no receivers on shared tree; discards packet.
Step 4 RP sends Register-Stop to Router A.
Step 5 Router A stops encapsulating traffic in Register messages; drops further

packets from source.

Step 6 Router C receives (*, G) Join from a receiver on shared tree.
Step 7 RP sends (S, G) Joins for all known sources in group.
Step 8 RP begins receiving (S, G) traffic down SPT.
Step 9 RP forwards (S, G) traffic down shared tree to receivers.

These steps are detailed in the following sections.

Source Registers First: Steps 13

Figure 11-9 shows the first three steps in the Register process when a source registers before
any receivers join the group.
Figure 11-9 Registering Steps 13 (Source Registers First)
2 Register Messages

(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets
1

RP
S0

S0

S1

S3

E0
Source
171.68.37.121

Our multicast source (171.68.37.121) begins sending to group 224.1.1.1 (Step 1).
Router A now checks the IP address of the source and sees that it is an address within the
subnet defined on Ethernet0. In other words, the source is directly connected to Router A.
This causes Router A to begin encapsulating the packets from the source in Register
messages and unicasting them to the RP (Step 2).

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When the RP receives these Register messages, it de-encapsulates them and examines the
destination address of the multicast packet inside. In this case, the RP finds that the
destination is multicast group 224.1.1.1 for which the RP does not have any state (because
no one has joined the shared tree yet) and creates an (S, G) entry according to the fourth
item in PIM-SM Rule 3. However, according to General Rule 1, an (S, G) entry cannot exist
without a parent (*, G) entry and, therefore, the RP creates a (*, G) entry for group
224.1.1.1 with a Null outgoing interface list first.
If we were again able to freeze time at this point and issue a show ip mroute command on
the RP, its mroute state would resemble Example 11-16.
Example 11-16

State in RP (Router C) After Register

rtr-c>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:15/00:01:45, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1, 00:01:15/00:01:45, flags: PT
Incoming interface: Serial3, RPF nbr 171.68.28.139,
Outgoing interface list: Null

Because the (*, G) entry was initially created in response to the receipt of a Register and
not as a result of the receipt of a (*, G) Join, the outgoing interface list is Null. Put another
way, because no one has joined the shared tree, the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry
will not have any interfaces in it. Likewise, the (S, G) entry is initially created with a Null
outgoing interface list per General Rule 3, which states that the outgoing interface list of a
newly created (S, G) entry receives a copy of its parent (* G) outgoing interface list.
When the RP has successfully created the preceding state, the RP attempts to forward the
multicast packet that was encapsulated in the Register message based on this newly created
state. However, in this instance the matching (S, G) entry has a Null outgoing interface list,
and the RP therefore discards the packet (Step 3).
Issuing a show ip mroute command on Router A (while time was still frozen), its mroute
state would resemble Example 11-17.

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Example 11-17

271

State in Router A While Registering

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:56, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.191,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:57, flags: FPT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0, Registering
Outgoing interface list: Null

This state is identical to what was seen at this point in time in the preceding example when
receivers joined the shared tree first. That is, Router A has created an (S, G) entry as a result
of the multicast packets being received from the directly connected source, and Router A is
still sending Register messages to the RP at this moment. The FPT flags are set, which
indicates

Source S is directly connected and the Register process must be used to notify the RP
of this source (F flag).

The outgoing interface list is Null (P flag) because no one has joined the SPT for this
source at this point in time.

Traffic is being received (T flag) from this source.

Source Registers First: Step 4

Figure 11-10 shows the next step in the Register example.
Figure 11-10 Registering Step 4 (Source Registers First)
Register Messages

(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets
S0

E0
Source
171.68.37.121

RP

S0

S1
B

4 Register-Stop

S3
C

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Because the (S, G) entry in the RP is pruned (that is, a Null outgoing interface list causes
the P flag to be set), it has no current need for any (S, G) traffic. The RP therefore sends an
(S, G) Register-Stop message to the first-hop router (Router A) to shut off the flow of
encapsulated (S, G) packets (Step 4).
Notice that the RP did not send an (S, G) Join as it does when there are branches of the
shared tree. However, the RP did create state for this particular (S, G) source, which will
become important later.

Source Registers First: Step 5

Figure 11-11 shows Step 5 in the source registers first example.
Figure 11-11 Registering Step 5 (Source Registers First)
(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets

RP
S0

E0
Source
171.68.37.121

S0

S1

S3

When Router A receives the (S, G) Register-Stop message from the RP, it stops sending
multicast packets from the source encapsulated in Register messages and updates its (S, G)
state entry by clearing the Registering indicator (Step 5). Furthermore, because the
outgoing interface list is still Null, any future packets received from the source will be
discarded.
Example 11-18 shows the current state in Router A.
Example 11-18

State in Router A After Register

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:28/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.191,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:28/00:01:32, flags: FPT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list: Null

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273

The important change is that the Registering indicator in the (S, G) entry has been cleared
and that the outgoing interface list is still Null. This is why Router A will now drop any
further packets received from the source, 171.68.37.121.

NOTE

You should also be aware that the (S, G) entry expire timer will continue to count down to
zero at which time the (S, G) entry will be deleted. If source 171.68.37.121 is still active
and sending multicast packets to group 224.1.1.1, the (S, G) entry will get recreated when
Router A receives the next packet and the Register, Register-Stop sequence will be
repeated. This process will continue to occur every 3 minutes until either the source stops
sending or a receiver joins the shared tree.

Now lets continue with the example (refer to Figure 11-12) and see what happens when
receivers join the group and cause branches of the shared tree to be created.
Figure 11-12 Registering Steps 67 (Source Registers First)
(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets

RP
S0

S0
E0
Source
171.68.37.121

Join

S1
B

S3
Join 7

S1

(*, G) Join 6

Assume that a receiver somewhere else in the network joins the multicast group, which
triggers its local DR to send a (*, G) Join up the shared tree toward the RP (Step 6).
When the RP receives the (*, G) Join via Serial1, the RP applies PIM-SM Rule 4, which
causes the interface by which the Join was received to be added to the outgoing interface
list of the (*, G) entry. Next, General Rule 6 is applied, which causes interface Serial1 to be
added to the outgoing interface list of all (S, G) entries associated with the parent (*, G)
entry. The resulting state in the RP is shown in Example 11-19.

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Example 11-19

State in RP (Router C) After Receivers Join the Shared Tree

rtr-c>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:02:32/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:03/00:02:57
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1, 00:02:32/00:02:57, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial3, RPF nbr 171.68.28.139,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:03/00:02:57

The key changes are the addition of Serial1 to both outgoing interface lists, which also
result in the clearing of the P flag on both entries. Now, the RP is ready to forward any
(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1) traffic that it receives via Serial3 down the shared tree. However,
the router must first tell all first-hop routers (in this case just Router A) to start sending
traffic to the RP. This leads to Step 7 (Figure 11-12).
When the (*, G) entry on the RP switches from pruned to not pruned (denoted by the
clearing of the P flag), it triggers a Batch-Join process that sends an (S, G) Join toward all
sources that the RP knows are active for group G (Step 9). The Batch-Join builds the SPTs
from the sources to the RP and restarts the flow of all (S, G) traffic to the RP so that the
traffic can be forwarded down the shared tree. Now you see why the RP keeps (S, G) state
for all active sources when the shared tree had no branches. By keeping this state in the RP,
the Batch-Join process (that was triggered by the (*, G) Join) can send an (S, G) Join for
each child (S, G) entry under the parent (*, G) entry.
As the (S, G) Join is sent hop by hop toward the source to restart the flow of traffic to the
RP, state is created on all intervening routers along the path (Router B in the example).
When the (S, G) Join reaches the first-hop router (Router A here), Router A adds the
interface on which it received the (S, G) Join to the outgoing interface list of its (S, G) entry.
This step results in the final state on Router B and Router A shown in Example 11-20 and
Example 11-21, respectively.

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PIM Register Process

Example 11-20

State in Router B After Receiving the (S, G) Join

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 171.68.28.140,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:59, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.190
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:03/00:02:57

Example 11-21

State in Router A After Receiving the (S, G) Join

rtr-a>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:03/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.191,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:3/00:02:58, flags: FT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:03/00:02:57

Source Registers First: Step 8 and 9

Figure 11-13 depicts the final steps in the source-registers-first example.
Figure 11-13 Registering Steps 8 and 9 (Source Registers First)
(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets
E0
Source
171.68.37.121

S0
A

RP

8
S0

S1
B

S3
C

S1
9 (*, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Traffic

275

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Once the state in Examples 11-20 and 11-21 is set up, (171.68.37.121, 244.1.1.1) traffic
begins to flow down the SPT to the RP (Step 8). When this traffic reaches the RP, it is
forwarded down the shared tree according to the interfaces in the outgoing interface list of
the (S, G) entry (Step 9). Remember, routers always forward based on a matching (S, G)
entry if one exists. Thus, when adding an interface to the (*, G) outgoing interface list, also
add it to all the child (S, G) entries.

Receivers Along the SPT

Another common misconception of PIM-SM is that when a router that is somewhere along
the (S, G) SPT between the source and the RP joins the group, (S, G) traffic must first flow
to the RP and then turn around and come back down. This is not the case.
Consider the network example that was shown in Figure 11-13. Traffic is flowing down the
SPT from Router A to the RP (Router C). Example 11-22 shows the current state in
Router B.
Example 11-22

State in Router B Before Local Host Joins

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:04:28/00:01:32, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 171.68.28.140,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:04:28/00:01:32, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.190
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:04:28/00:01:32

Because there are no directly connected members of group 224.1.1.1 and because no
downstream neighbors have joined the shared tree, the (*, G) entry has a Null outgoing
interface list and is therefore pruned (indicated by the P flag).
The (S, G) entry, on the other hand, is not pruned and is being used to forward (S, G) traffic
through Router B and down the SPT to the RP.
Figure 11-14 shows what happens if a directly connected host on Router B joins the group,
which, in turn, causes Router B to join the shared tree.

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277

Figure 11-14 Host Joins Along the SPT

(171.68.37.121, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Packets

RP

B
S0

Source
171.68.37.121

S1
E0

1 IGMP Join

(*, 224.1.1.1)
Mcast Traffic

Rcvr A

Host Rcvr A signals its desire to join multicast group 224.1.1.1 by sending an IGMP
Membership Report (Step 1).
When Router B receives the IGMP Membership Report (or IGMP Join as we often call it),
it adds an entry to its IGMP Membership Cache to indicate that a member of this group
exists on this interface. Since this member is the first member to join group 224.1.1.1,
Router B updates its mroute entries for the group and sends a (*, G) Join up the shared tree
toward the RP (Step 2).
The state in Router B after Rcvr A joins the group is shown in Example 11-23.
Example 11-23

State in Router B After Rcvr A Joins the Group

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:04:28/00:01:32, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 171.68.28.140,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:30/00:02:30
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:04:28/00:01:32, flags: CT
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 171.68.28.190
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:04:28/00:01:32
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:30/00:02:30

Example 11-23 shows that Router B has added interface Ethernet0 (where it now has a
directly connected member of the group) to the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry
based on PIM-SM Rule 4. Next, General Rule 6 was applied, which caused Ethernet0 to be
added to all (S, G) entries under the (*, G) entry.

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Before moving on, lets apply the PIM forwarding rules to the (S, G) traffic that is flowing
through Router B on its way to the RP and see what happens. When Router B receives a
multicast packet from source 171.68.37.121 sent to group 224.1.1.1, Router B searches its
mroute forwarding table, finds a matching (S, G) entry, and uses that entry to forward the
packet as follows:

Using the matching (S, G) entry, Router B performs an RPF check to determine
whether the packet arrived on the correct interface. In this case, the RPF check
succeeds because the packet arrived on the incoming interface, Serial0. (If the packet
had not arrived via Serial0, it would fail the RPF check and be discarded.)

Because the RPF check succeeded, Router B forwards the packet out all interfaces in
the outgoing interface list. Because Router B is using the matching (S, G) entry, the
packet is forwarded on toward the RP out interface Serial1 and out interface Ethernet0
to the directly connected member, Rcvr A.

In other words, any (S, G) traffic flowing to the RP will be picked off as it passes through
Router B and forwarded out all interfaces in the (S, G) outgoing interface list. Or, look at
this situation another way: Router B was already on the (S, G) SPT and therefore receives
this traffic via a more direct path.
Hopefully, you are already beginning to wonder about the (*, G) Join that Router B sent to
the RP. Wont that cause duplicate (S, G) traffic to flow back down the shared tree to Router
B? The simple answer is no. Heres what happens.
The state in the RP that results from the receipt of the (*, G) Join is shown in
Example 11-24.
Example 11-24

State in RP (Router C) After Receiving (*, G) Join from Router B

rtr-c>show ip mroute
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:06:23/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:06:23/00:02:37
Serial3, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:03/00:02:57
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1, 00:06:23/00:02:57, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial3, RPF nbr 171.68.28.139,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:06:23/00:02:37

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279

When the RP received the (*, G) Join from Router B, the RP added interface Serial3 (on
which the (*, G) Join was received) to the outgoing interface list based on PIM-SM Rule 4.
The RP then applied General Rule 6 and added interface Serial3 to the outgoing interface
list of all associated (S, G) entries under the (*, G) entry. Finally, General Rule 4, which
states that the incoming interface cannot appear in the outgoing interface, was applied to
the (S, G) entries. This action resulted in the removal of interface Serial3 from the outgoing
interface list of the (S, G) entry.
Now when a multicast packet sent by source 171.68.37.121 to group 224.1.1.1 arrives at
the RP, it searches its mroute forwarding table and finds the matching (S, G) entry
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1) and uses it to forward the packet. (Remember, routers always
forward based on the (S, G) entry if one exists.) The RP then performs an RPF check and
finds that the packet arrived on the correct incoming interface, Serial3. Still using the (S, G)
entry, the RP forwards the packet out all interfaces in the (S, G) outgoing interface list.
In this case, only Serial1 is in the outgoing interface list as a result of the application of
General Rule 4.
The combination of the above rules results in state being built in the RP that prevents the
(S, G) traffic from flowing back down the same path it came in on. This effectively prevents
duplicate (S, G) traffic from flowing back to Router B in the example.

SPT-Switchover
Chapter 7 introduced the capability of PIM-SM to switch from the shared tree to the SPT
of a multicast source when the traffic rate exceeds a predetermined threshold. Ciscos
implementation of PIM-SM refers to this predetermined threshold as the SPT-Threshold
and defaults to zero kilobits per second. In other words, the default action is for a last-hop
router to immediately join the SPT when a new source is detected.

Exceeding the SPT-Threshold

Just exactly how the Cisco PIM implementation detects when the SPT-Threshold has been
exceeded and by which source is often an element of confusion for newcomers to Cisco
PIM-SM. The common assumption is that a last-hop router (that is, a router that has the C
flag set in the (*, G) entry) keeps track of the individual traffic rates of all sources sending
down the shared tree. This assumption is, in fact, not true, as it would basically require the
last-hop router to maintain (S, G) state for all sources in the group. This would defeat the
purpose of shared trees, which is to minimize (S, G) state in the router. Instead, Cisco
routers use a clever optimization that effectively accomplishes the same goal, which is to

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switch to the SPT for the high-rate sources in the group but without having to maintain
traffic rate statistics for each individual source. This optimization is accomplished by
performing the two tasks in Step 1:
Step 1

Once each second, compute the total traffic rate flowing down
shared tree.
If this rate exceeds the SPT-Threshold, then set the Join SPT
(J) flag in the (*, G) entry.
Now, examining the J flag in the (*, G) entry can show whether the traffic rate flowing down
the shared tree (that is, being forwarded via the (*, G) entry) is exceeding the SPTThreshold or not. This action leads to Step 2, which triggers a switch to the SPT that is
executed the next time a packet is received via the shared tree. When this packet arrives, its
source address is the SPT tree that is joined.
Step 2 If the J flag is set in (*, G), then

Join the SPT for (Si , G)

Mark (Si , G) entry with J flag
Clear J flag in (*,G)
The preceding optimization tends to result in the last-hop router switching over to the SPT
for the high-rate source that is sending down the shared tree. This change occurs because
the next packet received down the shared tree will probably be a high-rate source that is
sending above the SPT-Threshold. Even if the next packet is not a high-rate source, the
switchback mechanism, which is discussed later in this section, will result in this low-rate
source being switched back to the shared tree.

SPT-Switchover Process
Lets now examine the process of switching to the SPT in more detail and also consider the
state that is built in the routers when this switch occurs.
Figure 11-15 depicts a sample network with (Si, G) traffic flowing down the shared tree to
Rcvr A prior to the switchover to the SPT.

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281

Figure 11-15 Traffic Flow Before SPT-Switchover

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

To RP (10.1.5.1)
S0
S2

Shared (RPT) Tree

SPT Tree

To Source Si

S1
10.1.4.1

E0

D
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

E0

Rcvr B

S1

S0
10.1.4.2

S0

10.1.2.1

Rcvr A

Examples 11-25, 11-26, and 11-27 show the state in each of the three routers along the
shared tree before switching to the SPT.
Example 11-25

State in Router C Before SPT-Switchover

rtr-c>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:21/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.5.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:21/00:02:39

Example 11-26

State in Router A Before SPT-Switchover

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11

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Example 11-27

State in Router B Before SPT-Switchover

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SCJ
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11

Figure 11-16 through Figure 11-19 detail the nine steps involved in SPT-Switchover:
Step 1 Group G rate exceeds SPT-Threshold at Router B.
Step 2 Set J flag in (*, G) and wait for next (Si, G) packet.
Step 3 (Si, G) packet arrives down shared tree.
Step 4 Clear J flag in (*, G).
Step 5 Send (Si, G) toward Si.
Step 6 SPT and RPT diverge; Router A forwards (Si, G) Join toward Si.
Step 7 Router A triggers an (Si, G)RP-bit Prune toward RP.
Step 8 (Si, G) traffic begins flowing down SPT tree.
Step 9 Unnecessary (Si, G) traffic is pruned from the shared tree.

SPT-Switchover: Steps 1 and 2

Continuing with the example, Figure 11-16 shows the first two steps of SPT-Switchover.

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283

Figure 11-16 SPT-Switchover Steps 1 and 2

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

To RP (10.1.5.1)
S0
S2

Shared (RPT) Tree

SPT Tree

To Source Si

S1
10.1.4.1

A
S1

S0
10.1.4.2

S0

E0

D
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

E0

Rcvr B

Rcvr A

10.1.2.1

1 Group G rate > Threshold

(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:13, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SCJ

Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11

Lets assume that the total rate of traffic flowing down the shared tree exceeds the
SPT-Threshold at Router B (Step 1).
As a result of this traffic rate, Router B sets the Join SPT (J) flag in the (*, G) entry for the
group to indicate that a switch to the SPT is in order (Step 2). Consequently, the next (S, G)
packet received will cause a switch to the SPT for this source.

SPT-Switchover: Steps 3, 4, and 5

Figure 11-17 depicts the next steps of the switchover example.

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Figure 11-17 SPT-Switchover Steps 3, 4, and 5

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

To RP (10.1.5.1)

Shared (RPT) Tree

SPT Tree

S0
S2

To Source Si

S1
10.1.5.1

A
S1

S0
10.1.5.2

S0

E0

D
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

E0

Rcvr B

Rcvr A

10.1.2.1

3
5 (Si , G) Join
B

(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:13, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SC

Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11

Lets now assume that we receive an (Si, G) packet down the shared tree (Step 3). Router
B then checks the (*, G) entry and sees that the J flag is set, which indicates that a switch
to the SPT-Threshold is in order.
Router B then temporarily resets the J flag until the next measurement interval (Step 4).
This action prevents more than one source from being switched to the SPT until the
1-second measurement interval is run again after switching this source to the SPT.
Router B then creates (Si, G) state and sends an (Si, G) Join toward the source to join the
SPT for this source (Step 5). This Join travels hop by hop toward the source and builds an
SPT.

SPT-Switchover: Steps 6 and 7

Figure 11-18 presents Step 6 and Step 7 of the switchover example.

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285

Figure 11-18 SPT-Switchover Steps 6 and 7

To RP (10.1.5.1)
S0

S2
S1
10.1.4.1

To Source Si

7 (Si , G)RP-bit
Prune
A
S1

S0

6 (Si , G) Join

S0
10.1.4.2

E0

D
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

E0

Rcvr B

Rcvr A

10.1.2.1
(Si , G) Traffic Flow
Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT Tree

Example 11-28 shows the resulting state in Router B at this time.

Example 11-28

State in Router B After the SPT-Switchover

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:49/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:49/00:02:05
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:05/00:02:56, flags: CJT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:05/00:02:55

Notice that the J flag is currently reset in the (*, G) entry. This flag will again be set after
the next 1-second measurement interval has completed and the rate of traffic flowing down
the shared tree is still above the SPT-Threshold. (Note: If the default SPT-Threshold of 0
kbps is in effect, the J flag will appear to always be set. The only time that this flag would
be reset is if you just happen to catch the (*, G) entry immediately after an SPT-Switchover
but before the next 1-second measurement interval has completed. In practice, this moment
is very difficult to catch.)

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Additionally, notice that an (Si, G) entry has been created in Router B and that the J flag has
been set to indicate that the state was created as a result of the SPT-Switchover mechanism.
We will consider the significance of this event shortly.
When Router A receives the (Si, G) Join, A also joins the SPT and creates an (Si, G) entry
in its mroute table as shown in Example 11-29.
Example 11-29

State in Router A After the SPT-Switchover

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:02:16/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:02:16/00:02:11
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:27/00:02:56, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 10.1.9.2
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:27/00:02:33

The newly created (Si, G) entry shown in Example 11-29 has its incoming interface
pointing toward the source, Si, via interface Serial1 and has an outgoing interface of
Ethernet0. This entry allows (Si, G) traffic flowing down the SPT to be forwarded to
Router B. Again, refer to Figure 11-18.
Because Router A created the new (Si, G) entry, it triggers an (Si, G) Join in the direction
of the Source Si out interface Serial1 (Step 6). This continues the process of building the
SPT back to the source.
Router A now detects that the paths of the shared tree and SPT diverge at this point and
triggers an (Si, G)RP-bit Prune out Serial0 up the shared tree toward the RP to Router C
(Step 7). This was a direct result of PIM-SM Rule 7, which governs the sending of
(S, G)RP-bit Prunes. Note that Router B did not trigger an (Si, G)RP-bit Prune as a result
of PIM-SM Rule 7 because the incoming interfaces of the (Si, G) and (*, G) entries did
match.

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SPT-Switchover: Steps 8 and 9

Figure 11-19 depicts the final steps in the switchover process.
Figure 11-19 SPT-Switchover Steps 8 and 9
To RP (10.1.5.1)
S0

C
10.1.4.1
S1

S2

To Source Si
A
S1

9
S0

8 (Si , G) Traffic

S0
10.1.4.2

E0

D
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

E0

Rcvr B

Rcvr A

10.1.2.1
(Si , G) Traffic Flow
Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT Tree

The (Si, G) Join travels hop by hop to the first-hop router for Source Si, building the SPT
back down to Router B via Router A. After this is accomplished, (Si, G) traffic begins
flowing to Router B via the SPT (Step 8; shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 11-19.)
The (Si, G)RP-bit Prune is sent up the shared tree to Router C (Step 9).
When Router C receives the (Si, G)RP-bit Prune, it responds by creating an (Si, G) entry in
its mroute table and populates its outgoing interface list with a copy of the interfaces from
the (*, G) entry (based on General Rule 3). However, because the (Si, G)RP-bit Prune was
received via interface Serial1, this interface is pruned (removed) from the outgoing
interface list, leaving only Serial2. Furthermore, because the RP-bit was set in the Prune,
Router C sets the RP-bit (denoted by the R flag) in the (Si, G) entry and applies PIM-SM
Rule 8. This step causes the incoming interface of the (Si, G) entry to be pointed toward the
RP instead toward of the source. This finally results in the state being instantiated in
Router C as shown in Example 11-30.

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Example 11-30

State in Router C After SPT-Switchover

rtr-c>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:54/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.5.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Serial1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:54/00:02:06
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:25/00:02:53, flags: R
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.5.1
Outgoing interface list:
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:25/00:02:35

Things now start to get a bit complicated. Notice that at Router C in Figure 11-19 (Si, G)
traffic is still flowing to Router D (indicated by the solid arrows), although it has been
pruned from the link going to Router A. Examining the state in Router C at this point and
applying the forwarding rules can show what has happened.
As traffic from (Si, G) arrives at Router C, a scan of the mroute table is performed and an
exact (Si, G) match is found for (171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1). Using the information in
this entry, Router C first performs an RPF check to make sure that the traffic is arriving on
the correct interface.
The RPF check succeeds because the traffic is arriving via Serial0 and the incoming
interface information in the (Si, G) entry is
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.5.1

Router C then forwards the multicast packet out all the non-pruned interfaces in the
outgoing interface list, which for the (Si, G) entry is
Outgoing interface list:
Serial2, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:25/00:02:35

This results in (Si, G) traffic being forwarded only to Router D, as shown in Figure 11-19.
The purpose of (Si, G)RP-bit entries should now be quite clear. By applying the rules in the
manner described above to create (Si, G)RP-bit entries, redundant (Si, G) traffic can be
pruned from the shared tree.

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SPT-Switchback Process
Once an (S, G) entry has been created as a result of the SPT-Switchover process (such as
the (171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1) entry shown in Example 11-28), it is now possible for the
router to begin collecting actual traffic statistics on the (S, G) flow. (This is because Cisco
routers keep traffic statistic counters for each (S, G) flow in special fields in the (S, G)
mroute table data structure.) As you recall, when an (S, G) entry is created as a result of the
SPT-Switchover process, the J flag is set in the (S, G) entry. When the J flag is set on an
(S, G) entry, the Cisco router will periodically (once per minute) check the (S, G) traffic
flow rate to see if it has fallen below the SPT-Threshold. If the rate has dropped below the
SPT-Threshold, the router will switch the (S, G) flow back to the shared tree and prune off
the flow of traffic down the SPT.

Pruning
The Prune mechanism for PIM-SM networks is performed in the same basic manner as in
PIM-DM networks. That is, a Prune is sent up the distribution tree to stop the flow of
unwanted multicast traffic. However, unlike PIM-DM networks, which use only source
trees, PIM-SM networks use both source trees and shared trees.
The following sections provide detailed explanations of the PIM-SM Prune mechanisms for
both the shared tree case and the source tree case.

Pruning the Shared Tree

Pruning multicast traffic from the shared tree is a straightforward process. When multicast
traffic flowing down the shared tree is no longer wanted (that is, when the router is a leaf
node and the last directly connected member leaves the group), the router simply sends a
(*, G) Prune to its upstream neighbor on the shared tree. When the upstream neighbor
receives the (*, G) Prune via one of its interfaces, it removes that interface from the outgoing interface list. If this results in the outgoing interface list becoming Null, the (*, G)
entry is marked as pruned (with the P flag) and another (*, G) Prune is sent on up the shared
tree. This continues until the (*, G) Prune reaches the RP or some other router up the shared
tree that still has other interfaces in its outgoing interface list after performing the Prune
operation.
Figure 11-20 is an example of a portion of an active shared tree prior to pruning.

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Figure 11-20 Shared Tree Before Pruning

To RP (10.1.5.1)
A

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

S0
10.1.4.2

S1

E0

Shared Tree

10.1.2.1

10.1.2.2
E0
E1
Rcvr A

Notice that a single receiver (Rcvr A) is a member of the group and that multicast traffic is
flowing down the shared tree (shown by the solid arrows) through Router A and Router B.
This example assumes that the routers have been configured with an SPT-Threshold of
infinity, which prevents Router B from joining the SPT of any active sources. Executing a
show ip mroute command on these two routers shows the state information for the active
group 224.1.1.1 as listed in Examples 11-31 and 11-32.
Example 11-31

State in Router B Before Shared Tree Pruning

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11

Example 11-32

State in Router A Before Shared Tree Pruning

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11

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Because the shared tree is being used exclusively to deliver traffic, only (*, G) entries exist
in the two routers.
The shared tree Prune process is depicted in Figures 11-21 and 11-22 with six steps:
Step 1 Router B is a leaf router; last host Rcvr A leaves group G.
Step 2 Router B removes E1 from (*, G) and any (Si, G) outgoing interface lists.
Step 3 Router B (*, G) outgoing interface list is now empty; sends (*, G) Prune

toward RP.
Step 4 Router A receives Prune; removes E0 from (*, G) outgoing interface list.
Step 5 Router A (*, G) outgoing interface list is now empty; send (*, G) Prune

toward RP.
Step 6 Pruning continues back toward RP.

Pruning the Shared Tree: Steps 13

Figure 11-21 shows the first three steps of the Prune process that is initiated when the last
member (Rcvr A in this example) leaves the group.
Figure 11-21 Pruning the Shared Tree Steps 13
To RP (10.1.5.1)
A

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

S0
10.1.4.2

Shared Tree
10.1.2.2
E0
E1
Rcvr A

S1

E0

10.1.2.1

3 (*, G) Prune

2
1 IGMP Leave

Rcvr A sends an IGMP Leave Group message, signaling Router B that it is leaving the
multicast group (Step 1). Because Rcvr A is the last member of group 224.1.1.1 on interface
Ethernet1, Router B removes the 224.1.1.1 IGMP Group Membership Cache entry for
Ethernet1. (Note: The normal IGMP leave processing is not shown in this example.)

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As a result of the removal of the 224.1.1.1 IGMP group Membership Cache entry, Router B
removes interface Ethernet1 from the (*, G) outgoing interface list (Step 2).
The state in Router B that results from Ethernet1 being removed from the outgoing
interface list is shown in Example 11-33.
Example 11-33

State in Router B After Last Member (Rcvr A) Leaves Group

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:17/00:02:47, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SCP
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1,
Outgoing interface list: Null

Notice that the (*, G) expiration timer (00:02:47) is now counting down (it had been
stopped previously as there were non-pruned interfaces in the outgoing interface list) and
will expire in 2 minutes and 47 seconds. When the expiration timer reaches a count of zero,
the (*, G) entry will be deleted.
Because the outgoing interface list on Router B is now Null, the P flag is set and a (*, G)
Prune is sent up the shared tree to Router A (Step 3). (Note: Although not shown in Figure
11-21, Router B also stops sending periodic (*, G) Joins to refresh the shared tree because
the (*, G) entry is now pruned.)

Pruning the Shared Tree: Steps 46

Continuing with the example, Figure 11-22 shows the next three steps in the Prune process.
Figure 11-22 Pruning the Shared Tree Steps 46
5 (*, G) Prune

To RP (10.1.5.1)

6
(Si , G) Traffic Flow

X
S0
10.1.4.2

Shared Tree
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

X
B

S1

E0
4

10.1.2.1

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When Router A receives the (*, G) Prune from Router B via Ethernet0, it schedules the
interface to be pruned after a 3-second delay (Step 4). The 3-second delay is to wait and see
whether another router on the multi-access network wishes to override the Prune with a
Join. At the end of this 3-second delay, Router A removes interface Ethernet0 from the
outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry.
The removal of Ethernet0 from the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry in Router A
results in the state shown in Example 11-34.
Example 11-34

State in Router A After Receiving the (*, G) Prune

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:23/00:02:32, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list: Null

Again, notice that the (*, G) expiration timer (00:02:32) on this entry is also now counting
down and will expire in 2 minutes and 32 seconds, at which time the entry will be deleted.
The expiration timer had previously been stopped because the outgoing interface list
contained non-pruned interfaces.
At this point, the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry in Router A is also Null. This
triggers Router A to also send a (*, G) Prune up the shared tree and to mark the entry as
pruned with the P flag (Step 5).
Step 4 and Step 5 of the Prune process continue back up the shared tree until the RP is
reached or a router is reached whose outgoing interface list does not become Null as a result
of the Prune (Step 6). In other words, a router is reached that still has other active branches
of the shared tree.

Pruning the Source Tree

Pruning is slightly more interesting when traffic is flowing down the SPT instead of the
shared tree. The method is basically the same as for shared tree pruning. That is, (*, G)
Prunes are sent up the shared tree, which removes the appropriate interfaces from the
outgoing interface list of both the (*, G) and all its (S, G) entries. Again, if the outgoing
interface list of a (*, G) entry becomes Null, it is marked as pruned (with the P flag), a (*, G)
Prune is sent on up the shared tree, and the entry is allowed to time out. The same basic
process is applied to any (S, G) entries whose outgoing interface list becomes Null.
However, no (S, G) Prunes are sent up the SPT. Instead, the (S, G) entries are allowed to
time out.

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Figure 11-23 is an example where the last-hop router (Router B in this case) has switched
to the SPT to receive traffic from some source, Si. In this example, Router B (which has a
directly connected member of group 224.1.1.1) has switched to the SPT (depicted by the
solid arrows) to receive multicast traffic from source 171.68.37.121. (This example
assumes that the SPT-Threshold for the group was left at its default value of zero.)
Figure 11-23 SPT Before Pruning
To Source Si

To RP (10.1.5.1)
A

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT Tree

Rcvr A

S0
10.1.4.2

S1

E0

10.1.2.1

10.1.2.2
E0
E1
B

Executing a show ip mroute command on the two routers in this figure produces the state
information for the active group 224.1.1.1 as listed in Examples 11-35 and 11-36.
Example 11-35

State in Router B Before Source Tree Pruning

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SCJ
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:38/00:02:53, flags: CJT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:38/00:02:22

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Example 11-36

295

State in Router A Before Source Tree Pruning

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:43/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SJ
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:43/00:02:11
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:32/00:02:53, flags: T
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 10.1.9.2
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:32/00:02:28

The state in Router B (Example 11-35) shows that a directly connected receiver (denoted
by the C flag in the (*, G) entry) exists for the multicast group. In addition, because the SPTThreshold is set to its default value of zero, any traffic flowing down the shared tree results
in the J flag being set in the (*, G) entry, which indicates that SPT-Threshold is being
exceeded. The combination of these two conditions caused Router B to create the (Si, G)
entry shown in Example 11-35 and to join the SPT.
Also, notice that in the case of Router A, the shared tree and the SPT paths diverge. The
incoming interface for the shared tree (represented by the (*, G) entry) is interface Serial0,
whereas the incoming interface for the SPT (represented by the (Si, G) entry) is interface
Serial1.
Pruning the source tree requires eight steps. These are depicted in Figures 11-24 and 11-25
and are summarized as follows:
Step 1 Router B is a leaf router; last host, Rcvr A, leaves group G.
Step 2 Router B removes E1 (*, G) and any (Si, G) outgoing interface lists.
Step 3 Router B (*, G) outgoing interface list is now empty; sends (*, G) Prune

toward RP.
Step 4 Router B stops sending periodic (S, G) Joins.
Step 5 Router A receives Prune; removes E0 from (*, G) outgoing interface list.
Step 6 Router A (*, G) outgoing interface list now empty; sends (*, G) Prune

toward RP.

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Step 7 (Si, G) state times out; (Si, G) Prune sent toward Si.
Step 8 (Si, G) traffic ceases flowing down SPT.

These steps are detailed in the following sections.

Source Tree Pruning: Steps 13

Figure 11-24 shows the first three steps of the prune process when an SPT is active.
Figure 11-24 Source Tree Pruning Steps 13
To RP (10.1.5.1)

To Source Si
A

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT Tree

Rcvr A

S0
10.1.4.2
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

X
2

S1

E0

10.1.2.1

3 (*, G) Prune

1 IGMP Leave

Rcvr A sends an IGMP Leave Group message, signaling Router B that it is leaving the
multicast group (step 1). Because Rcvr A is the last member of group 224.1.1.1 on interface
Ethernet1, Router B will remove the 224.1.1.1 IGMP Group Membership Cache entry for
Ethernet1. (Note: The normal IGMP leave processing is not shown in this example.)
As a result of the removal of the 224.1.1.1 IGMP group Membership Cache entry, Router B
removes interface Ethernet1 from the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry (Step 2). In
addition, Ethernet1 is also removed from all (S, G) entries under the (*, G), based on
General Rule 6 that keeps the (S, G) outgoing interface lists in sync with the (*, G) entry.
After Ethernet1 has been removed from the outgoing interface lists of the (*, G) and all
(S, G) entries, the state in Router B is as shown in Example 11-37.

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Example 11-37

297

State in Router B After Last Member (Rcvr A) Leaves Group

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:21/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SJP
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:18/00:02:32, flags: PJT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1
Outgoing interface list: Null

Because the outgoing interface list on the (*, G) entry is now Null, the P flag is set and a
(*, G) Prune is sent up the shared tree to Router A (Step 3).
Notice that because the outgoing interface list in the (S, G) entry is now Null, the P flag is
set, indicating that the (S, G) entry is pruned and is therefore no longer being used to
forward data. At this point, the (S, G) entrys expiration timer (00:02:32) continues to count
down and will not be reset by the arrival of further data. Therefore, the entry will expire and
be deleted in 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
Also, it is very important to note that the expiration timer on the (*, G) entry (00:02:59) will
not begin counting down until all (S, G) entries under the (*, G) expire and are deleted.
(In this example, the expiration timer in the (*, G) entry will begin to count down after the
single (Si, G) entry has expired and is deleted. Subsequently, when the expiration timer of
the (*, G) counts down to zero, it too will be deleted.)

Source Tree Pruning: Step 4

Continuing with the example, Figure 11-25 shows the next step in the Prune process.
Figure 11-25 Source Tree Pruning Step 4
To Source Si

To RP (10.1.5.1)
A

(Si , G) Traffic Flow

Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT Tree

S0
10.1.4.2
10.1.2.2
E0
E1

S1

E0

X
B

10.1.2.1

4 Periodic
(S, G) Joins

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Because the (Si, G) entry is now pruned, Router B stops sending periodic (Si, G) Joins to
refresh the SPT (Step 4). Router B also stops sending periodic (*, G) Joins to refresh the
shared tree. The important thing here is that an (Si, G) Prune is not sent up the SPT as a
direct result of the (Si, G) outgoing interface transitioning to Null.

Source Tree Pruning: Steps 5 and 6

Figure 11-26 shows the final steps in the Prune process.
Figure 11-26 Source Tree Pruning Steps 5 and 6
To Source Si

5 (*, G) Prune

To RP (10.1.5.1)

6
(Si , G) Traffic Flow
Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT Tree

X
S0
10.1.4.2

S1

E0

10.1.2.1

10.1.2.2
E0
E1
B

When Router A receives the (*, G) Prune from Router B via Ethernet0, it schedules the
interface to be pruned after a 3-second delay. The 3-second delay is to wait and see whether
another router on the multi-access network wishes to override the Prune with a Join. At the
end of this 3-second delay, Router A removes interface Ethernet0 from the outgoing
interface list of the (*, G) entry as well as from all associated (S, G) entries.
After Ethernet0 has been removed from the outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry and
from all (S, G) entries under the (*, G), the state in Router A is shown in Example 11-38.

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Example 11-38

299

State in Router A After Receiving the (*, G) Prune

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:25/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SJP
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(171.68.37.121/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:20/00:02:21, flags: PT
Incoming interface: Serial1, RPF nbr 10.1.9.2
Outgoing interface list: Null

Again note that because the outgoing interface list in the (Si, G) entry is now Null, the P
flag is indicating that the entry is pruned. As a result, the expiration timer in the (Si, G) entry
continues to count down and is no longer reset by the arrival of (Si, G) traffic. The
expiration timer in the (*, G) entry will begin counting down after the last (S, G) entry has
been deleted (in this case, after 2 minutes and 21 seconds have elapsed and the sole (Si, G)
entry has expired and has been deleted).
The outgoing interface list of the (*, G) entry in Router A has now transitioned to Null, and
the (*, G) entry has been marked pruned. This triggers Router A to also send a (*, G) Prune
up the shared tree (step 5). When this (*, G) Prune reaches the next router in the direction
of the RP, the shared tree to Router A is pruned (Step 6).
Step 5 and Step 6 of the Prune process continue back up the shared tree until the RP is
reached or a router is reached whose outgoing interface list does not become Null as a result
of the Prune. In other words, a router is reached that still has other active branches of the
shared tree.

Source Tree Pruning: Steps 7 and 8

At this point, (*, G) Prunes have been sent to stop the flow of Group G traffic down the
shared tree; however, no (Si, G) Prunes were sent to stop the flow of traffic down the SPT.
Instead of triggering an (Si, G) Prune when the outgoing interface list transitioned to Null,
(Si, G) Prunes are triggered by the arrival of (Si, G) data packets.

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Figure 11-27 Source Tree Pruning Steps 7 and 8

7 (Si , G) Prune

To RP (10.1.5.1)

To Source Si

A
S1
(Si , G) Traffic Flow
Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT Tree

S0
10.1.4.2

E0

10.1.2.1

10.1.2.2
E0
E1
B

This situation is shown in Figure 11-27. Both Router A and Router B now have (Si, G)
entries with the P flag set (because their outgoing interface lists are both Null). However,
because no (Si, G) Prunes have been sent up the SPT, data from the source continues to
arrive at Router A via Serial1. (Were assuming the source is still sending.) Because the P
flag is set on the (Si, G) entry, Router A responds to the arrival of an (Si, G) data packet by
sending an (Si, G) Prune toward the source (Step 7).
When the router upstream of Router A (toward the source) receives this (Si, G) Prune, the
upstream router responds by removing the interface on which it received the Prune from the
outgoing interface list of its (Si, G) entry. This step prunes the flow of (Si, G) traffic to
Router A (Step 8).

NOTE

The reason that (S, G) Prunes are triggered only by the arrival of data is to optimize the
amount of control traffic sent in the network. Specifically, this means that bandwidth is not
wasted sending (S, G) Prunes for bursty or other low-rate sources in the network. If on the
other hand, the source is still sending, the next arriving packet will trigger an immediate
(S, G) Prune to shut off the flow of traffic.

PIM-SM Special Cases

The previous sections have covered most of the basic scenarios of sparse mode operation.
However, some other interesting cases deserve special attention because they do occur
more frequently than one would initially expect. Specifically, unexpected data arrival and
RP on a stick are the most common special cases and are presented in the following
sections.

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Unexpected Data Arrival

In the previous sections on PIM-SM, the primary recurring theme is that state is created as
a result of an explicit Join (or sometimes Prune) mechanism. However, one of the most
overlooked scenarios is that state also can be created in a PIM-SM network in response to
the arrival of unexpected (S, G) traffic, when no state for Group G existed previously.
Figure 11-28 shows an example of this situation.
Figure 11-28 State Creation by the Arrival of Data in a Sparse Mode Network
Multicast Packets
(192.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1)

A
S0

E0

E1

E1
B

(*, G) State Created

by Data Arrival

E0

C
E0

Member of
224.1.1.1

In this case, Router C has a directly connected member of group 224.1.1.1 and has joined
the shared tree via Router A. This causes (*, G) state to be created in both Router A and
Router C, as shown in Example 11-39.

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Example 11-39

State in Router A and Router C After Unexpected Data Arrival

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:25/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Serial0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:25/00:02:35
rtr-c>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:30/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: Ethernet1, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:30/00:02:31

Now, traffic from Source S is flowing down the shared tree onto the common Ethernet
segment. However, Router B does not have a directly connected member and prior to the
arrival of the unwanted (S, G) traffic has no state whatsoever for group 224.1.1.1.
Therefore, when Router B receives the first (S, G) packet, it automatically creates a (*, G)
entry. However, because there are neither downstream neighbors nor any directly connected
members for Group G, the outgoing interface lists of the (*, G) entry is Null.
The current state in Router B is shown in Example 11-40.
Example 11-40

State in Router B After Unexpected Data Arrival

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:05/00:02:59, RP 10.1.5.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Ethernet1, RPF nbr 10.1.2.1,
Outgoing interface list: Null

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Because there is nothing going on to reset the expiration timers of these entries, this state
will time out after 3 minutes and be deleted. If (S, G) traffic is still being forwarded on the
common Ethernet segment, Router B will again recreate this state when it receives another
(S, G) packet.
At first glance, for Router B to create state for this unwanted traffic may seem to be a waste
of time. However, the existence of this state actually improves the overall performance of
Router B, albeit at the slight expense of additional memory usage. The reason that
performance is improved is that the preceding state tells the router that it can immediately
drop this incoming traffic. If multicast fast switching is enabled on this incoming interface
(via the ip mroute-cache command), the packet can be dropped in the fast-switching code
path. (Note: This process is referred to as the fast dropping of packets. One can think of this
as fast switching to the bit bucket.)
If, on the other hand, no state were created, the router would not know what to do with these
unwanted packets. Instead, each time an unwanted packet arrived, the router would have to
switch to process level to determine how to handle the packet. Because any work done at
process level in the router is expensive in terms of CPU horsepower, this change would
severely degrade the routers performance. Therefore, by creating this Null forwarding state
when the first packet arrives, the router can quickly make a forwarding decision and discard
the packet with a minimum amount of processing.

RP on a Stick
The RP-on-a-stick scenario (sometimes referred to as the one-legged RP) results when
the incoming interface of an (S, G) entry at the RP is also the only outgoing interface on the
shared tree for Group G. General Rule 4, which prevents the incoming interface from
appearing in the outgoing interface list, often results in forwarding state in the RP that
confuses the newcomer to PIM multicast networks.
The RP-on-a-stick scenario occurs more frequently than one might initially think. Even if
the RP is not a dedicated router with a single interface, changes in the location of sources
and group membership in the network can result in this phenomenon. For example, the
potential for this scenario exists whenever the RP is placed on a backbone, multi-access
network with other PIM-SM routers. Figure 11-29 is a simplified example of how RP on a
stick can happen.

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Figure 11-29 RP on a Stick

RP
(192.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1)

Traffic Flow
Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT

E0 10.1.4.1

10.1.4.3 E1

10.1.4.2 E1
B

E0

E0

Source
192.1.1.1

Receiver

In this example, Router A is the RP connected to a common backbone Ethernet segment

along with Router B and Router C. A branch of the shared tree for group 224.1.1.1 (shown
by the heavy solid arrow in Figure 11-29) extends from the RP to Router C behind which a
receiver for the group exists. The source (192.1.1.1) behind Router B is transmitting multicast traffic to the RP via the SPT shown by the heavy dashed arrow. However, because the
SPT and the shared tree share this common Ethernet segment, the traffic flow is across the
common backbone to Router C as shown by the thin dashed arrow. The state in Router B
and Router C in this example is shown in Example 11-41.
Example 11-41

State for Router B and Router C in RP on a Stick

rtr-c>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:20/00:02:59, RP 10.1.4.1, flags: SCJ
Incoming interface: Ethernet1, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:20/00:02:40
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:25/00:02:21, flags: CJ
Incoming interface: Ethernet1, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:25/00:02:35

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Example 11-41

305

State for Router B and Router C in RP on a Stick (Continued)

rtr-b>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:25/00:02:59, RP 10.1.4.1, flags: SP
Incoming interface: Ethernet1, RPF nbr 10.1.4.1,
Outgoing interface list: Null
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:25/00:02:21, flags: FT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet1, Forward/Sparse, 00:01:25/00:02:35

This is expected in any last-hop router (Router C in this example) and any first-hop router
(Router B in this example). Unfortunately, a common mistake when first encountering this
topology is to assume that the traffic is first flowing to the RP and then back out the same
interface to Router C. However, if we examine the state in the RP, we find the output shown
in Example 11-42.
Example 11-42

State for RP in RP on a Stick

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:20/00:02:59, RP 10.1.4.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:20/00:02:40
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:25/00:02:35, flags: PT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2
Outgoing interface list: Null

Notice that the outgoing interface list of the (S, G) entry is Null, which means that the RP
is actually dropping this multicast traffic and not forwarding at all. (Assuming that
multicast fast switching is enabled on interface Ethernet0, the RP will be fast dropping this
traffic.) Instead, the multicast traffic is flowing directly across the backbone Ethernet
segment from Router B to Router C, which is the desired behavior in this case.

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The state in the RP may seem counterintuitive at first but can be explained by applying the
PIM-SM state rules covered earlier in this chapter:
1 From the state shown in Example 11-2, you know that the receiver joined the shared

tree firstapproximately 3 minutes and 20 seconds ago, based on the timer values in
the Router A and Router C state. This process caused the branch of the shared tree to
be created, and the state in the RP at that instant would have been as shown in
Example 11-43.
Example 11-43

State for RP as Shared Tree Is Created

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:10/00:02:59, RP 10.1.4.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:10/00:02:50

2 When the source began sending a few minutes later, Router B would have performed

the normal Register operation with the RP and the RP would have responded by
creating (S, G) state and joining the SPT toward the source. The RP would have
applied General Rule 3, which initially populated the outgoing interface list of the
(S, G) entry with a copy of the interfaces in the outgoing interface list of the (*, G). If
it were somehow possible to actually capture the state in the RP at this precise instant,
the state would be as shown in Example 11-44.
Example 11-44

State for RP
rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:20/00:02:59, RP 10.1.4.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:20/00:02:40
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:00/00:02:59, flags: PT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:00/00:02:59

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NOTE

307

Dont bother trying to catch the router with the above state because it isnt possible to ever
see this sort of display. I have shown this internal intermediate step only to make the overall
process clear. If you do ever catch a Cisco router in this state, its a bug!

3 Notice that the incoming interface in the (S, G) preceding entry also appears in the

outgoing interface list, which would have caused a route loop. However, before
proceeding further, the RP also applies General Rule 4 (that is, the incoming interface
cannot also appear in the outgoing interface list) and removes Ethernet0 from the
outgoing interface list. This results in the final desired state of Example 11-45.
Example 11-45

Final State for RP

rtr-a>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:20/00:02:59, RP 10.1.4.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:20/00:02:40
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:25/00:02:35, flags: PT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2
Outgoing interface list: Null

Now comes the really tricky part! (You thought things were getting complex. Just wait.)
Notice that the expiration timer in the (S, G) entry above would normally count down to
zero because it is pruned and no longer being used to forward this traffic. This, in turn,
would cause the entry to be deleted when the timer reached zero. Additionally, because the
(S, G) entry is marked pruned (denoted by the P flag), the RP would normally stop sending
periodic (S, G) Joins to refresh the SPT from the first-hop router to the RP. However, if
Router B stops receiving these (S, G) Joins, its (S, G) entry expiration timer would
eventually time out and the (S, G) entry would be deleted. If this were allowed to happen,
(S, G) traffic would cease to flow to the backbone segment while the receiver behind
Router C is still active.

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Turnaround Router
As it turns out, the RP-on-a-stick scenario is actually a degenerate case of the more general
scenario called the turnaround router. The turnaround-router scenario occurs when the path
of the SPT and the path of the shared tree merge at some point in the network. The router
at which these two paths merge (yet are flowing in opposite directions) is the turnaround
router. Therefore, the turnaround router is upstream of receivers on the shared tree and
downstream of the source on the SPT.
Figure 11-30 repeats the basic RP-on-a-stick example in Figure 11-29 but with the RP now
moved one hop farther away from the source and receiver by way of Router X. Notice that
Router X is the turnaround router because the paths of the SPT and the shared tree first
merge on the common Ethernet backbone at Router X.
Figure 11-30 Unnecessary Traffic Flowing to the RP Prior to IOS 12.0
RP

S0 10.1.5.1
S0 10.1.5.2
(192.1.1.1, 224.1.1.1)

X (Turnaround)

Traffic Flow
Shared (RPT) Tree
SPT

E0 10.1.4.1

10.1.4.3 E1

10.1.4.2 E1
B

E0

E0

Source
192.1.1.1

Receiver

Note that the flow of traffic (indicated by the thin dashed arrows) is flowing not only across
the common backbone from Router B to Router C but also through Router X all the way to
the RP where it is being dropped. (It is dropped because in this scenario there are no other
branches of the shared tree.) This unnecessary flow of traffic back to the RP is clearly a
waste of network bandwidth and is undesirable. What is needed is a way to have the (S, G)
traffic flow stop at the turnaround router and not continue on up toward the RP where it is
unneeded. To stop the traffic flow this way, the turnaround router must assume the task of
originating periodic proxy (S, G) Joins toward the source instead of the RP.

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Proxy-Join Timer
With IOS release 12.0, Cisco routers introduced Proxy-Join timers (on (S, G) entries) to
implement the turnaround router concept. When an (S, G) Proxy-Join timer is running
(which is indicated by a new X flag in the (S, G) entry), the router is the turnaround router
and it must periodically send proxy (S, G) Joins toward source S on behalf of the RP. In
addition, the router must not send (S, G) Prunes toward the source (because doing so would
conflict with the proxy (S, G) Joins), even though the outgoing interface list in the (S, G)
entry is Null. Thus, the (S, G) state that exists along the path between the first-hop router
and the turnaround router remains refreshed as long as the source is active and receivers
exist.

NOTE

Remember, the normal procedure when the outgoing interface list in an (S, G) entry is Null
is to send (S, G) Prunes, not (S, G) Joins, toward the source. This procedure is reversed
when the Proxy-Join timer is running.

The trick is to have the routers detect the special conditions that indicate that they have
become the turnaround router and to start the Proxy-Join timer. A few simple rules control
the starting and stopping of the Proxy-Join timer. However, before getting to these rules,
lets do a quick review of PIM Join/Prune messages and establish some additional
terminology to describe (*, G) Joins.

Atomic and Nonatomic (*, G) Joins

Recall from the discussion of SPT-Switchover that (S, G)RP-bit Prunes are sent up the
shared tree to prune off sources whose traffic is being received directly via the SPT along a
different path. (As you know by now, the RP-bit indicates that the information is applicable
to the shared tree and, therefore, (S, G)RP-bit Prunes are sent up the shared tree and not the
SPT.) These (S, G)RP-bit Prunes must continue to be sent periodically along with the
associated (*, G) Join to refresh state along the shared tree. When these periodic Joins are
sent up the shared tree, both the (*, G) Join and any associated (S, G)RP-bit Prunes are all
sent inside of the same PIM Join/Prune message. This leads to the following two new
categories of (*, G) Joins:

Atomic (*, G) JoinsThese are Join/Prune messages that contain both the (*, G)
Join along with all associated (S, G)RP-bit Prunes for Group G.

Nonatomic (*, G) JoinsThese are Join/Prune messages that contain only the (*, G)
Join without any associated (S, G)RP-bit Prunes for Group G.

Now that you are armed with some better terminology to describe (*, G) Joins, you can
state some simple rules for starting and stopping the Proxy-Join timer.

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Proxy-Join Timer Rules

A Proxy-Join timer is associated only with the (S, G) state entries in the Cisco mroute table.
Three rules govern the start and stop of this timer.

Proxy-Join Timer Rule 1

The Proxy-Join timer for an (S, G) entry is (re)started under the following conditions:
A nonatomic (*, G) Join is received on the incoming interface of the (S, G) entry
from other than the RPF neighbor toward Source S.
In the RP when an (S, G) entry is created as a result of the receipt of a Register

message and the (*, G) entry has a non-Null outgoing interface list.

Proxy-Join Timer Rule 2

Proxy-Join timers are not stopped by any direct event. Instead, they are simply allowed to
time out if not restarted by the receipt of a nonatomic (*, G) Join.

Whenever a Proxy-Join timer for an (S, G) entry is running, the X flag is displayed in the
Flags field of the (S, G) entry in the mroute table, as shown in Example 11-46.
Example 11-46

Mroute Table
rtr-x>show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:20/00:02:59, RP 10.1.4.1, flags: S
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0,
Outgoing interface list:
Ethernet0, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:20/00:02:40
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:25/00:02:35, flags: PXT
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 10.1.4.2
Outgoing interface list: Null

In this example, the Proxy-Join timer is running on the (192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1) entry in
Router X. This modifies the periodic Join/Prune behavior of Router X for this (S, G) entry
as described in the following rule:

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Proxy-Join Timer Rule 3

While the Proxy-Join timer is running on an (S, G) entry, the router will perform the
following steps:
Send periodic (S, G) Joins toward Source S
Suppress sending (S, G) Prunes toward Source S

NOTE

As I did for the other general rules and PIM-SM rules, I have simplified the Proxy-Join
timer rules for clarity. There are minor exceptions to the preceding rules, such as the
stopping of a Proxy timer when the RP interface changes on an (S, G) entry. In general, the
rules presented here are sufficient to convey the function and use of Proxy-Join timers.

Proxy-Join Example
Lets step through a highly simplified example of the turnaround router scenario, using the
sample network shown in Figure 11-30.
1 The RP starts its Proxy-Join timer upon receiving the first (S, G) Register message

(according to the second part of Proxy-Join Timer Rule 1) from the first-hop router
(Router B in this example).
2 Because the (S, G) Proxy-Join timer is running, the RP begins sending periodic (S, G)

Joins toward the source according to Proxy-Join Timer Rule 3. This, in turn, builds the
initial (S, G) SPT from the source to the RP and creates (S, G) in all the routers along
the path.
3 (S, G) traffic begins flowing to the RP. Notice that Proxy-Join Timer Rule 3 also

prevents the RP from sending (S, G) Prunes toward the source, even though its (S, G)
outgoing interface list is Null.
4 When traffic is flowing, Router X receives a nonatomic (*, G) Join from Router C on

the incoming interface of the (S, G) entry. Because Router C is not the RPF neighbor
toward the source, the first part of Proxy-Join Timer Rule 1 comes into play and
causes Router X to start its (S, G) Proxy-Join timer.
5 Router X has now become the turnaround router (because its (S, G) Proxy-Join timer

is running) and begins sending periodic (S, G) Joins toward the source.
6 Router X begins sending periodic atomic (*, G) Joins toward the RP as a result of

PIM-SM Rule 7, which states that (S, G)RP-bit Prunes will be sent when the (S, G)
and (*, G) RPF neighbors are different. (In other words, the periodic (*, G) Joins sent
by Router X will contain (S, G)RP-bit Prunes and therefore, by definition, be atomic.)

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7 The RP is receiving atomic (*, G) Joins (which do not restart its (S, G) Proxy-Join

timer), and the (S, G) Proxy-Join timer in the RP is allowed to expire.

8 When the (S, G) Proxy-Join timer expires, the RP stops sending (S, G) Joins toward

the source.
9 Because Router X is no longer getting (S, G) Joins from the RP via Serial0, this

interface eventually times out and is removed from the (S, G) outgoing interface list
on Router X. This step stops the flow of unnecessary (S, G) traffic to the RP.
Make careful note of the fact that (other than when the turnaround router is the RP) the
turnaround-router function occurs only when SPT-Thresholds of infinity are in use, that is,
when routers with directly connected members are not joining the SPT to the source.
The reason that the function doesnt work when a router joins the SPT is that atomic (*, G)
Joins are generated instead of nonatomic (*, G) Joins. Therefore, the upstream router does
not start its Proxy-Join timer and become the turnaround router.
For example, if Router C in Figure 11-30 had joined the SPT toward the source, it would
begin sending atomic (*, G) Joins to Router X (based on PIM-SM Rule 7, which states that
(S, G)RP-bit Prunes are to be sent when the RPF neighbor of the (*, G) and (S, G) are
different). Therefore, Router X would not start its (S, G) Proxy-Join timer because ProxyJoin Timer Rule 1 (which governs the starting of the Proxy-Join timer) would not have been
met.

Summary
The configuration of PIM-SM requires only three simple commands on each router in the
network. (The next chapter addresses the use of Auto-RP, which eliminates the need to
manually configure an RP address on each router in the network. Auto-RP reduces the
required number of commands on each router in the network to only two.) Although turning
on PIM-SM is quite straightforward and easy for a network administrator, it is another thing
entirely to understand how PIM-SM creates and maintains forwarding state in the routers.
This chapter defined several PIM-SM rules in addition to the six general rules that were
introduced in the preceding chapter. Together, these rules define the basic behavior of PIMSM routers and can be used by network engineers to understand and troubleshoot the
mroute state information in Cisco routers.

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CHAPTER

12

PIM Rendezvous Points

Newcomers to IP multicast often view the design, configuration, and placement of Protocol
Independent Multicast (PIM) rendezvous points (RPs) as a complex task that only persons
possessing IP multicast guru status can accomplish. As an IP multicast consultant, Im
constantly asked the question, Where should I place the RP? Most of the time, I answer,
Wherever its convenient. I dont give this simple reply to be flippant but because
(usually) the people who ask this question are building basic PIM sparse mode (PIM-SM)
networks that dont require any fancy RP engineering.
The goal of this chapter is to provide you with the information necessary to understand
how the various RP configuration methods work, as well as to provide guidance in the
engineering of RPs to accomplish various special tasks such as providing redundancy in the
case of an RP failure. To accomplish this goal, this chapter starts off by covering the two
primary methods that Cisco routers can use to dynamically discover the identity of the RP
in the PIM-SM network. These two methods are

Ciscos Auto-RP
PIMv2 Bootstrap router

In both cases, details of the configuration, tuning, and underlying protocol mechanisms
employed by these two RP discovery methods are presented. Following these two topics is
a section that covers the placement and tuning of RPs in a PIM-SM network.

Auto-RP
Early versions of Cisco PIM-SM required each router in the network to be manually
configured with the address of the RP, using the following configuration command:
ip pim rp-address address [group-list acl]

Initially, this method was sufficient for simple PIM-SM networks that used a single, static
RP for all multicast groups. However, even in these initial networks, it was sometimes
necessary to change the IP address of the RP (for example to another interface on the same
router) or to reassign the RP task to another router in the network. This process required the
network administrator to update the configuration of each router in the network to reflect
this change. During the update process, the RP address would at some point be inconsistent
across the routers in the network. This frequently caused multicast outages that lasted until

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the network administrator was able to complete the update process. Additionally, the
manual update process was prone to human error as a result of mistyped commands or even
routers that where inadvertently not updated.
PIMv2s Bootstrap router feature, with the capability for all PIMv2 routers in the network
to learn the IP address of the RP(s), promised to provide a solution to this problem.
However, PIMv2 was still in draft form at that time and was a long way from being
implemented. Obviously, some other method of dynamically updating all the routers in the
network was needed that could be implemented within the framework of a PIMv1 network.

Overview of Auto-RP
Beginning with IOS version 11.1(6), Cisco introduced support for a new feature, called
Auto-RP, that eliminated the need to manually configure RP information in every router in
the network. The concept of Auto-RP is both simple and elegant. Use IP multicast to
distribute Group-to-RP information to all routers in the network.
For this to work, all Cisco PIM routers in the network learn about the active Group-to-RP
mapping by automatically joining the Cisco-RP-Discovery (224.0.1.40) well-known IP
multicast group in order to receive Group-to-RP mapping information. This RP mapping
information is multicast to this well-known group by a Cisco router configured as a
Mapping Agent. (Note: Multiple Mapping Agents can be configured to provide redundancy
in the case of a failure.)
Mapping Agents also use IP multicast to learn which routers in the network are possible
candidate RPs by joining the well-known Cisco-RP-Announce (224.0.1.39) multicast
group to receive candidate RP announcements. Candidate RPs announce their intention to
be the RP for a particular group or group range by multicasting RP-Announce messages to
the Cisco-RP-Announce multicast group.
Candidate RPs multicast these RP-Announce messages every RP_ANNOUNCE_INTERVAL
seconds (the default is 60 seconds). Each RP-Announce message contains a holdtime in
seconds that tells the Mapping Agent(s) how long the candidate RP announcement is valid.
This holdtime is set to 3 times the RP_ANNOUNCE_INTERVAL (the default is 180 seconds).
Mapping Agents listen to these candidate RP announcements and use the information
contained in them to create entries in their Group-to-RP mapping caches. Only one
mapping cache entry is created for any Group-to-RP range received even if multiple
candidate RPs are sending RP announcements for the same range. As the RP-Announce
messages arrive, a Mapping Agent selects the RP for a given multicast group address
range(s) based on the candidate RPs IP address. The highest candidate RP IP address is
selected, and the Mapping Agent stores this RP address in the Group-to-RP mapping cache
entry.

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Mapping Agents multicast the contents of their Group-to-RP mapping cache in RPDiscovery messages every RP_DISCOVERY_INTERVAL seconds (the default is 60 seconds).
Like RP-Announce messages, RP-Discovery messages contain a holdtime in seconds that
tells the routers in the network how long the Group-to-RP mapping is valid. This holdtime
is set to three times the RP_DISCOVERY_INTERVAL (the default is 180 seconds). If a router fails
to receive RP-Discovery messages and the Group-to-RP mapping information expires, the
router switches to a statically configured RP that was defined with the ip pim rp-address
command. If no statically configured RP exists, the router switches the group(s) to dense
mode.
Figure 12-1 depicts the Auto-RP mechanism in action. In this example, routers B and C are
both candidate RPs and are multicasting their RP candidate announcements (shown by the
dotted arrows) to the Cisco-RP-Announce multicast group, 224.0.1.39.
Figure 12-1 Basic Auto-RP Mechanism
RP Mapping Agent

A
C-RP for 224.0.0.0/4

C-RP for 224.0.0.0/4

PIM
Sparse Mode

Candidate RP announcements to 224.0.1.39

Group-RP mapping announcements to 224.0.1.40

Router A, the Mapping Agent, receives these candidate announcements and selects the
router with the highest IP address as the active RP. Router A then multicasts this selected
Group-to-RP mapping information to all routers in the network via the Cisco-RPDiscovery multicast group, 224.0.1.40. Finally, all routers in the network automatically join
the Cisco-RP-Discovery multicast group when they start up and therefore receive the
Group-to-RP mapping information.

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Configuring Auto-RP Candidate RPs

One or more routers in a PIM-SM network may be configured as candidate RPs by using
the following command:
ip pim send-rp-announce interface scope ttl [group-list acl]

When this global configuration command is added to a routers configuration, the router
begins to multicast RP-Announce messages to the Cisco-RP-Announce multicast group
(224.0.1.39) with a Time To Live (TTL) of ttl. Each RP-Announce message contains the IP
address of the specified interface (often a loopback interface) along with the group range(s)
(using an group/mask format) that were specified in the optional group-list access control
list. The group range specified in this group-list clause indicates the groups for which the
router is willing to be RP.

NOTE

If the optional group-list clause is omitted, the group range advertised is 224.0.0.0/4. This
range corresponds to all IP multicast group addresses, which indicates that the router is
willing to serve as the RP for all groups.

A router may be configured to serve as candidate RP for more than one group range by
carefully crafting the access list in the router configuration as shown in Example 12-1.
Example 12-1

Access List Configuration for Candidate RP

ip pim send-rp-announce loopback0 scope 16 group-list 10
access-list 10 permit 239.254.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit 224.0.0.0 7.255.255.255

The router configuration in Example 12-1 configures the router to advertise itself as
candidate RP for group range 239.254.0.0239.255.255.255 and 224.0.0.0
231.255.255.255.

Configuring Auto-RP Mapping Agents

The function of Mapping Agent can be assigned to one or more routers in the network using
the following global configuration command:
ip pim send-rp-discovery scope ttl

This command directs the router to begin serving as RP Mapping Agent by

1 Joining the Cisco-RP-Announce multicast group (224.0.1.39).
2 Caching the received RP-Announce messages from the candidate RPs in the network.

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3 Selecting the RP(s) using the highest IP address in the RP-Announce messages for a

given group range(s). (Note: The interface specified in the ip pim send-rp-announce
command on the candidate RP router determines this address.)
4 Periodically (every 60 seconds) multicasting the selected RP information to all routers

in the network via the Cisco-RP-Discovery multicast group (224.0.1.40), using the
TTL that was specified by the scope clause in the ip pim send-rp-discovery
configuration command.

Using Multiple Mapping Agents for Redundancy

It is not uncommon for network designers to configure more than one Mapping Agent in
a network so that, if one agent fails, a second continues to operate. However, network
engineers often misunderstand how multiple Mapping Agents interact and frequently
attribute more complexity to this interaction than actually exists.
In actual practice, each Mapping Agent functions independently, multicasting identical
Group-to-RP mapping information in RP-Discovery messages to all routers in the network.
Therefore, if two Mapping Agents are in the network, lets call them Mapping Agent A and
Mapping Agent B, each router in the network receives two RP-Discovery messages every
RP_DISCOVERY_INTERVAL seconds: one from Mapping Agent A and one from Mapping
Agent B.
Receiving Group-to-RP mapping data from two Mapping Agents is not a problem because
both agents transmit identical mapping information. (They hear the same set of RP
announcements from candidate RPs and apply the same selection algorithm of highest IP
address to pick the active RP.) All routers in the network create a single set of Group-to-RP
mapping cache entries despite receiving redundant sets of information from multiple
Mapping Agents. The only noticeable effect is that the entries in the routers Group-to-RP
mapping cache indicate a different source (that is, different Mapping Agents) of the Groupto-RP mapping information, depending on the exact instant that the cache is examined. This
flip-flopping of the source of the Group-to-RP mapping information in the routers is
insignificant and should not concern network administrators.
The real advantage of having all Mapping Agents operate simultaneously is that it eliminates
the need to maintain a master-slave relationship between the Mapping Agents and eliminates
a complex failover protocol that could go wrong. Instead, by having all Mapping Agents
operating simultaneously, if one Mapping Agent goes off the air, the other(s) are still
operating and providing identical Group-to-RP mapping information to the network.
Auto-RP Discovery messages are transmitted unreliably because the protocol has no
provision to detect missed packets and no way to request retransmission. A side effect of
using multiple Mapping Agents for redundancy is a slight increase in the reliability of the
delivery of Group-to-Mapping information because the Mapping Agents are transmitting
redundant information.

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Using Multiple RPs for Redundancy

Using Auto-RP, network administrators may configure more than one RP for any particular
group range. The most common example is when a secondary RP is configured in case
the primary RP for the network fails. This can be accomplished with the following
configuration commands:
1 Router A configuration (primary RP):
Interface loopback0
ip address 192.168.100.2 255.255.255.255
ip pim send-rp-announce loopback0 scope 16

2 Router B configuration (secondary RP):

Interface loopback0
ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.255
ip pim send-rp-announce loopback0 scope 16

In this example, both Routers A and B are candidate RPs for the entire range of group
addresses. (Note the absence of a group-list clause.) Because Router A is configured with
a higher RP address than Router B, Router A will serve as the primary RP. However, if
Router A fails, Router B will take over the function of RP for all groups.

The Birth of Sparse-Dense Mode

Using IP multicast as the basic method of distributing RP information to all routers in the
network introduces a classic chicken-and-egg problem. If the network is configured in
sparse mode and all routers are expected to learn the RP information via the RP-Discovery
multicast group, 224.0.1.40, how do they join the (*, 224.0.1.40) shared tree if they dont
know the IP address of the RP? Furthermore, how can they learn the IP address of the RP
if they dont join the shared tree?
One solution to this problem is to configure every router in the network with a dedicated
RP that serves the (*, 224.0.1.40) shared tree. This could be accomplished by adding the
following router configuration commands to every router in the network:
ip pim rp-address x.x.x.x group-list 10
access-list 10 permit 224.0.1.40
access-list 10 deny all

The preceding commands would cause all routers to use IP address x.x.x.x as the RP for the
RP-Discovery multicast group (224.0.1.40). As soon as a router boots up, it would join this
group and begin receiving dynamic Group-to-RP information from the Mapping Agent(s)
via this group.

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The downsides to this approach should be obvious. What if router x.x.x.x fails?
Furthermore, one of the primary goals of Auto-RP is to avoid having to configure static RP
information on every router in the network. Therefore, this solution is suboptimal, and some
other method is clearly desired. One possibility is to assume that the RP-Discovery
(224.0.1.40) and RP-Announce (224.0.1.39) multicast groups are always operated as dense
mode groups. This approach would allow the Auto-RP information to flow throughout the
network in dense mode while all the other groups could operate in sparse mode.
In the end, the solution was to define a new PIM interface mode called sparse-dense mode,
using the following router interface configuration command:
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

This command causes the router to make the decision to use sparse mode on an interface
based on whether the router has RP information for the group in question. If a particular
group maps to an entry in the routers Group-to-RP mapping cache, then that group is
treated as a sparse mode group on that interface. On the other hand, if the group doesnt
map to an entry in the routers Group-to-RP mapping cache, then the group is treated as a
dense mode group on that interface.
Sparse-dense mode not only allows the Auto-RP mechanism to work (by assuming the two
Auto-RP groups are in dense mode by default) but also provides another significant
advantage. If sparse-dense mode is configured on all interfaces on all routers in the
network, the network administrator can control which groups are sparse and which are
dense by modifying the configuration on a single router!
For example, refer to the following configuration on the router that is functioning as sole
candidate RP for the network:
ip pim send-rp-announce loopback0 scope 16 group-list 10
access-list 10 permit 224.1.1.1

This configuration results in this router serving as the RP for group 224.1.1.1 and no other!
Because this router is the sole candidate RP in the network, only group 224.1.1.1 will
operate in sparse mode; all other multicast groups will operate in dense mode. This might
be very useful when you are transitioning the network from dense mode to sparse mode and
desire to verify proper sparse mode operation on a single test multicast group or group
range. When the test has been completed and the network administrator is satisfied that
sparse mode is operating correctly, the network can be completely switched to sparse mode
by simply modifying the configuration in the candidate RP(s) to reflect the following:
ip pim send-rp-announce loopback0 scope 16

The absence of the group-list clause in the preceding command results in this router
advertising itself as a candidate RP for all multicast groups.

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Chapter 12: PIM Rendezvous Points

The use of sparse-dense mode is now the recommended method of enabling PIM on any
interface because the combination of sparse-dense mode and Auto-RP enables the network
administrator to use either dense mode or sparse mode in the network depending on how
the candidate RPs (if any) are configured. Using sparse-dense mode, a network
administrator can start off with a dense mode network and later switch to a sparse mode
network without having to change PIM modes on every interface in the network.

A Simple Auto-RP Configuration

Figure 12-2 shows a network that has been configured to run PIM-SM, using the Auto-RP
feature to distribute Group-to-Mapping information. In this example, Router C is
configured as the RP for all multicast groups in the network.
Figure 12-2 A Simple Auto-RP Configuration

PIM
Sparse Mode

RP/Mapping Agent

The commands shown in Table 12-1 are sufficient to enable PIM-SM on these routers and
configure Router C as the RP.
Table 12-1 Commands for Enabling PIM-SM and Assigning an RP
On each router

ip multicast-routing

On each interface

ip pim sparse-dense mode

On Router C (RP)

ip pim send-rp-announce ethernet0 scope 16

ip pim send-rp-discovery scope 16

Notice that Router C is configured as both a candidate RP and a Mapping Agent.

This practice is fairly common.
Once this has been configured, you can confirm that everything is working correctly by
examining the Group-to-RP mapping cache on the routers in the network using the show
ip pim rp mapping command. Example 12-2 shows the expected Group-to-RP
information on one of the routers obtained with this command.

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Example 12-2

323

Output for show ip pim rp mapping on Rtr-D

Rtr-D# show ip pim rp mapping
PIM Group-to-RP Mappings
Group(s) 224.0.0.0/4, uptime: 00:01:20, expires: 00:02:38
RP 172.16.2.1 (Rtr-C), PIMv1
Info source: 172.16.2.1 (Rtr-C)

The output in Example 12-2 indicates that Rtr-C is the current RP for the multicast group
range 224.0.0.0239.255.255.255 (that is, all multicast groups). The output also shows that
this information was learned via Auto-RP (indicated by the PIMv1 tag) and that the source
of this information was Rtr-C.
Example 12-3 is the output of the same command issued on Rtr-C, which is the RP and the
Mapping Agent. Notice that the first two lines of the output indicate that this router is an
RP and a Mapping Agent.
Example 12-3

Output for show ip pim rp mapping on Rtr-C

Rtr-C# sh ip pim rp mapping
PIM Group-to-RP Mappings
This system is an RP
This system is an RP-mapping agent
Group(s) 224.0.0.0/4, uptime: 00:23:47, expires: 00:02:01
RP 172.16.2.1 (Rtr-C), PIMv1
Info source: 172.16.2.1 (Rtr-C)

NOTE

If multiple RPs and Mapping Agents were desired in this network, the two additional
commands that were added to Router Cs configuration could be also added to another
router in the network to define a second candidate RP and Mapping Agent.

RP Failover in Auto-RP Networks

RP Mapping Agents store the information in the received RP-Announce messages in a
Group-to-RP mapping cache. Each entry in the Group-to-RP mapping cache has an
expiration timer that is initialized to the holdtime values in the received RP-Announce
message. Because the originating candidate RP sets the holdtime to three times the
RP_ANNOUNCE_INTERVAL, this is the period of time that must elapse before the Mapping
Agent deletes the current Group-to-RP Mapping. Then, the Mapping Agent selects a new
RP from its Group-to-RP mapping cache and sends out an RP-Discovery message with the
updated Group-to-RP mapping.

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Prior to IOS version 12.0(5), the RP_ANNOUNCE_INTERVAL was fixed at 60 seconds which,
in turn, resulted in RP-Announce holdtimes of 180 seconds, or 3 minutes. Therefore, RP
Failover could take as long as 3 minutes from the actual time that the RP router failed.
After IOS version 12.0(5), a new form of the ip pim send-rp-announce command was
introduced that allowed the RP_ANNOUNCE_INTERVAL to be specified from 1 second up to
65,535 seconds. This new command has the following format:
ip pim send-rp-announce interface scope ttl [group-list acl] [interval secs]

Network administrators who want shorter RP Failover times can tune this interval to reduce
RP Failover times to roughly 3 seconds by specifying a 1-second interval in the preceding
command. However, tuning this interval down from the default of 60 seconds to achieve
faster RP Failover times comes at the expense of the added multicast traffic in the network
due to more frequent RP announcements. In some networks, this added traffic load is worth
the shorter RP Failover times.

NOTE

In most cases, the default behavior (that is, SPT-Threshold = 0) of a PIM-SM network is for
all last-hop routers to immediately join the SPT and bypass the RP for any new source
detected. The net result of this behavior is that the failure of an RP has little effect on the
delivery of multicast traffic that is already flowing in the network. Generally, only new
sources that just happen to come active during the RP Failover period are affected because
the last-hop routers are not yet aware that these sources exist and have not yet joined these
sources SPTs. However, after the RP Failover process completes, the multicast traffic from
these new sources begins flowing down the shared tree, which is now rooted at the new RP.

Constraining Auto-RP Messages

When configuring an Auto-RP candidate RP, care must be taken to ensure that the TTL
scope specified is sufficiently large so that the RP-Announce messages reach all Auto-RP
Mapping Agents in the network.
Figure 12-3 shows an example of what can happen if careful attention is not paid to the ttl
value specified in the scope portion of the ip pim send-rp-announce command. In this
example, Router C is an Auto-RP candidate RP that has been configured with a TTL scope
of 16 hops. This scope is sufficient for the RP-Announce messages to reach the closest
Mapping Agent in the network, Router A. Unfortunately, the TTL scope is not large enough
to allow RP-Announce messages to travel to the far side of the network (which has a total

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325

diameter of 32 hops) and be received by the second Mapping Agent, Router B. This results
in inconsistencies in the RP mapping caches of Routers A and B. This inconsistency could
cause the two Mapping Agents to select and advertise different RPs for the same group
range(s). Because both Mapping Agents are operating simultaneously, the routers in the
network could be receiving conflicting RP information, which could, in turn, cause serious
problems.
Figure 12-3 Improper TTL Scope of RP-Announce Messages
RP Announcements
leaking outside of network

PIM
Sparse Mode
Network

C
scope 16

scope 16

Candidate-RP

Mapping
Agent

Mapping
Agent

Network Diameter = 32 Hops

The same attention to TTL scope should also be applied to the RP-Discovery messages to
ensure that all routers in the network can receive the Group-to-RP mapping information.
Figure 12-4 shows what can happen if an improper ttl value is specified in the scope portion
of the ip pim send-rp-discovery command. In this example, the Mapping Agent (Router
A) is configured with a TTL scope that is insufficient for the RP-Discovery messages to
make it across the network to Router D. Thus, Router D incorrectly assumes that all
multicast groups are to operate in dense mode because D is not in receipt of any Group-toRP mapping information.

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Figure 12-4 Improper TTL Scope of RP-Discovery Messages

RP Discovery
Messages Leaking Outside
of Network

A
D

scope 16

scope 16
Mapping
Agent

PIM
Sparse Mode
Network

Network Diameter = 32 Hops

Figures 12-3 and 12-4 also illustrate another potential problem that can occur if steps are
not taken to prevent RP-Announce and/or RP-Discovery messages from leaking outside the
PIM-SM network into an adjacent network. In Figure 12-3, Router C is less than 16 hops
away from the nearest boundary of the PIM-SM network, which is resulting in RPAnnounce messages being leaked into the adjacent network on the left. Trying to solve this
problem by further reducing the TTL scope only makes things worse because it is quite
possible that the RP-Announce messages wont even make it to Router A.
Likewise, in Figure 12-4, Router A is less than 16 hops away from the nearest boundary of
the PIM-SM network. This results in RP-Discovery messages leaking into the adjacent
network to the right. Again, reducing TTL scope only makes things worse because then
even fewer routers in the network (besides Router D) will receive critical Group-to-RP
mapping information.
One of the best ways to handle this situation is to configure the TTL scope to the maximum
diameter (in hops) of the network. This configuration ensures that the RP-Announce and
RP-Discovery messages will be multicast with a TTL sufficiently large to reach all points
in the network.
Multicast boundaries are also used to prevent RP-Announce and RP-Discovery messages
from traveling beyond the boundaries of the network. For example, if interface Serial0 is
an external interfaces on a boundary router, the commands shown in Example 12-4 would
prevent RP-Announce and RP-Discovery messages (which are multicast to groups
224.0.1.39 and 224.0.1.40) from crossing into or out of the network.

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Example 12-4

327

Commands to Block RP-Announce and RP-Discovery Messages

Interface Serial0
ip multicast boundary 10
access-list
access-list
access-list
access-list

10
10
10
10

deny 224.0.1.39
deny 224.0.1.40
deny 239.0.0.0 0.255.255.255
permit 224.0.0.0 15.255.255.255

Notice that the access list is also preventing administratively scoped multicast traffic
(239.0.0.0239.255.255.255) from crossing into or out of the network.
Using a multicast boundary in this manner has the added benefit of preventing any RPAnnounce or RP-Discovery packets originated by routers outside the network from leaking
into the network and causing problems.
For example, consider what would happen if an RP-Announce message sent by a candidate
RP from outside of the network leaked into the network and reached one or more internal
Mapping Agents. In this situation, the Mapping Agents may select this bogus outside
candidate RP if its IP address is higher than the IP address of the valid internal candidate
RPs. The Mapping Agents would then advertise this bogus RP to all routers in the network
that would, in turn, attempt to use this bogus outside router as the RP.
In addition, consider what would happen if bogus RP-Discovery packets were to leak into
the internal network. Unless for some strange coincidence the Group-to-RP mapping
information in these bogus RP-Discovery messages is identical to the information
advertised by the valid internal Mapping Agents, the routers that receive these message
would flip-flop between the valid internal RP and the bogus external RP.

Preventing Candidate RP Spoofing

Keeping all routers in the network updated with the correct Group-to-RP mapping
information is critical to maintaining proper PIM-SM operation. Network administrators
may wish to add router configuration commands to the Mapping Agents to prevent a
maliciously configured router from masquerading as a candidate RP and causing problems.
This is accomplished by the use of the following global configuration command on each
Mapping Agent in the network:
ip pim rp-announce-filter rp-list acl [group-list acl]

This command configures an incoming filter for RP-Announce messages on a Mapping

Agent. If this command is not configured on a Mapping Agent, all incoming RP Announce
messages are accepted by default. The rp-list acl clause configures an access-list of
candidate RP addresses that, if permitted, will be accepted for the group ranges supplied in
the optional group-list acl clause. If this clause is omitted, the filter applies to all multicast

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groups. If more than one Mapping Agent is to be used, the filters must be consistent across
all Mapping Agents so that no conflicts occur in the Group-to-RP mapping information.
Example 12-5 is a sample router configuration on an Auto-RP Mapping Agent that is used
to prevent candidate RP announcements from being accepted from unauthorized candidate
RP routers.
Example 12-5

Router Configuration on Auto-RP Mapping Agent

ip pim rp-announce-filter rp-list 10 group-list 20
access-list 10 permit host 172.16.5.1
access-list 10 permit host 172.16.2.1
access-list 20 deny 239.0.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 20 permit 224.0.0.0 15.255.255.255

In this example, the Mapping Agent will accept candidate RP announcements only from
two routers, 172.16.5.1 and 172.16.2.1. Additionally, the Mapping Agent will accept
candidate RP announcements from these two routers only for multicast groups that fall in
the group range of 224.0.0.0238.255.255.255. The Mapping Agent will not accept
candidate RP announcements from any other routers in the network. Furthermore, the
Mapping Agent will not accept candidate RP announcements from 172.16.5.1 and
172.16.2.1 if the announcements are for any groups in the 239.0.0.0239.255.255.255
range. (Note: This range is the administratively scoped address range.)

PIMv2 Bootstrap Router Mechanism

While Cisco charged ahead and developed the Auto-RP feature for its routers, the company
continued to work with the multicast working groups within the Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF) to define PIMv2, which was eventually published in RFC 2117 and recently
updated by RFC 2362. PIMv2 provides yet another method to distribute Group-to-RP
mapping information to all PIM routers in the network. This method is frequently referred
to as simply the Bootstrap router method because it relies on a router to flood Bootstrap
messages containing Group-to-RP mapping information to all routers in the network.
This section covers the basic mechanisms of the Bootstrap router method including an
overview of the protocol, candidate RPs (C-RPs), candidate Bootstrap routers (C-BSRs),
and the BSR election mechanism.

Overview of PIMv2 Bootstrap Router

Beginning with IOS version 11.3, Cisco introduced support for PIMv2 along with its
associated Bootstrap router (BSR) capability. Like Auto-RP, the PIMv2 Bootstrap router
mechanism eliminates the need to manually configure RP information in every router in the
network. However, instead of using IP multicast to distribute Group-to-RP mapping

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information, BSR uses hop-by-hop flooding of special BSR messages (sent by the currently
elected BSR) to distribute all Group-to-RP mapping information to all routers in the
network.
Just as in Auto-RP, more than one router may be configured to be a C-RP for a group to
provide redundancy. However, unlike Auto-RP, C-RPs send their C-RP advertisements
directly to the currently elected BSR via unicast. C-RPs send these C-RP advertisement
messages every C-RP-ADV-PERIOD seconds (the default is 60 seconds). Each C-RP
advertisement contains an RP-holdtime in seconds that tells the BSR how long the C-RP
advertisement is valid. The advertising C-RP router sets this RP-holdtime to 2.5 times the
C-RP-ADV-PERIOD (the default is 150 seconds).
The combination of hop-by-hop flooding of BSR messages and unicasting C-RP
advertisements to the BSR completely eliminates the need for multicast in order for the
BSR mechanism to function. Eliminating this dependency on multicast avoids the chickenand-egg problem that was encountered by Auto-RP where the RP had to be known by all
routers in the network before RP information could be delivered to all routers in the
network.
BSR messages are periodically flooded out all interfaces by the currently elected BSR every
60 seconds. However, unlike Auto-RP, BSR messages contain the set of all known Groupto-RP C-RP advertisements that have been received from the C-RPs in the network. This
set of C-RP advertisements is referred to as the candidate RP-set, or RP-set for short. Every
router in the network then runs the same hashing algorithm on the RP-set to select the
currently active RP for a given group or group range. Because every router in the network
receives an identical RP-set and runs an identical hashing algorithm, all routers will select
an identical RP. If for some reason the current RP fails, all routers in the network can
quickly and easily select a new RP from the RP-set and continue operation.
To provide some measure of redundancy in the network against BSR failure, multiple
C-BSRs may be configured. The current BSR is elected as part of the normal operation of
BSR message flooding throughout the network in a fashion similar to how the Root Bridge
is elected by LAN Bridges. To force certain C-BSRs to be preferred over others in the
election mechanism, some C-BSRs may be configured with a higher BSR priority than
other C-BSRs. This approach allows the network administrator to determine the primary
BSR and backup BSRs should the primary fail. However, should all C-BSRs fail, routers
will cease to receive periodic BSR messages and their Group-to-RP mapping information
will eventually expire. In this case, a Cisco router will switch to a statically configured RP
that was defined with the ip pim rp-address command. If no statically configured RP is
available, the router will switch the group(s) to dense mode.
A direct side effect of the hop-by-hop BSR election mechanism is that all routers in the
network automatically learn the IP address of the currently elected BSR. This is how C-RPs
learn which router to unicast their C-RP advertisements.

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Figure 12-5 shows the PIMv2 BSR mechanism in action. In this example, Routers B and C
are both candidate RPs and are sending their PIMv2 C-RP advertisements (shown by the
dashed arrows) directly to the BSR router via unicast. Router A has previously been elected
as the BSR and receives and stores all the PIMv2 C-RP advertisements in its local RP-set
cache.
Figure 12-5 Basic PIMv2 BSR Mechanism

PIMv2
Sparse Mode

BSR Msgs
F

A
BSR Msgs

BSR Msgs

D
C-RP Advertisement
(unicast)

BSR
BSR Msgs

C-RP

C-RP Advertisement
(unicast)
C-RP

C
F
BSR Msgs flooded hop-by-hop

Router A periodically transmits the contents of its local RP-set cache in BSR messages
(shown by the solid arrows) out all interfaces. These BSR messages are flooded hop by hop
throughout the network to all routers. The routers in the network then store the RP-set
information contained in the BSR messages in their local RP-set cache and select the
current RP(s) by the use of a common RP hashing algorithm.

NOTE

Cisco network administrators who have migrated to PIMv2 are not required to use PIMv2
BSR. Networks that comprise all Cisco routers running PIMv2 may optionally be
configured to use Auto-RP instead of the PIMv2 BSR mechanism. This allows network
administrators to leverage some of the features and functionality of Auto-RP in their PIMv2
network. However, for the network to function properly, it should not contain any nonCisco routers because they do not support Auto-RP and hence will not operate properly in
an Auto-RP environment.

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Configuring PIMv2 Candidate RPs

One or more routers in a PIM-SM network may be configured as C-RPs by using the
following command:
ip pim rp-candidate interface [group-list acl]

When this global configuration command is added to a routers configuration, the router
begins to unicast PIMv2 C-RP advertisements to the currently elected BSR. Each C-RP
advertisement contains the IP address of the specified interface (often a loopback interface)
along with the group range(s) (using an group/mask format) that were specified in the
optional group-list access-control list.

NOTE

Like Auto-RP, if the optional group-list clause is omitted, the group range advertised is
224.0.0.0/4. This range corresponds to all IP multicast group addresses, which indicates
that the router is willing to serve as the RP for all groups.

A router may be configured to serve as candidate RP for more than one group range by
carefully crafting the access-list in the router configuration as shown in Example 12-6.
Example 12-6

Configuring a Router as a Candidate RP

ip pim rp-candidate loopback0 group-list 10
access-list 10 permit 239.254.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit 224.0.0.0 7.255.255.255

The preceding PIMv2 router configuration causes the router to advertise itself as PIMv2
C-RP for group ranges 239.254.0.0239.255.255.255 and 224.0.0.0231.255.255.255.

Configuring PIMv2 Candidate BSRs

The function of BSR can be assigned to one or more candidate BSR (C-BSR) routers in the
network by using the following global configuration command:
ip pim bsr-candidate interface hash-mask-length [priority]

This command directs the router to begin serving as a candidate BSR and participate in the
BSR election process. (The BSR election process is covered in detail in the next section.)
If the router is elected as the BSR, it begins to periodically (every 60 seconds) flood BSR

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messages out all interfaces that have another PIMv2 neighbor. These BSR messages
contain the following information:
1 A unicast RP address that corresponds to the IP address of the interface specified in

the bsr-candidate command.

2 The RP hash mask length specified in the hash-mask-length field of the

bsr-candidate command.
3 The BSR priority specified in the optional priority field of the bsr-candidate

command. (If this field is omitted, the BSR messages will contain a BSR priority of 0
by default.)
4 The complete candidate RP-set learned from all C-RPs via C-RP advertisement

messages.

Using Multiple C-RPs for Redundancy & RP Load Balancing

Network administrators may configure a PIMv2 network with more than one C-RP for any
particular group range. Examples 12-7 and 12-8 show configurations for two routers
configured as candidate RPs for a specific group range.
Example 12-7

Candidate RP: Router A Configuration

Interface loopback0
ip address 192.168.100.1 255.255.255.255
ip pim rp-candidate loopback0 group-list 10
access-list 10 permit 239.254.0.0 0.0.255.255

Example 12-8

Candidate RP: Router B Configuration

Interface loopback0
ip address 192.168.100.2 255.255.255.255
ip pim rp-candidate loopback0 group-list 10
access-list 10 permit 239.254.0.0 0.0.255.255

Both Routers A and B are C-RPs for the group range of 239.255.0.0239.255.255.255.
However, at this point the Auto-RP and PIMv2 BSR mechanisms differ significantly. In
Auto-RP either Router A or Router B is selected as the RP for the entire group range.
However, in PIMv2 BSR, Routers A and B share the RP workload for multicast groups in
this range. For example, lets assume that the network currently has N active multicast
groups in this group range. Router A would be the active RP for half of the groups while
Router B would be the active RP for the other half. (Notice that only one router is
functioning as the active RP for a specific group at any moment.) The mechanism used to

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distribute the RP workload across all C-RPs is the RP hashing algorithm and is described
in the next section.

RP SelectionThe RP Hash Algorithm

All PIMv2 routers use the same RP hashing algorithm to select an RP for a given group.
The hashing algorithm takes as input variables, a C-RP address Ci, a group address G, and
a hash mask M, and then returns a hash value. The router runs the hashing algorithm on all
C-RP addresses in the RP-set whose advertised group range matches the target group. From
this set of C-RPs, the one with the lowest hash value is selected as the active RP for target
group G. If for some reason two C-RPs result in the same hash value, the tie is broken in
favor of the C-RP with the highest IP address.
The hash mask M, that is used in the hash algorithm is taken from the Hash Mask Length
field that contains the BSR messages and that was specified in the ip pim bsr-candidate
router configuration command. By modifying the mask, it is possible to control the number
of consecutive group addresses that hash to the same C-RP address. For example, if
M=0xFFFFFFFC, four consecutive groups will hash (that is, map) to a single C-RP address.
This may be important when separate multicast groups are carrying related data and it is
desirable for all of these related groups to share a common router as RP.
As a simple example, lets assume there are two candidate-RPs, Router A and Router B,
for group range 239.0.0.0239.255.255.255 (that is, the entire administratively scoped
multicast group range). Furthermore, lets assume that the BSR is advertising a hash mask
length of 30, meaning that the mask is 0xFFFFFFFC. This mask will result in four
consecutive groups hashing to the same router. Given that there are two C-RPs and that the
first address in the range (239.0.0.0) hashes to Router A, then Router A will also be assigned
as RP for the next three consecutive group addresses, 239.0.0.1, 239.0.0.2, and 239.0.0.3.
Assuming that the hash algorithm is evenly distributed, Router A will be assigned as RP for
half of the groups in the 239.0.0.0239.255.255.255 range and Router B will be assigned
as RP for the other half.

Using Multiple C-BSRs for Redundancy

Network administrators who want to use PIMv2 BSR will typically want to configure more
than one router as C-BSR to provide some redundancy to the BSR function. The PIMv2
BSR mechanism differs significantly from the operation of Mapping Agents in Ciscos
Auto-RP feature. In the case of PIMv2 BSR, only a single BSR is active in the network at
a time. The currently active BSR is elected from the set of all C-BSR routers in the network,
using the BSR election mechanism. In addition, all C-RP routers in the network must be
informed of the results of the BSR election so that they know how to send their C-RP
advertisements to the current BSR.

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The following sections cover the BSR election mechanism and the BSR message-flooding
mechanism used in PIMv2 networks. Both of these mechanism are key to the automatic
distribution of Group-to-RP mapping information when PIMv2 BSR is used in the network.

BSR Election
The BSR is elected from the set of candidate routers in the domain that have been
configured to function as BSR. The election mechanism is similar to the Root Bridge
election mechanism used in bridged LANs. BSR election is based on the routers BSR
priority contained in the BSR messages that are sent hop by hop through the network. This
election mechanism allows another C-BSR to be elected as BSR should the active BSR fail.
A simplified version of the BSR election mechanism follows.
1 Initially, a C-BSR sets its Bootstrap timer to the Bootstrap timeout value (150

seconds) and enters the C-BSR state, waiting to receive BSR messages from the
current BSR.
2 If the router receives a preferred BSR message (that is, the message contains either a

higher BSR priority than the routers BSR priority or the same BSR priority but with
a higher BSR IP address), the message is accepted, the Bootstrap timer is reset to the
Bootstrap timeout value. The message is then forwarded out all other interfaces. If the
message is not a preferred BSR message, it is simply discarded.
3 If the Bootstrap timer expires, the C-BSR enters the Elected-BSR state and assumes

that it is now the BSR. While in the Elected-BSR state, the router periodically (every
60 seconds) sends its own BSR message containing its priority and the RP-set out all
interfaces.
4 If the router is in the Elected-BSR state and it receives a preferred BSR message, the

router transitions back to the C-BSR state. It then returns to Step 1 and starts the
process again.

NOTE

Its important to note that the election mechanism causes the current BSR to be preempted
(after a short delay) by a newly activated C-BSR that has a higher BSR priority than the
current BSR. The delay in this preemption is a result of the new C-BSR waiting one
Bootstrap timeout period (150 seconds) before transitioning to the Elected-BSR state.

The BSR receives all the PIMv2 C-RP advertisement messages that are sent by the C-RP
routers and stores this information in its local C-RP-set cache. The BSR then periodically
advertises the contents of its local RP-set cache in BSR messages to all other routers in the
PIM-SM domain. These BSR messages travel hop by hop throughout the entire PIM-SM
domain, using the BSR message-flooding algorithm that is described in the next section.

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BSR Message Flooding

BSR messages are multicast to the ALL-PIM-Routers (224.0.0.13) multicast group with a
TTL of 1. Neighboring PIMv2 routers receive the BSR message and remulticast it out all
other interfaces (except the one on which it was received), again with a TTL of 1. In this
way, BSR messages travel hop by hop throughout the entire PIM-SM domain.
Because BSR messages contain the IP address of the current BSR, the flooding mechanism
also permits all C-RPs to automatically learn which router has been elected BSR. This is
especially important if a router is also functioning as a C-RP because it must know the IP
address of the BSR to unicast its C-RP advertisements to the BSR.
The BSR message-flooding logic in non-candidate BSRs helps in the election of the
preferred C-BSR (that is, the C-BSR with the highest priority) as the current BSR.
A simplified version of the message-flooding logic follows.
1 Initially, a non-candidate BSR router sets its Bootstrap timer to the Bootstrap timeout

value (150 seconds), enters the Accept-Any state, and waits to receive the first BSR
message. (Receipt of BSR messages causes the Bootstrap timer to be reset to the
Bootstrap timeout value.)
2 If a non-candidate BSR router is in the Accept-Any state and a BSR message is

received, the router accepts and saves this information as the current BSR. It then
forwards this BSR message out all other interfaces and transitions to the AcceptPreferred state.
3 If a non-candidate BSR router is in the Accept-Preferred state and it receives a BSR

message, the router will accept (as new BSR) and forward the message only if the new
BSR is preferred (that is, has a higher priority) over the current. If it is not preferred,
the received BSR message is discarded.
4 If a non-candidate BSR routers Bootstrap timer ever expires, the router transitions

back to the Accept-Any state and starts the process over, beginning with Step 1 above.

RP Failover in PIMv2 BSR Networks

The process of RP Failover in networks that are using the PIMv2 BSR mechanism to
distribute Group-to-RP information is somewhat simpler than is the process for Auto-RP.
This is a direct result of the fact that all routers in a network maintain the complete RP-set
of PIMv2 C-RP advertisements in their Group-to-RP mapping cache. Furthermore, each
entry also contains a holdtime that specifies how long the C-RP advertisement is valid.
Each PIMv2 C-RP entry in the Group-to-RP mapping cache has an expiration timer that is
initialized to the holdtime value that was contained in the associated C-RP entry of the
received BSR message. Because the originating PIMv2 C-RP sets the holdtime to 2.5 times
the C-RP-ADV-PERIOD, this value defaults to a holdtime of 150 seconds and is the period of

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time that must elapse before the router will delete the PIMv2 C-RP entry from the Groupto-RP mapping cache. Deleting this entry triggers a new computation of the hash values of
RPs for any active groups. Therefore, if the deleted PIMv2 C-RP entry had been the active
RP for a group, a new RP will have been selected by the router and new (*, G) Join
messages sent as appropriate.
In older versions of IOS, the C-RP_ADV-PERIOD was fixed at 60 seconds that, in turn, resulted
in fixed C-RP holdtimes of 150 seconds or 2.5 minutes. Thus RP Failover could take as long
as 2.5 minutes from the actual time that the RP router failed.
In more recent versions of IOS, a new form of the ip pim rp-candidate command was
introduced that allowed the C-RP_ADV-PERIOD to be specified from 1 second up to 65,535
seconds. This new command has the following format:
ip pim rp-candidate interface [group-list acl] [interval secs]

Network administrators who want shorter RP Failover times can tune this interval to reduce
RP Failover times down to roughly 2.5 seconds by specifying a 1-second interval in the
preceding command. However, tuning this interval down from the default of 60 seconds to
achieve faster RP Failover times comes at the expense of the added traffic from the C-RP
router to the BSR. In some networks, this added traffic load is worth the shorter RP Failover
times.

Constraining BSR Messages

As IP multicast becomes more widespread, the chances of one PIMv2 domain bordering on
another PIMv2 domain is increasing. Because these two domains probably do not share the
same set of RPs, BSRs, C-RPs, and C-BSRs, some way is needed to constrain PIMv2 BSR
messages from flowing into or out of the domain. If these messages are allowed to leak
across the domain borders, the normal BSR election in the bordering domains would be
adversely affected and a single BSR would be elected across all bordering domains. Even
worse, C-RP advertisements from the bordering domains would be co-mingled in the BSR
messages, which would result in the selection of RPs in the wrong domain.
In Cisco routers, constraint of BSR messages may be accomplished by the use of the ip pim
border interface command. This command should be placed on all interfaces that connect
to other bordering PIM domains. This command instructs the router to neither send nor
receive PIMv2 BSR messages on this interface. The command effectively stops the flow of
BSR messages across the domain border and keeps the PIMv2 domains operating
independently.
Figure 12-6 shows an example of a PIMv2 network that is using the BSR mechanism to
distribute Group-to-RP mapping information to routers inside the domain. In this example,
the BSR router is periodically sending BSR messages out all interfaces. The PIMv2 routers
in the network flood these messages hop by hop throughout the entire PIMv2 domain.
However, border routers A and B have been configured with the ip pim border interface

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command on their external interfaces, which prevents the flow of BSR messages both into
and out of the network.
Figure 12-6 Constraining PIMv2 BSR Messages

PIMv2
Sparse Mode
Network
A

Neighboring
PIMv2 Domain

NOTE

B
BSR Msgs

ip pim border
Border
Router

BSR Msgs
BSR

ip pim border
Border
Router

Neighboring
PIMv2 Domain

The ip pim border command effects only the flow of PIMv2 BSR messages on the
interface. It does not affect the normal flow of other PIM messages (for example, Joins and
Prunes), nor does it block the flow of multicast traffic. Its not uncommon for network
administrators to make the mistake of thinking that they can use this command to provide
a hard boundary that blocks all multicast traffic.

RP Placement and Tuning

Regardless of the method that one selects for RP configuration, at times a network
administrator may want to tune the distribution and usage of RPs in the network. For
example, the administrator might want to force certain groups to remain in either sparse
mode or dense mode or provide some additional bulletproofing of the network against
attack from malicious users. These topics, as well as the subject of RP placement, are
discussed in the sections that follow.

Selecting RP Placement
Where do I put my RP? is a question that I am frequently asked by network
administrators who are putting sparse mode into production on their networks. My typical
response is a tried and true Cisco answer: It depends. This answer is not really intended to
be flippant (although I must personally admit to deriving some pleasure when I use this

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answer). The problem is that many variables can effect the decision to place an RP in one
location as opposed to another. Most network administrators tend to be concerned about the
following factors:

The location of the multicast receivers

The amount of traffic that will flow through the RP
The location of the multicast senders
The need to reduce traffic latency
RP redundancy and Failover requirements

The bad news is that this list can go on and on. The really bad news is that it is beyond the
scope of this book to provide a comprehensive set of guidelines on RP placement. However,
the good news is that, for most networks, most of these variables are nonissues as a result
of the following often overlooked default behavior of Cisco routers in PIM sparse mode
networks: Last-hop routers immediately join the SPT for any new sources!
The default SPT-Threshold on a Cisco router is zero, which forces it to immediately join
the SPT toward the source S upon receiving the first multicast packet from this source.
Because of this default behavior, the only function that the RP must perform in many
networks is to serve as a meeting place for multicast receivers and senders (almost like a
multicast dating service for multicast routers). Once a last-hop router has joined the SPT to
the source, the (S, G) traffic is frequently no longer flowing through the RP. This situation
is particularly true where network administrators have installed a dedicated router to serve
this function.

Resource Demands on RPs

Just because all traffic is flowing through the network on SPTs and the RP is not having to
replicate and forward multicast traffic does not mean that there are no resource demands on
the RP. RP routers must still have sufficient memory to store all (*, G) and (S, G) mroute
table entries for all groups for which it is serving as RP. Furthermore, the RP must have
sufficient CPU horsepower to maintain these state entries and send, receive, and process the
periodic Joins and Prunes necessary to keep all of this state alive.

Memory Demands
The primary memory resource demand on a multicast router is the storage of (*, G) and
(S, G) state entries in the mroute table. Table 12-3 lists the memory requirements to store
(*, G) and (S, G) entries in the Cisco mroute table.

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Table 12-2 Mroute Table Memory Requirements

(*, G) entry

260 bytes + outgoing interface list overhead

(S, G) entry

212 bytes + outgoing interface list overhead

Outgoing interface list overhead

80 bytes per outgoing interface list entry

Assuming that you have the information regarding the average number of active multicast
groups, senders, and the average number of interfaces in each outgoing interface list, you
can use this information to calculate average memory demands in a router.
For example, lets assume that you are designing a network for an enterprise that will be
using multicast for multimedia conferencing. Estimates are that an average of five
multimedia sessions will be active at any time, each using an average of two multicast
groups (one for audio and one for video), for a total of 10 active multicast groups each
requiring a (*, G) entry. The average number of participants has been estimated to be six
participants per session. This information translates into six (S, G) entries per group or a
total of 60 (S, G) entries (10 groups times 6 sources per group). Finally, the typical fan out
(that is, the typical number of interfaces in any outgoing interface list) on each router is
expected to be three. This translates in the following calculations:
Therefore, the total amount of memory needed to store the (*, G) entries is
<# of (*, G)s> (260 + (<# of OIL entries> 80)) = 10 (260 + (3 80)) = 5000 bytes
Therefore, the total amount of memory needed to store the (S, G) entries is
<# of (S, G)s> (212 +(<# of OIL entries> 80)) = 60 (212 + (3 80)) = 27,120 bytes
Thus, the average amount of memory used by the mroute table will be 32,120 bytes, which
should be well within the capabilities of most Cisco routers.

CPU Demands
Although giving specific values of the CPU loading associated with running PIM-SM is
impossible, the primary CPU demands on any PIM-SM router may be summarized as
follows:

Packet replicationPacket replication is by far the biggest CPU demand on a PIMSM router and depends on the number of entries in the outgoing interface list. The
more entries in the list, the more the CPU load on the router. However, because by
default Cisco PIM-SM networks use SPTs, the RP is generally bypassed and is not
concerned with this load.

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RPF recalculationRPF recalculation is typically the next biggest CPU demand on

a PIM-SM router and depends on the number of entries in the mroute table. To
converge the multicast network after any topology change, every 5 seconds a Cisco
router recalculates the RPF information on every entry in the mroute table. The CPU
impact of this recalculation depends, to a great extent, on the size and complexity of
the unicast routing table as it is scanned to perform each RPF calculation.

State maintenanceState maintenance has the least CPU impact CPU of any of the
PIM-SM tasks performed on the router. This process consists of sending and receiving
periodic PIM Join/Prune and PIM Hello messages to/from the routers PIM neighbors
to refresh mroute table state as well as PIM neighbor adjacency. The Join/Prune
messages are sent roughly once per minute, whereas PIM Hellos are typically sent
every 30 seconds. The CPU load of this is task on the router is general very low.

In addition to the preceding tasks performed by every PIM router, RPs must also perform
the following tasks that result in additional CPU loads:

Register processingArriving PIM Register messages result in the RPs processing

the Register message at process level. This action would result in a fairly significant
CPU load on the RP except that it has to process only a few of these Registers
(generally only one) when a source first starts transmitting. In this case, the RP
immediately joins the SPT to the source to receive the traffic natively and then sends
a Register-Stop message to shut off further Register messages. As a result, the CPU
load of Register processing on the RP is typically insignificant.

Summary of RP Load Factors

The memory and CPU demands on the RP presented in the previous sections may seem like
a lot. However, except for extremely large multicast networks in which the RP must
maintain thousands of state entries, most midsize Cisco routers are quite capable of
handling this load without any problems. Even a low-end Cisco router can be used as an RP
in some cases when the maximum number of state entries in the mroute table is kept under
100 and careful attention is paid to memory usage.
The bottom line is that many network administrators do not need to be overly concerned
about the placement of the RP(s) in their network. Simply place it on a midsize router at a
convenient location in the network. Again, the bad news is that issues other than traffic flow
that can be important to the RP placement decision are too numerous to address here,
particularly because no two networks are the same. (In some cases, the same network isnt
even the same from day to day as traffic flow and other aspects of network operation change
on a daily basis.) However, the good news is that once you have read this book, you will

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understand the internal mechanisms of PIM multicast networks and can intelligently
address and consider those variables that are important to the placement of RPs in your
network.

Forcing Groups to Remain in Dense Mode

In some cases, the network administrator may wish to ensure that certain groups always
operate in dense mode. The following global configuration command does the job:
ip pim accept-rp {rp-address | Auto-rp} [group-list acl]

This command is effectively used as an address filter to accept or reject a particular IP

address as being a valid RP address for a specific group. (The various forms of this
configuration command are discussed in more detail in the next section, Using ip pim
accept-rp Commands.) Depending on how it is used, this command can be configured on
all routers in the network or, in some special cases, in just the RP.
The router applies this RP validation process when making the following three decisions:
1 Determining group mode (sparse/dense) when a (*, G) entry is being created in the

multicast routing table as a direct result of a local host joining the group.
2 Accepting or rejecting an incoming (*, G) Join that has been sent by a downstream

router. (The RP address to be validated is contained in the (*, G) Join message.)

3 Accepting or rejecting an incoming PIM Register message from a Designated Router.

In the first case, the router first searches the Group-to-RP mapping cache for a matching
entry for the group. If there is a matching entry, the router applies the ip pim accept-rp
filter(s) to the RP address in the matching entry. If the filter permits this address, it is a valid
RP address and the new group is created in sparse mode; otherwise, the new group is
created in dense mode. The graphic in Figure 12-7 represents this first case. In the upper
portion of the figure, the router has just received an Internet Group Membership Protocol
(IGMP) Join for group G. Because the router does not have a (*, G) state entry in its
multicast routing table, it must create one. However, it needs to determine whether the
(*, G) entry should be created in sparse mode or dense mode.

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Figure 12-7 Accept RP Filter ApplicationCase 1

Router has no
state for group G

IGMP Join (G)

Group-to-RP
Mapping Cache

Group Address

Group Address,
RP Address

Accept-RP
Filter List

Permit

State Creation
Engine
Sparse
Mode

Figure 12-7 shows how the ip pim accept-rp filters fit into this decision process. Initially,
group address G is used to search the Group-to-RP mapping cache. If a matching RP
address is found, the combination of group address and RP address is run through the ip
pim accept-rp filter. If the filter permits this Group/RP address combination, an RP address
is passed to the multicast state creation engine, which causes a (*, G) sparse mode entry to
be created. If on the other hand, either no RP address is found in the Group-to-RP mapping
cache or the ip pim accept-rp filter denies the Group/RP address combination, the (*, G)
entry is created in dense mode.
In the second case, the router applies the ip pim accept-rp filter(s) to the RP address
contained in the incoming (*, G) Join message. If the filter permits this address, the (*, G)
Join will be processed; otherwise, it is ignored. This can be used to stop (*, G) Joins from
being propagated, which, in turn, prevents misconfigured downstream routers from
generating sparse mode state in the network for groups that should be operating in dense
mode.
Figure 12-8 shows an example of this second case of ip pim accept-rp filters being
applied.

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Figure 12-8 Accept RP Filter ApplicationCase 2

A
(*, G) Join messages
contain RP address
(*, G) Join
B

Accept-RP
Filter List
Group Address,
RP Address

Join Processing
Engine

RP Address

Router A has just received a (*, G) Join from a downstream PIM neighbor. However, before
processing the message, the group address G and the RP address (both of which are
contained in the body of the (*, G) Join message) are run through the ip pim accept-rp
filter. If the filter permits this Group/RP combination, then the incoming (*, G) Join
message is processed; otherwise, it is ignored.

NOTE

This situation brings up an important point about RPs that is often missed. There is a
common misconception that if the router isnt somehow configured to be the RP of a group,
that router will never become the RP. What actually happens is that when a router sends a
(*, G) Join, it searches the Group-to-RP mapping cache to find the address of the RP
(subject to case 1 of the Accept RP filter application), puts this address in a field in the
(*, G) Join, and sends the address toward the RP. The other routers in the network forward
the (*, G) Join hop by hop toward the router whose address is specified in this field. When
the router whose address is in this field receives the (*, G) Join message, it sees its own
address in this field and assumes that it must be the RP for the group. Therefore, a router
always assumes the duties of RP for a group (subject to case 2 of the Accept RP filter
application) any time it receives an incoming (*, G) Join that contains the address of one of
its multicast-enabled interfaces in this field.

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In the third case, a router will apply the ip pim accept-rp filter(s) to incoming PIM Register
messages. (The router will use the destination IP address of the received Register message
as the RP address.) If the ip pim accept-rp filter permits this address, (that is, the address
is a valid RP address for the group), then the router functions as the RP for this group and
processes the Register message in the normal fashion.
However, if the filter identifies this address as an invalid RP address for the group, the router
immediately sends back a Register-Stop message to the DR and does not process the
Register message further. This prevents misconfigured DRs from erroneously creating
sparse mode state on an RP for groups that are supposed to be operating in dense mode.
Figure 12-9 shows a graphic of this process. In the upper portion of the figure, Router A has
just received a PIM-Register message (via unicast) from first-hop Router B who is directly
connected to a multicast source S that is sending to group G.
Figure 12-9 Accept RP Filter ApplicationCase 3
Unicast to one of As
interface addresses
(S, G)
Register

Source S

B
Accept-RP
Filter List

Group Address,
Interface Address

RP Processing
Engine

Permit
RP

When Router A receives the PIM Register message addressed to one of its interfaces (which
is often a loopback interface), it runs the Group address and the IP address of the interface
through the ip pim accept-rp filter. If the filter permits this group address and IP address,
the router processes the Register message as the RP for the group in the normal fashion.
If the ip pim accept-rp filter denies this group address/IP address combination, then the
router immediately sends back a PIM Register-Stop message and ignores the PIM Register.
Subsequently, any network routers that believe this router to be the RP for this group will
be unable to register successfully with the RP. This condition, in turn, would effectively
prevent multicast traffic from sources connected to these routers from reaching the RP.

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The primary use of the second and third cases of the Accept RP filter is to prevent routers
in the network from inadvertently assuming the duties of the RP. By configuring
ip pim accept-rp Auto-rp

on every router in the network, only the router that has been elected as RP for the group will
receive and process (*, G) Joins and PIM Register messages. This is an extra bit of network
insurance against configuration mistakes elsewhere in the network.

Using ip pim accept-rp Commands

Multiple ip pim accept-rp filters may be defined in a router configuration to control which
RPs are valid for which groups. If a ip pim accept-rp filter (more than one can be defined)
matches the RP address and the specified group-list acl permits this group, then the RP is
valid. However, if all ip pim accept-rp filters that match the RP address have a group-list
that denies this group, then the RP address is invalid. If the optional group-list acl clause
is not specified, it is assumed to mean permit any, which matches all groups.
The ip pim accept-rp command has the following three basic forms:
ip pim accept-rp rp-address [group-list acl]
ip pim accept-rp Auto-rp [group-list acl]
ip pim accept-rp 0.0.0.0 [group-list acl]

The first form may appear multiple times in a router configuration and specifies a single RP
address. The second form specifies that the target RP address must be in the Group-to-RP
mapping cache. (Specifically, the target address must be listed in the Group-to-RP mapping
cache as the current RP for the group, and the group cannot be either of the two Cisco AutoRP multicast groups 224.0.1.39 or 224.0.1.40.) The last form is a special wildcard RP
address form of the first command that matches any RP address.

NOTE

Both the Auto-rp and the 0.0.0.0 (wildcard) forms of the ip pim accept-rp command may
each appear only once in a router configuration. If you attempt to enter additional versions
of these two commands, the last version entered will supercede the previously entered
version.

The router maintains the list of the ip pim accept-rp commands in the order in which they
are given in the previous section. When the router attempts to validate an RP address for a
group, the router searches the list from top to bottom looking for an RP address match on
the first field. If a match is found and the matching entry is not the Auto-RP entry, the search
terminates and the specified group-list is applied to the group address. If the specified
group-list permits this group, the RP address is accepted as a valid RP for the group. If the
specified group-list denies this group, the RP address is rejected as a valid RP for the group.

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If, on the other hand, the matching entry is an Auto-RP entry, and the specified group-list
permits this group, the search terminates and the RP address is accepted as a valid RP for
the group. However, if the group-list ACL on an Auto-RP entry denies the group, the
wildcard RP entry is tried (if one exists), its group-list ACL is applied, and the RP is either
accepted or rejected for the group, depending on the whether the group is permitted or
denied, respectively. Finally, if the end of the list is reached without encountering a
matching RP address that permits the group, the RP address is rejected as an invalid RP
for the group.

NOTE

Notice that the continue search on deny behavior for Auto-RP entries is the opposite of
most ACLs, which terminate the search whenever they encounter either a specific deny or
permit condition. This can be a source of confusion when an ip pim accept-rp Auto-rp
command is used with a ip pim accept-rp 0.0.0.0 command because a specific deny
condition in the Auto-RP group-list ACL does not necessarily cause the search to terminate.

Example 12-9 is a set of ip pim accept-rp commands that demonstrate the interaction of
the various forms of the command.
Example 12-9

ip pim accept-rp Commands

ip pim accept-rp 172.16.8.2
ip pim accept-rp Auto-rp group-list 10
ip pim accept-rp 0.0.0.0 group-list 12
access-list 10 deny 224.1.1.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 10 permit any
access-list 12 deny 224.1.2.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 12 permit any

NOTE

The configuration in Example 12-9 is a horribly contrived example that should not serve as
a model on how to use this feature in real networks. For example, the normal practice for
using the Auto-rp form of this command is to not use a group-list, which implies the
acceptance of any RP in the Group-to-RP mapping cache.

The first accept-rp command instructs the router to accept 172.16.8.2 as a valid RP address
for any group. (The missing group-list ACL implies a permit any.) The second command
(Auto-rp) would normally instruct the router that RPs defined in the Group-to-RP mapping
cache (which are learned via Auto-RP or the PIMv2 Bootstrap router) are valid for any
group except the group range 224.1.1.0224.1.1.255. However, in this case, the third

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command (wildcard RP) overrides the deny clause for this group range in the Auto-RP
group-list (access-list 10) because of the permit any in its group-list (access-list 12).
The wildcard RP entry also specifically denies group range 224.1.2.0224.1.2.255.
Depending on the actual goals of the preceding configuration, it would probably be better
to remove the Auto-rp command altogether and use the configuration in Example 12-10
instead.
Example 12-10

Removing the Auto-rp Command

ip pim accept-rp 172.16.8.2
ip pim accept-rp 0.0.0.0 group-list 12
access-list 12 deny 224.1.1.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 12 deny 224.1.2.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 12 permit any

In this case, 172.16.8.2 is still accepted as a valid RP address for all groups. All other RPs
(whether they are in the Group-to-RP mapping cache or not) will be accepted for all groups
except for group ranges 224.1.1.0224.1.1.255 and 224.1.2.0224.1.2.255.
In the end, administrators who want to force a group range to always remain in dense mode
throughout the network will want to simplify the preceding example into a single wildcard
RP accept-rp command with an appropriate group-list ACL that is configured on all routers
in the network. For example, the configuration in Example 12-11 (when placed on all
routers in the network) forces group range 224.1.0.0224.1.255.255 to always operate in
dense mode.
Example 12-11

Configuration for Dense Mode Operation

ip pim accept-rp 0.0.0.0 group-list 10
access-list 10 deny 224.1.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit any

NOTE

It is not necessary to configure a deny clause for the Cisco-Discovery (224.0.1.40) and
Cisco-Announce (224.0.1.39) multicast groups on access-lists used with the ip pim acceptrp Auto-rp command. A deny is automatically assumed for these two multicast groups so
as to not interfere with normal dense mode flooding of Auto-RP information.

Using Negative Auto-RP Announcements

Beginning with IOS version 12.0(1.1), the Auto-RP function was extended to allow C-RPs
to send negative RP announcements to advertise group ranges that are to remain in dense
mode.

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Negative RP announcements may be specified via the use of a deny clause in the accesslist as shown in Example 12-12.
Example 12-12

Using deny in the Access List

ip pim send-rp-announce loopback0 scope 16 group-list 10
access-list 10 permit 224.0.0.0 15.255.255.255
access-list 10 deny 225.1.1.0 0.0.0.255

In this example, the C-RP router is sending a positive RP announcement for the multicast
group range 224.0.0.02239.255.255.255 and a negative RP announcement for group range
225.1.1.0225.1.1.255. This forces multicast groups 225.1.1.x to remain in dense mode.
When a Mapping Agent receives a negative RP announcement, it overrides any positive
announcements that were received from other C-RPs for the same group range.
Specifically, the Mapping Agent forwards any negative RP announcements that it receives
on to the routers in the network via RP-Discovery messages (along with the currently
selected positive RP announcements). When the routers in the network receive these
negative RP announcements from the Mapping Agent(s), the routers respond by treating
multicast groups in this group range as dense mode groups.

NOTE

Prior to IOS release 12.0(1.1), the deny clause was sometimes used to make the access-list
more readable by specifically noting which groups were not to be advertised in the C-RP
announcements. (This was not really necessary because the ip pim send-rp-announce
command assumed the deny all others clause.) These deny clauses should be removed so
that an upgrade to IOS release 12.0 (1.1) or later will not cause unexpected behavior.

Forcing Groups to Remain in Sparse Mode

The default behavior for PIM is to fall back into dense mode for any groups that no longer
have a valid, working RP. The idea is that when all C-RPs for a group are down, the network
will continue to deliver multicast traffic, using dense modes less efficient flood-and-prune
behavior.
However, in some cases, network administrators may prefer that multicast traffic simply
cease flowing if all C-RPs fail, instead of using dense mode to flood the traffic throughout
the network. Stopping the flow of multicast traffic can be accomplished by defining a last
ditch static RP address in all routers in the network by using the ip pim rp-address
command.
If, for some reason, all C-RPs fail, the Group-to-RP mapping cache will eventually time out
and will not contain an RP. Not finding an entry in the Group-to-RP mapping cache, the
router will then fall back to a statically configured last-ditch RP if one exists.

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As an example, assume that the network administrator has configured the network to use
Auto-RP and has defined primary and secondary C-RPs (lets say 172.16.8.1 and
172.16.9.1, respectively) for redundancy. In addition, the network administrator has added
the commands shown in Example 12-13 to all routers in the network to define a lastditch RP.
Example 12-13

Defining a Last-Ditch RP
ip pim rp-address 172.16.9.1 10
access-list 10 deny 224.0.1.39
access-list 10 deny 224.0.1.40
access-list 10 permit any

Notice that the RP address happens to be the address of the secondary C-RP and that an
access-list has been used to prevent the Cisco-Discovery (224.0.1.40) and the CiscoAnnounce (224.0.1.39) groups from accidentally operating in sparse mode, using
172.16.9.1 as the RP for these two Auto-RP groups.
After Example 12-13 has been configured on all routers in the network and the contents of
the Group-to-RP mapping cache are displayed during normal network operation, you
would see the output shown in Example 12-14.
Example 12-14

Output from Group-to-RP Mapping Cache

Rtr-X# show ip pim rp mapping
PIM Group-to-RP Mappings
Group(s) 224.0.0.0/4, uptime: 2w4d, expires: 00:02:12
RP 172.16.8.1 (Rtr-A), PIMv1
Info source: 172.16.8.1 (Rtr-A)
Acl: 10, Static
RP: 172.16.9.1 (Rtr-B)

Now, if both C-RPs fail, the information in the Group-to-RP mapping cache that was
learned via Auto-RP (denoted by the PIMv1 in the example), would time out, leaving the
output shown in Example 12-15.
Example 12-15

Output After Timeout of Group-to-RP Mapping Cache

Rtr-X# show ip pim rp mapping
PIM Group-to-RP Mappings
Acl: 10, Static
RP: 172.16.9.1 (Rtr-B)

Now, the only entry in the Group-to-RP mapping cache is the static last-ditch RP, which
also happens to be the address of the failed secondary RP. Even though the last RP has
failed, the routers in the network continue to use the statically defined RP address as a
last-ditch RP, which prevents the network from reverting to dense mode.

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Summary
The primary focus of this chapter was to acquaint you with the details of Auto-RP and
PIMv2 BSR features, both of which are methods that can be employed to permit PIM
routers to dynamically discover the identity of the RP for a specific multicast group. Both
methods have advantages and disadvantages. To date, Ciscos Auto-RP feature seems to be
the most widely deployed method primarily because it was the first method available to
PIM-SM engineers. Having said that, Chapter 16, Multicast Traffic Engineering, will
show that Auto-RP has a clear advantage when trying to configure administratively scoped
zones to control the flow of multicast traffic.
In addition to introducing the details of configuring, tuning, and engineering Auto-RP and
BSR networks, this chapter also covered the topics of RP placement and RP loading. The
key points here are that RP placement is often much less critical than most network
engineers initially think because the default behavior of Cisco routers is to cut over to the
SPT as soon as a new source of multicast traffic is detected. This typically reduces the
engineering requirements of the RP to one of multicast state maintenance. In this case, the
key issue is to determine whether the RP has sufficient memory and CPU to maintain an
mroute table that includes (S, G) entries for every source in every group for which the RP
is responsible.

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CHAPTER

13

Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Up to this point in the book, it has been assumed that the network engineer has the luxury
of designing and implementing the multicast network using only Cisco routers running
PIM. Although this situation may occur in a new network or existing networks composed
entirely of Cisco routers, the network engineer must often deal with other legacy routing
equipment that are unable to run Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM).
Assuming that it is desirable to have multicast traffic flow into and out of these legacy, nonPIM portions of the network, the network engineer must carefully design the network to
accomplish this goal. Although designing the network to allow unicast traffic to flow across
dissimilar unicast routing protocol boundaries is a fairly simply matter, the upside-down
nature of IP multicast routing complicates this task. Furthermore, because most router
vendors implement only a small subset of the total spectrum of multicast routing protocols
(Cisco is no exception), it is sometimes necessary to use a third multicast routing protocol
as the common boundary routing protocol. Typically, the common IP multicast routing
protocol that all router vendors have the capability to either run or interoperate with is
Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP).
This chapter explores the use of Ciscos DVMRP interoperability features to permit a Cisco
router to serve as a PIM-DVMRP gateway. The topics include DVMRP interoperability,
controlling DVMRP route exchanges, network connection examples, and debugging tips.

Cisco DVMRP Interoperability

Network administrators frequently have the mistaken idea that Cisco routers can be
configured to run DVMRP instead of PIM. Although Cisco routers cant run DVMRP
per se, they can be used as a PIM-DVMRP gateways and interoperate with DVMRP
routers. This subtle distinction is sometimes the source of problems when a network
administrator assumes that the Cisco router that is configured for DVMRP interoperability
is going to behave in the same fashion as a DVMRP router.

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The two key areas (when this book was written) in which Cisco routers do not behave in
the same fashion as a DVMRP router are as follows:

Cisco routers do not maintain router state for each individual DVMRP router on a
multi-access network.

Cisco routers do send triggered DVMRP route updates, which are sent at the next
update period.

The first of these two places some limitations on the operation of DVMRP interoperability
across multi-access links, such as Ethernet, and is explored in detail later in the chapter. The
second item could possibly effect the convergence time of DVMRP routing if the PIM
network is used as a transient network for DVMRP routing. However, unless you are an ISP,
your PIM network probably will not be a transient network and, therefore, this wont be an
issue.

NOTE

On the other hand, if you are an ISP with numerous DVMRP network connections, the best
way to handle this problem is to convert these DVMRP networks to stub networks and to
simply inject the default DVMRP route (0.0.0.0) into these stub networks.

The remainder of this section covers the details of Ciscos DVMRP interoperability and
provides you with the necessary information to understand the interactions between a Cisco
router and a connected DVMRP router. After you have a solid working knowledge of these
interactions, it should be much easier to understand what actually happens when you
connect a Cisco router running PIM with a DVMRP router.

NOTE

The following sections assume a solid understanding of the details of the DVMRP protocol.
If you are unfamiliar with these details or feel that your level of understanding of DVMRP
is a little rusty, you may wish to review Chapter 5, Distance Vector Multicast Routing
Protocol, before proceeding.

Enabling DVMRP Interoperability

If you have ever searched the Cisco Command Reference manual looking for the command
to enable DVMRP interoperation on an interface, you already know that such a command
doesnt exist. The reason is quite simple: To provide for the unexpected introduction of a
DVMRP router in the network, DVMRP interoperability is activated automatically when a
Cisco router hears a DVMRP Probe message on a multicast enabled interface.

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355

Figure 13-1 shows a Cisco router with multicast enabled on both of its interfaces. In this
example, a DVMRP router (in this case, a UNIX workstation running the mrouted DVMRP
multicast routing daemon) is active on Ethernet0. As soon as the DVMRP router sends a
DVMRP Probe message on this Ethernet segment, the Cisco router hears it. This causes the
Cisco router to mark Ethernet0 as having a DVMRP neighbor active on the segment, which
automatically enables DVMRP interoperability.
Figure 13-1 Automatic Detection of DVMRP Routers
Router A
ip multicasting
interface E0
ip addr 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode

mrouted
DVMRP Probe

interface E1
ip addr 176.32.10.0 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode

E0

10.1.1.0/24
Whoa! Theres
a DVMRP Router on This PIM
Interface! Ill Turn on DVMRP
Interoperation.

A E1
176.32.10.0/24

Its important to note that the Cisco router does not respond to the DVMRP Probe from this
DVMRP neighbor with a DVMRP Probe message of its own. If it did, other Cisco routers
on the network might confuse Router A with another non-Cisco, DVMRP router that would
alter the basic PIM-DVMRP interaction. You will see why this can be a problem later in this
section.

PIM-DVMRP Interaction
Understanding the PIM-DVMRP interactions that occur across the boundary between a
Cisco router and a DVMRP router is the key to implementing PIM-DVMRP gateways in a
Cisco network. Because the idea was to simply provide a PIM-DVMRP gateway function
in Cisco routers, the initial types of interactions that took place across this boundary were
extremely simple. However, over the years, the type of interactions across this boundary
between a Cisco router and a DVMRP router have grown and expanded in scope until
todays Cisco routers perform nearly all the functions of a DVMRP router. (Note that I said
nearly all. Some notable exceptions still need to be kept in mind, particularly when you are
using an older version of Cisco IOS that doesnt have some of the newer, enhanced
interactions.)

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The next two sections, Interaction over Point-to-Point Links and Interaction over MultiAccess Links, describe the PIM-DVMRP interactions built in to the current release (which
was version 12.0 at the time that this book was written) of IOS. The interactions that were
available in older versions of IOS are described in a later section.

Interaction over Point-to-Point Links

DVMRP tunnels are the most common forms of point-to-point links in DVMRP networks.
As you recall from Chapter 5, DVMRP networks frequently use DVMRP tunnels to
interconnect two multicast-enabled networks across non-multicast networks. To provide
this same functionality, Cisco IOS allows DVMRP tunnel interfaces to be configured on
Cisco routers.
Example 13-1 is a sample configuration of a Cisco router that has been configured with a
DVMRP tunnel interface.
Example 13-1

DVMRP Tunnel Configuration

interface Tunnel0
ip unnumbered Ethernet0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
tunnel source Ethernet0
tunnel destination 192.168.1.10
tunnel mode DVMRP
interface Ethernet0
ip address 172.16.2.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

In this sample configuration, the actual IP address of the tunnel on the Cisco router is
assigned by the use of the ip unnumbered Ethernet0 command, which causes the tunnel
to appear to have the same IP address as the Ethernet 0.
The tunnel mode DVMRP command forces the tunnel to use IP-in-IP encapsulation
(which is standard DVMRP tunnel encapsulation). Any packets sent through the tunnel will
be encapsulated in an outer IP header. The tunnel source Ethernet0 command specifies
the source address of this outer IP header (which results in a tunnel endpoint source address
of 172.16.2.1), and the tunnel destination 192.168.1.10 command specifies the destination
IP address of the outer IP header. This destination address is the tunnel endpoint address of
the remote DVMRP router to which the tunnel is connected.
Figure 13-2 shows the PIM-DVMRP interactions that take place across the DVMRP tunnel
that was configured in Example 13-1.

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357

Figure 13-2 PIM-DVMRP Interaction over Point-to-Point Links

192.168.1.10
DVMRP
Probes

DVMRP
Reports

DVMRP Prunes
and Grafts

mrouted

DVMRP Tunnel
w/Poison
Reverse

DVMRP
Reports
Tunnel0

DVMRP
Route
Table

E0

DVMRP Prunes
and Grafts

Unicast
Route
Table

PIM
Network

As Figure 13-2 shows, the Cisco router is performing nearly all the interactions a normal
DVMRP router would over a tunnel. The only major exception to normal DVMRP router
interaction is that the Cisco router does not send DVMRP Probes (which is important when
the connection is a multi-access network, as discussed in the next section); however,
virtually all other interactions are implemented. In most DVMRP router implementations,
the failure to send DVMRP Probes has no impact on the proper operation of the DVMRP
router and is not an issue.
For example, both DVMRP Prunes and Grafts are supported and are exchanged across the
boundary when appropriate for normal DVMRP routing. Additionally, the Cisco router
receives DVMRP routes into a local DVMRP routing table and Poison-Reverses source
routes for multicast sources that it expects to receive via the DVMRP router.
The Cisco router also sends a subset of routes from its own unicast routing table to the
DVMRP router. This permits the DVMRP router to properly perform Reverse Path
Forwarding (RPF) to the tunnel for multicast sources in the PIM network. (Again, if this
seems a bit confusing, you may wish to review the details of the DVMRP protocol
discussed in Chapter 5.)
Finally, the actual subset of unicast routes that the Cisco router sends in DVMRP Reports
depends on several factors. These details are covered in the section titled DVMRP Route
Exchanges later in this chapter. For now, it is sufficient to understand that the Cisco router
advertises a portion of the routes in the PIM network to the DVMRP router via DVMRP
Route Reports.

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NOTE

The key point here is worth repeating. The set of DVMRP interactions between a Cisco
router and a DVMRP router is at its fullest across a DVMRP tunnel. As a result, the Cisco
router appears to the DVMRP router as another DVMRP router at the end of the tunnel.
Therefore, the maximum level of PIM-DVMRP interoperability is achieved via DVMRP
tunnels.
Although this maximum interoperability can be achieved over multi-access networks such
as Ethernet segments, several other factors must be carefully controlled (discussed in the
next section) to achieve this level of interoperability.

Although this section has concentrated on DVMRP tunnels, the same interaction rules
apply to other forms of point-to-point links, such as serial links when configured properly.
For example, assuming that a common link encapsulation method were used (PPP, Frame
Relay, and so on) that enabled a Cisco router and a non-Cisco, DVMRP router to establish
a point-to-point connection, the same interaction rules would apply.

Interaction over Multi-Access Links

As discussed previously, multi-access interfaces (Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, FDDI, and so on)
that are multicast enabled will automatically activate DVMRP interoperability when a
DVMRP Probe is received from a DVMRP router via the interface.
Example 13-2 is a sample configuration of a Cisco router that has been configured with
Ethernet interfaces: one (Ethernet0) connected to the local PIM multicast network, and the
other (Ethernet1) connected to a LAN segment with an active DVMRP router.
Example 13-2

Ethernet Interfaces Configuration

interface Ethernet0
ip address 172.16.2.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
interface Ethernet1
ip address 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

Notice that there is really nothing special about the way that these two interfaces are
configured. They each have multicast enabled via the ip pim sparse-dense-mode
command. No other special DVMRP related commands are really required because the
router automatically enables DVMRP interoperability on Ethernet1 immediately upon
hearing a DVMRP Probe message from the DVMRP router on that LAN segment.

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359

Figure 13-3 shows DVMRP interactions that take place between a Cisco router and a
DVMRP router across a multi-access interface (such as an Ethernet LAN segment) similar
to the one described in Example 13-2.
Figure 13-3 PIM-DVMRP Interaction over Multi-Access Links
DVMRP DVMRP
Probes Prunes

DVMRP
Reports

DVMRP
Grafts

mrouted

w/Poison
Reverse

DVMRP
Reports
E1

DVMRP DVMRP
Prunes Grafts

Ignored
DVMRP
Route
Table

E0

Unicast
Route
Table

PIM
Network

If you do a quick comparison between this set of interactions and those shown in
Figure 13-2, you will see that they are nearly identical. Therefore, just as it did in the pointto-point link case, the Cisco router closely approximates the operation of a DVMRP router.
The one exception is that the Cisco router no longer processes DVMRP Prunes that are
received over a multi-access link. Consequently, if the DVMRP router attempts to prune
some (S, G) multicast stream that is flowing out of the PIM cloud across to Ethernet1, the
Cisco router will ignore it and continue to forward the unwanted multicast stream. This
leads to the following important note that is worth emphasizing.

NOTE

Cisco routers do not process DVMRP Prunes received across multi-access links. (They
will, however, send DVMRP Prunes as depicted in Figure 13-2). If full support for DVMRP
Pruning is desired, a DVMRP tunnel (or some other point-to-point link) must be used.

The reason that DVMRP Pruning is not supported across multi-access links is a direct result
of the fact that Cisco routers do not maintain state on each individual DVMRP router on a
multi-access link. However, as described in Chapter 5, DVMRP routers expect their
upstream neighbor to maintain pruning state on all DVMRP routers on the multi-access

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network and to prune the traffic only when all child DVMRP routers on the network have
sent prunes for the traffic. This is in stark contrast to the PIM dense mode (PIM-DM)
pruning operation. In the case of PIM-DM, the upstream PIM-DM router expects a
downstream router to override a PIM Prune, sent by a sibling PIM router, with a PIM Join.
This eliminates the need for upstream PIM routers to maintain pruning state on each
downstream PIM router.
Figure 13-4 shows what happens when a Cisco router receives a DVMRP Prune on a multiaccess link.
Figure 13-4 Pruning Problem on Multi-Access Links
DVMRP

Router Doesnt Need

(S, G) Traffic

DVMRP

Prune (S, G)

(S, G)
Traffic
Ignored

I Cant Prune This

Interface! How Do I Know
There Isnt Another Mrouted
Machine That Needs
This Traffic?

Network S

In this example, an (S, G) DVMRP Prune was received from the DVMRP router on the left
side of the drawing. However, the Cisco router does not keep track of individual DVMRP
routers on the multi-access network and, therefore, cant maintain Prune state for each
router on the multi-access network DVMRP router. As a result, it cant be sure that another
DVMRP router on the network has not pruned this (S, G) traffic and continues to forward
traffic to the multi-access network.

NOTE

Cisco has received numerous requests to add support for DVMRP Pruning across multiaccess links. It is quite possible that by the time this book is published, this feature will have
been added to a later version of Cisco IOS. Readers are encouraged to check the status of
this via the Cisco Systems Web page at http://www.cisco.com/.

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361

Solving Pruning Problems on Multi-Access Links

The pruning problem described in the preceding section is usually not an issue when
establishing an inter-domain DVMRP multicast connection because DVMRP tunnels are
typically used. However, this is frequently not the case when a network administrator is
enabling IP multicast in an existing network consisting of both Cisco and non-Cisco,
DVMRP-only routers. In this case, the configuration shown in Figure 13-4 can be
encountered. To handle this situation and provide DVMRP Pruning between the DVMRP
routers and the Cisco router(s), DVMRP tunnels must be used.
Figure 13-5 shows the use of DVMRP tunnels to solve the pruning problem. In the example,
two DVMRP tunnels have been configured between the Cisco router and the two DVMRP
routers. Notice also that multicast has been disabled on Ethernet1 on the Cisco and the
Ethernet interfaces on the two DVMRP routers. Multicast traffic now flows via the two
DVMRP tunnels and not directly over the Ethernet segment.
Figure 13-5 Solving the Pruning Problem on Multi-Access Links
Multicast Disabled on
These Interfaces.

DVMRP

DVMRP

192.168.1.12

192.168.1.11
Tunnel 0

(S, G)
Traffic

Tunnel 1
E1

(S, G)
Traffic

E0
Network S

Example 13-3 is the configuration that would be used in the Cisco router to avoid this
pruning problem on a multi-access network such as an Ethernet.

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Chapter 13: Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Example 13-3

DVMRP Tunnel Configuration (Bypass Ethernet)

interface Tunnel1
ip unnumbered Ethernet0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
tunnel source Ethernet0
tunnel destination 192.168.1.11
tunnel mode DVMRP
interface Tunnel0
ip unnumbered Ethernet0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
tunnel source Ethernet0
tunnel destination 192.168.1.12
tunnel mode DVMRP
interface Ethernet1
ip address 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.0
interface Ethernet0
ip address 172.16.2.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

Notice that the ip pim sparse-dense-mode command has been removed from the
configuration of Ethernet1 to disable multicast on this interface. Although this solves the
pruning problem, this modification also increases the traffic across the Ethernet LAN by a
factor equal to the number of tunnels. In this case, two tunnels have been configured which
means the same multicast packet must be sent across the Ethernet segment twice, once for
each tunnel configured.

DVMRP Interaction in Older IOS Versions

The Cisco DVMRP interoperability feature has seen quite a bit of enhancement since it
was first introduced. Although the more recent releases of Cisco IOS provide DVMRP
interoperability that results in the Cisco router being able to almost completely emulate
operation of a DVMRP router, its still important to understand the DVMRP interoperability of older IOS releases. This knowledge is particularly important because old Cisco
routers in use today are running IOS releases as old as version 8.1. Therefore, it is not
unthinkable for a network administrator to need to deal with a Cisco router running, say,
version 11.1 of Cisco IOS where the DVMRP interoperability feature set is considerably
less robust than its current versions.

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363

The initial attempts at DVMRP interoperability in Cisco IOS used a simple Internet Group
Membership Protocol (IGMP) hack that spoofed a locally attached DVMRP router into
thinking that a host on the network had joined a particular multicast group.
Figure 13-6 shows the PIM-DVMRP interactions that take place across non-tunnel
interfaces in IOS versions prior to 11.2(13). If you compare this diagram to the one shown
in Figure 13-3, you will notice some similarities in the interactions across this interface
(that is, DVMRP Prunes are ignored) as well as several major differences.
Figure 13-6 PIM-DVMRP Interaction over Non-Tunnels Prior to IOS 11.2(13)
DVMRP DVMRP
Probes Prunes

DVMRP
Reports

DVMRP
Grafts

mrouted

DVMRP
Reports
E1
Ignored

Ignored

E0

Unicast
Route
Table

DVMRP DVMRP
Prunes Grafts

IGMP
Membership
Reports

PIM
Network

Probably the most noticeable difference is that the Cisco router does not Poison Reverse
any incoming DVMRP Route Reports and does not accept any DVMRP Route Reports for
storage into a DVMRP route table. The Cisco router does, however, advertise a portion of
the routes in its unicast route table to the DVMRP router via DVMRP Route Reports. This
permits the DVMRP router to perform RPF correctly for any incoming multicast traffic
from sources in the PIM network. Secondly, and this is a key difference, instead of sending
Poison Reverse routes to trigger the DVMRP router to forward multicast traffic from
sources in the DVMRP network, the Cisco router sends IGMP Membership Reports for any
groups that appear in its multicast routing table.
This simple DVMRP interoperability mechanism worked pretty well in PIM-DM networks
where every multicast receiver was also a sender but had problems under other conditions.
For example, consider the situation shown Figure 13-7.

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Chapter 13: Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Figure 13-7 Problem with Old PIM-DVMRP Interaction Prior to IOS 11.2(13)
Source Si , Group G

mrouted

RP
Border
Router
A

Mroute Table
Empty

Mroute Table
(*, G)

Mroute Table
(*, G)

Member
Group G
PIM-Sparse
Mode

Here, a PIM sparse mode (PIM-SM) network has a member of Group G attached to
Router C. This causes PIM Joins to be sent to the rendezvous point (RP), Router B, and
(*, G) entries to be created in the mroute tables of both Routers B and C. However, Router
A (the Border Router) does not have any entry for Group G in its mroute table and,
therefore, does not send any IGMP Membership Reports to the DVMRP router. Because
Router A is not sending IGMP Membership Reports for Group G (and is not sending Poison
Reverse routes for Network S in the DVMRP network), the DVMRP router will not forward
any Si traffic across the Ethernet to Router A.
The DVMRP router doesnt forward this traffic for the following reasons:

It doesnt see a downstream child DVMRP router, which would be indicated by the
receipt of a Poison Reverse route for Network S.

It doesnt see any local members of Group G on the Ethernet, which would be
indicated by the receipt of an IGMP Membership Report for Group G.

Forcing DVMRP Route Exchanges

To overcome the problem with the IGMP hack in the older versions of Cisco IOS described
earlier, it is necessary to force the Cisco routers to exchange DVMRP routing information
and to send Poison Reverse routes back to the DVMRP router as necessary. This can be
accomplished by the following Cisco interface configuration command:
ip dvmrp unicast-routing

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Cisco DVMRP Interoperability

NOTE

365

In my opinion, the ip dvmrp unicast-routing command is one of the more misunderstood

IOS configuration commands. Upon seeing this command for the first time, many people
think that it enables the routing of unicast traffic using DVMRP routes and ask, Why
would I want to route my unicast traffic using DVMRP routing information? To avoid this
confusion, I tell people that whenever they see this command in a configuration, they should
mentally translate it to ip dvmrp exchange-routes because it is basically telling the Cisco
router to send and receive DVMRP routes.

When the ip dvmrp unicast-routing command is configured on a non-tunnel interface

(such as the one shown previously in Figure 13-6), it modifies the PIM-DVMRP
interactions.
Figure 13-8 shows the new modified set of interactions that result when this command is
added.
Figure 13-8 Using ip dvmrp unicast-routing to Solve Interaction Problems
DVMRP DVMRP
Probes Prunes

DVMRP
Reports

DVMRP
Grafts

mrouted

w/Poison
Reverse

DVMRP
Reports
E1

Ignored
DVMRP
Route
Table

E0

Unicast
Route
Table

DVMRP DVMRP
Prunes Grafts

IGMP
Membership
Reports

PIM
Network

The first thing to notice is that the addition of the ip dvmrp unicast-routing command
prevents the sending of IGMP Membership Reports (the IGMP hack). Instead, the Cisco
router is now sending and receiving DVMRP Route Reports with Poison Reverse as
appropriate. (Notice also that the problem with DVMRP Prunes is still there, which means
that it would probably be better to just disable IP multicast from the Ethernet and configure
a DVMRP tunnel between the Cisco and DVMRP routers.)

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Chapter 13: Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Now that the Cisco router is sending DVMRP route information including Poison Reverse
to the DVMRP router (as shown in Figure 13-9), traffic from source Si will flow across the
Ethernet to Border Router A. This results in (S, G) state being created in Router A and a
PIM Register message being sent to the RP as if the source was directly connected to
Router A.
Figure 13-9 Results of Using ip dvmrp unicast-routing to Solve Interaction Problems
Source Si , Group G

mrouted

ip dvmrp
unicast-routing

Poison
Reverse

Border
Router
(pre-11.2(13))

RP

Mcst Table
(S, G)

Mcst Table
(S, G)

Mcst Table
(S, G)

Receiver
Group G
PIM-Sparse
Mode

Accepting/Rejecting DVMRP Neighbors

In some cases, the existence of a DVMRP router on a network interface may cause DVMRP
interoperability to be automatically enabled when it is not desired. Although there is
no interface configuration command to disable the automatic nature of DVMRP
interoperability, it can be accomplished by using a form of the ip dvmrp accept-filter
command to effectively ignore any DVMRP routers on the interface.
For example, assume that a network administrator wants to prevent DVMRP
interoperability from being automatically activated on an Ethernet interface where known
DVMRP routers exist. The router configuration in Example 13-4 accomplishes this goal.
Example 13-4

Non-DVMRP Interoperability Configuration

Interface Ethernet0
ip address 172.36.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip dvmrp accept-filter 0 neighbor-list 10
access-list 10 deny all

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367

Example 13-4 works because the ip dvmrp accept-filter is also applied to any incoming
DVMRP Probe messages before they are processed. Because the access list specified in the
neighbor-list clause in the preceding example is deny all, no DVMRP Probe messages (or
DVMRP Route Reports, for that matter) are accepted on this interface and hence DVMRP
interoperability will not be automatically enabled.

NOTE

The use of access-list 0 in the accept-filter clause in Example 13-4 is an implied accept
any. Because access-list 10 will reject all DVMRP messages, the use of access-list 0 has
no effect and simply avoids the need to define a separate access-list. (The ip dvmrp acceptfilter command is discussed in greater detail in the section Controlling DVMRP Route
Acceptance.)

Rejecting Non-Pruners
Believe it or not, early versions of DVMRP did not support the concept of pruning. This
feature was added in a later version but not until may sites had already implemented the
non-pruning version. As the MBone grew, the lack of DVMRP Pruning was causing a large
amount of bandwidth to be wasted in the MBone. To fix this problem, key Internet
administrators made a collective effort to encourage all sites to migrate to the newer version
of DVMRP that supported pruning. A deadline was proposed that would require all
DVMRP routers to be upgraded to support DVMRP Pruning. Routers that were not
upgraded would have their tunnels disconnected to stop the wasted bandwidth caused by
the lack of DVMRP Pruning support.
To assist with the automation of this task, Cisco implemented a special command to
automatically reject DVMRP routers that were non-Prune as DVMRP neighbor routers.
The format of this command is
ip dvmrp reject-non-pruners

This command instructs the Cisco router not to peer with a DVMRP neighbor on this
interface if the neighbor doesnt support DVMRP Pruning/Grafting. If a DVMRP Probe or
Report message is received without the Prune-Capable flag set, a syslog message is logged
and the DVMRP message is discarded. This command is off by default, and therefore all
DVMRP neighbors are accepted, regardless of capability (or lack thereof).

DVMRP Route Exchanges

Most of the figures in the previous sections on PIM-DVMRP interaction indicate that the
actual unicast routes advertised by the Cisco router to the DVMRP router depend on several
factors. This section covers the various special Cisco configuration commands (frequently

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Chapter 13: Connecting to DVMRP Networks

referred to as nerd knobs by network engineers) that allow the network administrator to
tune the advertisement of DVMRP routes by the Cisco router. These nerd knobs are
discussed in the sections that follow and cover the following:

Advertising connect routes (default behavior)

Classful route summarization
Controlling DVMRP route advertisements

A sample router is used throughout this section to make these topics easier to understand.
As each modification is made to the configuration of the Cisco router in the example, refer
back to this example and see how the modification affects the DVMRP routes being
advertised by the Cisco router.
Figure 13-10 shows this sample network consisting of a Cisco router that has been
configured with a DVMRP tunnel to a DVMRP router. This Cisco router is connected to a
large enterprise network (not shown) via the two interfaces, Ethernet0 and Ethernet1.
Notice also that the DVMRP tunnel has been configured with ip unnumbered Ethernet0,
which causes the tunnel to share the IP address of Ethernet0 as if the 176.32.10.1 address
were its own IP address. This configuration will become important later.
Figure 13-10 Example DVMRP Route Exchange Network

DVMRP Report
151.16.0.0/16, M=6
172.34.15.0/24, M=9
202.13.3.0/24, M=7

interface Tunnel 0
ip unnumbered Ethernet 0

interface E0
ip addr 176.32.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
interface E1
ip addr 176.32.15.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

DVMRP
Tunnel

DVMRP Route Table

Src Network
Intf Metric
151.16.0.0/16
E0
7
172.34.15.0/24 E0
10
202.13.3.0/24
E0
8

Dist
0
0
0

E0

176.32.10.0/24

E1

Unicast Route Table (10,000 Routes)

Network
Intf
Metric
Dist
176.32.10.0/24 E0 10514432 90
176.32.15.0/24 E1 10512012 90
176.32.20.0/24 E1 45106272 90
(Includes 200-176.32 Routes)

176.32.15.0/24

As you can see from the diagram, the design of this rather large enterprise network has
resulted in a unicast routing table of 10,000 entries. Of these 10,000 route entries, 200 are
unsummarized routes in the 176.32.0.0/16 Class B network.

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DVMRP Route Exchanges

NOTE

369

I realize that an enterprise network that results in a route table with 10,000 entries is
probably an indication of a poor design that is suffering from a lack of any significant route
summarization. I hope that you havent had to assume responsibility for the administration
of such a network because it can be a real headache to manage. However, this example
allows us to focus on the effects of various configuration changes on the advertisement of
routes to the DVMRP router.

Continuing with the example, it is clear that the DVMRP router is advertising the following
three routes in the DVMRP network (not shown) to the Cisco router:

151.16.0.0/16

Metric: 6 hops

172.34.15.0/24

Metric: 9 hops

202.13.3.0/24

Metric: 7 hops

The Cisco router stores these DVMRP routes in a separate DVMRP route table for use by
the routers multicast forwarding mechanism to RPF check multicast packets arriving over
the DVMRP tunnel. In addition, the metrics of the DVMRP routes received by the Cisco
router are automatically incremented by a metric offset of 1 hop to reflect the cost of the
link. (This automatic metric offset can also be controlled by using other Cisco configuration
commands if it is desirable to increment incoming DVMRP route metrics by some value
other than 1 hop.)

Advertising Connected Routes (Default Behavior)

By default, a Cisco router advertises only connected unicast routes (that is, only routes to
subnets that are directly connected to the router) from its unicast routing table in DVMRP
Route Reports. Furthermore, these routes undergo normal DVMRP classful route
summarization. This process depends on whether the route being advertised falls into the
same classful network as the interface over which it is being advertised. This topic is
discussed in more detail shortly.
Figure 13-11 shows an example of this default behavior. First, observe that the DVMRP
Report sent by the Cisco router contains the three original routes received from the DVMRP
router that have been Poison Reversed by adding 32 (infinity) to the DVMRP metric.
Following these Poison Reverse routes are the two other routes (shown in shaded text)
that are advertisements for the two directly connected networks, 176.32.10.0/24 and
176.32.15.0/24, that were taken from the unicast routing table. These two routes are
advertised with a DVMRP metric of 1 hop by default. This value can be also be modified
by the use of special Cisco configuration commands.

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Chapter 13: Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Figure 13-11 Only Connected Unicast Routes Are Advertised by Default

DVMRP Report
151.16.0.0/16,
172.34.15.0/24,
202.13.3.0/24,
176.32.10.0/24,
176.32.15.0/24,

M=39
M=42
M=40
M=1
M=1

DVMRP Route Table

Src Network
Intf Metric
151.16.0.0/16
E0
7
172.34.15.0/24 E0
10
202.13.3.0/24
E0
8

interface Tunnel 0
ip unnumbered Ethernet 0

interface E0
ip addr 176.32.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode
interface E1
ip addr 176.32.15.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode

DVMRP
Tunnel

Dist
0
0
0

E0

176.32.10.0/24

E1

Unicast Route Table (10,000 Routes)

Network
Intf
Metric
Dist
176.32.10.0/24 E0 10514432 90
176.32.15.0/24 E1 10512012 90
176.32.20.0/24 E1 45106272 90
(Includes 200-176.32 Routes)

176.32.15.0/24

Again, the important thing to remember is that the default behavior of a Cisco router is to
advertise only connected unicast routes in DVMRP Route Reports. In this case, only the
two Ethernet segments fall into this category and, therefore, only these two entries in the
unicast route table are advertised. As a result, the DVMRP router will be able to Poison
Reverse only these two routes and hence will be able to RPF properly only for multicast
traffic sent by sources on these two Ethernet segments. Any other multicast sources in the
network behind the Cisco router not on these two Ethernet segments will not RPF check
properly on the DVMRP router and will be discarded. (The next few sections describe how
the Cisco router can be configured to advertise something other than just the connected
routes.)

Classful Summarization of DVMRP Routes

As mentioned in the preceding section, Cisco routers perform normal classful
summarization of DVMRP routes. In the example shown in Figure 13-11, the two directly
connected subnets, 176.32.10.0/24 and 176.32.15.0/24, fell into the same Class B network
(176.32.0.0/16) as the tunnel interface. In this case, the DVMRP tunnel shares the same IP
address as Ethernet0, specifically 176.32.10.1. As a result, classful summarization of these
routes was not performed.
Figure 13-12 depicts a new configuration where the IP address of the DVMRP tunnel does
not fall into the same Class B network as the two directly connected subnets:
176.32.10.0/24 and 176.32.15.0/24.

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371

Figure 13-12 Classful Summarization of Unicast Routes

DVMRP Report
151.16.0.0/16,
172.34.15.0/24,
202.13.3.0/24,
176.32.0.0/16,

M=39
M=42
M=40
M=1

DVMRP Route Table

Src Network
Intf Metric
151.16.0.0/16
E0
7
172.34.15.0/24 E0
10
202.13.3.0/24
E0
8

DVMRP
Tunnel
204.10.10.0/24

Dist
0
0
0

E0

176.32.10.0/24

E1

interface Tunnel 0
ip address 204.10.10.1 255.255.255.0

interface E0
ip addr 176.32.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode
interface E1
ip addr 176.32.15.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode

Unicast Route Table (10,000 Routes)

Network
Intf
Metric
Dist
176.32.10.0/24 E0 10514432 90
176.32.15.0/24 E1 10512012 90
176.32.20.0/24 E1 45106272 90
(Includes 200-176.32 Routes)

176.32.15.0/24

In this example, the configuration of Tunnel0 has been modified and given its own IP
address of 204.10.10.1 by the use of the ip address 204.10.10.1 255.255.255.0 command.
As a result, notice that the DVMRP Report now contains only the Class B, summarized
route (shown in shaded text) of the two directly connected networks. This configuration, in
turn, not only allows the DVMRP router to Poison Reverse the entire Class B network but
also allows any incoming multicast traffic from sources in the 176.32.0.0/16 network to
RPF correctly.
This configuration allows the DVMRP router to receive all multicast sources in the
176.32.0.0 network but also uses up additional IP addresses in the 204.10.10.0 range. In
some cases, the use of additional IP address space to address the DVMRP tunnel is not an
option. Obviously, what is needed is some way to force classful summarization to occur
without having to waste additional IP addresses.
Beginning with Cisco IOS version 11.2(5), the following interface command was added:
ip dvmrp summary-address <address> <mask>

This command instructs the Cisco router to advertise the summary address (indicated by
the address/mask pair specified in the command) to be advertised in place of any route that
falls in this address range. In other words, the summary address is sent in a DVMRP Route
Report if the unicast routing table contains at least one route in this range. If the unicast
route table does not contain any routes within this range, the summary address is not
advertised in a DVMRP Report.

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By using this new command, the DVMRP tunnel in the example can still be configured to
share the IP address of Ethernet 0 using the ip unnumbered Ethernet0 command and still
perform route summarization.
Figure 13-13 shows the sample network reconfigured with the ip dvmrp summaryaddress command. The diagram clearly shows that (besides the Poison Reverse routes) the
Cisco router is sending only a single summarized Class B advertisement for network
176.32.0.0/16 from the unicast routing table.
Figure 13-13 Forcing DVMRP Route Summarization (11.2(5))
DVMRP Report
151.16.0.0/16,
172.34.15.0/24,
202.13.3.0/24,
176.32.0.0/16,

M=39
M=42
M=40
M=1

interface Tunnel 0
ip unnumbered Ethernet 0
ip dvmrp summary-address 176.32.0.0 255.255.0.0

DVMRP

Tunnel

DVMRP Route Table

Src Network
Intf Metric
151.16.0.0/16
E0
7
172.34.15.0/24 E0
10
202.13.3.0/24
E0
8

Dist
0
0
0

E0

176.32.10.0/24

E1

Unicast Route Table (10,000 Routes)

Network
Intf
Metric
Dist
176.32.10.0/24 E0 10514432 90
176.32.15.0/24 E1 10512012 90
176.32.20.0/24 E1 45106272 90
(Includes 200-176.32 Routes)

176.32.15.0/24

Controlling DVMRP Route Advertisement

The examples in the two preceding sections have focused on the advertisement and
summarization of the 176.32.10.0/24 and 176.32.15.0/24 connected routes. However, the
network in the example has considerably more than these two routes (or their Class B
summarization of 176.32.0.0/16).
To get the Cisco router to go beyond its default behavior of advertising connected routes
only requires the ip dvmrp metric interface configuration command. This command
specifies which routes in the unicast routing table the router is to advertise in DVMRP
Route Reports on this interface.
The most basic form of the ip dvmrp metric command is
ip dvmrp metric <metric> [list <access-list>]

This command instructs the Cisco router to advertise routes from the unicast route table that
match the qualifying <access-list> as DVMRP routes with a metric of <metric>. It is
important to remember that if the option list <access-list> clause is omitted, all routes in

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373

the unicast routing table are advertised. In some cases, advertising the entire unicast routing
table to the neighboring DVMRP router may be very undesirable, especially when the
unicast routing table contains many routes and no summarization is used to cut down the
number of routes advertised. In some cases, this process not only is undesirable but also can
prove to be deadly to neighboring DVMRP routers.
Figure 13-14 depicts what can happen if the list <access-list> clause is accidentally omitted
from the ip dvmrp metric command. In this example, all 10,000 routes from the unicast
routing table are being advertised in DVMRP Route Reports to the DVMRP router.
Figure 13-14 The Deadly ip dvmrp metric n Command
DVMRP Report
151.16.0.0/16, M=39
172.34.15.0/24, M=42
202.13.3.0/24, M=40
176.32.10.0/24, M=1
176.32.15.0/24, M=1
176.32.20.0/24, M=1
.
.
.
(10,000 Routes!)

interface Tunnel 0
ip unnumbered Ethernet 0
ip dvmrp metric 1

interface E0
ip addr 176.32.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
interface E1
ip addr 176.32.15.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

10,000
Routes!
Choke!

DVMRP

Tunnel

DVMRP Route Table

Src Network
Intf Metric
151.16.0.0/16
172.34.15.0/24
202.13.3.0/24

E0
E0
E0

7
10
8

Dist
0
0
0

E0

176.32.10.0/24

NOTE

E1

Unicast Route Table (10,000 Routes)

Network
Intf
Metric
Dist
176.32.10.0/24 E0 10514432 90
176.32.15.0/24 E1 10512012 90
176.32.20.0/24 E1 45106272 90
(Includes 200-176.32 Routes)

176.32.15.0/24

As the use of multicast in audio and video multimedia sessions grew in popularity, more
and more administrators connected their networks to the MBone. Unfortunately, failure to
supply an access control list (ACL) on the ip dvmrp metric command was a common
mistake. This error resulted in a huge jump in the total number of DVMRP routes being
advertised into the MBone and was often made worse by a lack of any summarization. In
addition, this configuration error often caused other DVMRP route instabilities because
DVMRP route loops were often formed as a result of incorrect route redistribution.

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For most network administrators, the basic form of the ip dvmrp metric command
presented in the previous example (along with an ip dvmrp summary-address command)
is often all that is necessary. Frequently, however, a finer granularity of control over the
DVMRP routes being advertised is necessary. In this case, the ip dvmrp metric command
may be used multiple times on an interface; additional qualifying clauses may also be used.
The complete format of this command is
ip dvmrp metric <metric> [list <access-list>]
{[<protocol> <process-id> | [dvmrp]}

The acceptable <metric> value is between 0 and 32. If a <metric> value of 32 is specified,
the routes (specified by the other clauses) are advertised as having a metric of DVMRP
infinity, which indicates that the route is unreachable. If a <metric> value of 0 is specified,
the routes (specified by the other clauses) are not advertised at all. A value of 0 is
particularly useful when the network administrator wants to block the advertisement of
certain routes that should never be advertised under any condition.
Again, if the list <access-list> clause is specified, only the destinations that match the
access-list will be selected and reported according to the configured metric. The access-list
can be either a simple or an extended access-list. When extended access-lists are used, both
address and netmask granularity may be specified. Any destinations that are not advertised
because of a split horizon do not use the configured metric.
If the <protocol> <process-id> clause is configured, only routes in the unicast routing
table that were learned by the specified routing protocol will be selected and reported
according to the configured metric. This parameter can be used with the list <access-list>
clause so a selective list of destinations learned from a given routing protocol may be
selected.
Finally, if the dvmrp keyword is specified, only routes from the DVMRP routing table will
be selected and reported according to the configured metric.
Example 13-5 is a sample of the ip dvmrp metric command being used multiple times and
with various options.
Example 13-5

ip dvmrp metric Command Options

ip dvmrp metric 1 list 10
ip dvmrp metric 2 ospf 1
ip dvmrp metric 0 dvmrp
access-list 10 permit 172.36.0.0 0.0.255.255

In this example, the first command specifies that any routes that fall in the range of
172.36.0.0172.36.255.255 should be advertised with a DVMRP metric of 1. The second
command specifies that any route in the unicast routing table learned by the Open Shortest
Path First (OSPF) routing protocol (with a process ID of 1) should be advertised with a
DVMRP metric of 2. Finally, the third command specifies that any routes that are learned
via DVMRP (and hence reside in the DVMRP routing table) should not be advertised.

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375

The ip dvmrp metric 0 dvmrp form of this command can also be used to prevent a PIM
network from inadvertently becoming a transient network when it is multihomed to a
DVMRP network.
Figure 13-15 shows an example of a PIM network that is multihomed to a DVMRP
network. By configuring the ip dvmrp metric 0 dvmrp command on both DVMRP
tunnels, DVMRP routes learned from one DVMRP router will not be advertised again to
the other DVMRP router. This prevents multicast traffic sent by sources in the DVMRP
cloud from flowing through the Cisco router and back into the DVMRP cloud.
Figure 13-15 Avoiding Becoming a DVMRP Transient Network

DVMRP Cloud
DVMRP

DVMRP

ip dvmrp metric 0 dvmrp

ip dvmrp metric 0 dvmrp

PIM Cloud

Disabling Automatic Classful Summarization

Earlier in the chapter, it was implied that classful summarization of DVMRP routing
information is always the desired behavior; in fact, classful summarization may not always
be the desired behavior. In some special cases providing the neighboring DVMRP router
with all subnet information enables the network administrator to better control the flow of
multicast traffic in the DVMRP network. One such case might occur if the PIM network is
connected to the DVMRP cloud at several points and more specific (that is, unsummarized)
routes are being injected into the DVMRP network to advertise better paths to individual
subnets inside the PIM cloud.
Prior to IOS release 11.2(5), the network administrator had no control over the automatic
classful summarization mechanism in cases such as the example shown in Figure 13-12 and
could not disable this feature. However, beginning with IOS release 11.2(5), the following
interface configuration command provides control over this mechanism:
[no] ip dvmrp auto-summary

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By default, this command is in effect and is not displayed in the Cisco interface
configuration. Only if the no ip dvmrp auto-summary form is configured does the
command appear in the configuration on the interface.
As an example, assume the network administrator wishes to advertise all 200 of the
176.32.0.0 subnets from the unicast routing table to the DVMRP router using the
configuration shown in Figure 13-16. Notice that instead of advertising all 200 of the
176.32.0.0 subnets, the automatic classful summarization mechanism has resulted in only
a single summarized route being advertised.
Figure 13-16 Unwanted Classful Summarization
interface Tunnel 0
ip address 204.10.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip dvmrp metric 1 list 10

interface E0
ip addr 176.32.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
interface E1
ip addr 176.32.15.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

DVMRP Report
151.16.0.0/16, M=39
172.34.15.0/24, M=42
202.13.3.0/24, M=40
176.32.0.0/16, M=1

mrouted

access-list 10 permit 176.32.0.0 0.0.225.225

Tunnel

DVMRP Route Table

Src Network
Intf Metric
151.16.0.0/16
E0
7
172.34.15.0/24 E0
10
202.13.3.0/24
E0
8

Dist
0
0
0

E0

176.32.10.0/24

E1

Unicast Route Table (10,000 Routes)

Network
Intf
Metric
Dist
176.32.10.0/24 E0 10514432 90
176.32.15.0/24 E1 10512012 90
176.32.20.0/24 E1 45106272 90
(Includes 200-176.32 Routes)

176.32.15.0/24

Figure 13-17 shows the effects of the use of the no ip dvmrp auto-summary command
(shown in boldface on the figure). Now, all two hundred 176.32.0.0 subnets are being
advertised to the DVMRP router as the network administrator had desired.

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Figure 13-17 Disabling DVMRP Auto-Summarization

interface Tunnel 0
ip address 204.10.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip dvmrp metric 1 list 10
no dvmrp auto-summary

interface E0
ip addr 176.32.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
interface E1
ip addr 176.32.15.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense-mode

DVMRP Report
151.16.0.0/16, M=39
172.34.15.0/24, M=42
202.13.3.0/24, M=40
176.32.10.0/24, M=1
176.32.15.0/24, M=1
176.32.20.0/24, M=1
.
.
.
(200 176.32 Routes!)

access-list 10 permit 176.32.0.0 0.0.255.255

mrouted
Tunnel

DVMRP Route Table

Src Network
Intf Metric
151.16.0.0/16
172.34.15.0/24
202.13.3.0/24

E0
E0
E0

7
10
8

Dist
0
0
0

E0

176.32.10.0/24

NOTE

E1

Unicast Route Table (10,000 Routes)

Intf
Metric
Dist
Network
176.32.10.0/24 E0 10514432 90
176.32.15.0/24 E1 10512012 90
176.32.20.0/24 E1 45106272 90
(Includes 200-176.32 Routes)

176.32.15.0/24

Disabling summarization is normally not desirable, particularly if there is only a single

connect between the DVMRP and PIM networks as shown in Figure 13-17. However, if the
PIM network is connected to the DVMRP network at multiple points (separated by some
distance), injecting more specific routes into the DVMRP network at each connection point
might be desirable. This would provide for more efficient routing of multicast traffic
flowing from the PIM network to the DVMRP network.

Pacing DVMRP Route Reports

When it came time to send the periodic DVMRP Route Reports, early versions of IOS
would simply send the DVMRP Report packets all at once. If the number of DVMRP routes
being advertised was quite large (as might be the case at a core router in the MBone), the
number of DVMRP Report packets needed to send all the routes could be rather large. This
would result in a huge burst of DVMRP Report packets being sent at the start of the

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DVMRP Report interval. Unfortunately, many DVMRP routers (especially those consisting
of a small UNIX workstation running the mrouted process) could not buffer this huge burst
of incoming packets, and some DVMRP Reports were dropped. Route instabilities in the
DVMRP network could occur as routes timed out and went into holddown.
To avoid this problem (and better comply with the DVMRP specification, which says these
packets should be spread out over the entire DVMRP Report period), the following
configuration command was added to Cisco IOS in version 11.2(5):
ip dvmrp output-report-delay <delay-time> [<burst>]

This command configures an interpacket delay between DVMRP Route Reports. The
<delay-time> value (specified in milliseconds) is the amount of time that the router waits
between the transmission a set of <burst> number of report packets. For example, assume
that <delay-time> is specified as 200 with a <burst> of 2. At the periodic DVMRP Report
interval, if six packets must be built to send all reports, two packets are sent, a delay of 200
milliseconds occurs, and then two more packets are sent. This process continues until all
report packets have been sent. If the ip dvmrp output-report-delay command is not
configured (on IOS versions after 11.2(5)), a default <burst> size of 2 and a <delay-time>
of 100 milliseconds is assumed.

Advertising the DVMRP Default Route

Occasionally, a network administrator may wish to have the Cisco router advertise the
DVMRP default route (network 0.0.0.0) to the DVMRP neighbors on an interface. The
DVMRP default route functions in the same way as a unicast default route. That is, it is a
wildcard route that matches any network not matched by a more specific route. However,
in this case, the DVMRP default route computes the RPF information for any multicast
sources that dont match a more specific route.
Advertising the DVMRP default route may be accomplished by the use of the ip dvmrp
default-information interface command, which has the following format:
ip dvmrp default-information {originate | only}

This command causes the DVMRP default route (network 0.0.0.0) to be advertised to
DVMRP neighbors on this interface. When the keyword only is used, only the DVMRP
default route is advertised on the interface. All other DVMRP routes are suppressed and are
not advertised on the interface. When the keyword originate is used, other more specific
DVMRP routes will be advertised (depending on the normal DVMRP advertisement rules)
in addition to the DVMRP default route.

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379

Controlling DVMRP Route Acceptance

Up to this point, the discussion of DVMRP Route Report control has considered the
sending of DVMRP Route Reports. Cisco IOS also provides control over the receiving of
DVMRP Route Reports through the use of the ip dvmrp accept-filter command, which has
the following format:
ip dvmrp accept-filter <access-list> [neighbor-list <neighbor-acl>]
[<distance>]

This command configures an acceptance filter for incoming DVMRP Route Reports on the
interface. Any routes received in DVMRP Reports from neighbors that match the optional
<neighbor-acl> and that also match the <access-list> are stored in the DVMRP routing
table. If the <distance> value is specified in the command, the routes are stored in the
DVMRP route table with their Administrative Distance (which is often just referred to
simply as distance) set to <distance>.
If the optional neighbor-list clause is not specified, the <access-list> is applied to routes
received from any DVMRP neighbor. In addition, if the <distance> value is not specified,
the accepted routes are stored with their distance set to the default DVMRP distance (which
is normally 0 unless modified by the ip dvmrp distance global command).
The ip dvmrp accept-filter command is often used to avoid DVMRP route loops that can
be introduced when more than one connection exists between the PIM network and the
DVMRP network. In some cases, unicast routes from the PIM network can be injected into
the DVMRP cloud as DVMRP routes. These routes may reenter the PIM network at the
other PIM-DVMRP connection as DVMRP routes, which have a better distance than the
original unicast routes. This could cause the PIM border routers to RPF incorrectly to the
DVMRP networks for sources that actually reside inside the PIM network.

NOTE

The Administrative Distance of a route in the DVMRP routing table is compared to the
Administrative Distance of the same route in the unicast routing table. The route with the
lower Administrative Distance (taken either from the unicast routing table or from the
DVMRP routing table) takes precedence when computing the RPF interface for a source of
a multicast packet. If both Administrative Distances are equal, the DVMRP route is preferred.

Adjusting the Default DVMRP Distance

As discussed in the preceding section, Cisco routers assign a default distance of 0 to all
routes in the DVMRP route table. However, the ip dvmrp accept-filter command can be
used to override the default distance of 0 when it is desirable to use some other distance
value as the default for DVMRP routes. DVMRP routes that match the access-list specified
in the ip dvmrp accept-filter command are assigned the distance value specified by the
optional <distance> value.

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The 11.2 version of IOS introduced a command that modifies the default DVMRP distance
to some value other than 0. The format of this global configuration command is
ip dvmrp distance <admin-distance>

This command instructs the Cisco router to set the default Administrative Distance for all
received DVMRP routes to <admin-distance> instead of 0. (The ip dvmrp accept-filter
command may override this value when specified on an interface.)
Tuning the Administrative Distance of DVMRP routes affects not only the RPF calculation
on incoming multicast traffic but also the advertisement of DVMRP routes to other
DVMRP routers. For example, setting the Administrative Distance of the DVMRP routes
higher than the Administrative Distance of the unicast routes causes the original unicast
routes to continue to be advertised using their appropriate DVMRP metric. On the other
hand, if the Administrative Distance of the DVMRP routes is left at 0 and hence those routes
are preferred over the unicast routes, the DVMRP routes and their received DVMRP
metrics (suitably incremented) will be reflected back to other DVMRP neighbors.

Offsetting DVMRP Metrics

In networks where DVMRP routes are used extensively, it is sometimes desirable to
artificially manipulate DVMRP routing metrics to achieve the desired flow of traffic. On
Cisco routers, this may be accomplished via the use of the ip dvmrp metric-offset interface
command. The full format of this command is as follows:
ip dvmrp metric-offset [in | out] <increment>

This command instructs the Cisco router to add the value of <increment> to the metric of
an incoming or outgoing DVMRP route advertisement. When the in (or no keyword) is
supplied), the <increment> is added to incoming DVMRP Reports. (This value is also
reported in replies to mrinfo requests.) When the out keyword is supplied, the <increment>
is added to outgoing DVMRP Reports for routes from the DVMRP routing table. This is
similar to the metric keyword in mrouted configuration files used on UNIX workstations
that are functioning as DVMRP routers. If the ip dvmrp metric-offset command is not
configured on an interface, the default increment value for incoming routes is 1 and the
default increment value for outgoing routes is 0.

Special MBone Features

As the size of the MBone grew, the number of DVMRP routes being advertised began to
grow exponentially. Because DVMRP is a periodic update, distance vector protocol, this
exponential growth began to affect the overall performance of the MBone. In some cases,
misconfiguration of key routers resulted in enormous spikes in the number of DVMRP
routes being advertised, which often precipitated serious throughput problems.

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381

In an attempt to provide some extra bulletproofing against sudden spikes of bogus routes
being injected into the MBone, Cisco added two new features that are automatically
configured whenever ip multicast-routing is configured on a router. These two features are

DVMRP route limits

DVMRP route-hog Notification

DVMRP Route Limits

As more and more network administrators connected their networks to the MBone, the
frequency of Cisco routers being misconfigured with ip dvmrp metric commands without an access-list to limit the routes injected into the MBone rose dramatically. This
configuration error was sometimes compounded by the fact the Cisco routers injecting their
entire unicast route table were running External Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and had
a unicast routing table that consisted of every route prefix in the Internet, which was about
45,000 route prefixes. Of course, normal DVMRP classful summarization would reduce
this number somewhat, but the end result was still the same: MBone meltdown. (MBone
meltdown was a vivid reminder that DVMRP would have to be phased out at some point
and a new method found to distribute multicast routing information into the Internet.
Fortunately, BGP4+sometimes called Multicast BGP (MBGP)appears to be capable
of taking over this task.)
As a result of an increasing number of misconfiguration incidents, the ip dvmrp routelimit command was added by Cisco in IOS release 11.0. As of this release, all Cisco routers
automatically configure this command whenever ip multicast-routing is enabled.
The format of this global configuration command is
ip dvmrp route-limit <route-count>

This command instructs the Cisco router to limit the number of DVMRP routes advertised
over an interface to <route-count> and effectively limits the number of routes that can be
injected into a DVMRP cloud. The default <route-count> value, 7000, is entered when the
router auto-configures this command. However, this value can be modified as desired. The
no version of this command removes the route limit and allows any number of DVMRP
routes to be advertised.

DVMRP Route-Hog Notification

Although the use of automatic DVMRP route limits prevents network administrators from
accidentally injecting too many routes into a DVMRP network, it would also be nice if
administrators could receive proactive notification when some other network was injecting
too many routes.

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A command introduced in IOS release 10.2 provides this proactive notification. Beginning
with this release, the ip routehog-notification command is automatically configured on the
router whenever ip multicast-routing is enabled.
The format of this global configuration command is
ip dvmrp routehog-notification <route-count>

This command configures a threshold value of <route-count> number of routes that the
Cisco router can receive on an interface within an approximate 1-minute interval. If this
threshold is exceeded, a syslog message warns that a route surge may be occurring within
the MBone. This syslog message is typically used to quickly detect when someone has
misconfigured a router to inject a large number of routes into the MBone. The Cisco router
automatically configures the default value of 10,000 routes whenever ip multicast-routing
is enabled. However, this value may be adjusted by specifically configuring a different
value. (This feature may also be disabled by specifically configuring the no form of this
command.)

NOTE

A running count of the number of DVMRP routes received on an interface during a 1minute interval may be displayed by using the show ip igmp interface command. When
the route-hog notification threshold is being exceeded, an *** ALERT *** string is
appended to the line.

PIM-DVMRP Boundary Issues

So far, this chapter has primarily been concerned with the details of the interactions and
route exchanges that take place between a DVMRP network and a PIM network at the
border router. However, more than just configuring the border router to interoperate and
exchange DVMRP routes with its DVMRP neighbor must be considered when
interconnecting PIM and DVMRP networks.
Frequently, the mere act of creating a DVMRP tunnel into the PIM network can create RPF
problems in the routers inside the PIM network for multicast traffic that originated in the
DVMRP cloud. By default, PIM routers make use of their unicast routing table to perform
RPF calculations. As a result, the arrival of multicast traffic from outside the network via a
DVMRP tunnel at some arbitrary point in the PIM network introduces a unicast-multicast
congruency issue.
In addition, the basic nature of the tree-building mechanisms in PIM-SM and DVMRP are
diametrically opposed. Specifically, the dense mode behavior of DVMRP uses a push
methodology in which traffic is pushed out to all points in the network and then pruned back
where it is not wanted. On the other hand, PIM-SM uses a pull methodology in which traffic
is pulled down to only those points in the network where the traffic has been expressly
requested. (This problem between PIM-SM and DVMRP is not a unique situation. In fact,

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it exists any time two networks, one using a sparse mode protocol and the other a dense
mode protocol, are interconnected. This includes PIM-SM to PIM-DM network
interconnections as well.)
In the sections that follow, the unicast-multicast congruency and the PIM-SM boundary
problems are explored in detail. In both cases, several examples along with possible
solutions and their side effects are presented.

Unicast-Multicast Congruency
The introduction of a separate DVMRP routing table in the Cisco router opens another
source of RPF check data to the multicast forwarding algorithm in addition to the normal
source, which is the unicast routing table. This can result in incongruent multicast and
unicast network topologies. (This Ph.D. talk simply means that unicast and multicast traffic
flows via different paths through the network.) Although this incongruency is sometimes
intentional, quite often it is not and can cause RPF failures at other points in the network.
Consider for a moment the network hierarchy shown in Figure 13-18.
Figure 13-18 DVMRP Tunnel Problem
ISP

Source S

DVMRP
RPF Direction (Unicast)
RPF Direction (DVMRP)

DVMRP
Tunnel

Multicast Traffic

In this example, a tunnel has been run to a DVMRP router somewhere in the ISPs network
to obtain multicast traffic from sources in the Internet. However, instead of terminating the
DVMRP tunnel on the Internet access router (Router A), the tunnel has been terminated on
a less critical router further down the hierarchy (Router C). This happens quite often
because network administrators are typically loath to introduce configuration changes to
the crucial Internet access router that is providing the networks Internet connectivity.
Notice that traffic from multicast Source S is flowing down the DVMRP tunnel to Router C.
Because Router C is receiving DVMRP routes from the DVMRP router via the tunnel, it

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uses this information to compute its RPF direction (shown by the thin solid arrow) for
Source S. Because the RPF information correctly points up the tunnel, Router C forwards
the multicast traffic to the other routers in the network. However, these routers do not have
any DVMRP routing information and therefore default to using their unicast routing table
to compute their RPF direction (shown by the dashed, thin arrows) for Source S.
Unfortunately, multicast traffic from Source S is arriving on the wrong interface at these
routers and is therefore dropped because of the RPF check failure.
This is a classic example of incongruent multicast and unicast networks. Only hosts directly
attached to Router C in this example are able to receive multicast traffic from Source S.
All other hosts in the network are unable to receive this traffic.

Solution 1: Making the Networks Congruent

The best solution to this problem is to make the unicast and multicast networks congruent
by moving the endpoint of the tunnel to Router A, as shown in Figure 13-19.
Figure 13-19 Solution 1: Terminate Tunnel at Top of Hierarchy
ISP

DVMRP
DVMRP
Tunnel

RPF Direction (Unicast)

RPF Direction (DVMRP)
Multicast Traffic

Terminating the tunnel at the very top of the hierarchy (where the network connects to the
Internet or other outside network) forces the topologies to be physically congruent. Observe
that Routers B, C, and D still compute their RPF information by using the unicast routing
information (shown by the dashed arrows) for multicast traffic from sources outside the
network. However, now that the multicast traffic is flowing along the same path as unicast
traffic (shown by the solid arrows), the RPF checks succeed and traffic is forwarded farther
down the hierarchy.

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Solution 2: Using DVMRP Routes

The obvious down side to solution 1 is that it was necessary to modify the configuration of
Router A. If one of the goals is to (at least initially) avoid making changes to Router As
configuration and to keep it out of the multicast forwarding business, then this solution is
not acceptable (even though it is often the best solution in the long run). Therefore, another
solution must be found that avoids the RPF problem of physically incongruent networks.
One way to avoid physically incongruent networks is to provide Routers B, C, and D with
DVMRP routing information so that they can compute their RPF interfaces (for multicast
traffic from sources outside of the network) using DVMRP routes instead of unicast routes.
This can be accomplished by enabling ip dvmrp unicast-routing on all interconnecting
links between Routers A, B, C, and D.
Adding the ip dvmrp unicast-routing command to the on the interfaces on Router C
instructs the router to begin exchanging DVMRP Route Reports on these interfaces. This
step, in turn, causes the DVMRP routes that were learned via the DVMRP tunnel to be
advertised to Routers A, B, and D. If the ip dvmrp unicast-routing command is also added
to the same set of interfaces on these routers, they will begin accepting the DVMRP routes
and using those routes to compute RPF information for multicast sources outside the
network.
Figure 13-20 shows what happens when ip dvmrp unicast-routing is enabled on all the
links between Routers A, B, C, and D. Notice that Routers A, B, and D are now computing
their RPF information using DVMRP routes (shown by the thin solid arrows) and will now
accept and forward this traffic to other parts of the network.
Figure 13-20 Solution 2: Use ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ISP

Source S

DVMRP
RPF Direction (Unicast)
RPF Direction (DVMRP)

DVMRP
Tunnel

ip dvmrp
unicast-routing

ip dvmrp
unicast-routing

Multicast Traffic

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The one potential problem with simply adding ip dvmrp unicast-routing to the interfaces
between these routers is that, according to the DVMRP interaction rules described earlier,
each router will also advertise a subset of its unicast routing table in DVMRP Route
Reports. This causes Routers A, B, C, and D to have routes for networks not only outside
the local domain in the DVMRP route table but also inside the local domain. Because
DVMRP routes are preferred over unicast routes for multicast RPF checking, this condition
is likely to cause RPF failures on these routers for multicast traffic from sources inside the
network.
Figure 13-21 shows what can happen if unicast-to-DVMRP redistribution occurs inside the
network.
Figure 13-21 DVMRP Route Redistribution Problem
RPF Direction (Unicast)
RPF Direction (DVMRP)
Multicast Traffic
ip dvmrp unicast-routing
S0

S0

S2

S1
C

S1

S3

S3
S2

Subnet X

In this example, Routers C and D are exchanging DVMRP routes with each other, using the
rules described earlier in this chapter. This includes sending a DVMRP Route Report with
an advertisement for subnet X with a default DVMRP metric of 1. Now, both Routers C and
D have entries in their DVMRP and unicast routing tables for subnet X, which results in
RPF information as shown in the thin arrows. However, because the DVMRP routes have
a smaller administrative distance than the unicast routes have, the DVMRP routes are
preferred and Routers C and D will RPF in the direction shown by the thin solid arrows in
Figure 13-21. This causes any multicast traffic from sources in subnet X to RPF fail at
Routers C and D.
The solution to this problem is to prevent the routers from redistributing any routes from
their unicast routing table to each other. This type of route redistribution can be prevented
by using the appropriate ACLs on ip dvmrp metric commands. For example, if the routing

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protocol used inside the network is OSPF, the configuration in Example 13-6 can be used
on Routers C and D to prevent unicast-to-DVRMP redistribution.
Example 13-6

Preventing Unicast-to-DVMRP Redistribution

interface Serial1
ip address x.x.x.x y.y.y.y
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip dvmrp metric 0 ospf 1

In the preceding configuration excerpt, the ip dvmrp metric 0 ospf 1 command instructs
the router to not advertise in the unicast routing table any route learned by OSPF in
DVMRP Route Reports. However, any routes that are in the DVMRP routing table are
advertised. The result is that only those routes learned from outside the network via the
DVMRP tunnel will be in the DVMRP route table in Routers C and D.

PIM Sparse Mode Issues

Special problems occur any time a network that uses a sparse mode protocol is connected
with a network that uses a dense mode protocol. The reason is that sparse mode protocols
(for example, PIM-SM and CBT) rely on a pull type of mechanism to get the multicast
traffic to members, whereas dense mode protocols (for example PIM-DM and DVMRP)
use a push type of mechanism.
Figure 13-22 shows a PIM-SM network that is connected to a DVMRP network through
Border Router A and a DVMRP tunnel. In this example, the PIM-SM has an active source
for Group G, whereas the DVMRP network has a receive-only member for Group G.
Figure 13-22 Problem: Receive-Only Hosts in DVMRP Cloud
Recv-Only Host, Group G

mrouted

Tunnel0

RP

Border
Router
A

Mcst Table
NULL

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)

Source S1
Group G

PIM-Sparse
Mode

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Assuming that the Border Router is not the RP for the group and that it has no directly
connected members for Group G, it will not have joined the shared tree. Therefore, traffic
from Source S will not make it to the Border Router A, will not be flooded over the tunnel
to the DVMRP router, and will not be received by the receive-only host in the DVMRP
network.

Solution 1: Terminate Tunnel on RP

Again, the simplest solution to this problem is to move the tunnel endpoint so that the
Border Router and the RP are one in the same.
Figure 13-23 shows an example of this solution. Moving the tunnel to the RP guarantees
that any traffic from any source in the PIM network will reach the RP and be flooded over
the tunnel to the DVMRP router by default.
Figure 13-23 Solution 1: Terminate Tunnel on RP
Recv-Only Host, Group G

DVMRP

Border
Router

Tunnel0

RP

Mcst Table
NULL

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)

Source S1
Group G

PIM-Sparse
Mode

Unfortunately, this solution is not always possible, as is the case when the PIM network is
multihomed to the DVMRP network or when a backup RP is in use.

Solution 2: Receiver-Is-Sender Hack

The next solution to this problem is commonly used by networks that tunnel to the older,
DVMRP-based MBone network and is based on the assumption that all receivers are
senders and vice versa.

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Figure 13-24 shows this solution in operation. Because the host in the DVMRP cloud is also
a sender, multicast state is created in the Border Router, which (because it is a PIMDVMRP Border Router) causes the router to join the shared tree for the group.
Figure 13-24 Solution 2: Receiver-Is-Sender Hack
Host, Group G (Send & Rcvr)

DVMRP
Border
Router
Tunnel0

RP

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)
(S2, G)

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)
(S2, G)

(S2, G)

Source S1
Group G

PIM-Sparse
Mode

This solution has been used successfully in the past when the lions share of multicast traffic
was based on multimedia conferencing application where every participant in the multicast
session transmitted Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) packets to the group.
However, as more multicast applications are developed, this assumption is not always valid
because not all receivers are senders.

Solution 3: Use of Dense Mode Border Network

The last solution to this problem is to extend the dense mode behavior of the DVMRP
network all the way to the RP (or RPs) by configuring PIM-DM on all interfaces along all
paths between the RP and the Border Router.
Figure 13-25 shows an example of this solution. Notice that the configurations of Router A
and the RP have been modified from the initial network so that ip pim dense-mode is
configured on the link between them. This causes multicast traffic that reaches the RP to be
flooded (using PIM-DM operation) over this link to Router A, which, in turn, floods the
traffic to the DVMRP router.

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Chapter 13: Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Figure 13-25 Solution 3: Use Dense Mode Between Border and RP

Recv-Only Host, Group G

DVMRP
Border
Router

ip pim dense-mode
RP

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)
(S2, G)

Mcst Table
(*, G)
(S1, G)
(S2, G)

(S2, G)

Source S1
Group G

PIM-Sparse
Mode

The problem with this solution should be obvious. If the Border Router and the RP are
several hops away, the size of the PIM-DM cloud will be large and network efficiency may
suffer. Obviously, careful network design should keep this distance small, but sometimes
maintaining such a distance is difficult, for example, when a backup RP is utilized in case
of a failure of the primary RP, Router B. For the network to continue forwarding multicast
traffic to the DVMRP network, this backup RP must also be connected to the Border Router
via PIM-DM interfaces. If the backup RP is adjacent to the primary RP (Router B), then
this connection can be accomplished easily. However, if the backup RP is geographically
quite far away from the primary RP, it may be necessary to use a generic routing
encapsulation (GRE) tunnel to logically reduce the number of hops between the Border
Router and the backup RP.

DVMRP Network Connection Examples

This section presents some detailed examples of PIM-DVMRP interconnections under a
variety of conditions that include single and multihomed DVMRP connections for both
PIM-DM and PIM-SM networks. Although the examples are based on connections to the
Internets old DVMRP-based MBone, they can be applied to general PIM-DVMRP
network interconnections.

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NOTE

391

When this book was written, several large first-tier Internet service providers (ISPs) had
already switched their core multicast networks from a DVMRP-based network to a new,
native, multicast network based on PIM-SM, MBGP, and a new protocol, Multicast Source
Discovery Protocol (MSDP). As more ISPs make this switch, the dependence on DVMRP
to route multicast in the Internet will disappear. Therefore, network administrators who
want to obtain multicast connectivity to the Internet should begin making plans to use these
newer protocols in lieu of DVMRP tunnels.

Physically Congruent Networks

The issues of unicast and multicast networks that are not physically congruent (theres that
fancy word again) were addressed at some length. However, in an attempt to provide a
complete coverage of the various forms of PIM-DVMRP interconnectivity, a few examples
are also provided here.
Figure 13-26 shows a single-homed, physically congruent network (that is, unicast and
multicast traffic flow the same path in and out of the network). This configuration has the
DVMRP tunnel terminating on the ISP Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) router
(the router that connects the customers network to the ISPs network) thereby making the
network congruent.
Figure 13-26 Physically CongruentSingle Homed
ISP

DVMRP

Border Router = RP (Sparse Mode)

Tunnel0

RP

Site

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This example is the simplest form of connectivity and can be used for either PIM-DM
or PIM-SM networks. (In the case of PIM-SM, the RP, the CPE router, and the router
terminating the DVMRP tunnel must be the same router.)
Unfortunately, this configuration does not provide any redundancy should the CPE router
fail and is often unacceptable when unicast and multicast Internet connectivity must be
maintained.
Figure 13-27 shows a slightly more complex example of a physically congruent, PIM-DM
network that is multihomed to the Internet. In this drawing, two separate ISP CPE routers
(A and B) are used (often connected to different ISPs for better redundancy), each with a
DVMRP tunnel to a DVMRP router somewhere in the ISPs network.
Figure 13-27 Dense Mode: Multihomed
ISP

DVMRP

ISP

DVMRP

Tunnel0

Tunnel0

Site

ip dvmrp unicast-routing

Notice that a separate network connects CPE Routers A and B and that ip dvmrp unicastrouting has been enabled on this network so that the two routers will exchange DVMRP
routes learned through their separate ISPs. This is necessary because the Internets unicast
and multicast networks are frequently not congruent. Consequently, multicast traffic from
a source in the Internet can arrive at one CPE router via the other CPE router by way of the
DVMRP tunnel.
For example, assume the normal flow of multicast traffic from a particular source in the
Internet into the customer network is via CPE Router B. This traffic is then flooded to CPE
Router A via the interconnecting link. Without the exchange of DVMRP information
(learned via their respectively DVMRP tunnels), Router A would most likely compute the

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393

RPF interface to the source as its own DVMRP tunnel and would therefore drop this
multicast traffic because of an RPF failure. Furthermore, without the exchange of DVMRP
routing information between the CPE routers, both CPE routers would Poison Reverse
every DVMRP route they received from their DVMRP neighbor at the other end of the
tunnel. This behavior would very likely result in duplicate streams of multicast traffic
entering the network from every source in the Internet.
Figure 13-28 shows the same network, but this time, instead of PIM-DM, PIM-SM with
primary and secondary RPs is in use. The configuration for this network variation is
basically identical to the PIM-DM example shown in Figure 13-27 with one minor
exception: The interconnecting network between the CPE routers must be configured with
ip pim dense-mode. The reason was outlined in solution 3 of the section PIM Sparse
Mode, which discussed the use of dense mode between the active RP and the Border
Router.
Figure 13-28 Sparse Mode: Multihomed
ISP

DVMRP

RP1

ISP

DVMRP

Tunnel0

Tunnel0

RP2

Site

ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip pim dense-mode

RP1 = Primary RP
RP2 = Backup RP

Just exactly why this situation is applicable may not be readily apparent at first glance.
Consider the situation where multicast traffic from some source in the Internet is arriving
at CPE Router B, which is the backup RP and is therefore not currently acting as the RP for
the network. This results in the sparse mode boundary situation described previously and
requires the use of dense mode to flood the arriving traffic to CPE Router A so the traffic
can be forwarded down the shared tree to any active members for the group.

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NOTE

Chapter 13: Connecting to DVMRP Networks

Note that the previous two network examples used an Ethernet segment as the interconnecting network between the two CPE routers. In reality, these two routers are often
geographically very far apart, say, in Los Angles and New York, and not on a local Ethernet
segment. In this case, it may be necessary to configure a GRE tunnel running in dense mode
between these two routers to logically construct the preceding topology.

Separate MBone Router

Keeping the unicast and multicast networks congruent when connecting to the Internet may
not always be possible for a number of reasons. The most common is that, at least initially,
many network administrators do not wish to make significant changes to the CPE routers
responsible for their Internet connection. Instead, it is often preferable to use a separate
router to make the connection to the MBone. Therefore, the remainder of this section
presents some sample network configurations that use a separate router for the DVMRP
tunnel connection(s).
Figure 13-29 shows an example of a single, separate router being used to connect a PIMDM network to the MBone via a DVMRP tunnel. The network configuration also shows
how optional, multihomed connectivity may be achieved to provide additional redundancy
by terminating a second DVMRP tunnel to a different DVMRP router (potentially located
in a different ISPs network).
Figure 13-29 Dense Mode: Single MBone Router
Optional
ISP

DVMRP

Tunnel0

ISP

DVMRP

Tunnel1

ip dvmrp unicast-routing

Site

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395

In this network configuration, the MBone router, Router C, is connected to the CPE Routers
A and B. Although the diagram shows an Ethernet segment to make the connections from
Router C to Routers A and B, these connections could also be accomplished via two pointto-point links. Again, ip dvmrp unicast-routing must be used on these links to redistribute
the DVMRP routes received via the DVMRP tunnel(s) by Router C in order for Routers A
and B to RPF correctly for multicast traffic from sources in the Internet. If this DVMRP
routing information is not redistributed to Routers A and B, they would use their unicast
routing table and select the interface that connects them to their ISP as the RPF interface
for multicast sources in the Internet. This behavior would result in RPF failures and traffic
from these sources would not be forwarded into the customers network.
Figure 13-30 shows the same network configuration but using PIM-SM, instead of PIMDM. This configuration is basically identical to the example shown in Figure 13-29 except
that the link(s) from Router C to Routers A and B must also have ip pim dense-mode
enabled so that traffic is flooded to both the primary and backup RPs, Routers A and B,
respectively.
Figure 13-30 Sparse Mode: Single MBone Router
Optional
ISP

DVMRP

RP1

Tunnel0

ISP

DVMRP

Tunnel1

ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip pim dense-mode

RP2

Site

RP1 = Primary RP
RP2 = Backup RP

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Although the preceding two examples provide a certain amount of redundancy for the
delivery of multicast traffic from the Internet, a single point of failure still exists. If Router
C were to fail, all multicast traffic would cease to flow into or out of the network.
To provide even more redundancy, two MBone routers (Routers C and D) can be used, each
with its own DVMRP tunnel as shown in Figure 13-31. The PIM-DM configuration in this
example functions identically to the configuration in Figure 13-29. The only difference is
that two separate routers are used for added redundancy.
Figure 13-31 Dense Mode: Dual Redundant MBone Routers
ISP

DVMRP

Tunnel0

ISP

DVMRP

Tunnel0

Site

ip dvmrp unicast-routing

The same approach can be used for a PIM-SM network as shown in the configuration
depicted in Figure 13-32. This configuration is also identical to its single router configuration shown in Figure 13-30 and must also have ip pim dense-mode enabled on the links
between Routers A, B, C, and D.

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397

Figure 13-32 Sparse Mode: Dual Redundant MBone Routers

ISP

DVMRP

RP1

Tunnel0

Tunnel0

ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip pim dense-mode

NOTE

ISP

DVMRP

RP2

Site

RP1 = Primary RP
RP2 = Backup RP

In some cases, it may not be possible to use a multi-access network, such as an Ethernet, to
interconnect routers A, B, C, and D in the previous two examples (say, if Routers A and C
are connected to an ISP in Dallas while Routers B and D, located in Chicago, are connected
to a different ISP). In this case, the following set of individual point-to-point links would
have to be used: link C-A, link C-B, link D-A, link D-B, and link C-D.

Debugging Tips
This section provides some very basic debugging tips are provided that can be helpful when
PIM-DVMRP interoperability is in use. These tips will cover the following areas:

Verifying DVMRP tunnel status

Verifying DVMRP route exchange

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Obviously, this list of DVMRP debugging topics is not exhaustive, but it catches a large
number of the problems.

NOTE

Most PIM-DVMRP problems tend to occur when the network administrator fails to have a
good understanding of Cisco PIM-DVMRP interoperability and has misconfigured the
router. Most other DVMRP problems are usually solved by applying a solid knowledge of
the DVMRP protocol and Cisco DVMRP interactions to the analysis of debug ip dvmrp
command output.

The sample network shown in Figure 13-33 is the basis for all sample debug output shown
in the following sections. In this example, a Cisco router is connected to a DVMRP router
via a DVMRP tunnel and is typical of many connections into the DVMRP-based MBone.
Figure 13-33 Sample Network for Debug Tips
ISP
135.1.22.98
DVMRP

Site

Tunnel0

pim-dvmrp-gw

Ethernet0

135.1.2.100

Ethernet1

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The Cisco router configuration for this tunnel is shown in Example 13-7.
Example 13-7

VMRP Tunnel Configuration for Figure 13-33

pim-dvmrp-gw:
interface tunnel0
ip unnumbered ethernet0
ip pim dense-mode
tunnel mode dvmrp
tunnel source ethernet0
tunnel destination 135.1.22.98
interface ethernet0
ip address 135.1.3.102 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode
interface ethernet1
ip address 135.1.2.102 255.255.255.0
ip pim dense-mode

You may wish to refer to Example 13-7 and the diagram shown in Figure 13-33 while
reading the following sections.

Verifying DVMRP Tunnel Status

The first thing to check for is proper connectivity between the Cisco router and the DVMRP
router. Because a tunnel is being used, several hops may exist between the routers, which
makes checking connectivity a little more difficult.
The most obvious step in checking connectivity would be to use a show interface
command to check the status of the DVMRP tunnel. The output of this command is shown
in Example 13-8.
Example 13-8

Output for show interface of DVMRP Tunnel

pim-dvmrp-gw> show interface tunnel 0
Tunnel0 is up, line protocol is up
Hardware is Tunnel
Interface is unnumbered. Using address of Ethernet0 (135.1.3.102)
MTU 1500 bytes, BW 9 Kbit, DLY 500000 usec, rely 255/255, load 1/255
Encapsulation TUNNEL, loopback not set, keepalive set (10 sec)
Tunnel source 135.1.3.102 (Ethernet0), destination 135.1.22.98
Tunnel protocol/transport IP/IP (DVMRP), key disabled, sequencing disabled
Checksumming of packets disabled, fast tunneling enabled
Last input 00:00:05, output 00:00:08, output hang never
Last clearing of show interface counters never
Input queue: 0/75/0 (size/max/drops); Total output drops: 0

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Notice that the tunnel interface is up and the line protocol is also up. If the output of this
command did not show both elements in the up status, then further investigation would be
necessary. For example, a unicast routing problem might exist between the Cisco and the
DVMRP router. Otherwise, the physical interface over which the tunnel flows might have
a problem that must be corrected.
Typically, the output of a show interface command on the tunnel results in an up status
on both the interface and the protocol. However, up does not necessarily mean that
bidirectional DVMRP control traffic flow over the tunnel has been established. The best
way to check is by issuing the mrinfo command on both the Cisco and the DVMRP routers
to determine whether each side sees the other through the tunnel.
Example 13-9 shows the output of an mrinfo command issued on the Cisco router.
Example 13-9

Output for mrinfo

pim-dvmrp-gw>mrinfo
135.1.3.102 [version cisco 11.2] [flags: PMA]:
135.1.3.102 -> 0.0.0.0 [1/0/pim/querier/leaf]
135.1.2.102 -> 135.1.2.2 [1/0/pim/querier]
135.1.2.102 -> 135.1.2.3 [1/0/pim/querier]
135.1.3.102 -> 135.1.22.98 [1/0/tunnel/querier]

The last line of this output shows the tunnel status as listed in Table 13-1.
Table 13-1 Description of mrinfo Output Line
135.1.3.102 -> 135.1.22.98 The tunnel from the Cisco router (135.1.3.102) to the DVMRP router
(135.1.22.98)
[1/0/tunnel/querier]
Interface status information as follows:
1Tunnel metric (1 hop).
0TTL Threshold (none).
tunnelIndicates a tunnel interface.
querierThe router is the IGMP querier.

The important thing to notice is the absence of the keyword down from the interface status
field. (If the tunnel where down, it would be indicated by a down keyword in this field.)
This field shows that the tunnel is operational from the Cisco end.
Next, you need to perform the same operation from the DVMRP router end. However, it is
not necessary to actually log on to the DVMRP router to obtain mrinfo output. Instead, the
Cisco router can be instructed to obtain this information from the DVMRP router by
specifying the IP address of the DVMRP router in the mrinfo command as shown in
Example 13-10.

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Debugging Tips

Example 13-10

401

Output for mrinfo with DVMRP Router Address

pim-dvmrp-gw>mrinfo 135.1.22.98
135.1.22.98 [version mrouted 3.8] [flags: GPM]:
172.21.32.98 -> 172.21.32.191 [1/1]
172.21.32.98 -> 172.21.32.1 [1/1]
135.1.22.98 -> 135.1.22.102 [1/1/querier]
135.1.22.98 -> 135.1.3.102 [1/1/tunnel]

Notice that the last line of this output shows the status of the tunnel but this time from the
DVMRP routers perspective. Because the down keyword is not shown, the tunnel is up in
this direction as well. Therefore, there is full tunnel connectivity.

Verifying DVMRP Route Exchanges

When full tunnel connectivity has been established, it is important to check whether the
correct DVMRP routes are being exchanged between the Cisco and the DVMRP routers.
The quickest way to determine whether DVMRP routes are being received from the
DVMRP router is to use the show ip dvmrp route command, as shown in Example 13-11.
Example 13-11

Output for show ip dvmrp route

pim-dvmrp-gw# show ip dvmrp route
DVMRP Routing Table - 8 entries
130.1.0.0/16 [0/3] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
135.1.0.0/16 [0/3] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
135.1.22.0/24 [0/2] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
171.69.0.0/16 [0/3] uptime 00:19:03, expires 00:02:13
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.27.0/24 [0/3] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.32.0/24 [0/2] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.33.0/24 [0/3] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:
172.21.120.0/24 [0/3] uptime 00:19:04, expires 00:02:12
via 135.1.22.98, Tunnel0, [version mrouted 3.8] [flags:

GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]
GPM]

This output shows that the Cisco router is receiving eight DVMRP routes from the DVMRP
router. This list of routes should be compared to what the network administrator expects to
be receiving from the DVMRP network.

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Taking things a step further, the network administrator can watch the exchange of DVMRP
routes between the Cisco and the DVMRP routers by using the debug ip dvmrp command
as shown in Example 13-12.
Example 13-12

Output for debug ip dvmrp

pim-dvmrp-gw# debug ip dvmrp
DVMRP debugging is on
pim-dvmrp-gw#
DVMRP: Aging routes, 0 entries expired
DVMRP: Received Probe on Tunnel0 from 135.1.22.98
DVMRP: Building Report for Tunnel0 224.0.0.4
DVMRP: Send Report on Tunnel0 to 135.1.22.98
DVMRP: 2 unicast, 8 DVMRP routes advertised
DVMRP: Aging routes, 0 entries expired
DVMRP: Received Probe on Tunnel0 from 135.1.22.98
DVMRP: Received Report on Tunnel0 from 135.1.22.98

This debug output is extremely useful not only for verifying DVMRP route exchange but
also for normal DVMRP protocol operation. Notice that the debug output also includes
information on DVMRP Probes received and route aging.
In this case, the important information about the route exchange is highlighted and shows
a DVMRP Route Report being built and sent on Tunnel0 and that 2 unicast and 8 DVMRP
routes were advertised. Thus, the network administrator knows that two routes were taken
from the Ciscos unicast route table and advertised and that eight routes were taken from
the DVMRP route table and advertised in the DVMRP Route Report.
Unfortunately, exactly which routes were advertised in the route report cannot be identified.
To see this information in the debug output, it is necessary to use the debug ip dvmrp
detail command.

WARNING

The use of the debug ip dmvrp route detail command can result in so much output that it
can effect the Cisco routers performance. Care should be taken when this command is
used, particularly if the network administrator suspects that a large number of routes are
being exchanged.

Example 13-13 is a sample of the debug output obtained from the sample network with the
debug ip dvmrp detail command.

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Debugging Tips

Example 13-13

403

Output for debug ip dvmrp detail

pim-dvmrp-gw# debug ip dvmrp detail
DVMRP debugging is on
DVMRP: Building Report for Tunnel0 224.0.0.4
DVMRP: Report 130.1.0.0/16, metric 35, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 135.1.0.0/16, metric 35, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 135.1.22.0/24, metric 34, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 171.69.0.0/16, metric 35, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 172.21.27.0/24, metric 35, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 172.21.32.0/24, metric 34, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 172.21.33.0/24, metric 35, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 172.21.120.0/24, metric 35, from DVMRP table
DVMRP: Report 135.1.2.0/24, metric 1
DVMRP: Report 135.1.3.0/24, metric 1
DVMRP: Send Report on Tunnel0 to 135.1.22.98
DVMRP: 2 unicast, 8 DVMRP routes advertised

In this example, the debug output shows every route being advertised in the DVMRP Route
Report by the Cisco router. Notice that the first eight routes were taken from the DVMRP
route table and all have a metric greater than 32. These routes are the Poison Reverse routes
being sent back to the DVMRP router to inform it that the Cisco router is a child router for
sources in these networks in the DVMRP cloud. This causes the DVMRP router to forward
any multicast traffic from these sources over the tunnel to the Cisco router.
The last two routes in the DVMRP Route Report are the two directly connected networks
(135.1.2.0/24 and 135.1.3.0/24) on the Cisco router that are being advertised to the
DVMRP router with a metric of 1.
Continuing with the capture of debug output results in the output shown in Example 13-14.
Example 13-14

Debug Output
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:
DVMRP:

Received Report on Tunnel0 from 135.1.22.98

Origin 130.1.0.0/16, metric 2, metric-offset 1, distance 0
Origin 135.1.0.0/16, metric 2, metric-offset 1, distance 0
Origin 171.69.0.0/16, metric 2, metric-offset 1, distance 0
Origin 135.1.2.0/24, metric 34, metric-offset 1, infinity
Origin 135.1.3.0/24, metric 34, metric-offset 1, infinity
Origin 135.1.22.0/24, metric 1, metric-offset 1, distance 0
Origin 172.21.27.0/24, metric 2, metric-offset 1, distance 0
Origin 172.21.32.0/24, metric 1, metric-offset 1, distance 0
Origin 172.21.33.0/24, metric 2, metric-offset 1, distance 0
Origin 172.21.120.0/24, metric 2, metric-offset 1, distance 0

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This output shows the incoming DVMRP Route Report that the Cisco router is receiving
from the DVMRP router. Notice the two advertisements near the middle of the output with
a metric of 34. These two advertisements are Poison Reversed routes being sent back by the
DVMRP router for the two directly connected networks that were previously advertised by
the Cisco router.
The remaining routes in the preceding debug output are being advertised by the DVMRP
router. The last field on these lines indicates the administrative distance that the Cisco router
has assigned to the DVMRP router. (Notice that the Poison Reverse routes are given an
infinity distance so that they are not used by the multicast forwarding RPF check
mechanism.)
At this point, it should be clear that routes are being properly exchanged between the two
routers and that multicast traffic should be able to flow across the tunnel.

Summary
Interconnecting independent multicast domains is generally a complex task, particularly
when dissimilar multicast routing mechanisms, such as sparse and dense mode protocols,
are used. Interfacing PIM networks to DVMRP networks is no exception to this rule and
requires the network administrator to have a solid understanding of both protocols and how
they will interact.
This chapter supplies all the basic information that a network administrator needs to understand the details of Ciscos DVMRP interoperability features and where they depart from
normal DVMRP functionality. Furthermore, the examples given in this chapter (albeit
focused primarily on connecting to the old DVMRP-based MBone) should prove helpful as
templates for trouble-free PIM-DVMRP network interconnectivity.

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PART

IV

Multicast at Layer 2
This part addresses the topic of IP multicast over Layer 2 network infrastructures.
Chapter 14 addresses the inefficiencies in campus multicast networks where the use of Layer 2 LAN
switches tend to dominate the network design. This chapter describes the problems that are often
encountered when trying to constrain the flooding of IP multicast traffic using techniques at Layer 2, such
as IGMP Snooping or the proprietary Cisco Group Management Protocol (CGMP).
Chapter 15 covers the issues involved when trying to run PIM over Nonbroadcast, Multiaccess (NBMA)
networks, such as Frame Relay or ATM. Several scenarios are presented in a step-by-step fashion to
demonstrate the problems associated with routing multicast traffic on this type of network. This chapter
also introduces special Cisco router IOS commands and configuration techniques that can be used to work
around these issues.

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CHAPTER

14

Multicast over Campus Networks

Over the last few years, Layer 2 LAN switching equipment has gone from an expensive,
leading-edge technology that was deployed only in the backbone of the network to a
relatively mature, cost-effective technology that is now often seen in even the smallest
wiring closets. This has led to some rather large LAN switching topologies being built
where a number of LAN switches are interconnected via high-speed trunks to form a single,
large, switched subnet.
This chapter explores some of the issues with IP multicasting in these LAN switching
topologies and takes a look at some of the current and proposed methods for dealing with
them.

The Flat Earth Society

The success of LAN switching technology has been so great that some vendors have gone
so far as to adopt what is known as the flat earth approach to building networks. Members
of the Flat Earth Society tend to preach the sermon of switches good, routers bad and
encourage moving all routing functions to the farthest edges of the network while
flattening the network address space (hence the name Flat Earth Society). This approach
results in a network with hundreds and, in some extreme cases, thousands of nodes in a
single subnet. The rational behind this approach was that by moving to high-speed,
switched LANs, Ethernet collisions were all but eliminated and there was now little or no
need for routing.

NOTE

The switching good, routing bad argument has always been a source of amusement to me.
Most of the people who preach this gospel apply the term switching to either Layer 2 or
Layer 3 and will extend this argument by saying, Layer 3 switching good, routing bad.
This statement seems silly because routing is simply switching packets in one port and out
another based on the Layer 3 destination address.

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Although switched LANs have made the Ethernet collision problem virtually a thing of the
past, the flat earth prophets have failed to consider the effects of broadcast/multicast on
these enormously flat networks. Some work has been done to address the scaling of
multicasting in the switched-LAN environment; however, most of this problem is still best
solved by the router.

Characteristics of LAN Switches

As you are probably already aware, the differences between a bridge and a switch are
basically speed and number of ports. Like a bridge, a switch forwards an incoming Media
Access Control (MAC) frame by looking up the destination MAC address in a MAC
address forwarding table to determine out which port the frame should be forwarded. For a
switch to populate its forwarding table, the switch must learn the Layer 2 MAC addresses
of the stations and the ports to which the stations are connected. The switch learns by
examining the source MAC address of frames sent between stations on the LAN and by
noting on which port this frame arrived. After a stations MAC address and port have been
learned, the MAC address and the port number are stored in the forwarding table.
When LAN switches first began to appear on the market, the main CPU in the switch
performed all switching tasks. When the CPU received a frame on one port, it would look
up the destination MAC address in the forwarding table and then copy the frame to the
specified output port. To speed up the lookup process, most of these early switches stored
the forwarding table in some form of content-addressable memory (CAM), which allows
the MAC address to be used as the pointer to the desired entry. (This forwarding table is
generally referred to as the CAM table.)
As the demand for better performance in these switches grew, the actual switching-decision
logic was off-loaded from the main CPU and built into a special Switching Engine that
could access the CAM table and switch the frames from input to output port at wire-rate
speeds.
Figure 14-1 shows a block diagram of a typical LAN switch that can perform high-speed,
wire-rate switching of MAC frames. Typically, a small microprocessor-based CPU in the
switch performs network management functions and populates the CAM table with the
stations MAC addresses along with their associated port numbers. The Layer 2 Switching
Engine then uses the information in the CAM table to make forwarding decisions. This
CPU is usually also connected to a port on the Switching Engine just like any other port in
the switch. By populating the CAM table with the MAC address of the switch itself and
associating this entry with the port connecting the CPU, incoming frames addressed to the
switch (such as Simple Network Management Protocol [SNMP] and Telnet) may be
switched to the CPU for processing.

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Characteristics of LAN Switches

411

Figure 14-1 Simple LAN Switch Architecture

A
1
Simple LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0000.6503.1d0e

Port
5

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3
Host 4
(0000.6503.1d0e)

To achieve wire-rate switching speeds, most LAN switches employ a Layer 2 Switching
Engine based on special, custom-built application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
These ASICs can examine the Layer 2, destination MAC address of a frame, look up this
MAC address in the CAM table, and switch the frame to the output port indicated by the
CAM table entry. Because the logic in these ASICs is implemented in silicon, they are
capable of performing this CAM table lookup and Layer 2 switching at speeds that allow
wire-rate forwarding of frames through the LAN switch.
In the example in Figure 14-1, Host 1 is sending a frame addressed to Host 4. The CPU has
previously learned the MAC address and port number of Host 4 and has populated the CAM
table with this information. The Switching Engine then uses this information to switch the
frame out Port 5.

Broadcast/Multicast Flooding
If a switch receives a frame with no matching entry in the CAM table, it has no choice but
to flood the frame out all other ports on the switch in hopes of getting the frame to the
destination. This typically happens in the following situations:

The destination MAC address has not yet been learned.

The destination MAC address is a broadcast or multicast address.

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The first situation is not a problem because the switch will eventually add the destination
MAC address into the CAM table upon hearing the destination station transmit a frame.
From then on, all transmissions to this station will not be flooded. It is the second of these
cases with which to be concerned.
In the second situation, broadcast frames must always be flooded out all ports (other than
the incoming port) that are in Forwarding state on the switch. By the same token, there is
usually no way for a switch to know on which ports multicast members reside. Therefore,
multicast frames must also be flooded out all ports in the same fashion.
It is this shotgun approach to delivering multicast traffic that the flat-earth network
engineers have failed to take into account in their approach to network design. Given the
growing popularity of multicast-based multimedia applications, networks based on the flat
earth theory will suffer as unwanted multicast traffic is flooded to every point in the
network.

Constraining Multicast Flooding

As LAN switching technology grew in popularity, attempts were made to place some
controls on the flooding of broadcast/multicast frames. The first was to implement
broadcast/multicast rate limiting. The idea was to enforce some configurable limit to the
amount of bandwidth that broadcast/multicast traffic could consume before frames would
be discarded. As it turns out, rate limiting is a really bad idea as the arbitrary dropping of
certain types of broadcast frames can result in network instability that in some cases can be
bad enough to melt down the network.
For example, bridge protocol data units (BPDUs) are multicast to the special All Bridges
multicast MAC address. If enough of these BPDUs are discarded, the network can suffer
instabilities as the spanning tree algorithm constantly attempts to converge. As the spanning
tree algorithm in the switches tries to converge, more BPDUs may be lost, leading to a
network meltdown. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Hello messages are another good
example of a critical frame that is multicast to the All OSPF Routers multicast MAC
address. If enough of these frames are discarded because of broadcast/multicast rate
limiting, OSPF adjacencies may be lost, which can result in Layer 3 network instability.
(My personal motto is: Just say no to MAC Layer broadcast/multicast rate limiting.)
The second, saner approach is to extend the CAM table format to allow a list of port
numbers to be associated with a MAC address. This approach permits a network
administrator to manually enter a MAC layer multicast address into the switchs CAM table
along with a list of ports. Now, when the switch receives multicast frames that match this
address, the flooding of these frames is constrained to only those ports listed in the CAM
table entry. This approach initially worked fine for somewhat static multicast groups, such
as the All OSPF Router group, where the members of the group could be configured ahead

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IGMP Snooping

413

of time and were not likely to change. Unfortunately, the manual configuration method does
not lend itself to dynamic multicast groups, as is the case in IP multicast. Clearly, some
other approach was needed to constrain multicast flooding in traditional LAN switch
environments.
To date, three methods have been defined to address this problem:

IGMP Snooping
Cisco Group Management Protocol (CGMP)
IEEEs Generic Attribute Resolution Protocol (GARP) (defined in IEEE 802.1p)

Of these three methods, only the first two have seen wide-scale deployment and are
discussed in detail in the following sections. IEEEs GARP, on the other hand, is a radically
new approach that will require changes to end-station hardware and software to implement.

IGMP Snooping
The most obvious method to constrain the flooding of multicast traffic in LAN switches is
IGMP Snooping. Just as its name implies, IGMP Snooping requires the LAN switch to
snoop on the IGMP conversation between the host and the router. When the switch hears
an IGMP Report from a host for a particular multicast group, the switch adds the hosts port
number to the associated multicast CAM table entry. When the switch hears an IGMP
Leave Group message from a host, it removes the hosts port from the CAM table entry.
On the surface, this seems like a simple solution to put into practice. However, depending
on the architecture of the switch, implementing IGMP Snooping may be difficult to
accomplish without seriously degrading the performance of the switch.
The sections that follow explore the mechanics involved in implementing efficient IGMP
Snooping along with the potential performance impact it has on Layer 2 switches lacking
special hardware to assist with the IGMP Snooping process. Next, several special scenarios
such as send-only sources and the automatic detection and handling of routers by the IGMP
Snooping software in the switch are explored.

Joining a Group Using IGMP Snooping

At first glance, you might expect that the additional load IGMP Snooping places on a LAN
switch would be minimal. After all, IGMP was designed to minimize its impact on host and
router CPU as well as on network bandwidth, right? However, this true statement doesnt
necessarily apply to Layer 2 devices such as LAN switches. The reason that it doesnt apply
should become apparent shortly.
Figure 14-2 shows an example of a simple Layer 2only switch (that is, one lacking special
Layer 3 hardware to assist with IGMP Snooping) that is doing IGMP Snooping.

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Chapter 14: Multicast over Campus Networks

Figure 14-2 Joining a Group with IGMP SnoopingStep 1

A

IGMP Report
224.1.2.3
1

Simple LAN Switch

CPU

Switching
Engine

CAM
Table

MAC Address

Ports

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

Lets take a look at what typically happens in the switch when a couple of hosts join a
multicast group and state is set up in the switchs CAM table to constrain multicast
flooding.
1 Host 1 desires to join multicast group 224.1.2.3 and, therefore, multicasts an

unsolicited IGMP Membership Report to the group with a MAC destination address
of 0x0100.5E01.0203. Because initially there are no entries in the CAM table for this
multicast MAC address (see Figure 14-2), the report is flooded to all ports on the
switch (including the internal port connected to the switchs CPU).
2 When the CPU receives the IGMP Report multicast by Host 1, the CPU uses the

information in the IGMP Report to set up a CAM table entry as shown in Table 14-1
that includes the port numbers of Host 1, the router, and the switchs internal CPU.
Table 14-1 CAM Table Entry After Host 1 Joins
Destination Address

Ports

01-00-5E-01-02-03

0, 1, 2

As a result of this CAM table entry, any future multicast frames addressed to multicast
MAC address 0x0100.5E01.0203 will be constrained to Ports 0, 1, and 2 and will not be
flooded to the other ports on the switch. (The switchs CPU must continue to receive these
frames because it must watch for other IGMP messages addressed to this MAC address.)

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415

Lets now assume that Host 4 wants to join the group and sends an unsolicited IGMP Report
for the same group. Figure 14-2 now shows Host 4 joining the group by sending an IGMP
Membership Report for group 224.1.2.3. The switch forwards the IGMP Membership
Report to external ports 1 and 2 based on the CAM table entry shown previously in
Table 14-1. (This same CAM table entry can now also be seen in Figure 14-3.)
Figure 14-3 Joining a Group with IGMP SnoopingStep 2
A

IGMP Report
224.1.2.3
1

LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5e01.0203

Ports
0, 1, 2

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

Because the CPU in the switch also received the IGMP Membership Report, it adds the port
on which the report was heard (in this case, Port 5) to the CAM table entry for MAC address
0x0100.5E01.0203. This results in the CAM table shown in Table 14-2.
Table 14-2 CAM Table Entry After Host 4 Joins
Destination Address

Ports

01-00-5E-01-02-03

0, 1, 2, 5

At this point, any multicast traffic sent with a destination MAC address of
0x0100.5E01.0203 (which corresponds to multicast group 224.1.2.3) will be constrained to
only Host 1, Host 4, the router, and the internal CPU. It would certainly seem that this takes
care of the steps necessary to cover the join process in IGMP Snooping. However, a
potentially serious problem with switches that use this sort of Layer 2only mechanism is
explained in the next section.

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Performance Impact of IGMP Snooping

Remember that the CAM table entry shown in Table 14-2 included Port 0 in its port list.
This port is included so that the Switching Engine would continue to pass IGMP messages
addressed to this group to the switchs internal CPU. (Remember that IGMP Membership
Reports are multicast to the target multicast group.) If this werent done, the CPU would
not have heard the IGMP Report from Host 4 when it tried to join the group. Therefore, to
continue to receive any future IGMP Reports, the Switching Engine was instructed to send
all frames addressed to MAC address 0x0100.5E01.0203 to the internal CPU. At this point,
you begin to run into performance problems when trying to implement IGMP Snooping in
this manner.
Figure 14-4 now depicts the same LAN switch from the previous example except that
Host 1 is now multicasting a 1.5 Mbps MPEG video stream to the target group, 224.1.2.3.
This means that the multicast MAC address of the video frames being sent by Host 1 are
also 0x0100.5E01.0203. Therefore, the only way for the CPU to intercept any IGMP
messages is for it to intercept all multicast traffic addressed to the group!
Figure 14-4 Multicast Traffic Overloading the Switchs CPU
A

1.5 Mbps!
Choke!

1
LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine
1.5 Mbps
MPEG Video

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5e01.0203

Ports
0, 1, 2, 5

Host 1
Host 2
(MPEG Server)

Host 3

Host 4

Obviously, the work load of having the CPU examine every multicast frame passing
through the switch just to find an occasional IGMP packet will usually result in a drastic
reduction in overall switch performance and, in some cases, a catastrophic failure of the
switch. Unfortunately, many of todays low-cost, Layer 2only LAN switches that
implement IGMP Snooping suffer from this problem. The switch may perform just fine in
a limited demo environment but can begin to fail when the buyer puts it into a production

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417

environment. In some cases, this failure takes the form of drops in both the multicast and
unicast traffic flows through the switch. In other cases, the Switching Engine continues to
forward both the multicast and unicast traffic without any drops, although the internal CPU
begins to drop packets because it cant keep up with the incoming traffic stream. These
drops at the input of the internal CPU result in missed IGMP packets, which can seriously
affect Join and Leave latencies.
To avoid this problem, it is necessary to redesign the Switching Engine in these LAN
switches to use new ASICs and CAM tables that can look deeper into the frame and
examine Layer 3 information before making a switching decision. Given a switch designed
in this fashion, the CAM table can be programmed to only forward frames containing
IGMP messages to the CPU for processing.
Figure 14-5 shows a simplified version of the LAN switch after its Switching Engine has
been redesigned with new ASICs that are Layer 3 aware. (Too bad its not really this easy
to redesign a switch to be Layer 3 aware. At least it keeps the engineers busy and off the
streets.)
Figure 14-5 Layer 3Aware Switching Architecture
A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine
1.5 Mbps
MPEG Video

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx
0100.5e01.0203

L3
IGMP
!IGMP

Ports
0
1, 2, 5

Host 1
Host 2
(MPEG Server)

Host 3

Host 4

Because the switch is now Layer 3 aware, each entry in the CAM table shown in
Figure 14-5 can be loaded with additional Layer 3 information that further modifies the
Switching Engines behavior. As you can see, the 1.5-Mbps MPEG video is no longer
interrupting the CPU as it flows through the switch. The rate of traffic being sent to the CPU
is now reduced to only a few frames of IGMP traffic per second, which the CPU can handle
quite easily.

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To understand how this process works, lets examine the two entries that the CPU has
loaded into the CAM table shown in Figure 14-5 in more detail.

The first entry tells the Switching Engine to send IGMP packets only to the switchs
CPU.

The second entry tells the Switching Engine to send frames addressed to the
0x0100.5E01.0203 multicast MAC address that are not IGMP packets (!IGMP =
not IGMP) to the router and the two hosts that have joined the group.

The first entry means that the CPU is effectively intercepting all IGMP packets and not
allowing the Switch Engine to forward them to the other ports on the switch. This approach
allows the CPU to perform any special processing of IGMP packets necessary and to be in
complete control of the IGMP packets that need to be sent to the other devices connected
to the switch. (The reason for this will become clear later.)
The process that takes place in the new Layer 3aware LAN switch when hosts join a group
is basically the same as the process in the simple LAN switch example. The key difference
is that now the CAM table entry has been loaded with supplemental Layer 3 information so
the Switching Engine does not forward multicast data to the CPU. (Im actually oversimplifying the process here, but this description should enable you to understand the basic
mechanisms involved.)
Lets continue the IGMP Snooping discussion, again assuming that Hosts 1 and 4 are group
members as shown in Figure 14-5. (The remainder of this section on IGMP Snooping
assumes that the switch makes use of this sort of Layer 3aware architecture.)

Leaving a Group with IGMP Snooping

Now, assume that Host 1 leaves the group. The departure of Host 1 causes the following
sequence of events to occur:
1 Host 1 signals that it is leaving the group by multicasting a Leave Group message to

the All Routers multicast group, 224.0.0.2 (MAC address 0x0100.5E00.0002) as

shown in Figure 14-6. The first CAM table entry shown in Figure 14-6 causes this
message to be intercepted by the switchs CPU and not be forwarded to any other ports.
Note

The IGMP Leave Group message is the only message that a host
transmits that is not multicast to the target group address. In this
one case, a simple Layer 2only switch can safely employ a CAM
table entry that intercepts these IGMP messages because only
IGMP Group Leave messages are multicast to the
0x0100.5E00.0002 MAC address. Unfortunately, this doesnt
help the switch capture the other 99.99% of host-initiated IGMP
messages: the IGMP Membership Reports.

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419

Figure 14-6 IGMP Snooping: Leaving a GroupStep 1

A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine

IGMP Leave Group

224.1.2.3
(0100.5e00.0002)

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx
0100.5e01.0203

L3
IGMP
!IGMP

Ports
0
1, 2, 5

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

2 The CPU in the switch responds to the Leave Group message by sending an IGMP

General Query back out Port 2 (see Figure 14-7) to see whether there are any other
hosts that are members of this group on the port. (This could occur when multiple
hosts are connected to the switch port via a hub.)
Figure 14-7 IGMP Snooping: Leaving a GroupStep 2
A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine
IGMP General Query
224.0.0.1
(0100.5e00.0001)

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx
0100.5e01.0203

L3
IGMP
!IGMP

Ports
0
1, 2, 5

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

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3 If another IGMP Report is received from a host connected to Port 2, then the CPU

quietly discards the original Leave Group message from Host 1. If, on the other hand,
no IGMP Report is received on this port, (which is the case here), then the CPU
deletes the port from the CAM table entry (see the resulting CAM table entry in
Figure 14-8). Because other nonrouter ports are still in the CAM table entry, no
message is sent to the router.
Figure 14-8 IGMP Snooping: Leaving the GroupStep 3
A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine

IGMP Leave Group

224.1.2.3
(0100.5e00.0002)

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx
0100.5e01.0203

L3
IGMP
!IGMP

Ports
0
1, 5

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

4 Now, lets assume that Host 4 leaves the group and sends an IGMP Leave Group

message. Once again, the Leave Group message is intercepted by the switchs CPU,
as shown in Figure 14-8.
5 The CPU responds to this Leave Group message by sending another General Query

back out Port 5 (see Figure 14-9) to see whether there are any other hosts that are
members of this group on the port.

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Figure 14-9 IGMP Snooping: Leaving the GroupStep 4

A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine

IGMP General Query

224.0.0.1
(0100.5e00.0001)

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx

L3
IGMP

Ports
0

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

6 Because there are no other hosts on this port in the example, no IGMP Report for this

group is received and the switch deletes this port from the CAM table entry. Because
this port was the last nonrouter port for the CAM table entry for 0x0100.5E01.0203,
the switchs CPU deletes the CAM table entries for this group and forwards the IGMP
Leave Group message to the router for normal processing. (See Figure 14-10.)

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Figure 14-10 IGMP Snooping: Leaving the GroupStep 5

IGMP Leave Group
224.1.2.3
(0100.5e00.0002)

A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching
Engine

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx

L3
IGMP

Ports
0

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

Maintaining the Group with IGMP Snooping

Obviously, the Leave process described in the preceding section assumes that all IGMPv2
hosts always send a Leave Group message when they leave the group. Unfortunately,
however, RFC 2236 says that a host may always send a Group Leave message (not must, as
maybe the RFC should have said) when it leaves the group. Because of this minor oversight,
you cant always count on receiving a Leave Group message when a host leaves.
Furthermore, the host may be running IGMPv1 (which doesnt use Group Leave messages)
or the Leave Group message may be lost because of congestion in the switch. Thus, in a
worst-case scenario, you must fall back to the group/port state maintenance procedure,
using the General Query/Report mechanism to detect when a host has left the group (either
because of a lost Leave Group message or because an IGMPv1 host just leaves the group
quietly).
Assume that Hosts 1 and 4 have again previously joined multicast group 224.1.2.3, which
results in the CAM table entries shown in Figure 14-11 that depicts the group/port
membership state maintenance procedure in action.

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Figure 14-11 Maintaining a Group with IGMP SnoopingStep 1

IGMP General Query
224.0.0.1
(0100.5e00.0001)

A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching Engine

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx
0100.5e01.0203

L3
IGMP
!IGMP

Ports
0
1, 2, 5

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

1 Router A periodically multicasts a General Query to the All Hosts group, 224.0.0.1

(MAC address 0x0100.5E00.0001). The switchs CPU intercepts the General Query
and retransmits it out all ports on the switch. (See Figure 14-11.)
2 Each host that is a member of the group (in this case, Hosts 1 and 4) sends an IGMP

Report in response to the General Query. (See Figure 14-12.) Notice that because the
switchs CPU is intercepting all IGMP messages, the hosts do not hear each others
IGMP Report. This effectively overrides the hosts report suppression mechanism,
forcing each to send an IGMP Report. This is necessary so that the switchs CPU
receives an IGMP Report on every port where there is a member of the group so it will
maintain those ports in the port list.

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Figure 14-12 Maintaining a Group with IGMP SnoopingStep 2

A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
0 Switching Engine
CPU
IGMP Reports
224.1.2.3
(0100.5e01.0203)

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx
0100.5e01.0203

L3
IGMP
!IGMP

Ports
0
1, 2, 5

Host 1

Host 2

Host 3

Host 4

3 To keep the IGMP Group Membership State alive in the router, the LAN switch must

forward either one or more (preferably only one) of the IGMP Reports up to Router A.

IGMP Snooping and Send-Only Sources

Multicast sources are not required to join the multicast group to which they are sending and,
therefore, do not need to send IGMP Membership Reports. This poses a problem for LAN
switches that depend on IGMP Snooping to constrain multicast traffic flooding.
Consider the situation shown in Figure 14-13, where Host 1 is a send-only source that has
just started sending a 1.5 Mbps MPEG video stream to multicast group 224.1.2.3 without
sending an IGMP Membership Report to the group. Lets also assume that none of the hosts
on the switch have joined this multicast group.

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425

Figure 14-13 IGMP Snooping and Send-Only SourcesStep 1

1st Packet to
224.1.2.3
(0100.5e01.0203)

A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching Engine

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx

L3
IGMP

Ports
0

Host 1
Host 2
(Source-only)

Host 3

Host 4

Handling this situation can be a problem for low-cost switches. To detect this situation, the
CPU must indiscriminately listen to all multicast frames flowing through the switch.
Switches that do not have either sufficient CPU horsepower or the assistance of special
hardware ASICs to help reduce the workload on the CPU can suffer drastic performance
degradation trying to handle this situation. In many cases, the switch designers simply opt
to allow send-only sources to continue to be flooded to all ports in the switch until some
host connected to the switch sends an IGMP Membership Report for the group.
The hypothetical Layer 3aware switch in the example, on the other hand, immediately
detects this unconstrained flow of multicast traffic and responds by updating the CAM table
with entries, as shown in Figure 14-14, that will constrain this source-only multicast flow
to only the router ports. (The way this step is accomplished depends on how the Layer 3
ASICs in the switch are implemented.)

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Figure 14-14 IGMP Snooping and Send-Only SourcesStep 2

1.5 Mbps MPEG
224.1.2.3
(0100.5e01.0203)

A
1
L3 Aware LAN Switch
CPU

Switching Engine

CAM
Table

MAC Address
0100.5exx.xxxx
0100.5e01.0203

L3
IGMP
!IGMP

Ports
0
1

Host 1
Host 2
(Source-only)

Host 3

Host 4

Detecting Routers with IGMP Snooping

You may have noticed in the previous examples that the port connected to Router A was
automatically added to the port list in the CAM table entry for the 0x0100.5E01.0203. The
reason is that routers must indiscriminately receive all multicast traffic for all groups. This
raises an interesting question (which I hope you already noticed): How did the LAN switch
know to include Port 1 in the port list of CAM table entry 0x0100.5E01.0203?
One obvious answer is that the switch overheard a previous IGMP General Query from
Router A and remembers that a router is connected to this port. Presumably, if the port ever
transitions to a down state or if the LAN switch fails to hear General Queries on this port
after some timeout period, the switch makes the assumption that a router is no longer
attached to this port. Unfortunately, these techniques are insufficiently robust to handle all
cases.
For example, lets assume that there is more than one router connected to switch. Because
only one router may function as the IGMP Querier, the remaining routers connected to the
switch will not be sending General Queries in deference to the elected IGMP Querier. In
this case, the switch will not be able to detect that other routers are connected to the switch.

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The better approach is not only to listen to IGMP Queries to detect routers but also to listen
for any special routing protocol packets that can be easily detected to tip off the switch that
a router is connected. On Cisco switches that implement IGMP Snooping, this includes
packets such as OSPF PIMv1 and PIMv2 Hellos, DVMRP Probes, IGMP Queries, CGMP
self-joins, and Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) messages that are sent by routers
periodically.

IGMP Snooping Summary

Although the examples in the preceding sections may imply that IGMP Snooping is
relatively easy to implement, I should point out that I have presented some of the simplest
cases in which only a single router is in use on a single switch with a single host per port.
Things get much more complicated when multiple multicast routers are used or when
multiple hosts are connected to a single switch port via a shared hub. Additionally, it is not
uncommon to interconnect many LAN switches together via high-speed trunks to form a
large, LAN switching campus environment, which can complicate the implementation of
IGMP Snooping.
Instead of exhaustively addressing every possible case, I will leave the problem of
implementing IGMP Snooping to cover such situations as an exercise to the reader. Given
your newly acquired knowledge of IGMP, you should be able to formulate a methodology
that allows a LAN switch to successfully perform IGMP Snooping to constrain multicast
traffic in these complex LAN switch environments.
On the other hand, if you dont have the ambition to tackle such an exercise, ask your LAN
switch vendor to supply the nitty-gritty details of how they implemented IGMP Snooping.
If the vendor wont supply this information, you may find out the hard way that they have
failed to address some of these more complex situations.
Finally, the performance impact of a LAN switch can suffer dramatically when IGMP
Snooping is implemented without Layer 3aware ASICs to augment the CPUs processing
of IGMP traffic. The reason is that virtually all IGMP messages transmitted by the hosts
are sent with the same destination MAC address as the multicast data itself. The only
exceptions are IGMPv2 Group Leave messages, which are transmitted to the
0x0100.5E00.0002 MAC address (corresponding to the All-Routers multicast address,
224.0.0.2).
Although many vendors can (and frequently do) demonstrate that IGMP Snooping works
on their low-end LAN switch in a laboratory environment, the wise user will test the LAN
switchs IGMP Snooping under a moderate to high multicast traffic load before buying.

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Cisco Group Management Protocol

In early 1996, Dino Farinacci and Alex Tweedly of Cisco Systems recognized the need for
an alternative solution to the problem of multicast flooding (other than IGMP Snooping).
Work was underway on the design of new Layer 3aware ASICs for the Cisco Catalyst
5000 series switches that would permit efficient IGMP Snooping to be implemented.
However, these ASICs wouldnt be ready for use in the Catalyst 5000 switch for some time.
Furthermore, use of these ASICs in the low-end Catalyst switches would not be
economical, and therefore some other solution was needed to constrain multicast flooding
in these low-cost switches.
Together, Dino and Alex designed a new, lightweight protocol that would run in both the
router and the Catalyst series of switches and permit Layer 2 group membership
information to be communicated from the router to the switch. This information could then
be used to instantiate multicast membership state in the CAM table entries to constrain
multicast traffic to ports with group members. This new protocol was called the Cisco
Group Management Protocol (CGMP) and is now supported on all Cisco routers and most
LAN switches.

CGMP Messages
CGMP messages are composed of a type code field followed by a list of Group Destination
Address (GDA) and Unicast Source Address (USA) tuples that each identify a host and the
group that the host just joined or left.
All CGMP messages are MAC layer multicast to the well-known CGMP multicast MAC
address 0x0100.0cdd.dddd. All CGMP-enabled switches listen to this well-known
multicast MAC address to receive CGMP messages. Using a multicast MAC address to
communicate CGMP messages has the added benefit that they are flooded out all switch
ports by default, whether the switch is a CGMP-enabled switch or not. This permits CGMP
messages to travel across all interswitch links throughout the entire Layer 2 switching
domain and reach all CGMP-enabled switches, even if there are non-CGMP switches in the
middle the network.
Because LAN switches operate at Layer 2 and hence understand only MAC addresses, the
GDA and the USA fields both contain 48-bit IEEE MAC addresses. The GDA field contains
the IP multicast group address translated into its MAC address equivalent (for example, IP
multicast group 239.255.1.2 would appear as 0x0100.5e7f.0102), and the USA field
contains the MAC level unicast address of the host that sent the original IGMP Report
message.
The host MAC address information in the USA field of a CGMP message is used by the
CGMP switch to look up the port number associated with the host. Using this port
information, the CGMP switch either adds or removes this port to/from the CAM table
entry associated with the multicast MAC address in the GDA field.

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Table 14-3 lists the various CGMP messages. The first two messages allow the router to
inform CGMP switches when a host joins or leaves a group.
In addition to being able to inform the CGMP switch when a host joins or leaves a multicast
group, the router uses CGMP messages to tell the switch to perform other special CGMP
functions. Special values in the GDA and USA fields, shown in Table 14-3, communicate
these special functions.
Table 14-3 CGMP Messages
GDA

USA

Join/Leave

Meaning

Mcst MAC

Client MAC

Join

Add port to group

Mcst MAC

Client MAC

Leave

Delete port from group

00000000

Router MAC

Join

Assign router port

00000000

Router MAC

Leave

Deassign router port

Mcst MAC

00000000

Leave

Delete group

00000000

00000000

Leave

Delete all groups

The third and fourth messages in Table 14-3, Assign/Deassign Router Port, (signified by
a zero GDA field and a nonzero USA field) are particularly important. These CGMP
messages allow the router to inform CGMP switches that the station whose MAC address
appears in the USA field is a router and to either set (via a Join message) or clear (via a
Leave message) the associated port as a router port. The LAN switch needs to know which
ports have routers connected. It must include these ports in every multicast CAM table
entry that is created so that the routers receive all multicast traffic.
The last two Leave messages in Table 14-3, Delete Group and Delete All Groups, are used
for special maintenance functions by the router. For example, the Cisco router interface
command
clear ip cgmp <interface>

causes the router to send the Delete All Groups message to the switch, which removes all
multicast CAM table entries from the switch. The normal IGMP Query mechanism causes
the switch to relearn the multicast group membership state and to repopulate its multicast
CAM table through normal CGMP operation.

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Joining a Group with CGMP

The basic concept of CGMP is shown in Figure 14-15. When a host joins a multicast group
(as shown in part A of Figure 14-15), it multicasts an unsolicited IGMP Membership Report
message to the target group (224.1.2.3, in this example). The IGMP Report is passed
through the switch to the router for normal IGMP processing. The router (which must have
CGMP enabled on this interface) receives this IGMP Report and, in addition to setting up
its internal IGMP state for the group, translates the IGMP Report (sometimes loosely
referred to as an IGMP Join) into a CGMP Join message.
Figure 14-15 Basic CGMP Operation

IGMP
Report
Dst MAC = 0100.5e01.0203
Src MAC = 0080.c7a2.1093
Group = 224.1.2.3

CGMP
Join
1/1

1/1

5/1

5/1

(a)

USA = 0080.c7a2.1093
GDA = 0100.5e01.0203

(b)

The router accomplishes the translation from IGMP Report to CGMP Join in the follow
steps:
1 Copy the destination MAC address, 0x0100.5e01.0203, (which corresponds to IP

multicast group 224.1.2.3) from the IGMP Report message into the GDA field of the
CGMP Join message.
2 Copy the source MAC address, 0x0080.c7a2.1093, (which is the unicast MAC

address of the host that is joining the group) from the IGMP Report into the USA field
of the CGMP Join.
Now that the CGMP Join message has been constructed, the router sends the message to
the CGMP-enabled switch (Part B of Figure 14-15) via the 0x0100.0cdd.dddd well-known
CGMP multicast MAC address.
When the CGMP-enabled switch receives the CGMP Join message, it performs the
following steps:
1 Searches the CAM table for an entry for the multicast group specified in the GDA field

of the CGMP Join message.

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431

2 If a CAM table entry for this group is not found, the switch creates the entry and adds

all router ports to the newly created CAM table entrys port list. (The entry is created
so that all routers connected to the switch can receive multicasts addressed to this
group.)
3 Searches the CAM table for the entry that matches the unicast MAC address specified

in the USA field of the CGMP Join message. Copies the port number from this CAM
table entry (the port connected to the Host) to the multicast CAM table entry found/
created in the previous steps.
The preceding process results in a multicast CAM table entry, shown in Example 14-1,
which is set up in the Cisco Catalyst switch, shown in Figure 14-15.
Example 14-1

CAM Table Entry for Cisco Catalyst Switch

cat5000 (enable) show cam static
VLAN Dest MAC/Route Des Destination Ports or VCs
---- ------------------ --------------------------1
01-00-5e-01-02-03* 1/1,5/1

Maintaining the Group with CGMP

Maintaining group membership state in the switch is much easier with CGMP than with
IGMP Snooping. Individual ports are removed from the CAM table entry only as a result
of receiving a Delete Port message from the router. The CAM table entry expiration timer
is reset each time a CGMP Join message is received for the group, which occurs every time
the router sends out the General Query. However, there are other times when the switch
deletes the CAM table entry and the group membership state must be relearned. Multicast
CAM table entries are deleted in the following circumstances:

Whenever the VLAN spanning tree topology changes. (This change can occur when
a port on the VLAN transitions from the Learning state to the Forwarding state.)

When the router sends a Delete Group or Delete All Group message.
When a line card in the switch is removed/inserted.

Whenever the multicast CAM table entries are deleted, the switch automatically relearns
the group/port membership state through the normal IGMP General Query mechanism.
During this relearning period, hosts send IGMP Reports in response to IGMP General
Queries from the router. These reports, in turn, are translated into CGMP Joins by the
router, which causes the switch to repopulate the entries in its CAM table. (The entire
relearning process takes from 1 to 1.5 IGMP Query intervals to complete.)

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NOTE

Chapter 14: Multicast over Campus Networks

VLAN spanning tree topology changes occur whenever a port on the switch transitions
from the Learning state to the Forwarding state. This change normally happens when a port
initially comes up, for example, when the host connected to the port is activated. The VLAN
spanning tree topology change and hence the relearning of all CAM table entries can be
avoided by configuring Cisco Catalyst ports that are directly connected to hosts (that is, not
connected to hubs or other switches) with the spanning tree port-fast enable option. This
option causes the port to transition immediately from the Blocking state to the Forwarding
state without going through the Learning state. This approach avoids causing a VLAN
spanning tree topology change every time a host connected to the switch is activated.

Leaving a Group with CGMP

When an IGMPv2 host leaves a group, it normally multicasts an IGMP Leave Group
message to the All Router (224.0.0.2) multicast group. When CGMP is enabled on the
router and the LAN switch, the router can simply translate this Leave Group message into
a CGMP Leave message by using the translation method shown in the Join example in
Figure 14-15. Like IGMP Snooping, this CGMP leave mechanism depends on the host
always sending an IGMPv2 Leave Group message to trigger this process. Unfortunately,
IGMPv2 hosts are not required to always send an IGMP Leave Group message when they
leave the group. Furthermore, there are still a lot of hosts (including Windows 95) that only
run IGMPv1 and therefore do not send IGMP Leave Group messages.

NOTE

Because it was an unfortunate oversight that the IGMPv2 specification (RFC 2236) did not
require hosts always to send a Leave Group message, the IGMPv2 implementations in the
TCP/IP stacks on some hosts might not always send IGMP Leave Group messages.
Fortunately, most of the more popular implementations of IGMPv2 do always send IGMP
Leave Group messages, including Windows 98 and most of the recent UNIX platforms.
However, to be safe, check with your vendor to make sure that your implementation always
sends IGMP Leave Group messages if you expect CGMP or IGMP Snooping to work
properly on your LAN switches.

CGMP Local Leave Processing

Later versions of CGMP implementations on Cisco Catalyst switches have the capability
to do IGMPv2 leave processing locally in the switch without getting the router involved.

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As you will recall from Chapter 3, Internet Group Management Protocol, IGMPv2
requires all Leave Group messages to be multicast to the All Routers (224.0.0.2) multicast
group and not to the multicast group that is being left. This opens the door to having the
CGMP-enabled switch do some of the Leave Group processing itself. By tuning in to the
224.0.0.2 multicast group at the MAC level (multicast MAC address 0x0100.5e00.0002),
the CPU in the LAN switch can receive and process these IGMP Leave Group messages
without having to intercept all multicast data traffic.
Local Leave processing concerns itself with making sure no other listeners remain on the
segment/port after a Group Leave message has been received. If a member remains,
the deletion of the port is canceled because the flow to that port must continue. If no members
respond on that port, the switch then checks whether any members are on other ports of the
switch. If a member is found, nothing happens. If no other members exist, however, the switch
sends an IGMP Leave Group message to the router sourced from the switch. The router then
goes through its processing to make sure no other members exist in the LAN.
Figure 14-16 shows CGMP Local Leave processing on a switch when multiple hosts are
connected to the switch port via shared media hubs.
Figure 14-16 CGMP Local Leaving ProcessingStep 1

General
Query

Catalyst
5000

Active
Listener
PresentReport
Multicast State
3
Maintained

Hubs

Host 1

Host 2

IGMPv2
Leave

Host 3
(Leaves the Group)

Initially, Hosts 1, 2, and 3 are members of the same multicast group. The following three
steps are depicted in Figure 14-16.
1 Host 3 wants to leave the group and multicasts an IGMPv2 Leave Group message to

the All Router (224.0.0.2) multicast group. (This message is locally processed by the
switch and not forwarded to the router.)

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Chapter 14: Multicast over Campus Networks

2 The switch sends an IGMP General Query out the port where the Leave Message was

received to determine whether there are any remaining members for the group on this
port. (Note that an IGMP General Query was used on the port instead of an IGMPv2
Group-Specific Query so that IGMPv1 hosts will also respond.)
3 Host 1 (in this example) responds with an IGMP Report for the group, which tells the

switch that there are still members for the group on this port and that the port should
not be removed from the CAM table entry for this group.
Figure 14-17 shows CGMP Local Leave processing when the last host leaves the group.
Figure 14-17 CGMP Local Leaving ProcessingStep 2
Group-Specific Query
(No Response)
4
IGMPv2
Leave

CGMP
Delete Group

3
Catalyst 5000
General Query
(No Response)

2
Hubs

1
IGMPv2
Leave
Host 1
(Last to Leave the Group)

The following five steps are depicted in Figure 14-17.

1 Host 1 signals that it is leaving the group by sending an IGMP Leave Group message.

This Leave Group message is intercepted by the switch and not forwarded to the
router.
2 The switch sends an IGMP General Query out the port on which it received the Leave

Group message.
3 Because no response to the General Query is received, the switch sources its own

IGMP Leave Group message to the router.

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Cisco Group Management Protocol

435

4 The router receives the Leave Group message and performs the normal IGMP Leave

Group processing by multicasting a Group-Specific Query to the multicast group to

see whether there are any remaining members of the group.
5 Because no response is received to the Group-Specific Query, the router deletes its

IGMP state for the group and sends a CGMP Delete Group message to the switch.
This causes the switch to delete the CAM table entry for the group.

Performance Impact of CGMP

The performance impact of implementing CGMP on a switch is very low compared to the
impact of IGMP Snooping. The reason is that the switch has to receive and process only
low-rate CGMP frames from the router, as opposed to receiving and processing all
multicast frames for IGMP Snooping. Therefore, CGMP can be implemented on even lowcost LAN switches, such as the Cisco 1900 and 2800 series switches, without the need for
special ASICs that would drive up the cost of the switch.
The performance impact of CGMP on routers is also quite low. In most cases, the additional
CPU overhead of CGMP on the router is too small to measure and need not be a concern to
network engineers.

CGMP and Send-Only Sources

Unlike IGMP Snooping, CGMP switches do not need to do special processing to efficiently
handle the case where a send-only source exists without any other members for the group
on the LAN. In this case, it is desirable for the CGMP switch to constrain the sources traffic
so that it isnt flooded to all the other hosts on the switch that are not members of the group.
The only port on the switch that must receive the sources traffic is the router.
Having a router detect when this occurs is a relatively simple process. For example, if a
router is receiving multicast group traffic from a directly connected source on an interface
and there is no IGMP membership group state on this interface, then the router knows that
there is a send-only source on the interface. In this case, the router responds by sending a
CGMP Join message for itself so that the switch will create a new multicast CAM table
entry that contains only the routers port in its port list. If the source stops sending traffic to
the group, the multicast state in the router eventually times out. This causes the router to
send a Delete Group message to the switch to remove the multicast CAM table entry for the
group.

Detecting Routers with CGMP

Although Cisco Catalyst switches have a command to manually designate a port as a router
port, this step is not necessary when a Cisco router is connected to the switch. CGMP

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Chapter 14: Multicast over Campus Networks

Assign Router Port messages are automatically sent to the switch by any Cisco router that
has CGMP enabled on its interface. This message informs the switch that the port has a
router attached and should be included in all newly created multicast CAM table entries.
Cisco routers can also perform this function on the behalf of other DVMRP multicast
routers that are connected to the same interface by using the following interface command:
ip cgmp proxy

This command instructs the Cisco router to send a CGMP proxy Assign Router Port
message every time it receives a DVMRP Probe packet on this interface. The proxy Assign
Router Port message is sent with the MAC address of the DVMRP router (taken from the
DVMRP Probe packet) in the USA field of the message. (Note that this command works
only for multicast routers that are running the DVMRP protocol.) Upon hearing this proxy
message, the switch assigns the port on which the DVMRP router is connected as a router
port. Router port information automatically times in the switch if not periodically
refreshed. Therefore, if the DVMRP router goes down, DVMRP Probes will stop being
received by the Cisco router, which causes the proxy router information to time out in the
switch.

CGMP Summary
Although CGMP is proprietary to Cisco switches and routers, it solves the same basic set
of problems as IGMP Snooping. However, unlike IGMP Snooping, which requires
expensive, Layer 3aware ASICs to implement properly, CGMP can be implemented in
low-cost switches. (Danger: Marketing pitch immediately ahead.) Therefore, CGMP
permits a network engineer to design a LAN switch topology that includes the ability to
control multicast flooding all the way to the smallest wiring closet when low-cost Cisco
switches are used.
Neither IGMP Snooping nor CGMP is perfect, and each falls far short of solving all the
issues of multicast flooding over LAN switch topologies (as explained in the next section).
Regardless of which protocol you choose to run in your network, the preceding sections
should have provided you with enough good information to allow you to make an
intelligent decision regarding their use.

Other LAN Switching Issues

Although IGMP Snooping and CGMP can help control some of the unwanted flows of
multicast traffic in LAN switching topologies, this technology doesnt address every

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Other LAN Switching Issues

437

problem. Even with IGMP Snooping or CGMP, constraining multicast traffic can be a
problem if the network is not properly designed with multicast in mind. Furthermore, when
the stations in the network employ outdated multicast support software (that is, IGMPv1),
problems can become even worse.
The next few sections address just a few of the more common problems that network
engineers must keep in mind when designing a multicast-enabled network. These problems
include, but are not limited to, the following:

IGMPv1 Leave Latency problem

Interswitch link problem
Router core switch problem

IGMPv1 Leave Latency Problem

Because IGMPv1 hosts do not send IGMP Leave Group messages when they leave a
multicast group, severe Leave Latency problems can occur with CGMP or IGMP Snooping.
Consider the example shown in Figure 14-18, where two IGMPv1 hosts have joined the
same multicast group. In this case, the router has already sent CGMP Join messages to the
LAN switch, which, in response, has set up a CAM table entry to limit multicast frames
addressed to this group to only the ports that are connected to the router and the two hosts.
Figure 14-18 IGMPv1 Leave Latency Problem

Video

Unwanted Video Continues

to Flow Until Last Host Leaves
the Group

Video

Video
Video

(Quietly Leaves
Group)
Video
Server

Host A

Host B
IGMPv1

Now, if Host B leaves the group, it just quietly leaves the group without sending an IGMP
Leave Group message. This, in turn, results in no CGMP Leave message being sent to the
switch to remove the hosts port from the CAM table entry. (The same thing would happen
with IGMP Snooping. The only difference is that the LAN switch would be looking for the

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Chapter 14: Multicast over Campus Networks

IGMP Leave Group message itself.) Therefore, the LAN switch continues to flood
multicast traffic out the port connecting Host B until the last host has left the multicast
group!
At this point, Host B continues to receive unwanted multicast traffic as long as Host A
remains joined to the multicast group. Things can get really ugly if Host B is surfing several
high-rate, video multicast groups, hoping to find some group containing reruns of the Three
Stooges. If there are active receivers on the LAN switch for each of the video groups that
Host B joins as a result of this Three Stooges Surfing Safari, then Host B will receive each
of these high-rate video streams until the last member of the group leaves.

Interswitch Link Problem

In multiple LAN switch networks, bandwidth can be consumed unnecessarily on the
interswitch links as multicast traffic is sent to the routers connected to the switches. In
Figure 14-19, current Layer 2 technology (including CGMP and IGMP Snooping) fails
to efficiently constrain multicast traffic in this topology.
Figure 14-19 Interswitch Link Problem

Multicast Traffic
Traffic
Multicast
Being Dropped!
Dropped!
Being
Cat5000
Cat5000
Unnecessary
Unnecessary
Traffic!
Traffic!
VLAN1
VLAN1

VLAN2
VLAN2
Cat29xx
Cat29xx

VLAN3
VLAN3
Cat29xx
Cat29xx

Cat29xx
Cat29xx

Video
Video
Server
Server

This example shows a commonly used hierarchical LAN switch topology consisting of a
central, high-speed LAN switch (such as a Cisco Catalyst 5000 series switch) and several
low-cost, satellite switches in the wiring closest with a multicast source connected to one
of the switches. A router connected to the central LAN switch provides the connection to

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Other LAN Switching Issues

439

the rest of the network and is running CGMP, as are all the switches. Lets further assume
that the multicast source is an IP/TV server that is multicasting a 1.5-Mbps MPEG video
stream that is currently not being received by any hosts anywhere in the entire network.
Remember, multicast routers must indiscriminately receive all multicast frames from
stations on their local LAN in order to

Receive and process IGMP Membership Reports

Receive all multicast data so that it may be routed as necessary to other parts of the
network

These two requirements result in the 1.5 Mbps video flowing over the interswitch link to
the router connected to the central switch. This would occur even if no members of this
multicast group were in the network! This is not a problem if inter-switch bandwidth is not
an issue. However, in cases where you are paying for this bandwidth, such as when the
interswitch links are purchased from a metropolitan-area network (MAN) service provider,
then you are just pounding money down a rat hole.
A partial solution to this problem is shown in Figure 14-20. Here, the network has been
redesigned so that the multicast sources (such as the IP/TV Server in this example) are
connected to the central Catalyst switch.
Figure 14-20 Partial Interswitch Link Solution

Video
Server

Multicast Traffic
Still Being
Dropped!
Cat5000

VLAN1

VLAN2
Cat29xx

VLAN3
Cat29xx

Cat29xx

Under this condition, CGMP sets up CAM table entries in the switch that will constrain the
flow of the 1.5-Mbps video data to the router only for routing off campus to the rest of the
network. Unfortunately, if there are no receivers elsewhere in the network, the data flowing
to the router is still wasted bandwidth. This leads to the router core switch problem.

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Chapter 14: Multicast over Campus Networks

Router Core Switch Problem

Consider the extremely common situation shown in Figure 14-21, in which a switch is used
as the core network for several routers in a campus network. Because LAN switches do not
participate in the multicast routing protocol, they have no way of knowing whether a router
on the core network needs to receive traffic for a multicast group. (After all, multicast
routing is really a Layer 3 switching function. If intelligence is put in a switch so that it can
perform Layer 3 switching, then what does it effectively become? A Router!)
Figure 14-21 Router Core Switch Problem
Video
Server

A
7500

1.5 MB
MPEG
Video
Streams

3 MB of Unwanted
Data! (Choke!)
Unnecessary
Multicast Traffic!

2500
T1

Cat5000

WAN

D
Unnecessary
Multicast Traffic!
7500

7500
B

Receiver
Group 1

Receiver
Group 2

In most cases, this is not a problem as long as all routers on the core network have sufficient
performance to fast drop all unwanted multicast traffic without becoming overloaded.
However, the network design shown in Figure 14-21 includes a low-end Cisco 2500 router
(Router D) directly connected to this core network switch to provide WAN connectivity off
campus.
Although the campus network equipment is certainly capable of handling all local MPEG
video multicast traffic, Router D is receiving all this traffic as well. Even if no members of
these video multicast groups are in the WAN, Router D will still be inundated with 3 Mbps
of unwanted multicast traffic.
In addition to overloading Router D with unwanted multicast traffic, unnecessary multicast
traffic is also flowing to Routers B and C. Again, this situation occurs because routers must

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Summary

441

always receive any multicast traffic in order for them to route it to other portions of the
network. Therefore, even though Router B and Router C need to receive only one of the two
multicast video streams (because each router has only a single receiver joined to one of the
two video streams), the routers are receiving both.
Figure 14-22 shows a partial solution to this problem. By redesigning the network so that
the Router D is not on the same router core network, Router D can use a multicast routing
protocol to signal Router A to not send the unwanted multicast traffic. (This can be
accomplished using a separate VLAN on the Catalyst 5000 between Router A and Router
D without making any wiring changes.)
Figure 14-22 Partial Route Core Network Solution
Video
Server

A
2500

1.5 MB
MPEG
Video
Streams

T1
7500

WAN

Cat5000

Unnecessary
Multicast Traffic!
7500

7500
B

Receiver
Group 1

Receiver
Group 2

Summary
With the growing popularity of IP multicasting, the old debate of routing versus switching
(which is the same thing as bridging) has resurfaced. As IP multicast becomes an important
part of companies network infrastructure, the need to constrain multicast traffic over large
LAN switching networks becomes important. Because complete control of the flow of
multicast traffic requires todays Layer 3 technologies, the need for more routing in the
campus network is once again on the rise. Large flat campus networks, designed by

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Chapter 14: Multicast over Campus Networks

members of the Flat Earth Society, are doomed to suffer increasing wastes of bandwidth
over the links between switches. When bandwidth is an issue, network engineers and
designers will find that their flat, campus network designs of the past are inadequate to meet
future demands for more multimedia applications.

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CHAPTER

15

Multicast over NBMA Networks

Nonbroadcast multiaccess (NBMA) networks, such as Frame Relay or ATM, have become
a mainstay for wide-area networking in today's corporate networks. These wide-area
network solutions provide considerable cost savings over traditional point-to-point
circuitry such as T1 and fractional-T1 links. However, some issues must be considered if
multicast traffic is to flow efficiently over traditional NBMA networks.
This chapter takes a close look at some of the problems that a network administrator will
encounter when trying to use Frame Relay or ATM as a traditional NBMA network over
which multicast traffic is to flow. The chapter examines the problems that result from the
disparity between the Layer 3 topology and the actual underlying Layer 2 topology of the
NBMA network. This disparity manifests itself in problems in router performance and, in
some cases, can actually break normal Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) control
mechanisms.

Traditional NBMA Networks

Before proceeding, let's be perfectly clear on what traditional NBMA network means. An
example of a traditional NBMA network is a Frame Relay or ATM network that connects
multiple routers together, such as the network shown in Figure 15-1.

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

Figure 15-1 Full Mesh NBMA Network

A

Frame Relay
or ATM

.1

S0

Logical IP Subnet
192.1.1.0/24

S0

S0

.2

.3
C

Physical Interface
Virtual Circuit

S0 .4

Each router is connected to this network with a single physical interface on which multiple
virtual circuits are defined, each connecting to a different router through the Frame Relay
or ATM network. When a physical interface on a router has more than a single virtual circuit
associated with it, the interface is referred to as a point-to-multipoint (p2mp) interface. In
a traditional NBMA network, these p2mp interfaces are configured as a single IP subnet,
sometimes referred to as a logical IP subnet (LIS), such as the 192.1.1.0/24 network shown
in Figure 15-1.
The LIS approach is sometimes preferred over the subinterface approach. LIS makes more
efficient use of IP addresses because a larger subnet mask may be used for the LIS and
only a single IP address is used for each router interface that connects to the LIS. The
subinterface approach, on the other hand, consumes four IP addresses for every logical
point-to-point (p2p) circuit configured through the Frame Relay or ATM cloud, even
though only two addresses are needed for the circuit. (The smallest IP host mask that can
be used is 2 bits long, which results in two host addresses, one broadcast address, and the
address of the subnet itself.)
Although the LIS approach is more efficient in its consumption of IP addresses, it does
introduce other problems for both unicast and multicast routing. Problems are especially
likely if a partial mesh virtual circuit topology is used in which each router is not connected
to every other router in the network via a separate virtual circuit.

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Traditional NBMA Networks

447

Figure 15-2 is an example of a partial mesh NBMA network where virtual circuits are
configured only between a single central router and all the other remote site routers.
Figure 15-2 Partial Mesh NBMA Network
Central Site
Router
A
Frame Relay
or ATM

S0

Logical IP Subnet
192.1.1.0/24

.1

Remote Site
Router

Remote Site
Router

S0

S0

.2

.3

Physical Interface
Virtual Circuit

S0 .4
D
Remote Site
Router

This sort of topology is frequently used as a cost-effective means to connect large numbers
of remote site access routers to a central site. It is typically more cost-effective because the
Frame Relay or ATM service provider generally charges on a per virtual circuit basis. In
addition, this sort of access method permits the number of remote access routers to scale to
large numbers. As a result of these two key advantages, partial mesh NBMA networks are
much more prevalent than are full mesh NBMA networks.

NOTE

It is important to note that we are not talking about the case where the routers are configured
using subinterfaces that implement logical p2p circuits over each virtual circuit in the
Frame Relay or ATM network. Such networks operate in basically the same fashion as
traditional p2p circuitry and do not suffer from the problems associated with NBMA
networks. (Of course, they do still have the same inefficiencies associated with the overhead
of Frame Relay or ATM networks, such as control message traffic and additional queuing
delays, that physical p2p circuits do not have.)

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

Multicast over Traditional NBMA Networks

When an NBMA network is configured as a LIS, the network appears to the router to
operate (at Layer 3) in the same manner as an Ethernet network. Figure 15-3 shows an
example of an NBMA network and how it appears to the router.
Figure 15-3 A Router's Layer 3 Viewpoint of an NBMA Network
Central Site
Router
Source

E0

A
S0

.1

Layer 3 Viewpoint

192.1.1.0/24

S0

.2

S0

.3

S0

.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

Members

Notice that the network has been configured as the 192.1.1.0/24 LIS to which Router A is
connected. Router A's Layer 3 viewpoint of this network is that all other PIM neighbors
(Routers B, C, D, and E) are directly connected to the network via a broadcast medium.
Therefore, Router A is required to send only a single copy of a multicast packet into the LIS
for it to be received by all other routers in the LIS.
Although the network appears to Router A at Layer 3 to be a broadcast medium, the real
topology of this NBMA network at Layer 2 is shown in Figure 15-4.

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Multicast over Traditional NBMA Networks

449

Figure 15-4 Layer 2 Reality of an NBMA Network

Central Site
Router
A
S0

Virtual Circuit

.1

192.1.1.0/24
Frame Relay
or ATM

S0

.2

S0

.3

S0

.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

NOTE

The network shown in Figure 15-4 may or may not be a full mesh network. If the network
were a full mesh network, each router would have virtual circuits to each of the other
routers in the network. However, in this example only the virtual circuits from Router A
to the other routers are shown, whether the network is full mesh or not.

As a result of the realities of the underlying Layer 2 topology, Router A is unable to send
just a single copy of a multicast packet to the LIS for all routers in the LIS to receive it.
Instead, Router A must use a technique called pseudobroadcast to send a copy of the
multicast packet over each virtual circuit for each router in the LIS to receive a copy.

Pseudobroadcast
Pseudobroadcast, as its name implies, requires the Layer 2 Frame Relay or ATM driver
code in the router to perform the replication of the broadcast or multicast packet that is to
be sent to the LIS. Replication must be done to provide the router's Layer 3 functions with
the appearance of a broadcast medium. Although this simplifies things for the Layer 3
multicast forwarding code, packet replication in the Frame Relay or ATM interface driver
code is typically a very inefficient way of handling broadcast and/or multicast traffic. This
is true for Cisco routers as well because pseudobroadcast must be done in the slower
process-level switching paths in the router where additional buffers can be allocated to
make the actual copies of the packets.

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

The performance impact of pseudobroadcast on the router for an occasional routing update
or routing protocol Hello packet to maintain router adjacencies is generally insignificant.
However, this assumes a well-designed network that uses efficient network address
aggregation to limit the frequency and size of route updates. (I've seen numerous examples
of networks that don't meet this standard, such as in IPX networks where the amount of IPX
routing updates and SAP messages resulted in heavy pseudobroadcast activity. This
behavior generally caused the Frame Relay broadcast queues to overflow and routing
updates to be lost, which, in turn, resulted in network instability.)
Pseudobroadcast not only causes the multicast packet replication rate to suffer but also
generally results in unnecessary packet replication. Consider the PIM sparse mode
(PIM-SM) NBMA network shown in Figure 15-5.
Figure 15-5 Layer 3 View of NBMA
Central Site
Router
E0

Source
192.1.1.1

S0

.1

Layer 3 Viewpoint

PIM-SM
192.1.1.0/24
(*, G) Join
S0

.2

S0

(*, G) Join
.3

S0

(*, G) Join
.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

Members

In this example, Routers B, C, and D all have members that are sending (*, G) Joins to the
rendezvous point (RP), Router A, to join the multicast group so that they can receive traffic
from the source. This results in the state shown in Example 15-1 being created in Router A.

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Multicast over Traditional NBMA Networks

Example 15-1

451

State in Router A
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:12/00:02:59, RP 192.1.1.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:12/00:02:48
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:12/00:02:59 flags: C
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, Forward/Sparse, 00:00:12/00:02:48

Notice that, because the network appears to the Layer 3 PIM code as a broadcast medium,
the only entry in the outgoing interface list is Serial0, which is the interface to the NBMA
network. As far as the router's Layer 3 PIM code is concerned, only a single copy of the
multicast traffic must be sent out this interface.
Figure 15-6 shows the reality of this situation at Layer 2. In this diagram, Routers B, C, and
D are receiving multicast traffic from the source via the pseudobroadcast mechanism.
Figure 15-6 Layer 2 Reality of NBMA Mode
Central Site
Router

Source
192.1.1.1

E0

A
Layer 2 Reality
S0

.1

192.1.1.0/24

PIM-SM

Unwanted!
S0

.2

S0

.3

S0

.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

Members

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

Note, however, that Router E does not have a directly connected host (or downstream
router) that is a member of the group. However, because the pseudobroadcast mechanism
is spoofing the router into thinking (at Layer 3) that the network is a broadcast medium, an
additional, unwanted copy of the multicast traffic is being replicated and sent to Router E.
Obviously, the combination of the performance impact of pseudobroadcast on the router
and the inefficient use of bandwidth and CPU to replicate unnecessary traffic means that
pseudobroadcast is a poor choice for any serious multicast network design. (Moral: Just say
no to pseudobroadcast.)
What is needed is some way to make the Layer 3 PIM code aware of the true NBMA
topology underneath so that it can efficiently replicate the multicast packets in the PIM fastswitching code path. This concept is the whole idea of PIM NBMA mode, which is
discussed in a later section.

PIM and Partial Mesh NBMA Networks

Partial mesh NBMA networks (that is, where every router doesn't have a virtual circuit to
every other router in the network) pose an additional problem for the proper operation of
PIM across the NBMA cloud. The problem is due to the fact that a multicast packet sent by
a router into a partial mesh NBMA cloud may not reach all members of the network.
Certain mechanisms of PIM operation depend on this and will break if this is not the case.
One of the best examples of when these mechanisms fail is PIM dense mode (PIM-DM)
Pruning.
Consider the Layer 3 viewpoint of the sample network shown in Figure 15-7. The routers
in this example treat the NBMA network as a broadcast network (although the broadcast
function is actually accomplished at Layer 2 via pseudobroadcast).

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Multicast over Traditional NBMA Networks

453

Figure 15-7 Layer 3 View of PIM-DM Pruning

Central Site
Router
Source

E0

A
S0

.1

Layer 3 Viewpoint

192.1.1.0/24

(S, G) Prune
S0

.2

S0

.3

S0

.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

Members

In the example shown, Router B does not have a directly connected host (or downstream
router) that is a member of the group and therefore attempts to prune the traffic using the
normal dense mode pruning mechanism. In this network, however, a hub-and-spoke
topology of virtual circuits has been used instead of a fully meshed network to create the
NBMA network.
Figure 15-8 shows the Layer 2 reality of this hub-and-spoke topology. Notice that because
Router B only has a single virtual circuit back to the central site router (Router A), the
(S, G) Prune is not being received by Routers C, D, and E. Because these routers do not
hear the (S, G) Prune sent by Router B, they are unaware that they need to send an (S, G)
Join to override the Prune. Hearing no overriding (S, G) Join message from the other
routers, Router A dutifully prunes interface Serial0 after the usual 3-second multi-access
network delay that cuts off the flow of traffic to the members of the group.

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

Figure 15-8 Layer 2 Reality of PIM-DM Pruning

Central Site
Router
Source

E0

A
Layer 2 Reality
S0

Not Heard
by the Other
Remote Site
Routers!

.1

192.1.1.0/24

(S,G) Prune

S0

.2

S0

.3

S0

.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

Members

The upshot should be quite obvious. PIM-DM does not work over traditional NBMA
networks unless a full mesh topology is used. Even if one does use a full mesh topology of
virtual circuits to build the NBMA cloud, the performance impact of pseudobroadcast
remains, making PIM-DM a poor choice for NBMA networks.

PIM NBMA Mode

The preceding section pointed out that the normal pruning mechanisms that are so crucial
to the proper operation of PIM-DM fail in partial mesh NBMA networks. Unfortunately,
PIM-DM is not the only case where the limited broadcast/multicast functionality of a
partial mesh network causes problems. Even in PIM-SM, there are cases where this
problem causes things to break. Obviously, what is needed is to make the PIM code in the
router aware of the actual Layer 2 topology of the NBMA cloud. This can be accomplished
if the PIM code in the router treats the NBMA cloud as a collection of p2p circuits instead
of a broadcast medium.
Beginning with Internetwork Operating System (IOS) release 11.0, Cisco added special
support for NBMA networks that work in conjunction with PIM-SM. The concept is
actually quite simple. Whenever the ip pim nbma-mode command is added to the router
configuration for an interface that is connected to an NBMA network, the PIM code will
maintain "next hop" information in the (*, G) and (S, G) outgoing interface list in addition
to the interface.

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455

For example, consider the NBMA network shown in Figure 15-4. To configure Serial0
on Router A for NBMA mode operation, the Frame Relay configuration shown in
Example 15-2 might be used.
Example 15-2

Frame Relay Configuration

interface serial0
ip address 192.1.1.1 255.255.255
ip pim sparse-mode
ip pim nbma-mode
frame-relay lmi-type ansi

Let's assume again that Routers B, C, and D all have directly connected members for the
target group but that Router E does not.
Figure 15-9 now shows that (*, G) Joins are being sent to the RP (Router A) for the
multicast group just as in the previous examples.
Figure 15-9 PIM NBMA Mode
Central Site
Router

Source
192.1.1.1

E0

A
S0

.1

192.1.1.0/24

PIM-SM

(*,G) Join
S0

.2

S0

(*,G) Join
S0
.3

(*,G) Join
.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

Members

However, because Serial0 on Router A is configured to use ip pim nbma-mode, it will put
a separate entry in the outgoing interface list that contains the interface name and the IP
address of the router that sent each (*, G) Join. This results in the mroute state in Router A
shown in Example 15-3.

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

Example 15-3

Mroute State in Router A

(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:36/00:02:59, RP 192.1.1.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, 192.1.1.4 Forward/Sparse, 00:01:36/00:02:24
Serial0, 192.1.1.2 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:54/00:02:06
Serial0, 192.1.1.3 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:12/00:02:48
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:06/00:02:59 flags: C
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, 192.1.1.4 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:06/00:02:48
Serial0, 192.1.1.2 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:06/00:02:48
Serial0, 192.1.1.3 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:06/00:02:48

Notice that Serial0 now appears in the outgoing interface lists three times, once each for
Routers B, C, and D. Therefore, Router A can now perform efficient multicast packet
replication for Routers B, C, and D in the Cisco PIM fast-switching code in the same way
as it would for discrete interfaces. As a result, the multicast traffic is not queued to the
Frame Relay output as broadcast packets, and pseudobroadcast is not used. The Cisco PIM
fast-switching path is not only more efficient in terms of CPU overhead (compared to
pseudobroadcast) but also is performing the replication only for those routers that have
specifically joined the group, as can be seen in Figure 15-10. As a result, Router E is not
receiving any unwanted multicast traffic as it did in the case of pseudobroadcast.
Figure 15-10 NBMA Mode Details at Layer 2
Central Site
Router
Source

E0

A
S0

.1

192.1.1.0/24

PIM-SM

S0

.2

S0

.3

S0

.4

S0

.5
Remote Site
Routers

Members

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457

Because NBMA mode causes the router to treat the network as a collection of p2p circuits,
the problems caused by a lack of a true broadcast mechanism in a partial mesh NBMA
network are eliminated. For example, when a router no longer has a directly connected host
(or downstream router) that is a member of the group and sends a (*, G) Prune, its
associated entry is simply removed from the outgoing interface list. This does not affect the
other routers in the network, because when NBMA mode is in use, a separate entry is
maintained for each router that has sent a Join.

NOTE

Depending on how they are configured, Cisco Dialer interfaces also exhibit NBMA
characteristics and should be configured with the ip pim nbma-mode command.

For example, assume Router B no longer has a directly connected host that is a member of
the group. In this case, Router B would send a (*, G) Prune to Router A, which would result
in the mroute state entry in Router A shown in Example 15-4.
Example 15-4

Mroute State in Router A After (*, G) Prune

(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:01:36/00:02:59, RP 192.1.1.1, flags: SC
Incoming interface: null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, 192.1.1.4 Forward/Sparse, 00:01:36/00:02:24
Serial0, 192.1.1.3 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:12/00:02:48
(192.1.1.1/32, 224.1.1.1), 00:00:06/00:02:59 flags: C
Incoming interface: Ethernet0, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
Serial0, 192.1.1.4 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:06/00:02:48
Serial0, 192.1.1.3 Forward/Sparse, 00:00:06/00:02:48

Notice that the entry for Router B has been deleted, which immediately stops the flow of
traffic to this router and only this router. Traffic flow is maintained to Routers C and D.

NOTE

Although the NBMA mode concepts presented above could be made to work for dense
mode, current releases of Cisco IOS support ip pim nbma-mode only for sparse mode
networks. This may change in a future release of Cisco IOS, but the current thinking is that
the combination of ip pim nbma-mode and dense mode would result in extremely large
outgoing interface lists. The resulting increase in router state in a dense mode network
could prove to be problematic.

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Auto-RP over NBMA Networks

The lack of a true broadcast/multicast capability in partial mesh NBMA networks also
introduces a problem with the proper flooding of Cisco Auto-RP messages. If this problem
is not accounted for in the NBMA network design, the proper operation of Auto-RP cannot
be guaranteed.
Figure 15-11 shows what can happen if the true Layer 2 topology of the NBMA network is
not considered when configuring an Auto-RP Candidate-RP or a Mapping Agent.
Figure 15-11 PIM-DM Auto-RP Message Flooding Problem
A
S0

Not Heard
by the Other
Routers!!!

Auto-RP Messages

S0

.2

S0

.3

.1

S0

Layer 2 Reality
192.1.1.0/24

.4

S0

.5

Announce
Messages
Discovery
Messages

C-RP or MA

In this example, an Auto-RP Candidate-RP and/or Mapping Agent has been configured in
the network behind Router B. In a partial mesh network, Router B does not have virtual
circuits to all routers in the NBMA cloud. (Presumably, the configuration is a hub-andspoke network with Router A serving as the hub.) As a result, Auto-RP messages from the
router in the network behind Router B do not reach the other routers in the network. This
problem is due to the fact that the Auto-RP groups (224.0.1.39 and 224.0.1.40) are normally
flooded in dense mode unless a static RP is configured in all the routers in the network.
(Configuring an RP address on every router in the network usually defeats the primary
reasons for using Auto-RP.) In this situation (which is the norm), Router A will not forward
any Auto-RP Announce or Discovery messages back out Serial0. The result is that
inconsistent Group-to-RP mapping information is distributed, which, in turn, will cause
problems in the sparse mode network.

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459

The most serious problem that will occur in the preceding example is that critical Auto-RP
Discovery messages sent by the Mapping Agent in the network behind Router B will not
reach Routers C, D, and E. If only the one Mapping Agent is in the network, Routers C, D,
and E will assume the network is operating in dense mode because they are not receiving
any Group-to-RP mapping information.
The best way to fix this problem is to enable ip pim nbma-mode and move the Mapping
Agent function to the central site network but leave the Candidate-RP where it is, as shown
in Figure 15-12.
Figure 15-12 Proper Placement of Mapping Agents
MA

MA

Central Site Network

A
S0

Auto-RP Messages

S0

.2

S0

.3

.1

S0

Layer 2 Reality
192.1.1.0/24

.4

S0

.5

Announce
Messages
Discovery
Messages

C-RP

Now, the Auto-RP Discovery messages can reach all routers in the network and the
Candidate-RP message can simultaneously reach the Mapping Agent(s). As long as all
Mapping Agents are inside the central site network (notice that redundant Mapping Agents
are shown in Figure 15-12), Auto-RP should function as desired.

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460

NOTE

Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

For the topology shown in Figure 15-12 to work properly, ip pim nbma-mode must be
used. If this command is not used and the Candidate-RP behind Router B is elected as RP,
Router A will not forward (*, G) Joins received from Routers C, D, and E to Router B. The
net result is that Routers C, D, and E will not be able to join the shared tree and, therefore,
will not be able to receive multicast traffic.

To summarize, the general rule of thumb is that all Auto-RP Mapping Agents should be
configured inside the central site network to prevent problems in the Auto-RP mechanisms.
On the other hand, if it is necessary to depart from this design and place an Auto-RP
Mapping Agent at one of the remote site networks, it will be necessary to add virtual
circuits to the NBMA network.
For example, to place a Mapping Agent in the network behind Router B would require
additional virtual circuits from Router B to all other routers in the NBMA network, as
shown in Figure 15-13. This configuration allows the Auto-RP Discovery messages to flow
properly from Router B to all other routers in the network.
Figure 15-13 Adding Virtual Circuits to Solve the Problem
MA

MA

Central Site Network

A
S0

S0

.2

MA

S0

.3

.1

S0

Layer 2 Reality
192.1.1.0/24

.4

S0

.5

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461

Multicast over ATM NBMA Clouds

ATM networks are often implemented using the same permanent virtual circuit (PVC)
infrastructure as used in Frame Relay networks. In these cases, the ATM or Frame Relay
service provider manually configures the virtual circuit paths through the ATM or Frame
Relay network. However, many ATM networks have the capability to also support the
creation of switch virtual circuits (SVCs) via standard ATM User-Network Interface (UNI)
signaling that permits the routers to establish new paths through the ATM fabric on the fly.
ATM UNI signaling not only allows p2p virtual circuits to be created, but also supports
p2mp virtual circuits as well. These p2mp circuits can be leveraged to substantially increase
the efficiency of multicast traffic flow across the ATM network.
This section explores the use of the p2mp SVC capabilities of ATM to improve multicast
flow and how to configure a Cisco router to take advantage of these capabilities. In addition,
this section examines the output of several show commands that can be used to debug the
flow of multicast traffic over these p2mp circuits.

ATM Point-to-Multipoint Broadcast Virtual Circuit

Instead of using the highly inefficient method of pseudobroadcast to replicate a broadcast
or multicast packet in an ATM NBMA network, it would be nice if there were some way to
let the ATM network perform this replication task. In such a setting, the router would have
to send only a single broadcast or multicast packet into the ATM fabric, and it would reach
all routers in the NBMA network. This can be accomplished by the use of ATM p2mp
virtual circuits (VCs) that are dedicated to delivering broadcast or multicast traffic.
Figure 15-14 shows a p2mp broadcast SVC connecting Router A to all other routers in the
ATM NBMA network. Router A uses this p2mp VC to deliver all broadcast or multicast
traffic to Routers B, C, and D. Although only the p2mp VC from Router A to Routers B, C,
and D is shown in the drawing, each router would have its own p2mp VC that connects the
router to all other routers in the network. The result is a total of four p2mp VCs in the
example shown in Figure 15-14.

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

Figure 15-14 ATM Broadcast VC

A

Broadcast p2mp SVC

ATM 2/0

171.69.214.40/29

.1

.2

.3

ATM NBMA
Cloud

.4
D

The p2mp broadcast SVC connection may be accomplished by using the atm multipointsignaling interface configuration command. This command instructs the router to signal the
ATM fabric (using standard UNI ATM signaling mechanisms) to create a p2mp VC that
connects all routers in the network that have the broadcast keyword in their static ATM
map statement.
For instance, Example 15-5 shows the commands necessary to configure Router A to create
a p2mp broadcast VC to the other routers in the network.
Example 15-5

Commands for p2mp Broadcast VC

interface ATM2/0
ip address 171.69.214.41 255.255.255.248
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
ip ospf network broadcast
atm nsap-address 47.00918100000000410B0A1981.111111111111.00
atm pvc 1 0 5 qsaal
atm pvc 2 0 16 ilmi
atm multipoint-signaling
map-group mpvc
map-list mpvc
ip 171.69.214.41
ip 171.69.214.42
ip 171.69.214.43
ip 171.69.214.44

atm-nsap
atm-nsap
atm-nsap
atm-nsap

47.00918100000000410B0A1981.111111111111.00
47.00918100000000410B0A1981.222222222222.00
47.00918100000000410B0A1981.333333333333.00
47.00918100000000410B0A1981.444444444444.00

broadcast
broadcast
broadcast
broadcast

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463

The key configuration items in Example 15-5 are highlighted in boldface. Notice that the
atm multipoint-signaling command has been added to interface ATM2/0. Also notice that
the broadcast keyword is appended to each of the ATM mapping statements in map-list
mpvc. The network service access point (NSAP) information in these mapping commands
instructs the ATM fabric to add these ATM nodes to the p2mp VC.

NOTE

The obvious downside to using the preceding approach is that a full mesh of SVCs will be
created between all routers. However, if this full mesh SVC network is acceptable, the
trade-off is reduced workload on the router, as it doesn't have to replicate broadcast packets
using pseudobroadcast.

ATM Point-to-Multipoint VC per Group

The use of a special broadcast p2mp VC certainly reduces the packet replication workload
on the router, which increases multicast efficiency (at least as far as the router is concerned).
However, the network still has inefficiencies that can be eliminated. For example, assume
that only Router B has joined a multicast group and Router A is sending this traffic via the
broadcast p2mp VC. Although Router A has to send only one packet into the ATM fabric
via the broadcast p2mp VC, that unwanted traffic is being delivered to Routers C and D.
What we really would like to see is for the ATM fabric to deliver the multicast traffic only
to the routers that actually want the traffic!
Extending the ATM switch fabric to be multicast aware would require the ATM switches to
somehow snoop in on the PIM control traffic flowing over the ATM NBMA network. This
is obviously a non-trivial task and would require all ATM switches to have this feature
implemented in order to work. However, it is quite possible to have the routers to instruct
the ATM fabric to create separate p2mp VCs that can be used to distribute the multicast
traffic to only those routers that have requested it.
Figure 15-15 shows an example of how individual p2mp VCs could be used to efficiently
distribute multicast traffic over the ATM NBMA network. In this example, notice that the
broadcast p2mp VC is still being used for general broadcast traffic (such as OSPF Hellos
or other generic link-local multicast or broadcasts).

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

Figure 15-15 ATM P2MP VC per Group

A

Group p2mp VCs

Broadcast p2mp VC

ATM NBMA
Cloud

However, now separate group p2mp VCs are in use that map to only the subset of the routers
in the network that have joined a specific multicast group. (Again, only the p2mp circuits
originating from Router A are shown for clarity.) This allows Router A to send a single
multicast packet into the ATM fabric and have this packet reach only the routers that have
a need for the traffic. This network represents the maximum multicast efficiency that can be
obtained in an ATM network without having the ATM switches be multicast aware.

PIM Multipoint Signaling

The use of group-specific p2mp VCs for multicast traffic delivery is precisely what is
accomplished by configuring ip pim multipoint-signaling on an ATM interface in a PIMSM network. This command instructs the router to create and maintain a separate p2mp VC
for each group (up to a limit, which is discussed later). Each Join message that the router
receives for a group from another router is translated into an Add-Party ATM UNI signal to
the ATM switch fabric. The process involves searching the ATM mapping information for
the IP address of the router that sent the Join and using the associated ATM NSAP address
in the mapping statement to instruct the ATM switch fabric which Party to add to the p2mp

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Multicast over ATM NBMA Clouds

465

VC. By the same token, the reverse operation is used when a Prune message is received
from a router. This message causes a Drop-Party ATM UNI signal to be sent to the ATM
fabric to remove the router from the p2mp VC.
Example 15-6 shows PIM Multipoint Signaling being configured on Router A in
Figure 15-15.
Example 15-6

PIM Multipoint Signaling Configuration

interface ATM2/0
ip address 171.69.214.41 255.255.255.248
ip pim sparse-dense-mode
ip pim multipoint-signaling
ip ospf network broadcast
atm nsap-address 47.00918100000000410B0A1981.111111111111.00
atm pvc 1 0 5 qsaal
atm pvc 2 0 16 ilmi
atm multipoint-signaling
map-group mpvc
map-list mpvc
ip 171.69.214.41
ip 171.69.214.42
ip 171.69.214.43
ip 171.69.214.44

atm-nsap
atm-nsap
atm-nsap
atm-nsap

47.00918100000000410B0A1981.111111111111.00
47.00918100000000410B0A1981.222222222222.00
47.00918100000000410B0A1981.333333333333.00
47.00918100000000410B0A1981.444444444444.00

broadcast
broadcast
broadcast
broadcast

Notice that the configuration is identical to Example 15-5 with the exception of the addition
of the ip pim multipoint-signaling command on interface ATM2/0.

Limiting the Number of PIM Multipoint VCs

Unfortunately, the use of individual p2mp VCs by the Cisco router doesn't come free. For
example, the number of active multicast groups in the network can grow to the point where
the number of p2mp VCs needed exceeds the capabilities of the router. In addition to
increased resource demands on the router, the use of p2mp SVC in the ATM network
increases the resource demands on the ATM switch fabric. Therefore, to place an upper
bound on the resources consumed by PIM Multipoint Signaling, there is a maximum
number of VCs that PIM Multipoint Signaling will be allowed to use. This maximum value
can be tuned by using the following global command:
ip pim vc-count <count>

This command configures PIM Multipoint Signaling to limit itself to using a maximum of
count VCs. If this command is not specified, the default value of count is 200 VCs. When
the router hits this maximum limit, it will delete an inactive PIM multipoint VC in order to
open VCs for new groups.

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Chapter 15: Multicast over NBMA Networks

The determination of whether a VC is inactive or not depends on whether its traffic rate is
below the minimum-vc-rate in packets per seconds. VCs that fall below this minimum rate
are considered eligible for deletion when the vc-count limit is reached. The minimum-vcrate can be tuned by using the following global command:
ip pim minimum-vc-rate <pps>

This command configures the minimum traffic rate in pps for PIM multipoint VCs to be
considered active. If the maximum number of PIM multipoint VCs is in use and a new VC
needs to be created for a new group, the router scans the list of existing PIM multipoint
VCs. If a VC is found that has a rate less than or equal to pps, it is deleted so that a new VC
can be created for the new group. If a VC whose rate is below this minimum is not found,
a new VC is not created. If a multicast group does not have its own multipoint VC, the router
drops back to using the shared broadcast p2mp VC that delivers packets to all routers in the
NBMA network.
If the ip pim minimum-vc-rate command is not specified, a default value of 0 pps is
automatically used. Thus, VCs are allocated on a first come, first served basis until the
maximum number of PIM multipoint VCs is reached. At that point, all new groups that are
created use the shared broadcast p2mp VC.

Debugging ATM P2MP Virtual Circuits

This section introduces some of the basic commands that monitor and/or debug ATM p2mp
virtual circuits that are used for IP multicasting. Using these commands, the network
administrator can quickly and easily determine the number, status, and activity of these
p2mp circuits.

PIM Show Commands

At the top of the list of show commands is show ip pim vc. This command displays a list
of all p2mp VCs in use by PIM by group, as shown in Example 15-7.
Example 15-7

Sample show ip pim vc Output

router-a> show ip pim vc
IP Multicast ATM VC Status
ATM0/0 VC count is 5, max is 5
Group
VCD
Interface
224.0.1.40
21
ATM2/0
224.2.2.2
26
ATM2/0
224.1.1.1
28
ATM2/0
224.4.4.4
32
ATM2/0
224.5.5.5
35
ATM2/0

Leaf Count
3
1
1
2
1

Rate
0 pps
3 pps
1 pps
1 pps
2 pps

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467

In this example, the multicast group address is displayed along with the virtual circuit
descriptor (VCD) number, the ATM interface, the number of leaf nodes in the p2mp circuit,
and the traffic rate in packets per second that is flowing over the VC.
In addition to the preceding command, the show ip mroute command uses an extended
format when ATM p2mp VCs are in use as shown in Example 15-8.
Example 15-8

Sample show ip mroute Output

router-a> show ip mroute 224.1.1.1
IP Multicast Routing Table
Flags: D - Dense, S - Sparse, C - Connected, L - Local, P - Pruned
R - RP-bit set, F - Register flag, T - SPT-bit set, J - Join SPT
Timers: Uptime/Expires
Interface state: Interface, Next-Hop or VCD, State/Mode
(*, 224.1.1.1), 00:03:57/00:02:54, RP 130.4.101.1, flags: SJ
Incoming interface: Null, RPF nbr 0.0.0.0
Outgoing interface list:
ATM2/0, VCD 28, Forward/Sparse, 00:03:57/00:02:53

Notice that in addition to the interface name, the VCD number of the p2mp VC is included
as part of the information in the outgoing interface list. By using this VCD number as a
parameter in the show atm commands (as described in the next section), you can obtain
even more detailed information on the multicast p2mp VC.

ATM Show Commands

The output format of the show atm vc command can also be used to display the status of
p2mp VCs in use by the router. Example 15-9 is an sample of the output that can be
obtained using this command.
Example 15-9

Sample show atm vc Output

router-a> show atm vc
Interface
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0
ATM2/0

VCD
1
2
6
9
13
21
26
28
32
32
35

VPI
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

VCI
5
16
124
125
126
127
128
129
131
132
135

AAL
Type
Encapsulation
PVC
AAL5-SAAL
PVC
AAL5-ILMI
MSVC-3 AAL5-SNAP
SVC
AAL5-SNAP
SVC
AAL5-SNAP
MSVC
AAL5-SNAP
MSVC-1 AAL5-SNAP
MSVC-3 AAL5-SNAP
SVC
AAL5-SNAP
MSVC-3 AAL5-SNAP
MSVC-2 AAL5-SNAP

Kbps
155000
155000
155000
155000
155000
155000
155000
155000
155000
155000
155000

Peak
Avg.
Kbps
Cells
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96
155000
96

Burst
Status
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT

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All p2mp VCs listed by this command are indicated with the Multipoint Switched Virtual
Circuit (MSVC) designation in the Type field of the display. Example 15-8 shows that
group 224.1.1.1 is using VCD 28 on interface ATM2/0. Locating this interface and VCD in
the show atm vc display, you see that the Type field contains an indication of MSVC-3.
This designation indicates that Router A is the root node and that three leaf nodes have been
added to the p2mp VC. On the other hand, ATM2/0, VCD 26 contains a Type field value of
MSVC-1, which indicates that Router A is again the root node for this p2mp VC and that
only one leaf node is connected to the VC. If the Type field contains only the value of
MSVC (without a dash and number), it indicates that the router is a leaf node on this p2mp
VC. In the sample output in Example 15-9, ATM2/0, VCD 21 is an example where
Router A is a leaf node and not the root node of the p2mp VC.
Finally, by supplying the VCD number of a specific ATM VC, even more detail on the p2mp
VC can be obtained, as shown in Example 15-10.
Example 15-10

Sample show atm vc with VCD Number Output

router-a> show atm vc 28
ATM0/0: VCD: 28, VPI: 0, VCI: 129, etype:0x0, AAL5 - LLC/SNAP, Flags: 0x650
PeakRate: 155000, Average Rate: 155000, Burst Cells: 96, VCmode: 0xE000
OAM DISABLED, InARP DISABLED
InPkts: 0, OutPkts: 12, InBytes: 0, OutBytes: 496
InPRoc: 0, OutPRoc: 0, Broadcasts: 12
InFast: 0, OutFast: 0, InAS: 0, OutAS: 0
OAM F5 cells sent: 0, OAM cells received: 0
Status: ACTIVE, TTL: 2, VC owner: IP Multicast (224.1.1.1)
interface = ATM2/0, call locally initiated, call reference = 2
vcnum = 11, vpi = 0, vci = 129, state = Active
aal5snap vc, multipoint call
Retry count: Current = 0, Max = 10
timer currently inactive, timer value = 00:00:00
Leaf Atm Nsap address: 47.0091810000000002BA08E101.444444444444.02
Leaf Atm Nsap address: 47.0091810000000002BA08E101.333333333333.02
Leaf Atm Nsap address: 47.0091810000000002BA08E101.222222222222.02

In Example 15-10, the VC owner is listed as IP Multicast (224.1.1.1) and indicates that
the VC is in use by PIM. In addition, the actual ATM NSAP addresses of the three leaf
nodes on the p2mp VC are listed at the end of the display.

Classical IP over ATM Networks

Up to this point, the discussion of ATM NBMA networks has been confined to the special
case where the network is used only to interconnect routers into an ATM core network. One
way to interconnect nodes routers across an ATM network is to use a classical IP over ATM
network, which was originally defined in RFC 1577 and has now been superceded by
RFC 2225. In these networks, extensive ATM UNI signaling dynamically sets up and tears

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down p2p SVCs as needed between the nodes in the ATM NBMA network to permit traffic
to flow.
However, to resolve IP-to-ATM addressing so that an SVC call can be made, an ATM
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) server must be used. All ATM nodes in the network
register their IP/ATM NSAP addresses with the ATM ARP server. When an ATM node
wishes to communicate with another node across the classical IP over ATM network, it
must query the ATM ARP server for the ATM NSAP address associated with the destination
IP address. The ATM node then uses the NSAP address received in the response from the
ATM ARP server to place the SVC call to the destination node.
The use of classical IP over ATM networks is not strictly limited to core networks
consisting only of routers. Some of the nodes in these NBMA LISs are frequently end
stations and not routers. Because the SVCs in a classical IP over ATM network are built on
demand, the set of SVCs that interconnect the nodes in the network at any particular instant
may or may not be a full mesh. In fact, most implementations tear down an SVC if no traffic
has flowed over it for some period of time so that precious ATM resources can be reused.
This can increase the chance that the set of SVCs at any particular instant is not a complete,
full mesh of all nodes in the NBMA LIS. Because the set of SVCs may not reach all other
nodes in the network, any broadcast or multicast traffic sent may not reach all nodes in the
network. As a result, RFC 2225 states that broadcast and multicast are not supported across
classical IP over ATM.

NOTE

Even if an implementation of classical IP over ATM attempted to establish a full mesh of

SVCs to all nodes in the network, it would not have any way to determine which IP
addresses in the LIS were valid. You might argue that you could query the ATM ARP server
for every address in the network address range to determine the valid nodes in the LIS. Even
if you were willing to query every address (which could be a rather large number), there is
no guarantee that the ATM ARP server would have a complete mapping at query time.
Consequently, to maintain a complete full mesh of all nodes in the LIS, the node would have
to query the ATM ARP server for the entire IP address repetitively. Sorry, bad idea.

It's an unfortunate fact that many proponents of bringing ATM to the desktop have built
large ATM LISs utilizing classical IP over ATM networks with the idea that they would be
in a good position to roll out multimedia applications. Although ATM's (yet to be realized)
promise of quality of service (QoS) would be desirable in a multimedia network, the reality
is that many of these multimedia applications are IP multicast based. Because classical IP
over ATM clearly does not support multicast, these multimedia applications will not work
over such networks.

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Considerable work is underway to find a workable solution around this limitation. Several
other RFCs have defined rather complex techniques to extend classical IP over ATM to
support multicast. These include RFC 2022, Support for Multicast over UNI 3.0/3.1 Based
ATM Networks, and RFC 2149, Multicast Server Architectures for MARS-Based ATM
Multicasting. Collectively, the methods defined in these RFCs are referred to as ATM MARS
and are centered around the following basic components:

Multicast Address Resolution Server (MARS)This device resolves Group-toEnd-node mapping by extending the IGMP-based multicast host model to ATM.
Nodes that want to join a group must register with the MARS. By the same token,
when a node leaves the group, it must notify the MARS so that its NSAP address can
be removed from the Group-to-End-node map list.

Multicast Content Server (MCS)This device distributes actual IP multicast traffic

in the same fashion as the broadcast and unknown server (BUS) in ATM LAN
Emulation (LANE) delivers all broadcast/unknown traffic. That is to say, all IP
multicast traffic is sent to the MCS, which then sends it to the members of the group
in the LIS. The MCS may employ either p2p or p2mp VCs to distribute this traffic to
end stations. The MCS must also work closely with the MARS to determine the
current Group-to-End-node mapping.

Mesh of p2mp VCsThis approach may be used as an alternative to the MCS and
requires each end station that wants to transmit to the group to establish and maintain
p2mp VCs to the other members of the group. This solution also requires close
coordination with the MARS to maintain a current Group-to-End-node mapping.

The preceding extremely high-level description of ATM MARS belies the enormous
complexity behind extending the multicast host model of IGMP to an ATM network. Until
more work in this highly complex area has been done, Cisco Systems has elected to not
implement ATM MARS in its current versions of IOS. It is possible that this decision may
change when this technology matures sufficiently.

Summary
This chapter examined how the lack of a native broadcast capability in NBMA networks,
such as on Frame Relay, ATM, and Dialer interfaces, creates some interesting issues for
proper IP multicast operation. Cisco routers use pseudobroadcast to emulate a native
broadcast service on NBMA networks. Although pseudobroadcast is generally sufficient
for the occasional routing update, its performance impact is too significant to be used for
IP multicasting. As a result, Cisco has introduced PIM NBMA mode for use in PIM-SM
networks to provide efficient IP multicast services over NBMA networks.

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Summary

471

When the NBMA network is built on an ATM network that supports SVCs and that network
is acting as a core network to interconnect Cisco routers, p2mp VCs can be used to achieve
improvements in ATM network efficiency using Cisco's PIM Multipoint Signaling feature.
This feature provides the maximum IP multicast efficiency that can be obtained across an
ATM network and should be the preferred method when an ATM core network is used.
Finally, considerable work is being done to extend the classical IP over ATM model to
support IP multicast. However, this technology has yet to see any widespread usage,
primarily because of its complexity. Only time will tell whether these extensions to the
classical IP over ATM model will become commonplace in networks.

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PART

Advanced Multicast Topics

This final part addresses advanced topics in IP multicasting.
Chapter 16 covers IP multicast traffic engineering and presents a popular multicast topic: limiting the
bandwidth consumed by multicast traffic. Two specific techniques to limit bandwidth consumption are
presented along with examples on how to configure Cisco routers to make use of these techniques.
Chapter 16 also includes a section on controlling the paths of multicast traffic flow through the network.
In addition, this chapter presents a special feature that can be used to convert IP broadcast traffic to IP
multicast traffic and vice versa.
Chapter 17 is a brief introduction to inter-domain IP multicast routing and presents recently developed
protocols that permit multiple, independent PIM-SM domains to be interconnected. This chapter also
provides a brief overview of some of the efforts by IETF working groups on new protocols to address
inter-domain IP multicast and dynamic multicast group address allocation.

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CHAPTER

16

Multicast Traffic Engineering

This chapter considers several topics in multicast traffic engineering that are commonly
encountered in IP multicast networks. Certainly, this presentation is not an exhaustive study
of issues that you are likely to encounter while designing IP multicast-enabled networks,
but I feel certain that these issues are likely to surface sooner than most others.
The topics that are covered in this chapter include

Bandwidth control
Path engineering
Load splitting
Broadcast-to-multicast conversion

Of these, the first topic, bandwidth control, seems to almost always come up at some point
in the initial phases of the network design. Additionally, traffic engineering issues
immediately pop up whenever network engineers decide to just run IP multicast on certain
links. Finally, load splitting and broadcast-to-multicast conversions are typically only seen
under special situations. However, having a solid understanding of these two issues and
their associated solutions is always a good idea.

Controlling Multicast Bandwidth Usage

Im not going to enable IP multicast in our network because it might consume too much
bandwidth and affect our existing unicast applications. This statement is often heard when
network managers are discussing the topic of IP multicast. However, the reality is that the
growing popularity of multimedia applications (especially video) is already placing
increased bandwidth demands on these managers networks every day. In many cases, the
managers are just not aware of it.
Chapter 1, Introduction to IP Multicast, points out that many of these applications are
using User Datagram Protocol (UDP) based unicast, which results in multiple video
streams consuming bandwidth in the network. By this point, it should be clear that the use
of IP multicast is actually an excellent way to conserve network bandwidth. Having said
that, there are still conditions under which one is prudent to protect the network against the
possibility of poorly behaved or improperly used multicast applications from consuming
too much bandwidth and causing problems.

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This section examines two techniques that can help protect the network from multicast
applications that consume too much bandwidth on critical links. These methods are

Rate-limiting process
Scoped zones

These two methods are not mutually exclusive and can (and often are) used together to
provide increased network bandwidth control over IP multicast traffic.

Bandwidth Control with Rate Limiting

Cisco Systems introduced the capability to rate limit IP multicast traffic back in
Internetwork Operating System (IOS) version 11.0 with the use of the ip multicast ratelimit interface command. This command has numerous options that limit the flow of
incoming or outgoing multicast traffic on a particular interface and is a brute-force method
of limiting multicast bandwidth usage. The format of this command is
[no] ip multicast rate-limit in | out {[video] | [whiteboard]}
[group-list <acl>] [source-list <acl>] [<kbps>]

The ip multicast rate-limit in form of the command limits the rate at which the specified
multicast stream is accepted on the interface to <kbps>. The ip multicast rate-limit out
form of the command limits the rate at which the specified multicast stream can be sent out
the interface to <kbps>. The router silently discards packets that cause the specified rate to
be exceeded. If the <kbps> parameter is not specified in the command, the default value of
0 <kbps> is assumed, meaning that all packets in the specified stream are discarded. (This
value can be used as a filter to block the flow of a particular multicast stream.)
The optional group-list and source-list clauses fine-tune the rate-limiting command so that
it applies to specific groups and sources or to the interface as a whole. If both of these
clauses are omitted, the specified rate limiting is applied to the aggregate of all multicast
traffic flowing on the interface, regardless of source, group, or number of multicast flows.
If either the group-list or source-list clause is specified, rate limiting is applied to each
individual multicast traffic flow. In addition, multiple iterations of the ip multicast ratelimit command may be configured on an interface. This permits a variety of rate-limiting
combinations to be specified.
For example, if only the group-list <acl> clause is specified, rate limiting is performed on
any sources sending to the groups specified in the access control list (ACL). If only the
source-list <acl> clause is specified, rate limiting is performed on the specific sources
listed in the acl, regardless of which groups they are sending. If both clauses are specified,
rate limiting is performed only on sources that are sending to the groups matched by the
group-list <acl> and that match the source-list <acl>.

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Finally, if the optional keyword video or whiteboard is specified, then rate limiting is
performed on all specified video or whiteboard multicast streams, respectively. The router
identifies these multicast streams by the UDP port number used by the respective video or
whiteboard media. The UDP port numbers of these media streams are, in turn, obtained by
the router as follows:
1 The routers Session Directory Protocol (sdr) cache is searched for multicast sessions

that contain video or whiteboard media streams.

2 The multicast group address, along with the UDP port number of the associated media

stream, is recorded for use in rate-limiting checks.

NOTE

For video or whiteboard multicast rate limiting to work, the command ip sdr listen must
be enabled on the router so that the port number can be obtained from the sdr cache. If the
group address corresponding to the video or whiteboard multicast stream is not in the
routers sdr cache, no rate limiting is done for the group. This situation would occur if ip
sdr listen is not enabled on the router or if the router is not receiving the sdr announcements
for the group.

The use of rate limiting to control bandwidth utilization is a rather brute-force method that
doesnt always meet the needs of the network engineer. It requires an arbitrary upper bound
to be set on the bandwidth utilization of a link and enforces this limit religiously even if
available bandwidth on the link could be used to deliver the traffic.

Aggregate Rate Limiting

Because network engineers generally usually do not know which sources will be sending
to which groups in their network, the most common application of rate limiting is to set an
absolute upper bound for all multicast traffic being sent on an interface and is referred to as
aggregate rate limiting. When this form of rate limiting is in use, the total rate of all
multicast traffic flowing over the interface is compared to the rate limit. If this rate is being
exceeded, the router begins dropping multicast packets.
For example, the router configuration in Example 16-1 could be used to limit the amount
of multicast traffic sent on a T1 line to roughly 70% of the total available bandwidth or
approximately 1 Mbps.
Example 16-1

Sample Rate Limiting Configuration

interface serial0
description T1 line to Timbuktu
ip address 192.1.1.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip multicast rate-limit out 1000

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Note that this configuration does not use either the group-list or source-list clause, which
means that aggregate rate limiting is in use. In other words, the rate limit is applied to the
aggregate of all multicast traffic flowing out the interface regardless of whether there is one
multicast stream or one hundred.
If the network engineer wants to limit the rate of multicast traffic being accepted by an
interface, the configuration in Example 16-2 can be used.
Example 16-2

Configuration to Limit Multicast Traffic

interface ethernet0
description "Multicast Server LAN Segment
ip address 192.100.1.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense
ip multicast rate-limit in 3000

The preceding configuration would limit the rate of accepted multicast traffic to a total
aggregate rate of all arriving multicast traffic to 3 Mbps. (Note that the router has no control
of how much multicast traffic the servers on this LAN segment send. The router can set
limits only on the maximum rate it will accept. If the total aggregate rate of all multicast
traffic exceeds the set limit, the router begins dropping multicast packets at this input
interface.)

Rate Limiting by Mroute Entry

Rate limiting on an aggregate interface basis is sometimes insufficient to meet certain
network needs because this technique sets an upper bound on the total amount of multicast
traffic an interface is permitted to carry. In some cases, a network engineer may want to
limit each individual multicast stream to a maximum rate. This type of limit can be
implemented by rate limiting on an mroute table entry basis instead of on an aggregate
interface basis.
When interface rate limiting by mroute entry is in use, the traffic rate value maintained in
the individual (*, G) or (S, G) entry (depending on which is being used to forward the
traffic) is compared with the list of configured rate limits for the interface. If a matching
entry is found, the limit is compared to the traffic rate value in the associated mroute entry.
If the rate is less than the configured limit, the multicast packet is forwarded normally;
otherwise, it is dropped.

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Consider the configuration in Example 16-3 of interface rate limiting by mroute entry:
Example 16-3

Rate Limiting by Mroute Entry

interface serial0
description T1 line to Timbuktu
ip address 192.1.1.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip multicast rate-limit out group-list 10 50
access-list 10 permit 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255

This configuration limits each individual mroute table entry whose group address falls into
the range of 239.255.0.0239.255.255.255, to a maximum of 50 kbps out interface serial0.
If four (S, G) mroute table entries happen to match this group and they have serial0 in their
outgoing interface lists, each entry would be permitted to forward up to 50 kbps out serial0
for a total of 200 kbps.

WARNING

If multicast traffic is being forwarded in a sparse mode network using the (*, G) entry (such
as when SPT-Thresholds of infinity have been configured), the rate is applied to the
aggregate of all (*, G) traffic flowing over the interface. Consequently, if four active sources
for a multicast group are being forwarded via the (*, G) entry, the aggregate rate of all four
sources is compared to the specified rate limit. If the aggregate rate exceeds the limit,
multicast packets will be dropped. Therefore, if it is important for each individual multicast
source to be allowed to transmit traffic up to some specified limit, that SPT-Thresholds of
zero (the default) should be used so that individual (S, G) entries are created.

Again, it is possible to configure multiple ip multicast rate-limit commands on

a single interface. The configuration in Example 16-4 extends the configuration shown
Example 16-3 to also define a limit on all multicast traffic transmitted in the 239.192.0.0
239.192.255.255 range.
Example 16-4

Using Multiple ip multicast rate-limit Commands

interface serial0
description T1 line to Timbuktu
ip address 192.1.1.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip multicast rate-limit out group-list 20 1000
ip multicast rate-limit out group-list 10 50
access-list 10 permit 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 20 permit 239.192.0.0 0.0.255.255

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Now, each (S, G) multicast traffic flow in the 239.255.0.0239.255.255.255 range can
transmit 50 kbps out serial0 while each (S, G) multicast traffic flow in the 239.192.0.0
239.192.255.255 range can transmit up to 1 Mbps.
Finally, whereas the previous examples defined individual mroute entry limits for outgoing
interfaces by the use of the out qualifier, the same limits may be applied to the incoming
interface by the use of the in qualifier.

Bandwidth Control with Scoped Zones

Another efficient method to control the bandwidth utilization is via the use of scoped zones
and IP multicast boundaries. The basic idea behind this approach is to prevent high-rate
multicast traffic from traveling outside of regions that are provisioned to handle this rate of
multicast traffic.
An example of where this approach is useful is to prevent high-rate multicast from leaving
a campus network and traveling over the wide-area network (WAN), as shown in
Figure 16-1.
Figure 16-1 Preventing High-Rate Multicast from Leaving a Campus

HQ Campus Network
1.5 Mbps
Video Source

Reciting
CEO

100 kbps
Video Source

256 kbps
WAN
(To Remote Offices)

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481

In this example, two video sources of the companys CEO reciting the words to a popular
1960s rock-and-roll tune are being multicast live to the entire company. (Evidentially, this
sort of event is popular at some high-tech companies.) Employees located at the
headquarters campus can join the high-rate, 1.5-Mbps video multicast session so that they
can see and hear the CEO recite with the highest audio and video fidelity. Employees
located at remote offices, however, should not join the 1.5-Mbps session because they
would overload the WAN link. Instead, employees at these remote sites are expected to join
the low-rate, 100-kbps session. However, unless some preventive steps are taken, an
employee at a remote office could join the 1.5 Mbps by accident, overload the WAN link,
and effectively ruin the show for all the other employees at the remote sites. By using
scoped zones and multicast boundaries for high-rate multicast traffic, it is possible to
prevent employees at the remote offices from joining the high-rate multicast feeds.
The idea behind bandwidth control using scoped zones is to develop a hierarchy of
multicast traffic rates. Each level of the hierarchy defines a range of multicast addresses that
can be used to transmit multicast traffic up to some maximum rate within that level of the
hierarchy. For example, Table 16-1 shows a simple three-tier hierarchy that could be used
to divide multicast traffic rates into three zones with their corresponding rate limits.
Table 16-1 Simple Three-Tiered Zone Hierarchy
Zone

Group Range

Rate

Site-Local

239.255.0.0/16

>256 Kbps

Organization-Local

239.192.0.0/10

<= 256 Kbps

Global

224.0.1.0 238.255.255.255

<= 128 Kbps

Figure 16-2 shows an example of this hierarchy being applied to the company network. A
Site-Local zone would typically be an area where the bandwidth that interconnected all the
network segments was plentiful, for example, a site or campus network with Ethernet or
better rates.

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Figure 16-2 Bandwidth Control with Scoped Zones

Site A (HQ)
AS Border
T1
Site Local
RP/MA

To Internet

S0
Org-Local
Boundary
Border A

Org. RP/MA
(Non Site Local)
S0
Site Local
Boundaries

T1

S0

Site-Local
Boundaries

T1

S0

S0
Border B

Border C

Site Local
RP/MA

Site Local
RP/MA

Site B (LA)

Site C (ATL)

The drawing shows two remote sites (or campuses) in Los Angeles and Atlanta, each
connected back to the headquarters (Site A) site via T1 links. Each of these sites is
configured as a Site-Local zone with Site-Local boundaries on the T1 links on their
respective border routers. Multicast sources in these sites that want to transmit only to
receivers inside of their site would use a multicast address in the Site-Local group range.
(In this example, this range has been assigned as the 239.255.0.0/16 group range.) By using
the Site-Local group range, multicast sources inside the site can safely source traffic at rates
above 256 kbps. This traffic would typically include things like MPEG video sources at
rates up to 1.5 Mbps or possibly more (depending on the site/campus bandwidth
infrastructure). The Site-Local boundaries configured on the border routers prevent any
multicast traffic in the 239.255.0.0/16 group range from entering or leaving the site. This
multicast boundary prevents the (potentially) high-rate Site-Local multicast traffic from
congesting the inter-site T1 links.

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NOTE

483

The addresses in the Site-Local address range (in this example, the 239.255.0.0/16 range)
are allocated independently by all sites in the network. Therefore, two different multicast
sessions could be using the same group address at the same time but at different sites. For
example, the high-rate session of the CEO reciting the words to a 1960s rock-and-roll
number might be using 239.255.1.1 at the Headquarters site (Site A) while, at the LA site
(Site B), the same 239.255.1.1 group is being used to multicast reruns of the Three Stooges.
Because the Site-Local boundaries prevent these multicasts from leaving the site, there is
no problem with these two multicast streams becoming merged.

The next level of the Scoped zone hierarchy would be the Organization-Local zone, which
includes all portions of the companys internal network. Multicast sources inside the
companys internal network that need to reach other locations in the company would use a
multicast address in the Organization-Local group range. (In this example, this range has
been assigned as the 239.192.0.0/10 group range.) Sources transmitting in this group range
must limit their rates to 256 kbps or less to not overload the T1 rate WAN links between
each site. The Organization-Local boundary configured on Border Router A prevents any
multicast traffic in the 239.192.0.0/10 group range from congesting the T1 link into the
Internet. This boundary also prevents sensitive Organization-Local multicast traffic from
leaving the company and entering the Internet.
The last level of the sample hierarchy is the Global zone, which is intended for multicast
traffic that is to reach outside of the companys network and travel into the Internet.
These sources would use a multicast group address allocated out of the 224.0.1.0
238.255.255.255 range and must limit their rates to 128 kbps so as to not overload the T1
Internet access link shown in the drawing. In addition, hosts inside of the company network
are able to receive multicast traffic originated in the Internet.

Configuring Scoped Zones

Several key tasks must be accomplished to configure scoped zones to control multicast
bandwidth in a PIM sparse mode (PIM-SM) network. These tasks include

Configuring Site-Local Multicast Boundaries

Configuring Organization-Local Multicast Boundaries
Defining Site-Local RPs and Mapping Agents
Defining Organization RPs and Mapping Agents

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Each task is covered in detail in the following sections. The last two tasks in the list are
specific to sparse mode networks and require some careful planning if Auto-RP is in use.
Careful planning is required to ensure that RPs and Mapping Agents are properly defined
for all group ranges at all sites. (Unfortunately, scoped zones cannot be used with Bootstrap
routers (BSRs). The reasons are discussed in Scoped Zones and BSR.)
The sparse mode network shown in Figure 16-2 is used in the configuration examples that
follow. Because the network is to use sparse mode, each site must have its own RP/Mapping
Agent for the Site-Local group range. (In this example, the Site Local RP and the Mapping
Agent are configured on the same router for simplicity. In actual practice, these functions
may be assigned to separate routers if necessary.)
In addition to the Site-Local RPs and Mapping Agents inside each site network, a primary
RP must be configured to handle the remaining multicast group ranges (including the
Organization-Local group range). The router used for this function can be any router in the
network and might even be one of the Site-Local RPs. However, the Organization Mapping
Agent(s) for the network cannot be assigned to the same router as the Site-Local Mapping
Agent(s) routers. The reason for this restriction is discussed in more detail in the next few
sections on configuration.

Configuring Site-Local Boundaries

The first step to building scoped zones is to configure the Site-Local boundary on the three
border routers shown in Figure 16-2. This step is accomplished by using the configurations
shown in Examples 16-5, 16-6, and 16-7.
Example 16-5

Configuration of Headquarters Site Border Router A

Interface Serial0
description T1 line to Los Angeles (Site B)
ip address 192.168.255.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip multicast boundary 10
ip multicast ttl-threshold 16
Interface Serial1
description T1 line to Atlanta (Site C)
ip address 192.168.255.5 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip multicast boundary 10
ip multicast ttl-threshold 16
access-list 10 deny 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit any

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Example 16-6

485

Configuration of Border Router B

Interface Serial0
description T1 line to HQ
ip address 192.168.255.2 255.255.255.252
ip multicast boundary 10
ip multicast ttl-threshold 16
access-list 10 deny 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit any

Example 16-7

Configuration of Border Router C

Interface Serial0
description T1 line to HQ
ip address 192.168.255.6 255.255.255.252
ip multicast boundary 10
ip multicast ttl-threshold 16
access-list 10 deny 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 permit any

In these configurations, the ip multicast boundary commands block all Site-Local

multicast traffic (the 239.255.0.0/16 range) from entering and/or leaving via the site via the
border serial interfaces. This multicast boundary also protects the interfaces from becoming
congested with potentially high-rate, Site-Local multicast traffic that shouldnt ever leave
the site.
In addition to the multicast boundary, the ip multicast ttl-threshold command, also
defined on the border interfaces, prevents Site-Local Candidate-RP (C-RP) announcements
from leaking out of the site. This topic is discussed in more detail when the Site-Local RP/
Mapping Agents are defined.

Configuring Organization-Local Boundaries

The next step is to define the Organization-Local boundary on the Autonomous System
(AS) border router in the Headquarters site (Site A) as shown in Example 16-8.
Example 16-8

Configuration of the Headquarters AS Border Router

Interface Serial0
ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense
ip multicast boundary 10
ip multicast ttl-threshold 128
access-list
access-list
access-list
access-list

10
10
10
10

deny 239.0.0.0 0.0.0.255

deny 224.0.1.39
deny 224.0.1.40
permit any

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In this configuration, the ip multicast boundary command is being used to block all
multicast traffic in the 239.0.0.0/8 range from entering and/or leaving the company via the
AS border serial interfaces. This command protects the company from the possibility of its
internal multicast traffic leaving the network and flowing into the Internet. The ip multicast
ttl-threshold command also defined on the AS border interface is an optional command
that also helps to ensure that sensitive company multicast traffic doesnt leak into the
Internet. By using a Time To Live (TTL) value of 127 or less on all internal company
multicasts, the ttl-threshold of 128 set on this interface also prevents the multicast traffic
from leaking into the Internet.

Configuring Site-Local RPs and Mapping Agents

The next step is to configure an RP and a Mapping Agent in each of the three sites for
the Site-Local group range as shown in Examples 16-9, 16-10, and 16-11. This step is
necessary because the operation of Site-Local multicast at each site is independent of the
other sites. The trick here is to configure things so that the candidate RPs Announcement
messages and the Mapping Agents Discovery messages for the Site-Local group range
dont leak into a neighboring site. To accomplish this, careful scoping of the TTL values of
the candidate RP Announcement messages and Mapping Agent Discovery messages is
necessary.
Example 16-9

Configuration of Site-Local RP/Mapping Agent in Remote Site A

interface Loopback0
ip address 192.168.10.3 255.255.255.255
ip pim sparse-dense
ip pim send-rp-discovery scope 15
ip pim send-rp-announce Loopback0 scope 15 group 20
access-list 20 permit 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255

Example 16-10

Configuration of Site-Local RP/Mapping Agent in Remote Site B

interface Loopback0
ip address 192.168.10.2 255.255.255.255
ip pim sparse-dense
ip pim send-rp-discovery scope 15
ip pim send-rp-announce Loopback0 scope 15 group 20
access-list 20 permit 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255

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Example 16-11

487

Configuration of Site-Local RP/Mapping Agent in Remote Site C

interface Loopback0
ip address 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.255
ip pim sparse-dense
ip pim send-rp-discovery scope15
ip pim send-rp-announce Loopback0 scope 15 group 20
access-list 20 permit 239.255.0.0 0.0.255.255

Notice in the preceding configurations that a loopback interface has been defined for use as
the RP address. The use of loopback interfaces permits careful crafting of which router is
the primary RP and which router is the secondary RP for a specific group range.
In these configurations, the ip pim send-rp-announce command and its associated access
list cause the router to advertise itself as a candidate RP for the Site-Local group range,
239.255.0.0/16. Notice that the TTL scope has been carefully set to 15 hops. This setting,
combined with a ttl-threshold of 16 set on Serial0 (see the Border Routers configurations
in the previous section) prevents the Site-Local candidate RP Announcement messages
from leaking outside the sites.
The ip pim send-rp-discovery command shown in the preceding configurations defines the
router as a Mapping Agent. Like the ip pim send-rp-announce command, this command
is also defined with a TTL scope of 15 to prevent the Site-Local Mapping Agents
Discovery messages (containing Site-Local RP information) from leaking outside the site.
Again, the goal of the configurations shown in this and the preceding sections is to
configure an RP at each site that is dedicated to handling Site-Local multicast traffic.
Additionally, care must be taken in the configuration of these Site-Local RPs and Mapping
Agents so as to avoid interfering with the operation of the Organization-Local RP.

Configuring the Organization RP and Mapping Agent

The final step is to configure an Organization RP(s) and Mapping Agent(s) whose function
is to cover all other multicast groups (224.0.0.0238.255.255.255) not in the Site-Local
multicast group range (Example 16-12). Although there is some flexibility in which
router(s) in the network to configure as candidates for the Organization RP, the selection
and configuration of the Organization Mapping Agent(s) must be carefully crafted so that
it never sends Discovery messages that contain any Site-Local RP mapping information.
If this were allowed to happen, the Mapping Agent would be sending Site-Local RP
information that was valid only for the site in which it resides. However, because the
Discovery messages sent by the Organization Mapping Agent reaches all routers in the
network, it would contaminate other sites with erroneous Site-Local RP mapping
information.

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In the example shown in Figure 16-2, Border Router A is used as a combined RP and
Mapping Agent for the Organization. (This choice was made to simplify the example.
Separate routers could be used to perform these functions.)
Example 16-12

Configuration of Organization RP/Mapping Agent (on Border Router A)

interface Loopback0
ip address 192.168.1.3 255.255.255.255
ip pim send-rp-discovery scope 64
ip pim send-rp-announce Loopback0 scope 64 group-list 20
ip pim rp-announce-filter rp-list 10
access-list 10 deny 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255
access-list 10 permit all
access-list
access-list
access-list
access-list

20
20
20
20

permit
permit
permit
permit

224.0.0.0
232.0.0.0
236.0.0.0
238.0.0.0

7.255.255.255
3.255.255.255
1.255.255.255
0.255.255.255

In Example 16-12 the ip pim send-rp-announce command is used (along with its
associated access-list) to configure the router as a candidate Organization RP for groups
224.0.0.0238.255.255.255. In this case, the TTL scope has been set to 64 so that RP
Announcement messages will be propagated to all routers in the network and not be
blocked by the ttl-thresholds set on Serial0 and Serial1.
Because this router is also designated as an Organization Mapping Agent, the ip pim sendrp-discovery command is also configured. Like the ip pim send-rp-announce command,
the TTL scope of this command is also set to 64 so that the Mapping Agents Discovery
messages (containing Organization RP mapping information) will be propagated to all
routers in the network.
Finally, and probably most important, an ip pim rp-announce-filter (as seen in the
configuration example above) must be configured on all Organization Mapping Agents so
that they will ignore Site-Local candidate RP announcements. This is crucial step because
any Site-Local RP mapping information learned by the Organization Mapping Agents is
propagated to all routers in the network. This erroneous Site-Local RP information would
conflict with Site-Local RP mapping information being sent by each sites own Site-Local
RP/Mapping Agent and would cause Site-Local multicast to break. (It would break because
routers inside the site would select an RP in another site for Site-Local traffic.)

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NOTE

489

Unfortunately, any hosts whose Designated Router is serving as an Organization Mapping

Agent will be unable to send/receive Site-Local traffic. Therefore, this factor should be
considered when assigning this task to routers in the network. In the example given, this
task was assigned to a Border router that does not have any directly connected hosts. When
this book was written, Cisco Systems was researching the addition of new features that will
avoid this problem and make scoped zone configuration easier.

Scoped Zones and BSR

All the previous discussion and configuration examples assumed that Auto-RP was in use
in a PIMv1 or PIMv2 network. In general, Auto-RP supplies more robust features than BSR
does when it comes to addressing scoped zones. In fact, the current definition of BSR
(summer 1999) is not capable of handling scoped zones for a variety of reasons. For
example, only a single BSR may be elected under the current definition of PIMv2 BSR.
In addition, the messages sent from the single BSR are flooded throughout the entire PIM
network. Finally, the current candidate RP message format does not have any support to
indicate that the candidate is for a scoped zone. Even if this were the case, some way is
needed to clearly identify which portion of the network the candidate RP advertisement is
valid.
Research is underway in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to extend the standard
BSR mechanism to support scoped zones. However at this time, scoped zones can be
accomplished only by using Auto-RP and the methods outlined earlier.

Controlling Multicast Traffic Paths

A common situation that network engineers face requires them to traffic engineer the flow
of multicast traffic so that it follows specific paths through their network.
Although traffic engineering was relatively simple to accomplish for unicast traffic by
carefully adjusting routing metrics, summarizing routes, or using redistributed static routes,
the same is not necessarily true for multicast traffic. Multicast routing is upside-down
routing primarily concerned about the source IP address in the packet (that is, where the
traffic came from) and how to calculate the proper Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF)
interface, instead of the destination IP address. (Remember, it helps if you stand on your
head when trying to understand IP multicast routing because it is upside-down routing.)
The upside-down nature of IP multicast routing, traffic engineering of multicast flows a
relatively complex undertaking.

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This section examines some aspects and issues of traffic engineering of IP multicast,
including

Using alternative sources of RPF information

GRE tunnels
Pseudo load-sharing

In addition, a simple example of multicast traffic engineering is presented along with

sample configurations.

Alternative Sources of RPF Information

Chapter 10, Using PIM Dense Mode, points out that the RPF calculation in Ciscos PIM
implementation is not necessarily limited to using information in the unicast routing table.
Chapter 13, Connecting to DVMRP Networks, includes several examples in which
Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) route table information, instead
of information from the unicast routing table, is used for the RPF calculation.
As of Ciscos 12.0S version of IOS, the following are the possible sources of RPF
information:

Unicast Route Table

MBGP Route Table
DVMRP Route Table
Static Mroute Table

These alternative sources of RPF information can be helpful when trying to traffic engineer
the flow of IP multicast traffic in networks. Primarily, administrative distance is used to
determine exactly which source of information the RPF calculation is based on. The
specific rules are as follows:
1 All the preceding sources of RPF data are searched for a match on the source IP

address. (Remember that when using shared trees, the RP address is used instead of
the source address.)
2 If more than one matching route is found, the route with the lowest administrative

distance is used.
3 If the administrative distances are equal, then the following order of preference (listed

from most to least preferred) is used: static mroutes, DVMRP routes, Multicast
Gateway Border Protocol (MBGP) routes, unicast routes.
4 If multiple entries for a route occur within the same route table, the longest matching

route is used.

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491

Traffic Engineering with Static Mroutes

Multicast static routes (called a static mroute, or mroute for short) are similar to their close
cousins, unicast static routes, with the following differences.
Multicast static routes

Are used to calculate RPF information, not to forward traffic

Cannot be redistributed

Static mroutes are strictly local to the router on which they are defined; hence the final
bullet item. Because PIM does not have its own routing protocol per se, there is really no
way to distribute static mroutes through out the network. This situation tends to make the
use of multicast static mroutes more of an administrative headache than the use of unicast
static routes.
Static mroutes are stored in the Cisco router in a separate table called the static mroute
table. Multicast static routes may be entered into a Cisco routers static mroute table using
the ip mroute Cisco IOS global configuration command. This command was introduced in
IOS version 11.0 and has the following format:
[no] ip mroute <source> <mask> [<protocol><as-number>] [route-map <map>]
{<rpf-address> | <interface>} [<distance>]

This command enters an IP multicast static route into the static mroute table for the source
range specified by the <source> and <mask> qualifiers. Sources that match the specified
range will RPF to either the IP address specified by <rpf-address> or a local interface on
the router specified by the <interface> value. When an <rpf-address> is specified, a
recursive lookup is done from the unicast routing table on this address to find the directly
connected neighbor router.
The administrative distance of an mroute may be specified by the use of the optional
<distance> value. (If this value is not specified, the distance of the mroute defaults to zero.)
If the static mroute has the same distance as another RPF source, the static mroute will take
precedence. There are only two exceptions to this rule: directly connected routes and the
default unicast route.
In addition to the normal <source> and <mask> matching qualifiers, other matching
criteria may be specified to further tune the matching of source addresses. For example, if
the <protocol><as-number> value is specified, the mroute applies to only those sources
that have routes that have been learned by the specified routing process. If the route-map
<map> clause is specified, further classification can be accomplished by using match
clauses in the specified route map <map>.

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Static Mroute Example

The order that static mroutes are configured is important. The router searches the static
mroute table in the order that they were configured. If a matching entry is found, the search
terminates and the information in the matching static mroute is used. (Remember that the
distance of this matching static mroute is compared to the distance of any other matching
routes found in the other sources of RPF information. The static mroute is used if its
distance is equal to or less than the distance of the other routes.) The example in Figure 16-3
demonstrates the use of static mroutes as well as their order-specific nature.
Figure 16-3 Static Mroute Example
External
Network

Source

S0
A
S1

S2

C
E0

E0

Receiver

Source
10.1.1.1
OSPF Network
10.0.0.0/8

In this example, Router A is a border router that connects a PIM multicast network using
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) Protocol as the unicast routing protocol to an external
network via a serial interface. The goal here is to use static mroutes to get Router A to RPF
to Serial0 for all multicast traffic from sources in the external network. At the same time,
Router A should correctly RPF for sources inside the OSPF network. Consider the
following possible static mroute configuration:
ip mroute 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 Serial0
ip mroute 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 ospf 1 Null0 255

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493

In this configuration, the first mroute is a default route, which matches on any source. This
mroute returns an RPF interface of Serial0 and an administrative distance of zero. The
second mroute matches on sources in the 10.0.0.0/8 network that have been learned via
OSPF in the internal network. This mroute returns an RPF interface of Null0 and an
administrative distance of 255. Consider what happens when this configuration is used.
When Router A receives multicast traffic from a source in the external network, a search of
the static mroute table matches on the first entry (the default mroute) and the search
terminates. Because the distance of this mroute is zero, it is preferred over all other sources
of RPF information and is used for the RPF calculation. The result is that Router A can RPF
correctly to interface Serial0 for all multicast traffic arriving from sources in the external
network. However, when Router A receives multicast traffic from a source inside the OSPF
network, a search of the static mroute table again matches on the first entry and terminates.
Unfortunately, this behavior causes Router A to RPF to interface Serial0, which, in turn,
results in RPF failures for all multicast traffic originated by sources inside the OSPF
network. Obviously, this does not meet our needs.
Now, consider what happens when the static mroute entries are reordered as shown in the
following configuration:
ip mroute 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 ospf 1 Null0 255
ip mroute 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 Serial0

Now, the first mroute is the one that matches sources in the 10.0.0.0/8 network that have
been learned via OSPF in the internal network. The default route is now the second entry
in the static mroute table. Consider what happens when this new configuration is used.
When Router A receives multicast traffic from a source in the external network, a search of
the static mroute table does not match on the first entry but matches on the second entry.
Again, the distance of the second mroute is zero and is therefore preferred over all other
sources of RPF information. Router A will therefore RPF correctly to interface Serial0 for
multicast traffic arriving from the external network. This time, when multicast traffic is
received from the source inside the OSPF network, a search of the static mroute table
matches on the first entry and the search terminates. (The search matches on the first entry
because the source address is in the 10.0.0.0/8 network and there is a route for this network
that was learned by OSPF.) The information in this first mroute indicates an RPF interface
of Null0 and an administrative distance of 255. However, the RPF calculation doesnt stop
here. Because the normal administrative distance of the 10.0.0.0/8 route in the OSPF route
table is 90, it is preferred over the static mroute. Therefore, the matching static mroute is
not used to calculate the RPF interface. Instead, the information in the OSPF route table is
used to calculate the RPF interface, which causes Router A to RPF to Serial1 for traffic
from source 10.1.1.1. This situation causes Router A to RPF as desired for both external
and internal multicast sources.

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The currently defined static mroutes in a Cisco router may be displayed by the use of the
show ip mroute static IOS command. Example 16-13 depicts the output of this command,
assuming that the static mroutes presented in the previous configuration have been defined.
Example 16-13

Sample show ip mroute static Output

Router-A# show ip mroute static
Mroute: 10.0.0.0/8, interface: Null0
Protocol: ospf 1, distance: 255, route-map: none
Mroute: 0.0.0.0/0, interface: Serial0
Protocol: none, distance: 0, route-map: none

Traffic Engineering with DVMRP Routes

DVMRP routes may be exchanged between Cisco routers and used as the source of RPF
data. Chapter 13 points out that the default administrative distance of DVMRP routes is
zero. This distance generally makes them preferred over unicast routes, although it is
possible to modify the distance of DVMRP routes by using other IOS configuration
commands.
If it becomes desirable to use DVMRP routes between Cisco routers for multicast traffic
engineering purposes, the fact that an inherent unicast route to DVMRP route redistribution
of connected routes is on by default becomes important. In addition, if DVMRP routes are
used for multicast traffic engineering, this default redistribution of connected routes is
generally extended to all routes in the unicast routing table. This situation can introduce
redistribution problems similar to those encountered when unicast route redistribution is in
use. Therefore, care must be taken that this redistribution doesnt introduce route loops or
other instabilities to the multicast routing process.
Figure 16-4 shows what can happen if this redistribution is not considered. Here are two
routers with parallel links between them.

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Figure 16-4 Unicast-DVMRP Route Redistribution Problem

A
To Network
10.1.0.0/16

S2

S0

Unicast Traffic

S0

S1

Multicast Traffic

S1

As Unicast
Route Table
10.1.0.0/16
M=x
10.2.0.0/16
M=q
As DVMRP
Route Table
10.1.0.0/16
M=2
10.2.0.0/16
M=2

Unicast Update
10.1.0.0/16, M=x
Unicast Update
10.2.0.0/16, M=x

DVMRP Update
10.1.0.0/16, M=1
10.2.0.0/16, M=1
DVMRP Update
10.1.0.0/16, M=1
10.2.0.0/16, M=1

B
S2

To Network
10.2.0.0/16

Bs Unicast
Route Table
10.1.0.0/16
M=y
10.2.0.0/16
M=p
Bs DVMRP
Route Table
10.1.0.0/16
M=2
10.2.0.0/16
M=2

One is to be used for multicast traffic and the other for unicast traffic. The detailed
configuration that a network engineer might initially try to use for these two routers is
shown in Example 16-14 and Example 16-15.
Example 16-14

Initial Router A Configuration

interface Serial0
ip address 10.1.255.1 255.255.255.252
interface Serial1
ip address 10.1.255.5 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip dvmrp metric 1

interface Serial2
ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
eigrp 1 network 10.0.0.0
passive-interface serial1

495

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Example 16-15

Initial Router B Configuration

interface Serial0
ip address 10.1.255.2 255.255.255.252
interface Serial1
ip address 10.1.255.6 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip dvmrp metric 1
interface Serial2
ip address 10.2.1.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
eigrp 1 network 10.0.0.0
passive-interface serial1

Serial0 on each router is configured for unicast routing only so that it will be used for
forward-only unicast traffic between the two routers. Serial1 is configured on both routers
as a PIM multicast interface with ip dvmrp unicast-routing enabled so that only multicast
traffic will flow over the link. In addition, the network engineer has added the ip dvmrp
metric 1 command on Serial1 so that all the unicast routes are advertised between the two
routers. Unfortunately, this command introduces a problem that can be seen in Figure 16-4.
Notice that as a result of the unicast to DVMRP redistribution in Router B, a DVMRP route
to network 10.1.0.0/16 is advertised to Router A. This step results in an entry in Router As
DVMRP route table for network 10.1.0.0/16. Because the default distance of DVMRP
routes is zero, Router A will prefer this route over the unicast route table entry, which causes
Router A to incorrectly RPF to Serial1 for all 10.1.0.0 traffic, instead of to Serial2 as it
should.
To advertise the correct DVMRP routing information, the router configurations should be
modified to be more specific about which routes to advertise by the use of access-lists as
shown in Examples 16-16 and 16-17.

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Example 16-16

497

Modified Router A Configuration

interface Serial0
ip address 10.1.255.1 255.255.255.252
interface Serial1
ip address 10.1.255.5 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip dvmrp metric 1 10
interface Serial2
ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
access-list 10 permit 10.1.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 deny all
eigrp 1 network 10.0.0.0
passive-interface serial1

Example 16-17

Modified Router B Configuration

interface Serial0
ip address 10.1.255.2 255.255.255.252
interface Serial1
ip address 10.1.255.6 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
ip dvmrp unicast-routing
ip dvmrp metric 1 10
interface Serial2
ip address 10.2.1.1 255.255.255.252
ip pim sparse-dense
access-list 10 permit 10.2.0.0 0.0.255.255
access-list 10 deny all
eigrp 1 network 10.0.0.0
passive-interface serial1

This example of the unicast to DVMRP redistribution problem is highly simplified. Realworld networks tend to be more complex and require careful attention to detail to ensure
that this sort thing doesnt happen. For example, consider the more complex scenario that
occurs if Serial2 on both Routers A and B had a unicast route to networks 10.1.0.0/16 and
10.2.0.0/16.

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Traffic Engineering Example

I have frequently encountered customers who are using IP multicast to distribute important
data that needs a high degree of reliable delivery. Although some application layer
techniques provide forms of reliable multicast, most of these techniques rely on some form
of retransmission. However, some applications just cannot wait for the loss to be detected
and the retransmission requested and received. In these cases, Ive seen customers use what
I loosely call physical multicast diversity to deliver redundant multicast streams.

NOTE

Contrary to what you might think, physical multicast diversity is not a lecture topic at a
company political-correctness meeting. I actually borrowed the concept from the radio
communications industry where two (or more) redundant radio signals are transmitted from
one site to the next. The two transmitted radio signals are sent from two antennas that are a
short distance apart (in radio wavelength terms). The benefit of this system is that when
radio wave fading occurs, both transmission paths are rarely affected at the same time. The
result is that the receiving station is able to receive the information via one signal or the
other because a fade on both signals at the same time is unlikely to occur.

Figure 16-5 shows physical multicast diversity being used to send redundant multicast
traffic from two central sources via different physical paths through the network.

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499

Figure 16-5 Example of Physical Multicast Diversity

S2

S1
Redundant Sources

1.1.1.0/24

.1

.2

1.1.2.0/24
E1

E0

E0

E1

S1
Traffic

S2
Traffic
S0

S0

E E0

E0 F

Receiver

Both of these flows are arriving at the receiving node simultaneously, and the application
level program simply discards packets from one of the duplicate flows. However, if a failure
in the network results in the loss of one flow, the redundant flow is unlikely to be affected
(if the network is designed well).
By using multicast traffic engineering, it is possible to achieve two physically diverse paths.
The most obvious way might be to carefully craft the unicast route metrics so that the best
route to source S1 is always path E-C-A and the best route to source S2 is always path
F-D-B. This arrangement will result in (S1, G) Joins being always sent through Router C
while (S2, G) Joins are always sent via Router D, thereby creating physically diverse paths.
Another way to build physically diverse paths would be to define the following static
mroutes in routers E and F, as shown in Examples 16-18 and 16-19.
Example 16-18

Configuration in Router E
ip mroute 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 serial0
ip mroute 1.1.2.2 255.255.255.255 ethernet0

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Example 16-19

Configuration in Router F
ip mroute 1.1.2.2 255.255.255.255 serial0
ip mroute 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 ethernet0

Because static mroutes are preferred over all other sources of RPF data (unless default
administrative distance values are modified), Routers E and F use this information to
calculate their RPF interface information. (Note that a static mroute was entered for each
source. This step is necessary so that no matter whether Router E or Router F is the
Designated Router (DR), the (S, G) Joins will be sent in the correct direction.)

Multicast Load Splitting with GRE Tunnels

Although it is possible to support load splitting of unicast traffic over equal-cost links, it is
generally not possible to load split multicast traffic. This limitation occurs because even if
multiple, equal-cost routes to a source exist in the unicast table, multicast can have only one
incoming interface. (PIM uses the path with the highest IP address as the tiebreaker when
presented with equal-cost paths.) However, with a little additional creative configuration
and the use of a generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel, it is possible to perform load
splitting of multicast traffic across equal-cost paths. In Figure 16-6, for example, two
routers connected with parallel equal-cost links are being used to carry unicast traffic.
Figure 16-6 Pseudo Load Splitting over a Tunnel
GRE Tunnel
(Multicast Only)
S0
To Network
10.1.0.0/16

E0

T1

S0
E0

(Unicast Only)
A

S1

T1

S1

To Network
10.2.0.0/16

In addition, in Figure 16-6 a GRE tunnel is configured between these two routers to carry
only multicast traffic. Using this configuration, multicast packets will be encapsulated in a
GRE header and unicast across the T1 links between the two routers. Because the multicast
packets are now being unicast via the tunnel mechanism, they can take advantage of the
unicast load splitting over the two T1 links.

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501

Configuring Multicast Load Splitting

Examples 16-20 and 16-21 show a configuration that accomplishes multicast load splitting.
Example 16-20

Configuration in Router A for Multicast Load Splitting

interface Tunnel0
ip unnumbered Ethernet0
ip pim sparse-dense
tunnel source 10.1.1.1
tunnel destination 100.1.5.3
interface Ethernet0
ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense
interface Serial0
ip address 10.1.255.1 255.255.255.252
interface Serial1
ip address 10.1.255.5 255.255.255.252
ip mroute 10.2.0.0 0.0.255.255 Tunnel0
eigrp 1 network 10.0.0.0
passive-interface Tunnel0

Example 16-21

Configuration in Router B for Multicast Load Splitting

interface Tunnel0
ip unnumbered Ethernet0
ip pim sparse-dense
tunnel source 10.2.1.1
tunnel destination 10.1.1.1
interface Ethernet0
ip address 10.2.1.1 255.255.255.0
ip pim sparse-dense
interface Serial0
ip address 10.1.255.2 255.255.255.252
interface Serial1
ip address 10.1.255.6 255.255.255.252
ip mroute 10.1.0.0 0.0.255.255 Tunnel0
eigrp 1 network 10.0.0.0
passive-interface Tunnel0

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Because multicast traffic is sent over the tunnel and unicast traffic via the two parallel serial
links, the multicast topology is now incongruent with the unicast topology. Extra steps are
now required to get Routers A and B to RPF correctly over the tunnel. In this particular
example, static mroutes have been configured to force Routers A and B to RPF correctly
via the tunnel for networks 10.2.0.0/16 and 10.1.0.0/16, respectively. (Notice also that care
has been taken to ensure that the unicast routing protocols do not try to use the tunnel for
unicast routing by the use of the passive-interface command.)
The approach to forcing multicast traffic to RPF correctly via the tunnel shown in this
example is appropriate because networks 10.1.0.0/16 and 10.2.0.0/16 are both stub
networks interconnected via Routers A and B. However, some other method for forcing
multicast traffic to RPF correctly may be necessary for a different topology. One approach
would be to run a different unicast routing protocol over the tunnel than is used for the rest
of the network.

Process Versus Fast Switching

The same basic algorithms for the load splitting of unicast traffic apply to multicast load
splitting using a tunnel. If fast switching is enabled on the tunnel (the default), load splitting
over the equal-cost links will be done on a flow basis. The reason is that the fast-switching
cache for multicast is made up of special Media Access Control (MAC) header fields in
each outgoing interface entry of each entry of the mroute table.
The output shown in Example 16-22 of a show ip mcache command executed on Router A
illustrates how the multicast fast-switching cache is organized.
Example 16-22

Sample show ip mcache Output

RouterA# show ip mcache
IP Multicast Fast-Switching Cache
(10.1.1.6/32, 224.1.1.1), Ethernet0, Last
MAC Header: 0F000800 (Serial1)
(10.1.1.6/32, 224.1.1.2), Ethernet0, Last
MAC Header: 0F000800 (Serial1)
(10.1.1.5/32, 224.1.1.3), Ethernet0, Last
MAC Header: 0F000800 (Serial0)
(10.1.1.5/32, 224.1.1.4), Ethernet0, Last
MAC Header: 0F000800 (Serial0)

used: 00:00:00

Tunnel0

used: 00:00:00

Tunnel0

used: 00:00:00

Tunnel0

used: 00:00:00

Tunnel0

Notice that the multicast fast-switching cache contains four (S, G) entries, each with an
incoming interface of Ethernet0. As the output in Example 16-22 shows, each (S, G) flow
has a separate MAC header and is associated with only one of the T1 links. This pattern
clearly indicates that load splitting is being done on a flow basis.

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Broadcast-Multicast Traffic Conversion

NOTE

503

To be precisely correct, load splitting of multicast traffic over a tunnel is performed on an

mroute table entry (that is, distribution tree) basis. However, because multicast traffic is
normally forwarded using (S, G) entries by default, it is generally correct to say that the
traffic is load split on a flow basis. However, if the forwarding uses (*, G) entries (as would
be the case when an SPT-Threshold of infinity is used), then this statement is no longer
correct. In this case, load splitting occurs on a shared tree basis, and all traffic of a particular
shared tree flows over one of the serial links.

If process switching is in use on the tunnel, individual multicast packets are simply
transmitted over the equal-cost links in a round-robin fashion. In this case, the multicast
fast-switching cache entries are never populated, and new MAC header and physical
interface information is computed every time a multicast packet is forwarded. Although this
approach guarantees the most balanced usage of the physical interfaces that make up the
tunnel, it comes at a much higher router CPU load. Therefore, just as in unicast process
switching, multicast process switching should be used only on tunnels composed of links
at T1 speeds and lower.

Broadcast-Multicast Traffic Conversion

Suppose that a network engineer wants to take advantage of a multicast-capable network
but finds that the source, the receiver(s), or both do not support IP multicast. This situation
often occurs in financial networks when a host has been IP broadcasting stock market data
feeds to nodes on the local wire. As the network grows, the demand for this information
usually begins to extend beyond the local wire out to hosts in other parts of the network.
Frequently, the broadcast hosts do not support IP multicast, and network engineers resort
to using UDP flooding techniques across the entire IP network. This approach usually
meets with limited success, at least initially. However, UDP flooding is difficult to maintain,
particularly as the network grows in size and complexity and typically quickly becomes an
administrative nightmare. What is needed is a way to get this data to flow across a growing,
IP multicast-capable network until the source and all receivers can be upgraded to new
technology that supports native multicast.
Beginning with Cisco IOS release 11.1, it became possible to have the Cisco routers convert
local wire IP broadcast traffic to multicast traffic at one end and reconvert that traffic to local
wire IP broadcast at the other end.

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Chapter 16: Multicast Traffic Engineering

The ip multicast helper-map command has the following two forms:

[no] ip multicast helper-map { broadcast | <broadcast-address> }
<group-address> <extended-acl> [ttl <ttl>]
[no] ip multicast helper-map

<group-address> <broadcast-address>
<extended-acl>

The first form of the command converts the destination address of any IP broadcast packets
received on the interface that matches the specified <extended-acl> to the multicast group
address specified by the <group-address> value. After the destination address conversion
has been done, the packet appears to the Cisco routers multicast forwarding code as if it
had actually been multicast by the source to <group-address>. As a result, the packet is
forwarded in the normal fashion and can take advantage of multicast fast switching.
It is important to note that the broadcast to multicast translation does not normally modify
the TTL of the packet. However, if the optional ttl <ttl> clause is specified, the TTL value
of the received broadcast packet is rewritten with the specified <ttl> value. This ttlremapping feature can be very useful because it is not always possible to configure the
broadcasting host to use a specific TTL value for IP broadcasts. For example, if the
broadcast host is using a TTL value of 255, then the router will forward the translated
broadcast packets as a multicast packet with a TTL of 254. (Remember that a router
normally decrements the TTL value of all incoming packets before forwarding them.) If the
network engineer is planning to use any TTL-Thresholds in the network, a TTL value of
255 may be too large and may allow these translated packets to leak out of the intended
TTL-Threshold boundaries.
The second form of the command performs the inverse operation. That is, when the
interface receives an IP multicast packet for the multicast group specified by the <groupaddress> value that also matches the <extended-acl>, the destination address of the packet
is converted to the IP broadcast address specified in the <broadcast-address> value. As
long as this IP broadcast address is for a subnet directly attached to the router, the packet
will be output to its associated interface.

NOTE

The preceding two commands translate incoming multicast or broadcast traffic. A common
mistake is to configure the ip multicast helper-map command on an outgoing interface
where non-multicast-capable receivers reside, which does not accomplish the desired goal.

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Broadcast-Multicast Traffic Conversion

505

Figure 16-7 shows broadcast-to-multicast conversion in action, using multicast helper

maps. In the example, a non-multicast-capable host (at the top of the figure) is sending
broadcast traffic with a destination UDP port number of 2000 to all hosts on the local
network (10.1.1.0/24) via IP broadcasts. At the bottom of the figure is a non-multicastcapable host that wants to receive the traffic. By using the Cisco ip multicast helper-map
interface configuration command at the points shown in the figure, local wire broadcasts
received by Router A can be translated into IP multicast traffic, transmitted over the
multicast-capable network, and converted back to local wire broadcasts by Router B.
Figure 16-7 Broadcast-to-Multicast Conversion
Broadcast Source

.10
10.1.1.0/24
E0 .1
A

ip multicast helper-map
S0

Multicast Capable
Network

S0
ip multicast helper-map

B
.1 E0 10.2.2.0/24

Non-Multicast Receiver

The details of the router configurations used in Figure 16-7 are given in Example 16-23 and
Example 16-24.

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Chapter 16: Multicast Traffic Engineering

Example 16-23

Router A Configuration
Interface Ethernet0
ip address 10.1.1.10 255.255.255.0
ip directed-broadcasts
ip multicast helper-map broadcast 224.1.1.1 100 ttl 15
access-list 100 permit any any udp 2000
access-list 100 deny any any udp
ip forward-protocol udp 2000

In this configuration, the ip multicast helper-map command and its associated access-list
instructs the router to translate any broadcast packets arriving on Ethernet0 with a UDP
destination port of 2000 to a multicast packet with a destination group address of 224.1.1.1.
Notice also that the ttl clause was specified so that the TTL value of these received
broadcast packets will be remapped to a value of 15. This step prevents the translated
broadcast packets from being transmitted with a TTL value that is too large for this
network.
In addition to the ip multicast helper-map command, the ip directed-broadcasts
command was added to the Ethernet0. This command is necessary to enable the router to
process the incoming broadcast packets on Ethernet0. If this command were not added, the
router would simply ignore all incoming broadcast packets on this interface and they would
not get translated to multicast. Even with this command added, the router will process only
those broadcast packets with certain standard UDP port numbers (TFTP, BOOTP, DNS,
NetBIOS Name Server, NetBIOS Datagram Server, and TACACS) by default. Therefore,
it is also necessary to add the ip forward-protocol udp 2000 command to instruct the
router to also process the incoming broadcast packets with a UDP destination port of 2000.
Example 16-24

Router B Configuration
Interface Serial0
ip address 172.16.255.2 255.255.255.252
ip multicast helper-map 224.1.1.1 10.2.2.255 100
ip igmp join-group 224.1.1.1
interface Ethernet0
ip address 10.2.2.1 255.255.255.0
ip directed-broadcast
access-list 100 permit any any udp 2000
access-list 100 deny any any udp
ip forward-protocol udp 2000

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Summary

507

In the above configuration, interface Serial0 on Router B has also been configured with an
ip multicast helper-map command. This command and its associated access-list instructs
the router to translate any incoming multicast packets with a destination group address of
224.1.1.1 and a UDP destination port of 2000 to a local wire broadcast to the 10.2.2.0/24
network. (10.2.2.255 is the broadcast address for the subnet configured on Ethernet0.)
Again, it is necessary to also add the ip directed-broadcast interface command to
Ethernet0 and to add the ip forward-protocol udp 2000 global command so that the
router will properly forward the directed broadcast packets (that were translated from
multicast packets) to Ethernet0.
In addition to these commands, the ip igmp join-group command was configured on
Serial0. This command is necessary to get the router to join multicast group 224.1.1.1 so it
can receive this multicast traffic. (This command was automatically added by IOS to the
configuration of Serial0 when the ip multicast helper-map command was entered.)

NOTE

The configurations shown in Example 16-23 and Example 16-24 assumed that both the
sending host and all the receivers were not multicast capable. However, if the receiving
hosts are multicast capable, then the configuration shown for Router B is not necessary.
Likewise, if the sending host is multicast capable, the configuration shown for Router A is
not necessary.

Summary
This chapter has examined several advanced, although reasonably common, multicast
traffic engineering concepts and techniques. The first of these, bandwidth control, is a
frequently used advanced technique, particularly as the volume of multicast traffic
continues to increase. Traffic engineering of multicast traffic paths is also a commonly
encountered requirement in multicast network design. Traffic engineering techniques can
be used to increase the reliability of multicast traffic delivery and avoid congestion in the
network. Finally, the use of tunneling and broadcast-to-multicast conversion features round
out a short but important set of advanced multicast tools that should be in every multicast
network engineers toolkit.

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CHAPTER

17

Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

Up to this point in the book, primarily all the discussion of IP multicast routing has been
focused on intra-domain routing. Some may argue that Chapter 13, Connecting to
DVMRP Networks, offered some limited possibilities for inter-domain multicast routing
and that the use of Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) in the MBone
constitutes a workable inter-domain multicast routing solution. However, the fact is that
much work remains before truly scalable, inter-domain multicast routing is fully deployed
throughout the Internet.
This chapter takes a brief look at some of the work on inter-domain multicast routing
protocols that promises to extend IP multicast to the entire Internet. A brief description of
two new protocols that provide improved inter-domain multicast routing is presented.
These two protocols are

Multiprotocol BGP (a.k.a. Multicast BGP) (MBGP)

Multicast Source Discovery Protocol (MSDP)

Both protocols are taking off in popularity with many Internet service providers (ISPs) that
are currently using MBGP and MSDP to provide reasonably scalable inter-domain
multicast routing solutions, while the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is working
on protocols that will permit multicast to scale to even greater numbers. These future
protocols currently in design by working groups of the IETF are

Border Gateway Multicast Protocol (BGMP)

Multicast Address Set-Claim (MASC)

Keep in mind that complete coverage of the topic of inter-domain multicast routing in
general and the preceding protocols in particular is way beyond the scope of this book and
is planned for another Cisco Press release.

Issues in Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

When the topic of extending inter-domain multicast beyond the outdated DVMRP-based
MBone was first discussed by several ISPs, it was generally agreed that some sort of sparse
mode protocol was necessary. (Clearly, the flood-and-prune behavior of dense mode
protocols is unacceptable for use as an inter-domain multicast solution.)

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In the summer of 1997, development engineers from Cisco Systems met with network
engineers from all the major ISPs to discuss the topic of extending native IP multicast to
the entire Internet. At that time, the IETF was just beginning to work on some new protocols
(described briefly in the section titled Future Protocols) that promised to provide
solutions to the complex issues of inter-domain multicast routing. However, initial
indications were that these protocols would be nontrivial to implement and would not be
available and stable for quite some time. Therefore, the goal of this discussion was to see
whether any alternatives could be found to deploy native IP multicast in the Internet in the
immediate future.
Early in these discussions, it became clear that the consensus was that PIM sparse mode
(PIM-SM) was the preferred multicast protocol for use inside the ISPs networks. This
choice, however, introduced some problems because it is very problematical to interconnect
multiple sparse mode domains.

NOTE

Although the current PIMv2 specification defines the function of PIM Multicast Border
Routers (PMBR) and the concepts of (*, *, RP) multicast routing table entries, these
techniques have some potential deficiencies. In the case where a PIM-SM domain serves as
a transit network between two other PIM-SM clouds, these techniques cause the network
to degenerate to dense-mode-like operation. Therefore, the Cisco Systems current
implementation of PIM-SM does not support these concepts. Additionally, the major ISPs
do not seem to be interested in pursuing this approach to inter-domain multicast routing for
this reason.

In general, the problem revolves around the fact that in PIM-SM, receivers and senders
learn of each other through a single rendezvous point (RP). Furthermore, if each ISP
network is to remain autonomous and not be dependent on its competition, it must maintain
its own RP for all groups. This requirement clearly rules out the idea of using a single RP
for a group across the entire Internet. On the other hand, by using independent RPs in each
ISP domain, learning of senders and receivers in other domains becomes a problem.
During these meetings, other issues regarding inter-domain multicast in the Internet were
discussed. In the end, the ISPs listed the following major requirements that must be met
before they could consider deployment of native multicast in the Internet to be feasible:

An Explicit Join protocol inside the domain for efficiency

Use of an existing (unicast) operations model for multicast peering
Not dependent on competitors RPs
Flexibility regarding RP placement

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Multiprotocol BGP

511

The first item was, in general, already met by normal PIM-SM operation. However, at that
time, the last three items required the development of two new solutions: MBGP and
MSDP. Both of these are introduced briefly in the next two sections.

Multiprotocol BGP
One of the key concerns of the ISPs was to minimize the learning curve for dealing with
the additional operational burden of multicast peering. In addition, they wanted to have the
same set of highly flexible peering controls for multicast routing that they have in their
current Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) based unicast routing environment. The solution
to this was simple: Use the recently defined extensions to BGP (defined in RFC 2283,
Multiprotocol Extensions to BGP-4) to carry multicast routing information that can be used
for Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) calculations between autonomous systems.

New Multiprotocol BGP Attributes

The basic idea behind MBGP (when used in multicast circles, the M of MBGP is
understood to mean multicast and not multiprotocol) is the definition of two new
multiprotocol BGP attributes: MP_REACH_NLRI and MP_UNREACH_NLRI. These
attributes would then be used to exchange reachability information for different address
families and would be carried inside BGP update messages. Inside of these two new BGP
attributes are the Address Family Identifier (AFI) and Subsequent Address Family Identifier
(Sub-AFI) fields that are used to identify the protocol for which the reachability
information is applicable.
In the case of IPv4, the AFI value is 1, and the Sub-AFI values used are shown in
Table 17-1. From this information, one can see how these new multiprotocol BGP attributes
can be used to have BGP carry both unicast routing and multicast RPF information in the
same updates. In addition, it is now possible to configure BGP to advertise different paths
for unicast and multicast traffic flow between to autonomous systems. This feature is
important if an ISP wants to build incongruent multicast and unicast networks.
Table 17-1 IPv4 (AFI=1) Sub-Address Family Identifiers
Sub-AFI = 1

Network layer routing information (NLRI) is used for unicast routing.

Sub-AFI = 2

NLRI is used for multicast RPF calculation.

Sub-AFI = 3

NLRI is used for both unicast routing and multicast RPF calculation.

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NOTE

Chapter 17: Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

The prefixes passed in the attributes shown in Table 17-1 contain unicast prefixes, not
multicast group addresses and are used for multicast RPF calculations. A common
misconception is that MBGP is a replacement for PIM. MBGP does not perform any form
of multicast distribution tree building. It simply permits multicast RPF information to be
carried inside the new multiprotocol attributes.

Ciscos MBGP Implementation

Ciscos implementation of MBGP uses the same basic BGP configuration command set
with which the ISPs operations staff is already familiar. One of the key additions to the
BGP command syntax is the nlri clause, which can be added to the usual BGP neighbor
<foo> remote-as command.
This addition results in the following new BGP neighbor configuration command format:
[no] neighbor <address> remote-as <asn> [nlri unicast multicast]

This command configures a BGP peer and associates the autonomous system number
specified by the remote-as <asn> clause. If the multicast keyword is supplied in the
optional nlri clause, multicast NLRI is sent to the neighbor. On the other hand, if the
unicast keyword is supplied, unicast NLRI is sent to the neighbor. If both keywords are
supplied, the neighbor is sent both unicast and multicast NLRI. If the nlri clause is omitted,
only unicast NLRI is sent.
Multicast NLRI is sent in the new MP_REACH_NLRI and MP_UNREACH_NLRI
attributes, whereas unicast NLRI is sent using conventional BGP encoding to maintain
compatibility with existing BGP neighbors. This newer version of Cisco BGP negotiates
NLRI in the Capabilities option of the Open message to make sure that its neighbor can
handle these new attributes. Therefore, both sides of a BGP connection must be configured
to have at least one NLRI in common or the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
connection will not be established. If, for example, one side is configured for unicast only
and the other for multicast only, the connection will not come up and error messages will
be displayed on the Cisco router console port.
In addition to the modification to the BGP neighbor command syntax to support MBGP,
several other new commands were added to provide additional tuning and route
redistribution control to MBGP. For example, Cisco also added configuration commands to
allow the ISPs to redistribute existing DVMRP routing information into the new MBGP
domains. This step was necessary to provide the ISPs with a smooth transition strategy from
any existing DVMRP infrastructures that they might have had.
Again, a complete tutorial on MBGP or the associated new configuration commands
implemented in recent versions of Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) is beyond
the scope of this book. (For up-to-date information on Ciscos MBGP implementation and
command set, refer to the following Web site: ftp://ftp-eng.cisco.com/ipmulticast.html.)

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Multiprotocol BGP

513

MBGP Example
Figure 17-1 shows an example of incongruent unicast/multicast traffic flow between two
autonomous systems. In this example, Router B has been configured to advertise both
unicast and multicast information to its neighbor MBGP router, Router A. Notice that the
BGP update sent to Router A contains an old-style unicast NLRI attribute, advertising that
network 192.192.25.0/24 is reachable via a next hop of 192.168.100.2. This information
tells Router A that it must send any unicast traffic for this network via the top link in the
figure.
Figure 17-1 Incongruent Unicast/Multicast MBGP
Single BGP Session Between Routers
AS 321
AS 123
A

.1

Unicast Traffic

192.168.100.0/24

.2

.1

Multicast Traffic 192.168.200.0/24

.2

Unicast Information
NLRI: 192.192.25/24
AS_PATH: 321
MED:
Next-Hop: 192.168.100.2

192.192.25.0/24

Sender

Multicast Information
MP_REACH_NLRI: 192.192.25/24
AFI: 1, Sub-AFI: 2
AS_PATH: 321
MED:
Next-Hop: 192.168.200.2
BGP Routing Update

In addition, the BGP Update message contains a new style MP_REACH_NLRI attribute
with an AFI/Sub-AFI that indicates this information is to be used for multicast RPF
calculations for multicast sources in the 192.192.25.0/24 network. Specifically, the nexthop information in this attribute indicates that Router A should RPF to 192.168.200.2 for
sources in the 192.192.25.0/24 network. If PIM-SM is being used between these two
networks, Router A sends (S, G) Joins for sources in this network via the bottom link shown
in the figure, which causes multicast traffic to flow via this link.

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Multicast Source Discovery Protocol

At this point, the combination of PIM-SM and MBGP has enabled us to meet the first two
ISP requirements for deploying native multicast in the Internet. The last two
requirementsallowing independent RPs with flexible placementrequired some rather
creative thinking before a solution was found. Before launching into the details of this
solution (which, if you havent guessed by now, is MSDP), it would be beneficial to take a
look at some history behind the birth of this solution.

A Little History
Once the decision to use PIM-SM and MBGP had been made, several ideas on how to solve
the problem of interconnecting the shared trees of multiple PIM-SM networks were
explored. These included such ideas as using some form of dynamic DNS to keep track of
Group-to-RP mapping across the Internet. This particular idea was abandoned since it
required a multicast group to be mapped to a single RP somewhere in the network. This
failed to meet the ISPs third requirement (that is, independence from competitors RPs).
Eventually, a temporary solution that met this requirement was found by having all ISPs
place their networks RP on a PIM-DM network at a single Multicast Internet Exchange
(MIX) point. This PIM-DM network was assigned its own unique autonomous system
domain (10888) for the specific purpose of multicast peering. Each ISP would then
externally MBGP peer with the other ISPs on the PIM-DM network, and multicast traffic
would flow between the ISPs using dense mode flood-and-prune methods. This approach
worked during the initial test phase but had several obvious drawbacks.
The first drawback was that not all ISPs that wished to participate had a presence at this IX,
and, therefore, the AS 10888 PIM-DM network was extended to multiple IXs across the
United States. This allowed other ISPs to participate by placing their networks RP on this
extended PIM-DM network. This approach was fine as a temporary solution but was not
desirable in the long run because the growing size of the PIM-DM cloud meant that
multicast traffic was being transmitted across the United States using inefficient flood-andprune techniques. In addition to these drawbacks, this method forced the ISPs to always
place their RPs on the PIM-DM, AS 10888 domain, which was contrary to their last
requirement (that is, must have flexibility regarding RP placement).
Even if the ISPs had agreed to forego this requirement, they still faced the problem of how
to connect their customers multicast networks to the PIM-SM network. Obviously, some
other solution was needed to meet these requirements and tie together all these shared trees.

0779.book Page 515 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Multicast Source Discovery Protocol

515

Finally, one of the ISPs proposed a totally different approach. Instead of trying to use the
shared trees to tie together the PIM-SM networks, why not tie them together with source
trees? If the RPs in each domain could somehow learn which sources were active in the
other PIM-SM domains, the RPs could send Joins across the domains to join the (S, G)
source tree when there were active receivers in their domain for group G. Furthermore, after
last-hop routers receive traffic from these external sources down the shared tree, they too
can join the source tree. This elegantly simple idea resulted in the development of MSDP.

MSDP Concepts
The key behind MSDP is that an RP in a PIM-SM domain knows about all active sources
in its domain. If this first RP is peered with a second RP in another domain using MSDP,
the first RP can send MSDP Source Active (SA) messages to the second.
Figure 17-2 shows several PIM-SM domains, each with their own independent RP that is
MSDP peered to other RPs in other domains. To see how MSDP works, assume that a
receiver in Domain E has joined multicast group 224.2.2.2, as shown in the upper right of
Figure 17-2.
Figure 17-2 MSDP ExampleStep 1

Domain E
RP

MSDP Peers
Domain C
RP

Domain B
RP

Join (*, 224.2.2.2)

RP
Domain D
RP
Domain A

0779.book Page 516 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

516

Chapter 17: Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

At this point, assume that a multicast source begins sending to this multicast group in
Domain A, as shown in Figure 17-3.
Figure 17-3 MSDP ExampleStep 2

SA

Domain E
RP

MSDP Peers
Source Active
Messages

Domain C
RP

SA

R
SA

SA
SA

Domain B
RP
SA

RP
Domain D

SA
SA Message
192.1.1.1, 224.2.2.2

RP
Domain A

SA Message
192.1.1.1, 224.2.2.2

192.1.1.1, 224.2.2.2

The RP in Domain A learns of this local source through the normal PIM Register
mechanism and, as a result, begins periodically sending SA messages containing the source
address, group address, and the IP address of the originating RP address to its MSDP peers.
These messages are Reverse Path Flooded by all the MSDP nodes in the network away from
the originating RP to avoid SA message looping. (Reverse Path Flooding uses the
originators RP address in the SA message to determine whether an incoming SA message
was received on the correct interface in the direction of the originator. If so, the SA message
is flooded downstream to all other MSDP peers.)

0779.book Page 517 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Multicast Source Discovery Protocol

517

When the SA messages reaches the RP for Domain E, the RP checks its mroute table and
finds that it has active receivers for multicast group 224.1.1.1. This information causes the
RP to send an (S, G) Join toward source 192.1.1.1, as shown in Figure 17-4.
Figure 17-4 MSDP ExampleStep 3

Domain E
RP
Domain C
RP

MSDP Peers

R
Join
(S, 224.2.2.2)

Domain B
RP

RP
Domain D

RP
Domain A

192.1.1.1, 224.2.2.2

After this (S, G) Join reaches the first-hop router for the source in Domain A, a branch of
the (S, G) source tree has been built from the source to the Domain Es RP, as shown in
Figure 17-5. Multicast traffic can now flow from the source across the source tree to the RP
and then down the shared tree in Domain E to the receiver.

0779.book Page 518 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

518

Chapter 17: Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

Figure 17-5 MSDP ExampleStep 4

Domain E
RP

MSDP Peers
Multicast Traffic

Domain C
RP

Domain B
RP

RP
Domain D

RP
Domain A

192.1.1.1, 224.2.2.2

As this book went to press, MSDP usage by ISPs and enterprise network engineers was
growing rapidly. Although MSDP does solve the initial problem of tying together PIM-SM
domains, some critics question how far MSDP can scale. This concern is based on the fact
that all active sources in the Internet result in SA messages being sent to identify them.
Although this concern is valid, it should be pointed out that the IETF is still working on
MSDP, and it will therefore most likely continue to evolve just as other protocols have to
meet the increasing demands of the Internet. It is hoped that as MSDP evolves it will
continue to improve in scalability for some time (or at least until the IETF develops the next
protocol that accomplishes the same tasks in some other way).

Future Protocols
Although the combination of PIM-SM, MSDP, and MBGP is allowing many ISPs to deploy
native inter-domain multicast service in their networks, the IETF is still defining other interdomain multicast protocols. The hope is for these new protocols to permit multicast in the
Internet to scale even further.

0779.book Page 519 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Future Protocols

519

Although several multicast-related protocols are under design in the IETF, two key
protocols deserve particular attention because they will have the biggest potential impact
on IP multicast. These two protocols are

Border Gateway Multicast Protocol (BGMP)

Multicast Address Set-Claim (MASC)

The first protocol will provide a new inter-domain multicast routing protocol, and the
second provides a method of dynamic multicast address allocation across the Internet.
Both of these protocols are described in more detail in the following sections.

Border Gateway Multicast Protocol

BGMP is currently the IETFs proposed inter-domain multicast routing protocol for the
future. The basic idea is that for any multicast group that is active in the Internet, there
would be a single bidirectional shared tree that spans all domains that contain senders or
receivers of this group. One of these domains (in this case, a domain is generally
synonymous with an autonomous system) would be designated the root domain and would
function as the root of the bidirectional shared tree. All other domains would send Joins and
Prunes toward this root domain in the same fashion as routers do in a PIM-SM network.
The key difference is that because the resulting shared tree is bidirectional, traffic can flow
both up and down the tree.
Given that for any group only a single domain can function as the root of the shared tree in
BGMP, it becomes important to have some sort of mechanism to determine which domain
is to be root. The premise of BGMP is that there is (or will be by the time BGMP is
implemented) some other mechanism in place that performs this function so that Joins can
be forwarded through the Internet toward the root domain. The current IETF plans are to
use a hierarchical multicast address allocation method that permits domains to request
blocks of multicast addresses. The primary protocol currently slated by the IETF to
accomplish this task is the MASC protocol and is briefly discussed in a following section.
Therefore, the root domain for any multicast group would be the domain that was currently
assigned that particular multicast address range.
Figure 17-6 shows a BGMP shared tree of domains in action. In this example, Domain B
has allocated a multicast group range that includes address 224.2.2.2 and is, therefore,
designated as the root domain for this group. In addition, Domains E, F, and G each have
receivers that have just joined the multicast group. This process results in the Border
Routers for those domains sending BGMP Joins toward the root domain as shown.

0779.book Page 520 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

520

Chapter 17: Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

Figure 17-6 BGMP Root Domain

Domain A

Domain C
BR
BR

BR

BR

Domain B
Root
224.2.2.2

BR

BR

BR

BR
BR

Domain D

Join

Join

R
Domain G

BR

BR

BR

Join
BR

Join
BR

BR

BR

R
Domain E

Border Router

Domain F

224.2.2.2

Figure 17-7 shows the shared tree of domains that result from the BGMP Joins that were
sent in Figure 17-6.
Figure 17-7 also shows that a multicast source for this group has now gone active in
Domain D and is transmitting traffic to the group. The intra-domain multicast routing
protocol running inside of Domain D routes this traffic internally (indicated by the dashed
arrows) to those BGMP Border Routers that are on the shared tree of domains. These
Border Routers in turn forward the traffic up and down the bidirectional shared tree to the
other domains (as shown by the solid arrows). When the traffic arrives at the Border Routers
in Domains E, F, and G, the intra-domain multicast routing protocol running in those
domains once again forwards this traffic internally (dashed arrows) to the receivers.

0779.book Page 521 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Future Protocols

521

Figure 17-7 BGMP Shared Tree of Domains

Domain A

Domain C
BR
BR

BR

BR

Domain B
Root
224.2.2.2

BR

BR

BR

BR
BR

BR
Domain D

Domain G

BR

BR

BR
BR

BGMP Routing
M-IGP Routing

BR

Border Router

R
Domain E

Domain F

BR

Multicast Address Set-Claim

Multicast address allocation has for some time been an area needing improved tools and
techniques. The use of SDR (described in Chapter 4, Multimedia Multicast Applications)
for multicast allocation worked fine for the initial days of the Mbone. However, SDRs lack
of scalability and its insuitability to non-multimedia applications has left the Internet in
want of a better scheme for some time.
Presently, the IETF is hard at work on several protocols that will provide dynamic multicast
allocation services both in the global Internet and inside enterprise intranets. Heading up
this list of new protocols is MASC, which is a protocol that uses a hierarchical address
allocation method.

0779.book Page 522 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

522

Chapter 17: Inter-Domain Multicast Routing

Figure 17-8 briefly shows how MASC will work. At some key location(s) in the Internet
(possibly at certain Internet Exchange points), a top-level MASC server will reside. This
root MASC server will be responsible for the allocation of the global multicast address
range into smaller contiguous blocks of addresses to the next lower level of MASC servers.
Currently, it is envisioned that this first level of MASC servers would primarily consist of
first-tier ISPs.
Figure 17-8 MASC Hierarchy
Top-Level
MASC Server

224/4

ISP-A
224.0/20

ISP-B
224.16/20

ISP-C
224.32/20
Backbone ISPs

224.0/16

224.1/16

224.16/16

224.17/16

224.32/16

224.33/16
Regional ISPs

Metro ISPs

Each MASC server in the first-tier ISPs would send a Set-Claim message containing a
requested range of multicast addresses to the root MASC server. If this range is available,
the root MASC server would acknowledge the Set-Claim message and mark the range as
allocated in its database. If, for some reason, some portion of the range has already been
successfully claimed by another MASC server, the root server will propose an alternative
range of available addresses to the requester. This back and forth negotiation would
continue until the requester had successfully claimed an acceptable range of addresses
(or finally gave up).

0779.book Page 523 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Summary

523

Once a MASC server has claimed a range of addresses, it can then make use of these
addresses in its internal network as well as allocate smaller contiguous blocks of addresses
to lower-tier MASC servers as shown in Figure 17-8. (The actual protocol that an end
station will use inside of a domain to request a multicast address from a MASC server or
one of its agents will be the Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol, or
MADCAP. This protocol is also being defined by one of the working groups of the IETF.)
Because a successful MASC Set-Claim on a range of addresses is typically valid only for
some finite period of time, a MASC server must periodically renew its claim. If the parent
MASC server is experiencing address exhaustion, it may reduce the size of a lower-tier
servers range in an attempt to free up some address space. Alternatively, a MASC server
that is beginning to experience address exhaustion can also issue additional Set-Claims to
its parent in an attempt to allocate more space.
It should be obvious that MASC is a very nontrivial protocol that must be carefully
designed to avoid causing massive fragmentation of the limited resources of multicast
addresses. If serious fragmentation does occur, one of the most incredibly complex,
distributed, garbage collection problems that the computer industry has ever seen is bound
to result. For this reason alone, the design of MASC is moving at a very cautious pace.

Summary
Inter-domain IP multicast is an area that is still in the early stages of development. Solutions
to the problem of interconnecting several sparse mode domains such as MSDP and MBGP
have only recently been developed enough for ISPs to begin converting their old DVMRPbased networks to more scalable PIM-SM networks. These ISPs are taking the first few
steps toward truly enabling native IP multicast in the Internet. As the current protocols used
for inter-domain IP multicast mature and/or new ones are introduced, the migration to a
fully IP multicastenabled Internet will be complete. At that time, a new age of Internet
communication will have truly begun and exciting new IP multicast applications will
become available to all Internet users.

0779.book Page 524 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

0779.book Page 525 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

PART

Appendix

VI

0779.book Page 526 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

0779.book Page 527 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

APPENDIX

PIM Packet Formats

This appendix contains the formats of all PIMv2 protocol messages and was largely taken
directly from the current RFCs that define PIM-SM and PIM-DM. It is presented here
primarily as a reference to the reader and is shown in the same textual formatting style that
appears in the Requests for Comments (RFCs).

PIMv2 Packet Headers

All PIMv2 control messages have a protocol number of 103, which has been assigned by
the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). In addition, PIM messages are either
unicast (for example, Registers and Register-Stop) or multicast hop by hop to All-PIMRouters group 224.0.0.13 (for example, Join/Prune, Asserts). The format of all PIMv2
packet headers follows.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
PIM Ver
PIM Version number is 2.
Type
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Types for specific PIM messages.

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

PIM Types are:

Hello
Register
Register-Stop
Join/Prune
Bootstrap
Assert
Graft (used in PIM-DM only)
Graft-Ack (used in PIM-DM only)
Candidate-RP-Advertisement

Reserved
set to zero. Ignored upon receipt.
Checksum
The checksum is the 16-bit ones complement of the ones
complement sum of the entire PIM message, (excluding the
data portion in the Register message). For computing the
checksum, the checksum field is zeroed.

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528

Appendix A: PIM Packet Formats

Address Encoding
All unicast addresses, source addresses, and multicast group addresses are encoded in
PIMv2 packets in separate formats. These formats are described in the following sections.

Unicast Address Encoding

Unicast addresses are encoded in the following format:
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Addr Family
| Encoding Type |
Unicast Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Addr Family
The address family of the `Unicast Address field
this address.

of

Here is the address family numbers assigned by IANA:

Number
-------0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

Description
--------------------------------------------------------Reserved
IP (IP version 4)
IP6 (IP version 6)
NSAP
HDLC (8-bit multidrop)
BBN 1822
802 (includes all 802 media plus Ethernet canonical format)
E.163
E.164 (SMDS, Frame Relay, ATM)
F.69 (Telex)
X.121 (X.25, Frame Relay)
IPX
Appletalk
Decnet IV
Banyan Vines
E.164 with NSAP format subaddress

Encoding Type
The type of encoding used within a specific Address
Family. The value `0 is reserved for this field,
and represents the native encoding of the Address
Family.
Unicast Address
The unicast address as represented by the given
Address Family and Encoding Type.

0779.book Page 529 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Address Encoding

Group Address Encoding

Multicast group addresses are encoded in the following format:
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Addr Family
| Encoding Type |
Reserved
| Mask Len
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Group multicast Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Addr Family
described above.
Encoding Type
described above.
Reserved
Transmitted as zero. Ignored upon receipt.
Mask Len
The Mask length is 8 bits. The value is the number of
contiguous bits left justified used as a mask which
describes the address. It is less than or equal to the
address length in bits for the given Address Family
and Encoding Type. If the message is sent for a single
group then the Mask length must equal the address
length in bits for the given Address Family and
Encoding Type. (e.g. 32 for IPv4 native encoding and
128 for IPv6 native encoding).
Group multicast Address
contains the group address.

Source Address Encoding

Source addresses are encoded in the following format:
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Addr Family
| Encoding Type | Rsrvd
|S|W|R| Mask Len
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Source Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Addr Family
described above.
Encoding Type
described above.
Reserved
Transmitted as zero, ignored on receipt.
S,W,R See Section 4.5 for details.

529

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530

Appendix A: PIM Packet Formats

Mask Length
Mask length is 8 bits. The value is the number of
contiguous bits left justified used as a mask which
describes the address. The mask length must be less
than or equal to the address length in bits for the
given Address Family and Encoding Type. If the message
is sent for a single group then the Mask length must
equal the address length in bits for the given Address
Family and Encoding Type. In version 2 of PIM, it is
strongly recommended that this field be set to 32 for
IPv4 native encoding.
Source Address
The source address.

Hello Message
PIM Hello messages are sent periodically by routers on all interfaces.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
OptionType
|
OptionLength
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
OptionValue
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+++
|
.
|
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
OptionType
|
OptionLength
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
OptionValue
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+++
PIM Version, Type, Reserved, Checksum
Described above.
OptionType
The type of the option given in the following
field.

OptionValue

OptionLength
The length of the OptionValue field in bytes.
OptionValue
A variable length field, carrying the value of the option.
The Option fields may contain the following values:
*

OptionType = 1; OptionLength = 2; OptionValue = Holdtime;

where Holdtime is the amount of time a receiver must keep the
neighbor reachable, in seconds. If the Holdtime is set to
`0xffff, the receiver of this message never times out the
neighbor. This may be used with ISDN lines, to avoid keeping
the link up with periodic Hello messages. Furthermore, if the
Holdtime is set to `0, the information is timed out
immediately.

0779.book Page 531 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Register-Stop Message

OptionType 2 to 16: reserved

The rest of the OptionTypes are defined in another

document.

531

In general, options may be ignored, but a router must not ignore the Holdtime OptionType.

Register Message
A Register message is sent by the Designated Router (DR) to the rendezvous point (RP)
when a multicast packet needs to be transmitted on the RP Tree. The source address is set
to the address of the DR; the destination address is set to the RPs address.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|B|N|
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
|
Multicast data packet
|
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
PIM Version, Type, Reserved, Checksum
Described above. Note that the checksum for Registers
is done only on the PIM header, excluding the data packet
portion.
B

The Border bit. If the router is a DR for a source that it

is directly connected to, it sets the B bit to 0. If the
router is a PMBR for a source in a directly connected
cloud, it sets the B bit to 1.

The Null-Register bit. Set to 1 by a DR that is probing

the RP before expiring its local Register-Suppression
timer. Set to 0 otherwise.

Multicast data packet

The original packet sent by the source.
For (S,G) null Registers, the Multicast data packet portion
contains only a dummy header with S as the source address, G as
the destination address, and a data length of zero.

Register-Stop Message
A Register-Stop message is unicast from the RP to the sender of the Register message.
Source address is the address to which the Register was addressed. Destination address is
the source address of the Register message.

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532

Appendix A: PIM Packet Formats

0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Group Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-Source Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
PIM Version, Type, Reserved, Checksum
Described above.
Encoded-Group Address
Format described above. Note that for Register-Stops the
Mask Len field contains full address length * 8 (e.g. 32
for IPv4 native encoding), if the message is sent for a
single group.
Encoded-Unicast-Source Address
host address of source from multicast data packet in
register. The format for this address is given in the
Encoded-Unicast-Address in 4.1. A special wild card value
(0s), can be used to indicate any source.

Join/Prune Message
A Join/Prune message is sent by routers toward upstream sources and RPs. Joins are sent
to build shared trees (RP trees) or source trees (SPTs). Prunes are sent to prune SPTs when
members leave groups, as well as sources that do not use the shared tree.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-Upstream Neighbor Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Reserved
| Num groups
|
Holdtime
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Multicast Group Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Number of Joined Sources
|
Number of Pruned Sources
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Joined Source Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Joined Source Address-n
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Pruned Source Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Pruned Source Address-n
|

0779.book Page 533 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Join/Prune Message

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Multicast Group Address-n
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Number of Joined Sources
|
Number of Pruned Sources
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Joined Source Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Joined Source Address-n
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Pruned Source Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Pruned Source Address-n
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
PIM Version, Type, Reserved, Checksum
Described above.
Encoded-Unicast Upstream Neighbor Address
The address of the RPF or upstream neighbor. The format
for this address is given in the Encoded-Unicast-Address in
4.1. .IP Reserved
Transmitted as zero, ignored on receipt.
Holdtime
The amount of time a receiver must keep the Join/Prune
state alive, in seconds. If the Holdtime is set to
`0xffff, the receiver of this message never times out the
oif. This may be used with ISDN lines, to avoid keeping the
link up with periodical Join/Prune messages. Furthermore,
if the Holdtime is set to `0, the information is timed out
immediately.
Number of Groups
The number of multicast group sets contained in the
message.
Encoded-Multicast group address
For format description see Section
4.1. A wild card group in the (*,*,RP) join is represented
by a 224.0.0.0 in the group address field and `4 in the
mask length field. A (*,*,RP) join also has the WC-bit and
the RPT-bit set.
Number of Joined Sources
Number of join source addresses listed for a given group.
Join Source Address-1 .. n
This list contains the sources that the sending router
will forward multicast datagrams for if received on the
interface this message is sent on.
See format section 4.1. The fields explanation for the
Encoded-Source-Address format follows:

533

0779.book Page 534 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

534

Appendix A: PIM Packet Formats

Reserved
Described above.
S

The Sparse bit is a 1 bit value, set to 1 for PIM-SM.

It is used for PIM v.1 compatibility.

The WC bit is a 1 bit value. If 1, the join or prune

applies to the (*,G) or (*,*,RP) entry. If 0, the join
or prune applies to the (S,G) entry where S is Source
Address. Joins and prunes sent towards the RP must
have this bit set.

The RPT-bit is a 1 bit value. If 1, the information

about (S,G) is sent towards the RP. If 0, the
information must be sent toward S, where S is the
Source Address.

Mask Length, Source Address

Described above.
Represented in the form of
< WC-bit >< RPT-bit ><Mask length >< Source address>:
A source address could be a host IPv4 native encoding
address :
< 0 >< 0 >< 32 >< 192.1.1.17 >
A source address could be the RPs IP address :
< 1 >< 1 >< 32 >< 131.108.13.111 >
A source address could be a subnet address to prune from
the RP-tree :
< 0 >< 1 >< 28 >< 192.1.1.16 >
A source address could be a general aggregate :
< 0 >< 0 >< 16 >< 192.1.0.0 >
Number of Pruned Sources
Number of prune source addresses listed for a group.
Prune Source Address-1 .. n
This list contains the sources that the sending router
does not want to forward multicast datagrams for when
received on the interface this message is sent on. If the
Join/Prune message boundary exceeds the maximum packet
size, then the join and prune lists for the same group must
be included in the same packet.

Bootstrap Message
Bootstrap messages are multicast to All-PIM-Routers group, out all interfaces having PIM
neighbors (excluding the one over which the message was received). Bootstrap messages
are sent with a Time To Live (TTL) value of 1. Bootstrap messages originate at the
bootstrap router (BSR) and are forwarded by intermediate routers.

0779.book Page 535 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Bootstrap Message

535

Bootstrap messages are divided up into semantic fragments if the original message exceeds
the maximum packet-size boundaries.
The semantics of a single fragment follows:
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Fragment Tag
| Hash Mask len | BSR-priority |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-BSR-Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Group Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| RP-Count-1
| Frag RP-Cnt-1 |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
RP1-Holdtime
| RP1-Priority |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address-2
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
RP2-Holdtime
| RP2-Priority |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address-m
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
RPm-Holdtime
| RPm-Priority |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Group Address-2
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Group Address-n
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| RP-Count-n
| Frag RP-Cnt-n |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
RP1-Holdtime
| RP1-Priority |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address-2
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
RP2-Holdtime
| RP2-Priority |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address-m
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
RPm-Holdtime
| RPm-Priority |
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

0779.book Page 536 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

536

Appendix A: PIM Packet Formats

PIM Version, Type, Reserved, Checksum

Described above.
Fragment Tag
A randomly generated number, acts to distinguish the
fragments belonging to different Bootstrap messages;
fragments belonging to same Bootstrap message carry the
same `Fragment Tag.
Hash Mask len
The length (in bits) of the mask to use in the hash
function. For IPv4 we recommend a value of 30. For IPv6 we
recommend a value of 126.
BSR-priority
Contains the BSR priority value of the included BSR. This
field is considered as a high order byte when comparing BSR
addresses.
Encoded-Unicast-BSR-Address
The address of the bootstrap router for the domain. The
format for this address is given in the Encoded-UnicastAddress in 4.1. .IP Encoded-Group Address-1..n
The group prefix (address and mask) with which the
Candidate RPs are associated. Format previously described.
RP-Count-1..n
The number of Candidate RP addresses included in the whole
Bootstrap message for the corresponding group prefix. A
router does not replace its old RP-Set for a given group
prefix until/unless it receives `RP-Count addresses for
that prefix; the addresses could be carried over several
fragments. If only part of the RP-Set for a given group
prefix was received, the router discards it, without
updating that specific group prefixs RP-Set.
Frag RP-Cnt-1..m
The number of Candidate RP addresses included in this
fragment of the Bootstrap message, for the corresponding
group prefix. The `Frag RP-Cnt field facilitates parsing
of the RP-Set for a given group prefix, when carried over
more than one fragment.
Encoded-Unicast-RP-address-1..m
The address of the Candidate RPs, for the corresponding
group prefix. The format for this address is given in the
Encoded-Unicast-Address in 4.1. .IP RP1..m-Holdtime
The Holdtime for the corresponding RP. This field is
copied from the `Holdtime field of the associated RP
stored at the BSR.
RP1..m-Priority
The `Priority of the corresponding RP and Encoded-Group
Address. This field is copied from the `Priority field
stored at the BSR when receiving a Candidate-RPAdvertisement. The highest priority is `0 (i.e. the lower
the value of the `Priority field, the higher). Note that
the priority is per RP per Encoded-Group Address.

0779.book Page 537 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Graft Message (Dense Mode Only)

537

Assert Message
The Assert message is sent when a multicast data packet is received on an outgoing
interface corresponding to the (S,G) or (*,G) associated with the source. This message is
used in both dense mode and sparse mode PIM:
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Group Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-Source Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|R|
Metric Preference
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Metric
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
PIM Version, Type, Reserved, Checksum
Described above.
Encoded-Group Address
The group address to which the data packet was addressed,
and which triggered the Assert. Format previously
described.
Encoded-Unicast-Source Address
Source address from multicast datagram that triggered the
Assert packet to be sent. The format for this address is
given in the Encoded-Unicast-Address in 4.1. .IP R
RPT-bit is a 1 bit value. If the multicast datagram that
triggered the Assert packet is routed down the RP tree,
then the RPT-bit is 1; if the multicast datagram is routed
down the SPT, it is 0.
Metric Preference
Preference value assigned to the unicast routing protocol
that provided the route to Host address.
Metric The unicast routing table metric. The metric is in units
applicable to the unicast routing protocol used.

Graft Message (Dense Mode Only)

Graft messages are sent by a downstream router to a neighboring upstream router to
reinstate a previously pruned branch of a SPT. (This is done for dense mode groups only.)
The format is the same as a Join/Prune message except that the value in the Type field is 6.

0779.book Page 538 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

538

Appendix A: PIM Packet Formats

Graft-Ack Message (Dense Mode Only)

Graft-Ack messages are sent in response to a received Graft message. The Graft-Ack is sent
only if the interface in which the Graft was received is not the incoming interface for the
respective (S,G). (This procedure is done for dense mode groups only.) The format is the
same as a Join/Prune message except that the value of the message Type field is 7.

Candidate-RP-Advertisement
Candidate-RP-Advertisements are periodically unicast from the candidate-RPs to the BSR.
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver| Type | Reserved
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Prefix-Cnt
|
Priority
|
Holdtime
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Group Address-1
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
.
|
|
.
|
|
.
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Encoded-Group Address-n
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
PIM Version, Type, Reserved, Checksum
Described above.
Prefix-Cnt
The number of encoded group addresses included in the
message; indicating the group prefixes for which the C-RP
is advertising. A Prefix-Cnt of `0 implies a prefix of
224.0.0.0 with mask length of 4; i.e. all multicast groups.
If the C-RP is not configured with Group-prefix
information, the C-RP puts a default value of `0 in this
field.
Priority
The `Priority of the included RP, for the corresponding
Encoded-Group Address (if any). highest priority is `0
(i.e. the lower the value of the `Priority field, the
higher the priority). This field is stored at the BSR upon
receipt along with the RP address and corresponding
Encoded-Group Address.
Holdtime
The amount of time the advertisement is valid. This field
allows advertisements to be aged out.
Encoded-Unicast-RP-Address
The address of the interface to advertise as a Candidate
RP. The format for this address is given in the EncodedUnicast-Address in 4.1. .IP Encoded-Group Address-1..n
The group prefixes for which the C-RP is advertising.
Format previously described.

0779.book Page 539 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

Differences Between PIMv1 and PIMv2 Packets

539

Differences Between PIMv1 and PIMv2 Packets

PIMv1 packets contain the same functional information (albeit with some minor formatting
variations) that is carried inside their PIMv2 packet equivalents. One key exception is that
PIMv1 packets are transmitted using Internet Group Membership Protocol (IGMP)
headers, whereas PIMv2 packets use their own assigned protocol (103). In addition, the
address encoding method used in PIMv1 is much simpler than the method used in PIMv2,
which was extended to permit the use of other protocol address families. Finally, some
PIMv1 messages were made obsolete when PIMv2 was introduced. All these differences
are discussed briefly in the following sections.

PIMv1 Headers
All PIMv1 messages (as well as DVMRP and Mtrace messages) ride inside IGMP headers.
PIMv1 messages are identified by a special PIM Type code (0x14) in the Type field of the
IGMP message. Therefore, all PIMv1 headers have the following format:
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|
Type
|
Code
|
Checksum
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|PIM Ver|
Reserved
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Type

There are eight types of IGMP messages currently in use:

0x11
0x12
0x13
0x14
0x16
0x17
0x1E
0x1F
Code
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

IGMP Membership Query

IGMPv1 Membership Report
DVMRP Message
PIMv1 Message
IGMPv2 Membership Report
IGMPv2 Leave Group
Mtrace Response
Mtrace Request

Codes for specific PIM message types:

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

Query (basically equivalent to PIMv2 Hello)

Register
Register-Stop
Join/Prune
RP-Reachability (Not used in PIMv2)
Assert
Graft (used in PIM-DM only)
Graft-Ack (used in PIM-DM only)

Checksum
The checksum is the 16-bit ones complement of the ones
complement sum of the entire IGMP message. For computing the
checksum, the checksum field is zeroed.
PIM Ver
PIM Version number is 1.
Reserved
set to zero. Ignored upon receipt.

0779.book Page 540 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

540

Appendix A: PIM Packet Formats

PIMv1 Address Encoding

In general, addresses are not encoded in PIMv1 messages. Instead, the 32-bit IP address
(group, unicast, or source address) is simply used in the message. The exception to this
convention is in PIMv1 Join/Prune messages, where source addresses are encoded in the
following manner:
0
1
2
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| Reserved
|S|W|R| Mask Len
|
Source Address ...
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
| ... Source Address
|
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
S

The Sparse bit is a 1 bit value, set to 1 for PIM-SM.

It is used for PIM v.1 compatibility.

The WC bit is a 1 bit value. If 1, the join or prune

applies to the (*,G) entry. If 0, the join or prune
applies to the (S,G) entry where S is Source Address.
Joins and prunes sent towards the RP must have this bit set.

The RPT-bit is a 1 bit value. If 1, the information

about (S,G) is sent towards the RP. If 0, the
information must be sent toward S, where S is the
Source Address.

Mask Len
The Mask length is 6 bits. The value is the number of
contiguous bits left justified used as a mask which
describes the address. It must be less than or equal to the
address length in bits.
Source Address
This address is either an RP address (WC bit = 1) or a source
Address (WC bit = 0). When it is a source address, it is
coupled with the group address to make (S,G).

PIMv1 Messages Not Used in PIMv2

In PIMv1, the RP sends RP-Reachability messages down the shared tree to notify all
routers that it is still active and reachable. The original idea was to have a timer that would
expire if these messages were not received periodically. Then, a router would send a Join
message toward a backup RP. Unfortunately, this PIMv1 RP switchover mechanism had
problems and never worked properly. Therefore, RP-Reachability messages were dropped
from the PIMv2 protocol and are used only in PIMv1.

0779.book Page 541 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

0779.book Page 542 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

0779.book Page 543 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

INDEX

Symbols
(*, G) entries
show ip mroute command 251252
state rule 243244
(S, G) entries
show ip mroute command 253254
state rule 244

A
ABRs (area border routers) 201
acceptance filtering, DVMRP Route Reports 379
Accept-Any state, PIMv2 BSR message flooding
335
accepting DVMRP neighbors 366367
Accept-Preferred state, PIMv2 BSR message
flooding 335
accept-rp command 346
access lists, configuring candidate RPs 318
accumulation, prune delay (PIM-DM) 140
ACLs (access control lists). See rate limiting
Adaptive Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) 80
adding
neighbors to outgoing interface lists 234237
port numbers to CAM table entries 413
address encoding, PIMv1 540
Address Family Identifier (AFI) 511
addresses
administratively scoped 29
Class D, assigning 26
Ethernet, mapping 3032
IP
IP-to-ATM 469470
LIS 446
multicast group addresses 6
OUIs 31
MAC
mapping 3134
mapping to Ethernet addresses 3032
mapping to FDDI addresses 32
mapping to Token Ring addresses 3233
multicast, leasing 26
reserved multicast 2829
scoped zones, BSR 489
Token Ring, functional 33

adjacencies
DVMRP 107108
PIM
displaying 131132
establishing 130
expiration time 130
adjusting bandwidth consumption (VIC) 100
administrative distance
DVMRP routes 379
static mroutes 491
administratively scoped boundaries 4546
administratively scoped multicast addresses 29
administrative-scoped announcements, SAP 83
ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code
Modulation) 80
advertised routes, over MBone 21
advertisements
Candidate-RP-Advertisements 538
connected unicast routes 369370
DVMRP
controlling 372375
metrics 111
Poison Reverse 112114
LSAs, MOSPF 196197
AFI (Address Family Identifier) 511
aggregate rate limiting 477478
Ahem packets 15
algorithms, load splitting 502503
allocating
administratively scoped addresses 29
dynamic IP addresses 2627
multicast addresses 26, 521523
reserved multicast addresses 2829
announcements, SAP 8283
caching 88
viewing 8788
applications
audio conferencing, RTP 8081
IP address allocation 27
launching via SDR 89
MBone freeware 8687
SDR 8790
VAT 9193
VIC 9498
Whiteboard 100
multicast address assignment 2829

0779.book Page 544 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

544 applications

multimedia
bandwidth consumption 475
RTP (Real-Time Protocol) 7980
applying TTL thresholds to multicast interfaces
4445
architecture of MBone 2122
area border routers (ABR) 201
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol), IP-to-ATM
addressing 469470
AS 1088 PIM-DM network, ISP participation
514515
ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits)
411
Assert mechanism, PIM-DM 141142
Assert message 537
Assign Router Port messages (CGMP) 436
assigning
ATM p2mp VCs to multicast groups 463
multicast addresses 26
reserved multicast addresses 2829
ATM
IP addressing 469470
multicasting over NBMA clouds 461
p2mp VCs 461463
assigning to multicast groups 463
connectivity, establishing 462463
debugging 466468
limiting 465
PIM multipoint signaling 464
pseudobroadcasts 449452
QoS 469
atm multipoint-signaling command 462463
ATM UNI (User-Network Interface) 461
atomic joins 309
attributes, MBGP (Multicast Border Gateway
Protocol) 511512
audio conferencing
Ahem packets 15
RAT (Robust Audio Tool) 80
RTCP CNAME 81
RTP 8081
utilities 16
VAT encoding formats 92
automatic classful summarization
disabling 375377
Auto-RP
candidate RPs 318
preventing spoofing 327328
Cisco-RP-Announce group 316

Cisco-RP-Discovery group 316

configuring
Mapping Agents 318319
networks 322323
constraining messages 324327
Group-to-RP mapping 316
Mapping Agents 316317
multiple 319
preventing candidate RP spoofing 328
multiple RPs, redundancy 320
NBMA networks 458460
negative announcements 347348
PIM-SM 315316
RP failover 323324
RP-Discovery messages 317
sparse-dense mode 320321
Auto-rp command 347

B
backbone SPTs 203
backoff mechanism 13
bandwidth
adjusting (VIC) 100
controlling 475
aggregate rate limiting 477478
mroute table entries 478480
rate limiting 476477
scoped zones 480489
IP multicast 89
SAP 83
BGMP (Border Gateway Multicast Protocol)
519520
BGP peers, configuring 512
bidirectional shared trees 37, 179183
Bootstrap mechanism
CBT 191
PIMv2 176
Bootstrap messages 534536
Border Gateway Multicast Protocol (BGMP) 519520
boundaries, scoped zones 482483
Organization-Local, configuring 485486
Site-Local, configuring 484487
boundary mechanisms (multicast forwarding)
administrative scoping 4546
TTL thresholds 4345
branches, CBT
refreshes 187
unidirectional 191

0779.book Page 545 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

CGMP (Cisco Group Management Protocol) 545

bridges, comparing to switches 410

broadcast flooding 411412
broadcast traffic, converting to multicast traffic
503507
Broadcast Trees 132
broadcasts 5
forwarding 6
pseudobroadcasts 449452
broken routers 27
browsers (Web), SDR 90
BRs (border routers), CBTv3 191
BSR (bootstrap router) 534536
C-BSRs (candidate Bootstrap routers) 328
C-RPs (candidate RPs) 328329
election mechanism 328330
PIMv2 334
message flooding 329
PIMv2 328329
BSR mechanism 330
constraining messages 336, 337
message flooding 335
redundancy, multiple C-BSRs 329
bsr-candidate command 332
burstiness, response process (IGMPv2) 64, 6768
buttons
SDR Session Information Window 89
Whiteboard 101

C
C flag (PIM-SM) 254
caching SAP announcements 88
calculating
RPF information 490494
DVMRP routes 494497
static mroutes 492494
SPTs, MOSPF 199200
CAM (content-addressable memory) tables
ASICs 411
manual updates 412413
multicast flooding, constraining 414415
port number, adding to entries 413
switching logic 410
campus networks, router core switching,
troubleshooting 440, 441
candidate BSRs. See C-BSRs

candidate RPs 318

advertisements 538
candidate RP-set 329
configuring via access lists 318
PIM-SM networks 318
PIMv2, configuring 331
spoofing prevention 327
canonical format of IEEE MAC addresses 32
C-BSRs (candidate Bootstrap routers) 328
PIMv2
configuring 331332
redundancy 333
C-BSR state, PIMv2 334
CBTs (Core-Based Trees) 179182
comparing to PIM-SM 181
Core router discovery 191
DR (Designated Router) 189
Join Brokering 190
Flush-Tree messages 188
forwarding cache 184
Hello protocol
DR election 189190
Join-Request messages 183
keepalive messages 187
latency 181
member source 180
multicast forwarding 185
nonmember sending 185
one-way branches186
pruning 188-189
Quit-Notification messages 188
RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) 41
scalability 191
shared trees, joining 183
unidirectional branches 191
versions 186, 191
CBTv3 186
CGMP (Cisco Group Management Protocol) 428
affect on CPU performance 435
group membership 431432
interswitch links 438440
messages 428429
multicast groups
joining 430431
leaving 432435
maintaining 431432
routers, detecting 436
send-only sources 435

0779.book Page 546 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

546 characteristics

characteristics
DVMRP 107
PIM-SM 149150
check process, RPF 4142
DVMRP 117
multicast forwarding cache 43
Checksum field
IGMPv1 messages 59
IGMPv2 messages 66
Cheriton, David 7
CIDR (classless inter-domain routing) 26
circuits, ASICs 411
Cisco Group Management Protocol. See CGMP
Cisco IOS, PIM NBMA mode 454457
Cisco routers
DVMRP interoperability 353354, 362367
enabling 354355
neighbor peering 367
DVMRP routes, overriding default distance
379380
nerd knobs 368370
Cisco-RP-Announce group, Auto-RP 316
Cisco-RP-Discovery group, Auto-RP 316
classes, CIDR (classless inter-domain routing) 26
classful summarization, DVMRP routes 370371
classical IP over ATM 469470
classless inter-domain routing 26
clear ip cgmp command 429
CNAME (canonical name) 81
commands 485486
accept-rp 346
atm multipoint-signaling 462463
Auto-rp 347
bsr-candidate 332
clear ip cgmp 429
debug ip dvmrp 398, 402
debug ip dvmrp detail 402
dvmrp accept-filter 366
ip cgmp proxy 436
ip directed-broadcasts 506
ip dvmp unicast-routing 365
ip dvmrp accept-filter 379
ip dvmrp default-information interface 378
ip dvmrp distance 380
ip dvmrp metric 372375, 387, 496
ip dvmrp metric-offset interface 380
ip dvmrp output-report-delay 378
ip dvmrp reject-non-pruners 367
ip dvmrp route 401

ip dvmrp route-limit 381

ip dvmrp summary-address 371
ip dvmrp summary-address command 372
ip dvmrp unicast-routing 365, 385
ip forward-protocol udp 2000 506
ip igmp static-group 231
ip mroute 491
ip multicast boundary 485-486
ip multicast helper-map 504507
ip multicast rate-limit 476, 479
ip multicast ttl-threshold 485
ip multicast-routing 241242
ip multicast ttl-threshold 486
ip pim accept-rp 268
basic forms 345346
ip pim accept-rp Auto-rp 347
ip pim border 336
ip pim minimum-vc-rate 466
ip pim nbma-mode 454, 457
ip pim rp mapping 322
ip pim rp-address 268, 317, 348
ip pim rp-candidate 336
ip pim send-rp-announce 319, 324, 348, 487
ip pim send-rp-discovery 319, 325, 487-488
ip pim sparse-dense-mode 216, 358, 362
ip pim vc-count 465
ip pim-rp-address 241
ip routehog-notification 382
ip sdr listen 477
ip unnumbered Ethernet0 356, 372
ip dvmrp metric 373
mrinfo 400
neighbor remote-as 512
nerd knobs 368369
passive-interface 502
show atm vc 467
show ip igm group 258
show ip igmp group 257
show ip igmp interface 382
show ip mcache 502
show ip mroute 246, 251, 256266, 270, 467
(*, G) entry 251252
(S, G) entry 253254
output 229232
pim-dm state flags 222-223
pim-sm state flags 254-255
show ip mroute static 494
show ip pim neighbor 131
tunnel mode DVMRP 356
tunnel source Ethernet0 356

0779.book Page 547 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

connected flags 547

communication
broadcasts 5
IP multicast
bandwidth 89
data distribution tools 16
gaming and simulation applications 1718
history 7
IGMP, development 7
multimedia conferencing tools 1516
network congestion 1315
network load 11
packet duplication 1213
real-time data delivery 16
server load 1011
unreliable packet delivery 12
multicast, MBone 1920
unicast, RIB (Routing Information Base) 5
comparing
bandwidth consumption 9
bridges and switches 410
CBT and PIM-SM 181
IP communication methods 5
messages, IGMPv1 and IGMPv2 64
packets, PIMv1 and PIMv2 539540
Prune mechanism, DVMRP and PIM 138
scalability, PIM-DM and DVMRP 146147
compatibility
push/pull mechanisms 387390
See also interoperability
compression, video 100
Conference mode, VAT 93
conferencing 8687
audio
Ahem packets 15
RAT 80
RTP 8081
RTP (Real-Time Protocol) 7980
SAP (Session Announcement Protocol) 82
announcements 8283
bandwidth limitations 83
SDR 8790
applications, launching 89
built-in Web browser 90
information caching 88
plug-in configuration files 90
Session Announcement Window 8788
utilities 1516

VAT 9193
encoding formats 92
playback modes 93
RecVOnly button 93
VIC 9498
bandwidth consumption, adjusting 100
Modes button 9798
Quality slider 100
Size button 97
video, h261 compression 100
Whiteboard 100
configuration files, SDR plug-ins 90
configuring
aggregate rate limiting 477478
ATM, PIM multipoint signaling 464
Auto-RP
candidate RPs 318
Mapping Agents 318319
sparse-dense mode 321
BGP peers 512
DVMRP
Route Reports, interpacket delay 377378
tunnel interfaces 356358
load splitting 500502
nerd knobs 368369
connected unicast routes 369370
networks
Auto-RP 322323
PIM Multipoint Signaling 465
PIM-DM 215216
PIM-SM 241242
PIMv2
candidate RPs 331
C-BSRs 331332
scoped zones 483489
Organization RPs 487489
Organization-Local zones 485486
Site-Local zones 484485
Site-Local RPs 487
congestion, traffic 1315
congruency
DVMRP interconnectivity 391394
networks 392
unicast-multicast (PIM networks) 382387
connected flags 222

0779.book Page 548 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

548 connectivity

connectivity
ATM p2mp VCs 462463
DVMRP
physically congruent networks 391394
tunnels, verifying status 399401
MBone
separating unicast/multicast routers
394397
constraining
multicast flooding 412413
CGMP 435
IGMP snooping 413414
multicast traffic, interswitch links 438440
constraining Auto-RP messages 324327
constraining BSR messages, PIMv2 336337
Contact Details bar (SDR Session Information
Window) 89
controlling
bandwidth 475
aggregate rate limiting 477, 478
rate limiting 476480
scoped zones 480489
DVMRP route advertisements 372375
response process burstiness (IGMPv2) 64,
6768
convergence
packet dropping, affect on 412
transient networks 354
converting broadcast traffic to multicast 503507
cores, CBT, router discovery 191
core networks, switching 440441
countdown timer, IGMP Leave process 63
CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) 391
CPU performance affects
CGMP 435
data stream replication 11
IGMP Snooping 416418
MAC address mapping 31, 34
PIMv2 RP demands 339340
C-RPs (candidate RPs)
BSR 328329
PIMv2
configuring 331
redundancy 332
Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) 391

D
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency) 19
DARTNet (DARPA Testbed Network) 19
data distribution utilities 16
data flows, broadcast-multicast traffic conversion
503507
data streams, replication, affect on performance 11
debug ip dvmrp command 398, 402
debug ip dvmrp detail command 402
debugging
ATM p2mp VCs 466
ATM show commands 467468
PIM show commands 467
DVMRP 397399
tunneling 399404
Deering, Steve, MBone research and development
7, 20
default behavior, DVMRP 369
default distances (DVMRP), overriding 379380
default routes, DVMRP, advertising 378
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) 19
dense mode 47
AS 1088 PIM-DM network, ISP participation
514515
Assert mechanism 141142
Assert messages 537
configuring 215216
DVMRP
Multicast Forwarding 117118
Neighbor Discovery 107108
Route Report messages 110112
Route Table 108109
Truncated Broadcast Trees 113116
flooding 4749, 227229
general rules 242243
Graft messages 537
Graft-Ack messages 538
grafting 4950, 143144, 232234
multicast forwarding 133135
neighbor adjacencies 234237
PIM-SM/PIMv2 341345
prune delay acccumulation 140
pruning 4749, 136138, 229232
override mechanism 138140
push principle 47
scalability 146147

0779.book Page 549 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

DVMRP 549

SPTs (shortest path trees) 132133

state flags (show ip mroute command) 222223
state maintenance rules 220221
State-Refresh extension 145146
State-Refresh mechanism 145146
dense mode (PIM), DR (Designated Router),
electing 130131
dense mode flags 222
designated forwarder 115
destination address, multicast packets 6
detecting routers
CGMP 436
IGMP Snooping 426427
development
DVMRP 7
IGMP 7
IGMPv3 7677
IP multicast 7, 31
MBone 1920
MSDP 514515
devices
bridges, comparing to switches 410
broken routers 27
IGMP Queries 61
MARS (multicast address resolution server)
470
MCS (multicast content server) 470
routers
IP multicast 6
MBone 1819
turnaround routers 308
Dialer interfaces, NBMA, configuring 457
Dijkstra algorithm, SPTs 198
disabling automatic classful summarization
(DVMRP) 375377
disconnecting DVMRP non-pruners 367
discovery, CBT Core router 191
displaying
DVMRP routes 382
PIM neighbor adjacencies 131132
SAP announcements 8788
static routes 494
video (VIC) 97
Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol.
See DVMRP
distributed multicast trees, shared trees
Join messages 5052
Prune messages 5253
distributed operating systems, Vsystem 7

distributing real-time gaming data 1718

distribution trees
grafting 143144
dense mode 4950
shared trees, pruning 289293
source trees, pruning 293 300
SPTs, truncated broadcast trees 113116
See also multicast distribution trees
downstream interfaces, PIM-SM listing 252253
DR (Designated Router), PIM-DM, electing
130131
dropping packets
affect on convergence 412
TTL thresholds 4345
DR-Priority option (PIMv2 Hello messages),
PIM-DR election process 131
DRs (designated routers) 174175
CBT (Core-Based Tree) 189190
electing 189190
Join Brokering 190
failover 175
PIM Register messages 164165
PIM Register-Stop messages 165
duplication, packets 1213
DVMRP
Administrative Distance 379
advertisements
controlling 372375
Poison Reverse 112
automatic classful summarization, disabling
375377
Cisco router interoperability 353355
classful summarization 370371
debugging 397399
default behavior 369
default routes, advertising 378
designated forwarder 115
Graft mechanism 123125
MBone advertisements 21
MBone connections, separating 394397
metrics, offsetting 380
Neighbor Discovery 107108
on-demand state creation 116
physically congruent networks,
interconnectivity 391394
Poison Reverse 364366
Poison Reverse route advertisements 114
Prune mechanism, comparing to PIM 138
Prune messages 118121

0779.book Page 550 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

550 DVMRP

route exchanges, verifying 401 404

Route Report messages, exchanging 110112
Route Reports 385
acceptance filtering 379
interpacket delay 377378
Poison Reverse 363
routes
displaying 382
limiting 381
routing table 108109
RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) 117118
scalability 126
comparing to PIM-DM 146147
traffic, forwarding 364
transient networks, convergence 354
truncated broadcast trees 113116
tunnels 356357
verifying status 399401
unicast routing tables 383
DVMRP (Distance Vector Multicast Routing
Protocol) 7, 107
dvmrp accept-filter command 366
DVMRP routes 494497
dynamic IP addresses, allocating 2627

E
Echo-Request message (CBT) 187
Echo-Response messages (CBT) 187
Elected-BSR state, PIMv2 334
electing
CBT DRs, Hello protocol 189190
DR (Designated Router), PIM-DM 130131
election mechanism
BSR 328330
BSR (PIMv2) 334
election process, IGMPv2 Querier routers 64, 72
enabling
Cisco/DVMRP router interoperability 354355
multicast on interfaces 216, 242
encapsulation, GRE load splitting 500502
encoding schemes, audio 80
endpoints
terminating 384
tunnels 388
end-stations, RTP 82
entries, CBT forwarding cache 184

establishing
connectivity, ATM p2mp VCs 462463
one-way branches, CBT 186
PIM neighbor adjacencies 130
Ethernet 409410
multicast MAC addresses, mapping 3032
Vsystem 7
examples
DVMRP
physically congruent networks 391394
separate MBone connections 394397
MBGP 513
PIM-DM state 223226
Proxy-Join timers 311312
source registration 165168
SPT switchover 169171
traffic engineering 498500
exceeding SPT-Threshold (SPT switchover process)
279280
exchanging
DVMRP Route Report messages 110112
DVMRP routes 401404
expiration timers
PIM neighbor adjacencies 130
PIM-SM interfaces 246
state entries, refreshing 162163
Explicit Joins
PIM-SM 150
scalability 176
sparse mode entries 243
extending CAM tables 412413

F
F flag (Register flag) 255
failover
Auto-RP 323324
DRs 175
failover. See RP failover
Farinacci, Dino 428
fast dropping 303
fast switching, load splitting algorithms 502503
FDDI multicast MAC address mapping 32
fields
CGMP messages 428429
IGMPv1 messages, Checksum 59
IGMPv2 messages 6566

0779.book Page 551 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

headers (packets), PIMv2 551

filters, PIM-SM/PIMv2, forcing groups to remain in

dense mode 341345
financial data, real-time delivery 16
firewalls, administratively scoped boundaries 4546
first-hop routers
Registering state, troubleshooting 268
unidirectional shared trees 39
flags, PIM-SM state flags 254255
Flat Earth Society 409410
flat networks, multicast traffic, switching 412
Flood-and-Prune mechanism, DVMRP
traffic, grafting 123
traffic, pruning 118119, 122
flooding 411412
BSR 329
dense mode 4749
multicast
constraining 412414, 435
neighbor adjacencies, updating 234237
PIM-DM 227229
PIMv2 BSR 335
Reverse Path Flooding 132
flows
broadcast-multicast traffic conversion 503507
load splitting 500
algorithms 502503
configuring 501502
traffic engineering 489
RPF information, calculating 490497
Flush-Tree messages, CBT 188
format
forwarding cache entries (CBT) 184
IGMPv1 messages 58
PIM Join/Prune messages 161162
forwarding
broadcasts 6
multicast 4041
administratively scoped boundaries 4546
RPF 4142
TTL thresholds 4345
PIM 226
RPF, DVMRP 117118
traffic, MBone 1819
See also nonmember sending
forwarding cache
CBT 184
MOSPF 199200
forwarding state, refreshing 162163
Frame Relay, pseudobroadcasts 449452

frames
flooding 411412
rate limiting 412413
freeware, MBone applications 8687
SDR 8790
VAT 9193
VIC 9498
Whiteboard 100
FTP, multicast applications 16
functional addresses, Token Ring 33
future considerations, IGMPv3 7677

G
gain, controlling (VAT) 91
gaming applications 1718
gateways, PIM-DVMRP 355358
GDA (Group Destination Address) 428
general rules, PIM-DM 242243
Global zones 483
Graft messages 537
Graft-Ack messages 538
grafting
dense mode 4950, 232234
DVMRP 123125
PIM-DM 143144
GRE tunnels
algorithms 502503
load splitting 500502
Group Address Bit 33
group address encoding, PIMv2 529
Group Address field, IGMPv2 messages 66
group membership, maintaining 431432
group membership LSAs, MOSPF 196197
group membership summaries, interarea 202203
Group-Specific Query messages (IGMPv2) 69
Group-to-RP mapping, Auto-RP 316
Group-to-RP mapping cache, PIM-SM 349
Group-to-RP mappings, RP discovery 176

H
h261 (video compression) 100
hashing algorithm, PIMv2 333
headers, PIMv1 539
headers (packets), PIMv2 527

0779.book Page 552 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

552 Hello messages

Hello messages
OSPF, multicasting 412
PIM 530, 531
PIM Neighbor Discovery 130
PIMv2, DR-Priority option 131
Hello protocol, CBT 189190
hierarchical address allocation, MASC 521523
hierarchical LAN switch topologies 439
hierarchical multicast rates, scoped zones 481 483
history
MBone 1920
MSDP (Multicast Source Discovery Protocol)
514515
history of IP multicast 7
Holdtime value, PIM Hello messages 130
holdtimes, RP-Announce messages 316
hop-by-hop BSR election mechanism 329330
Host Extensions for IP Multicasting (RFC 1112) 25
hub-and-spoke topology, partial-mesh NBMA
networks 453

I
IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) 26
administratively scoped addresses,
allocating 29
reserved addresses 2728
IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) 27
CBTv3 191
IGMPv3 specification 7677
MBone history 1920
State-Refresh extension (PIM-DM) 145
IGMP (Internet Group Membership Protocol) 7
IGMP Snooping
interswitch links 438440
multicast groups
joining 413415
leaving 418421
maintaining 422424
routers, detecting 426427
send-only sources 424425
IGMPv1
DR (Designated Router), PIM-DM 130
host routers, interoperability with v2 Query
routers 7375
interoperability with IGMPv2 73
leave latency 437438
Leave process 6264

messages 5859
multicast groups, joining 6162
Querier routers 61
Query-Response process 5960
Report Suppression mechanism 6061
IGMPv2
early implementations 73
Group-Specific Query messages 69
interoperability with IGMPv1 73
Leave Group messages 6869
Leave process 6972
messages 6466
Query routers, interoperability with v1/v2 Host
routers 7375
Query-Response Interval, tuning 6668
implementing
IGMP Snooping 413427
PIM-DVMRP gateways 355358
incoming interfaces 217
Info pull-down menu (VIC) 95
information caching, SDR 88
interaction, PIM-DVMRP 355356
over multi-access links 358
over point-to-point links 356358
interarea group membership summary 202203
interarea multicast forwarders 201
Inter-AS Multicast Forwarders 207209
inter-domain multicast routing 509
BGMP (Border Gateway Multicast Protocol)
519520
MASC (Multicast Address Set-Claim) 521523
MBGP (Multicast Border Gateway Protocol)
attributes 511512
Cisco implementation 512
example 513
MSDP (Multicast Source Discovery Protocol)
514518
inter-domain routing protocols, BGMP 519520
interfaces
adding to outgoing interface lists 234237
aggregate rate limiting 477
Dialer, NBMA, configuring 457
DVMRP tunnels 356358
expiration timers, PIM-SM 246
incoming 217
multicast
enabling 216, 242
TTL thresholds 4345
point-to-multipoint 446

0779.book Page 553 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

joining 553

point-to-point, rate-limited pruning 232

rate limiting 476477
refreshing 146
RPF, multicast forwarding cache 43
Internet, IANA (Internet Assigned Number
Authority) 26
Internet Group Membership Protocol (IGMP) 7
interoperability
Cisco/DVMRP routers 353355
older IOS versions 362367
IGMPv1 host router/IGMPv2 Query router 75
IGMPv1/IGMPv2 73
IGMPv2 host router/IGMPv1 Query router
7374
PIM-DVMRP 358
push/pull mechanisms 387390
interpacket delay, DVMRP Route Reports 377378
interswitch links 438440
intra-domain multicast routing 509
IOS (Interface Operating System) PIM NBMA
mode 454457
IP (Internet Protocol)
addresses 26
LIS (logical IP Subnets) 446
over ATM 469470
ip cgmp proxy command 436
ip directed-broadcasts command 506
ip dvmrp accept-filter command 379
ip dvmrp default-information command 378
ip dvmrp distance command 380
ip dvmrp metric 0 ospf 1 command 387
ip dvmrp metric command 372375, 496
ip dvmrp metric-offset interface command 380
ip dvmrp output-report-delay command 378
ip dvmrp reject-non-pruners command 367
ip dvmrp route command 401
ip dvmrp route-limit command 381
ip dvmrp summary-address command 371372
ip dvmrp unicast-routing command 365, 385
ip forward-protocol udp 2000 command 506
ip igmp static-group command 231
ip mroute command 491
IP multicast
addresses, dynamic allocation 2627
bandwidth 89
history 7
network congestion 1315
packet duplication 1213
research and development 31

server load 1011

unreliable packet delivery 12
ip multicast boundary command 485486
IP multicast group address 6
ip multicast helper-map command 504507
ip multicast rate-limit command 476, 479
ip multicast ttl-threshold command 485486
ip multicast-routing command 241242
ip pim accept-rp Auto-rp command 347
ip pim accept-rp command 268
basic forms 345346
ip pim border command 336
ip pim minimum-vc-rate command 466
ip pim nbma-mode command 454, 457
ip pim rp mapping command 322
ip pim rp-address command 268, 317, 348
ip pim rp-candidate command 336
ip pim send-rp-announce command 319, 324,
348, 487
ip pim send-rp-announce command 324, 488
ip pim send-rp-discovery command 319, 325, 487
ip pim sparse-dense-mode command 216, 358, 362
ip pim vc-count command 465
ip pim-rp-address command 241242
ip routehog-notification command 382
ip sdr listen command 477
ip unnumbered Ethernet0 command 356, 372
ISPs (Internet service providers)
CPE (Custom premise equipment) 391
MASC servers, multicast address allocation
522523
PIM-DM network participation 514515
transient networks, convergence 354

J
J flag (PIM-SM) 255
Join Brokering, CBT 189-190
Join button (SDR Session Information Window) 90
Join messages 5052, 532534
Join SPT flag (PIM-SM) 255
Join/Prune messages (PIM) 161162
joining
multicast groups 430431
CGMP 430431
IGMP snooping 413415
IGMPv1 6162
shared trees 183, 255259

0779.book Page 554 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

554 Join-Request message, CBT transient state

Join-Request message, CBT transient state 183184

joins
atomic 309
PIM-SM 150
shared tree 151154
SPT 157158

K-L
keepalive messages, CBT 187
L flag (PIM-SM) 254
LAN switching
CAM tables 410
manual updates 412413
port numbers, adding to entries 413
CGMP
messages 428429
multicast groups, joining 430431
multicast groups, leaving 432435
multicast groups, maintaining 431432
send-only sources 435
flat networks 409410
flooding 411412
IGMP Snooping
affect on CPU performance 416418
multicast groups, joining 413415
multicast groups, leaving 418421
multicast groups, maintaining 422424
routers, detecting 426427
send-only sources 424425
interswitch links, troubleshooting 438440
logic, ASICs 411
multicast flooding, constraining 412414
OSPF Hello messages, multicasting 412
pseudobroadcasts 449452
router cores, troubleshooting 440441
last-ditch RPs 349
last-hop routers, shared trees 150151
joins 151154
prunes 154156
latency
CBTS 181
IGMP Leave process 6364
IGMPv1 Leave Group messages 437438
launching
multimedia applications via SDR 89
SDR Web browser 90

Layer 2 Switching Engine 411

Layer 3 switching
IGMP Snooping 413414
affect on CPU performance 416418
routers, detecting 426427
rate limiting 412
See also routing
leasing multicast addresses 26
Leave Group messages (IGMPv1), latency 437438
Leave Group messages (IGMPv2) 6869
Leave process
IGMPv1 6264
IGMPv2 6972
leaving multicast groups 432
CGMP 432435
IGMP snooping 418421
Lecture mode, VAT 93
limiting
ATM p2mp VCs 465
DVMRP routes 381
DVMRP routes on MBone 381382
multicast flooding 412413
CGMP 435
IGMP snooping 413414
multicast forwarding
administratively scoped boundaries 4546
TTL scoping 4445
multicast traffic
interswitch links 438440
Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) 80
link-local multicast addresses 2728
links, multi-access, DVMRP Prune processing
359362
link-state routing protocols 28, 53
LISs (logical IP subnets) 446449
listing downstream interfaces (PIM-SM) 252253
load factors, PIMv2 RPs 340
load splitting 500503
local flags 222
Locally Administrative Bit 33
logic switching
ASICs 411
CAM tables 410
logical IP subnets (LIS) 446-449
lookup, CAM tables 411
loopback interfaces 487
LPC (Linear Predictive Coding) 80
LSAs, MOSPF 196197

0779.book Page 555 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

messages 555

M
MAC addresses
CAM table lookup 411
canonical format 32
mapping
Ethernet 3031
FDDI to IP multicast addresses 32
performance impact 3134
OUIs (Organizational Unique Identifiers) 31
Token Ring to IP multicast addresses 3233
MADCAP (Multicast Address Dynamic Client
Allocation Protocol) 523
maintaining
group membership 431432
multicast groups
CGMP 431432
IGMP snooping 422424
manual updates, CAM table 412413
mapping MAC addresses
Ethernet multicast 3032
FDDI to multicast addresses 32
performance impact 3134
Token Ring to multicast addresses 3233
Mapping Agents
Auto-RP 316317
PIM-SM networks 318
configuring 318319
multiples 319
PIM-SM networks 319
preventing candidate RP spoofing 328
Site-Local zone configuration 486487
MARS (multicast address resolution server) 470
MASC (Multicast Address Set-Claim) servers,
address allocation 521523
Maximum Response Time field, IGMPv2 messages
66
MBGP (Multicast Border Gateway Protocol) 381,
511513
MBone 18
advertised routes 21
architecture 2122
connections, separating 394397
DVMRP route limiting 381382
freeware applications 8687
SDR (Session Directory Tool) 8790
VAT 9193
VIC 9498
Whiteboard 100

future considerations 23
history 1920
route-hog notification 381382
sessions 1819
MCS (multicast content server) 470
member source, CBTs 180
membership, multicast groups, leaving 6264
Membership Reports, IGMPv1, multicast groups,
joining 6162
memory
CAM (content-addressable memory) tables 410
PIMv2 RP demands 339
message flooding
BSR 329
PIMv2 BSR 335
messages
Assert 141142, 537
Auto-RP, constraining 324325
Bootstrap 534536
BSR, constraining (PIMv2) 336337
CBT Flush-Tree 188
CBT Join-Request 183
forwarding cache 184
multicast forwarding 185
nonmember sending 185186
transient state 183184
CBT Quit-Notification 188
CGMP 428429
Assign Router Port 436
DVMRP, Graft 123125
Graft 143144, 537
Graft-Ack 538
Grafts, dense mode 232 234
Group-Specific Query (IGMPv2) 69
Hello
multicasting 412
PIM 530531
PIM Neighbor Discovery 130
Hello (PIMv2), DR-Priority option 131
IGMP
Leave Group 418
snooping 413414
IGMPv1 5859
IGMPv1 Queries 61
IGMPv2 6466
Join 5052, 157158, 532534
Leave Group
IGMPv1 437438
IGMPv2 6869

0779.book Page 556 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

556 PIM

PIM
Join/Prune 161162
Register 164165
Register-Stop 165
PIM-DM
Assert 141142
Graft 143144
PIMv1 540
Probe (DVMRP) 108
Prune 5253, 532534
CBT 188189
DVMRP 118121
overriding 138140
PIM-DM 136138
Prunes 4748
PIM-DM 229232
RP-bit 247251
SPT 159161
timeout value 4849
Register 531
Register-Stop 531532
Route Report (DVMRP) 108
exchanging 110112
RP-Reachability 540
SAs (MSDP) 516518
SRs (Sender Reports) 81
State-Refresh (PIM-DM) 145146
metrics
DVMRP 111
offsetting 380
metropolitan-area networks 439
MGBP commands 512
microphone gain, controlling (VAT) 91
MMUSIC (Multiparty Multimedia Session Control)
82
Modes button (VIC) 9798
More Information button (SDR Session Information
window) 89
MOSPF
forwarding cache 199200
interarea group membership summary 202203
Inter-Area Multicast Forwarders 207209
intra area routing, LSAs 196197
scalability 209210
SPTs 198
wildcard multicast receivers 204206
mrinfo command 400

mroute table
bandwidth control 478480
topology changes, updating 227
mroutes, static 491494
MSDP (Multicast Source Discovery Protocol) 391
history 514515
SAs (Source Archives) 515518
multi-access links
DVMRP Pruning, troubleshooting 359362
PIM-DVMRP interaction 358360
multicast ABRs 201
Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation
Protocol. See MADCAP
Multicast Address Resolution Servers (MARS) 470
Multicast Address Set-Claim (MASC) 521-523
multicast addresses
administratively scoped 29
allocating 521523
class D, assigning 26
link-local 2728
Multicast BGP. See MBGP
multicast communication destination address 6
Multicast Content Servers (MCS) 470
multicast distribution trees 3435
grafting, dense mode 4950
shared trees 36
bidirectional 3738
multicast forwarding cache 4243
unidirectional 3840
source trees, pruning 4748
SPTs (shortest path trees) 3536, 4243
multicast flooding 411412
multicast forwarding 4041
administratively scoped boundaries 4546
CBT 185
DVMRP 117118
PIM-DM 133135
RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) 4142
TTL thresholds 4345
multicast forwarding cache 4243
multicast groups
ATM p2mp VCs 463
CGMP, send-only sources 435
IGMP Snooping, send-only sources 424425
joining 6162, 430431
CGMP 430431
IGMP Snooping 413415
Leave process, IGMPv2 6972

0779.book Page 557 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

networks 557

leaving 432
CGMP 432435
IGMP Snooping 418421
IGMPv1 6264
maintaining
CGMP 431432
IGMP Snooping 422424
Querier routers, election process (IGMPv2) 72
receivers, joining 260268
source registration 268276
tracking 60
multicast MAC addresses, Ethernet mapping 30
Multicast Multiprotocol Border Gateway Protocol.
See MBGP
multicast over NBMA networks 448
multicast routing
dense mode 47
flooding 4749
grafting 49
pruning 4749
link-state protocols 53
sparse mode 50
Multicast Source Discovery Protocol. See MSDP
multicasting
ATM, NBMA clouds 461
NBMA networks 448449
OSPF Hello messages 412
multimedia
applications
audio conferencing 8081
bandwidth consumption 475
launching via SDR 89
conferencing 86
SDR 8790
VAT 9193
VIC 9498
Whiteboard 100
conferencing tools 1516
MBone sessions 1819
RTP (Real-Time Protocol) 7980
video streaming 9
multiple C-BSRs
BSR 329
PIMv2 redundancy 333
multiple C-RPs, PIMv2 redundancy 332
multiple Mapping Agents 319

multiple RPs
Auto-RP redundancy 320
PIM-SM networks 320
multipoing signaling, PIM 464
muting function (VAT) 91

N
NBMA 448
Auto-RP 458460
multicasting 448449
networks 445446
negative announcements, Auto-RP 347348
neighbor adjacencies
dense mode 234 237
PIM 131132
Neighbor Discovery
DVMRP 107108
PIM 130
neighbor remote-as command 512
neighbors, DVMRP, accepting/rejecting 366367
nerd knobs 368370
network load, IP multicast 11
networks
applications, multicast address assignment 28
ATM
p2mp VCs 461463
PIM multipoint signaling 464
QoS 469
backbone, SPTs 203
classical IP over ATM 469470
configuring Auto-RP 322
congruency 384, 392
core, switching 440
DVMRP, point-to-point links 356
flat 409
multicast traffic, switching 412
IP multicast, congestion 1315
MANs 439
MBone
architecture 21
future considerations 23
MOSPF, scalability 209
NBMA
Auto-RP 458460
multicasting 448449
partial mesh 447
traditional 445446

0779.book Page 558 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

558 networks

partial-mesh, hub-and-spoke topology 453

PIM, unicast-multicast congruency 382387
PIM-SM 315
candidate RPs 318
Mapping Agents 318319
multiple RPs 320
servers, MASC 522523
subnets, LIS (logical IP subnets) 446
nonmember sending, CBT 185186
non-pruners, DVMRP, disconnecting 367
Null forwarding state 303

O
offsetting DVMRP metrics 380
on-demand state creation mechanism (DVMRP) 116
one-legged RP 303
operating systems, Vsystem 7
Organization RP (scoped zones) 487489
Organizational Unique Identifiers (OUIs) 31
OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
Hello messages, multicasting 412
local subnet multicast addresses 28
OUIs (Organizational Unique Identifiers) 31
outgoing interface lists, updating 234237
outgoing interface rules, PIM-SM 244245
outgoing interface timers, PIM-SM 246
output, show ip mroute command 229232
overriding
DVMRP default distances 379380
Prune messages 138140

P
P flag (PIM-SM) 254
p2mp (point-to-multipoint interfaces), ATM 446
circuits 461463
VCs 463468
packets
Ahem 15
broadcast communication 5
comparing PIMv1 and PIMv2 539
dropping
affect on convergence 412
TTL thresholds 4345
duplication 12
fast dropping 303

IGMP, PIMv2 130

multicast, destination address 6
network congestion 1315
PIM-DM flooding 227229
PIMv2
group address encoding 529
headers 527
source address encoding 529 530
unicast address encoding 528
pseudobroadcasts 449452
rate-limited pruning 232
RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) 41
check process 42
DVMRP 117118
RTCP (RTP Control Protocol) 81
unexpected, state creation 301303
unicast communication, RIB 5
unreliable delivery 12
partial-mesh networks, NBMA, Auto-RP 447,
458460
passive-interface command 502
paths, traffic engineering 489497
PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) 80
peers, BGP, configuring 512
performance
CGMP, CPU, affect on 435
IGMP Snooping, send-only sources 425
impact of MAC address mapping 3134
IP multicast
bandwidth consumption 89
network congestion 1315
network load 11
packet duplication 1213
server load 1011
unreliable packet delivery 12
psuedobroadcasts, affect on network stability
450
switching, IGMP snooping 416418
periodic joins, atomic joins 309
physical congruence, networks 392
physical multicast diversity 498
PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast) 315
DM, designated router 130131
Explicit Join model 150
forwarding 226227
Hello messages 530531
Join/Prune messages 161
messages 540
multipoing signaling, ATM 464

0779.book Page 559 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

PIM-SM (PIM sparse mode) 559

neighbor adjacencies
displaying 131132
expiration time 130
Neighbor Discovery 130
packets, comparing to PIMv2 539540
partial-mesh NBMA networks 452454
rendezvous points 315
RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) 41
show commands 467
sparse mode. See PIM-SM
unicast-multicast congruency 382387
unidirectional shared trees 38
PIM Register messages 164165
PIM Register process 259
receivers join multicast group 260268
source registration 268276
PIM Register-Stop messages 165
PIM-DM
Assert mechanism 141142
configuring 215216
flooding 227229
general rule 242243
grafting 143144
ISP participation 514515
multicast forwarding 133135
prune delay accumulation 140
pruning 136138
override mechanism 138140
scalability 146147
SPTs (shortest path trees) 132133
state, examples 223226
state flags (show ip mroute command) 222
state maintenance rules 220
state rules 217 220
State-Refresh mechanism 145
PIM-DVMRP interactions 355
over multi-access links 358
over point-to-point links 356358
PIM-SM (PIM sparse mode) networks 315
Auto-RP 315316
candidate RPs 318
configuring 322323
constraining messages 324327
Mapping Agents 318
multiple Mapping Agents 319
multiple RPs 320
RP failover 323324
sparse-dense mode 320 321
candidate RP spoofing, prevention 327

characteristics 149150
comparing to CBT 181
configuring 241
constraining groups to sparse mode 348
dense mode group operation 341 345
DR (designated routers) 174175
Explicit Join Model 150
failover 324
forwarding state, refreshing 162
Group-to-RP mapping cache 349
joins 150
last-ditch RPs 349
outgoing interface list 252
outgoing interface rules 244245
outgoing interface timers 246
packet replication 339
Proxy-Join timers 309312
prunes 150
register processing 340
RP discovery 176
RP-bit state rules 247
RPF recalculation 340
RP-on-a-stick 303307
RPs, load factors 340
scalability 176
shared trees 150151
joins 151154, 255259
prunes 154156
pruning 289293
source trees
pruning 293 300
SPTs
joins 157158
prunes 159161
switchover process 280288
state flags 254255
state maintenance 340
State Rules 242243
Rule 1 243
Rule 2 244
Rule 3 244
Rule 4 245246
Rule 5 245
Rule 6 246
Rule 7 247
Rule 8 248

0779.book Page 560 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

560 PIM-SM (Protocol Independent Multicast sparse mode)

PIM-SM (Protocol Independent Multicast

sparse mode) 149
Auto-RP, negative announcements 347
configuring dense mode 347
RPs, ip pim accept-rp command options
345347
PIMv2
Bootstrap mechanism 176
Bootstrap router method 328
BSR election mechanism 334
BSR mechanism 330
BSR message flooding 335
C-BSR state 334
configuring
candidate RPs 331
C-BSRs 331332
dense mode 347
constraining
BSR messages 336
constraining groups to sparse mode
348349
dense mode group operation 341345
Elected-BSR state 334
Group-to-RP mapping cache 349
Hello messages, DR-Priority option 131
last-ditch RPs 349
negative announcements 347348
packets
comparing to PIMv1 539
group address encoding 529
headers 527
replication 339
source address encoding 529530
unicast address encoding 528
redundancy
multiple C-BSRs 333
multiple C-RPs 332
register processing 340
RP failover 335
RPF recalculation 340
RPs
CPU demands 339
ip pim accept-rp command options
345347
load factors 340
memory demands 339
placement 337

resource demands 338

selecting for groups 333
tuning 337338
state maintenance 340
Places all over the world session 94
placing RPs (PIMv2) 337338
playback modes, VAT 93
play-out buffer, RTP 8081
plug-in configuration files, SDR 90
point-to-multipoint interfaces 446
point-to-point interfaces, rate-limited pruning 232
point-to-point links 356358
Poison Reverse 112, 364366
populating CAM table 411
port numbers
obtaining for rate limiting 477
specifying in CGMP messages 428
ports
adding to CAM table entry 413
restricting multicast flooding 412413
Probe messages, DVMRP 108
process switching, load splitting algorithms 502
protocols
dense mode 47
configuring 215216
flooding 4749, 227229
grafting 4950, 232 234
neighbor adjacencies 234237
pruning 4749, 229232
push principle 47
state rules 217220
link-state 53
PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast) 315
routing, DVMRP 107109, 127
RTP
audio conferencing 80
RTCP 8182
RTCP packets 81
statistics, displaying 96
RTP (Real-Time Protocol) 7980
SAP
announcements 8283
bandwidth limitations 83
scope mechanism 82
sparse mode 50
Cisco IOS support 457
Join messages 5052
Prune messages 5253

0779.book Page 561 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

restricting 561

Proxy-Join timers 309312

examples 311312
rules 310311
prune delay accumulation, PIM-DM 140
Prune messages 5253, 532534
DVMRP 118121
pruned flags 222
prunes
PIM-SM 150
RP-bit 248 251
shared tree 154156
SPT 159161
timeout value 4849
pruning
CBT 188189
dense mode 4749, 229 232
PIM-DM 136138
rate-limited 232
shared trees 171174, 289293
source trees 293 300
pseudobroadcasts 449452
pull principle 50
Pulse Code Modulation. See PCM
push mechanisms, compatibility with pull
mechanisms 387390
push principle 47

Q
QoS (quality of service), ATM 469
Quality slider (VIC) 100
Querier routers
IGMPv1 61
IGMPv2 72
Query messages, Group-Specific (IGMPv2) 69
Query-Response Interval (IGMPv2) 6668
Query-Response process (IGMPv1) 5960
Quit-Notification messages (CBT) 188

R
RAT (Robust Audio Tool) 80
rate limiting 412413, 476477
aggregate rate limiting 477
mroute table entries 478480

scoped zones 480 482

BSR 489
configuring 483484
mapping agents, configuring 486488
Organization RPs, configuring 487 489
Organization-Local zone, configuring
485486
Site-Local zone, configuring 484485
rate-limited pruning 232
real-time data delivery 16
receivers
PIM Register process 260268
wildcard multicast 204206
RecvOnly button (VAT) 93
redesigning, LAN switches for IGMP Snooping 417
redundancy
Auto-RP, multiple RPs 320
BSR, multiple C-BSRs 329
PIM-SM networks, multiple Mapping
Agents 319
PIMv2 332333
refreshing
pruned interfaces 146
shared trees 162
Register flag (PIM-SM) 255
Register messages 531
Registering state, first-hop routers 268
Register-Stop messages 165, 531532
rejecting DVMRP neighbors 366
remapping TTL values 504
removing sources from shared trees 171174
rendezvous points, PIM. See RPs
replication, affect on performance 11
Report Suppression mechanism, IGMPv1 60
requirements, video streaming bandwidth 9
research and development
IGMPv3 7677
IP multicast 7, 31
MBone 1920
reserved multicast addresses 2729
reserving multicast addresses 521523
response process, multicast groups 64
responses, Graft-Ack messages 538
restricting
ATM p2mp VCs 465
bandwidth consumption
aggregate rate limiting 477478
mroute table entries 478480

0779.book Page 562 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

562 restricting

rate limiting 476477

scoped zones 480483
DVMRP routes 381
on MBone 381382
multicast flooding 412413
CGMP 435
IGMP snooping 413414
multicast forwarding
administratively scoped boundaries 4546
TTL scoping 4445
multicast traffic
interswitch links 438440
Reverse Path Flooding 132
RFC 1112, Host Extensions for IP Multicasting 25
RFC 1584
interarea multicast forwarders 201
Inter-AS Multicast Forwarders 207209
RFC 2328, MOSPF intra area routing 196
RIB (Routing Information Base) 5
Route Reports (DVMRP) 108112, 385
acceptance filtering 379
connected routes, advertising 369370
interpacket delay 377378
route summarization, DVMRP 370, 371
routers
ABRs (area border routers) 201
broken 27
BSR (bootstrap router) messages 534536
candidate BSRs 331
candidate RPs 318, 331
Cisco
default distances, overriding 379380
DVMRP interoperability 353354,
362367
nerd knobs 368370
detecting
CGMP 436
with IGMP Snooping 426
DR (Designated Router)
CBT 189190
PIM-DM, electing 130131
PIM Register messages 164165
DVMRP
non-pruners, disconnecting 367
Poison Reverse 364366
traffic, forwarding 364

first-hop
Registering state 268
unidirectional shared trees 39
IGMP Queriers 61
IGMPv1/v2 interoperability 7375
Inter-AS Multicast Forwarders 207209
interfaces, p2mp 446
IP multicast 6
MBone 18
architecture 2122
future considerations 23
history 1920
sessions 1819
Querier (IGMPv2), election process 72
replication, affect on performance 11
state, affect on scalability 176
turnaround 308
routes, DVMRP
classful summarization 370371
displaying 382
limiting 381
routing
CIDR (classless inter-domain routing) 26
DVMRP, traffic engineering 494497
inter-domain 509
load splitting 500502
MOSPF intra area, RFC 2328 196
multicast forwarding 4042
upside-down 489497
Routing Information Base (RIB) 5
routing protocols
BGMP (Border Gateway Multicast Protocol)
519520
DVMRP (Distance Vector Multicast Routing
Protocol) 107
debugging 397399
designated forwarder 115
Graft mechanisms 123125
Neighbor Discovery 107108
on-demand state creation 116
Poison Reverse route advertisements 114
Prune messages 118121
Route Report messages, exchanging
110112
routing table 108109
RPF 117118
scalability 126
truncated broadcast trees 113116
routing tables, DVMRP 383

0779.book Page 563 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

server load, IP multicast 563

RP
discovery 176
failover
Auto-RP 323
PIMv2 335
one-legged 303
RP hashing algorithm (PIMv2) 333
RP-Announce messages, TTL scope 325326
RP-Announce messages, holdtimes 316
RP-bit flag (PIM-SM) 255
RP-bit Prunes 171
receiving 248251
sending 247248
RP-bit state rules 247
RP-Discovery messages, Auto-RP 317
RPF (Reverse Path Forwarding) 4142, 149
calculating 490
check process 4143
DVMRP 117118
routes 494497
tunneling 357
static mroutes 491494
RPF check, unicast routing tables 134
RP-on-a-stick 303307
RP-Reachability messages 540
RPs (rendezvous points) 3637, 150
ip pim accept-rp command options 345347
PIMv2
CPU demands 339340
load factors 340
memory demands 339
placement 337338
resource demands 338
selecting for groups 333
tuning 337338
Site-Local zone 486487
tunnels, terminating 388
RPTs (RP trees) 3637
RTCP (RTP Control Protocol) 8082
RTP (Real-Time Protocol) 7980
audio conferencing 8081
play-out buffer 8081
statistics, displaying (VIC) 96
RTP Control Protocol (RTCP) 80-82
RTT (Round-Trip Time) 81
rules
PIM-DM state maintenance 220221
Proxy-Join timers 310311
See also state rules

S
S flag (PIM-SM) 254
SAP (Session Annoucement Protocol)
announcements 8283
scope mechanism 82
bandwidth limitations 83
SAs (Source Archives) 515518
scalability
CBT 191
DVMRP 126
MOSPF 209, 210
PIM-DM 146
PIM-SM 176
SDR 27
scope
RP-Announce messages 325326
SAP mechanism 82
scoped zones 480483
addressing 489
bandwidth control 480483
configuring 483489
Global zone 483
mapping agents 486 488
Organization RP 487489
Organization-Local zones 483, 485486
Site-Local 482485
SDP (Session Description Protocol) 84
SDR (Session Directory Program) 8790
applications, launching 89
built-in Web browser 90
dynamic IP address allocation 2627
information caching 88
plug-in configuration files 90
scalability 27
Session Announcement Window 8788
Session Information window 89
sdr cache, port numbers 477
security, administratively scoped boundaries 4546
segments (network), broadcasts 5
selecting VAT audio encoding formats 92
Sender Reports (SRs) 81
sending RP-bit Prunes 247248
send-only sources
CGMP 435
IGMP Snooping 424425
separating DVMRP MBone connections 394397
server load, IP multicast 1011

0779.book Page 564 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

564 servers

servers
gaming/simulation data distribution 17
MARS (multicast address resolution server)
470
MASC, address allocation 522523
MCS (multicast content server) 470
Session Announcement Window, SDR 8788
Session Directory Program. See SDR
sessions
MBone 1819
multimedia, CNAME 81
Places all over the world 94
shared trees 3637
bidirectional 3738
Join messages 5052
joining 255259
CBT 183
multicast forwarding cache 4243
PIM-SM 150
joins 151154
prunes 154156
Prune messages 5253
pruning 171174
refreshing 162163
source registration 165168
unidirectional 3840
wildcard notation 37
shortest path trees. See SPTs
shorthand notation, SPTs 198
show atm vc command 467
show ip igmp group command 257258
show ip igmp interface command 382
show ip mcache command 502
show ip mroute command 246, 251, 256266,
270, 467
output 229232
PIM-DM state flags 222223
PIM-SM state flags 254255
show ip mroute static command 494
show ip pim neighbor command 131
show ip pim rp mapping commands 323
simulation applications 1718
Site Info window (VIC) 96
Site-Local zone 482487
sites, MBGP commands 512
Size button (VIC) 97
slow-start mechanism 13

software
Cisco IOS, PIM NBMA mode 454457
MBone freeware applications 8687
SDR 8790
VAT 9193
VIC 9498
Whiteboard 100
source, PIM Register process 268 273
source address encoding, PIMv2 529530
Source Archives (SAs) 515-518
source distribution trees, PIM-DM 132133,
143144
source registration
example 165168
PIM Register process 268276
source trees 3536
multicast forwarding cache 4243
pruning 4748, 289300
see also SPTs
sources, pruning from shared trees 171 174
sparse mode 50, 150
aggregate rate limiting 479
Assert messages 537
CBT (Core-Based Tree) 179183
Core router discovery 191
DR (Designated Router) 189190
prune mechanism 188189
scalability 191
shared tree, joining 183186
state maintenance 187188
Cisco IOS, configuring 457
configuring 241242
dense mode interoperability 387390
DRs (designated routers) 174
failover 175
outgoing interface list 252
outgoing interface rules 244
outgoing interface timers 246
PIM 315
Joins 150
PIM-SM/PIMv2, forcing groups into sparse
mode 348349
Proxy-Join timers 309312
RP-on-a-stick 303307
shared trees, pruning 289293
source trees, pruning 293300
SPT switchover process 280288
state flags 254
state rules 243248

0779.book Page 565 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

timeout valve, Prunes 565

sparse mode (PIM)

forwarding state, refreshing 162163
shared trees 150151
joins 151154
prunes 154156
shared trees
Join messages 5052
Prune messages 5253
SPTs 156157
joins 157158
prunes 159161
sparse-dense mode, Auto-RP 320
specifying port number, CGMP messages 428
spoofing candidate RPs
prevention 327328
see also pseudobroadcasts
SPTs (shortest path trees) 3536, 156157
backbone 203
Dijkstra algorithm 198
grafting 143
joins 157158
link-state protocols 53
MOSPF 198
multicast forwarding cache 4243
PIM-DM 132
PIM Register process 276279
prunes 159161
shorthand notation 198
switchback process 289
switchover 169171
switchover process 280288
truncated broadcast trees
grafting 123
pruning 118119, 122
SRs (sender reports) 81
Stanford University, IP multicast development 7
Stat button (VIC Site Info window) 96
state
affect on scalability 176
PIM-DM 223226
state entries (show ip mroute command) 251254
state flags, PIM-SM 254255
state flags (show ip mroute command) 222
state maintenance rules, PIM-DM 220221
state rules
PIM-DM, dense mode 217 220
PIM-SM 243
RP-bit 247
RP-bit 247, 248251

static mroutes 491494

static routes 494
Sub-AFI (Subsequent Address Family Identifier)
511
subnets
broadcasts, forwarding 6
flat networks 409410
LIS, multicasting 446449
Subsequent Family Identifier (Sub-AFI) 511
suitability, MOSPF 210
summarization, DVMRP routes 370371
suppressing IGMPv1 reports 6061
SVCs, p2p, IP-to-ATM addressing 468470
switchback process, SPT 289
switches, comparing to bridges 410
switching
ASICs 411
CAM table 410413
CGMP
messages 428, 429
multicast groups 430435
send-only sources 435
flat networks 409410
frames, flooding 411
IGMP Snooping
affect on CPU performance 416418
multicast groups, joining 413415,
418424
routers, detecting 426427
send-only sources 424425
interswitch links, troubleshooting 438440
Layer 2 Switching Engine 411
multicast flooding, constraining 412414
OSPF, Hello messages, multicasting 412
pseudobroadcasts 449452
router cores, troubleshooting 440441
switchover, SPT 169
switchover (SPT) 169171
switchover process, SPT 280288

T
T flag (PIM-SM) 254
TCP congestion avoidance mechanisms 13
terminating tunnels 384388
threshold, SPT, exceeding 279280
timeout interval, IGMP Leave process 63
timeout value, Prunes 4849

0779.book Page 566 Wednesday, September 22, 1999 5:46 PM

566 timers

timers
3minute expiration (state entry), refreshing
162163
PIM-SM outgoing interfaces 246
Proxy-Join (PIM-SM) 309312
Proxy-Join timers
examples 311312
rules 310311
Prune-delay (PIM-DM) 140
Token Ring
functional addresses 33
multicast MAC address mapping 32
tools
data distribution 16
multimedia conferencing 1516
real-time data delivery 16
topologies
convergence
DVMRP transient networks 354
packet dropping, affect on 412
flat 409410
hub-and-spoke, partial-mesh NBMA networks
453
partial mesh, NBMA networks 447
updating mroute table 227
tracking multicast groups 60, 61
traditional NBMA networks 445449
traffic
DVMRP
grafting 123
pruning 118121
forwarding, MBone 1819
IP multicast
bandwidth 89
congestion 1315
network load 11
packet duplication 1213
server load 1011
unreliable packet delivery 12
load splitting 500503
MOSPF, forwarding cache 199200
multicast
flooding 47
forwarding 226227
multicast forwarding 4042
packets, fast dropping 303
pseudobroadcasts 449452
RTT (Round-Trip Time) 81
unexpected, state creation 301303

traffic engineering
bandwidth control 475
aggregate rate limiting 477478
mroute table entries 478 480
rate limiting 476477
scoped zones 480489
broadcast-multicast traffic conversion 503507
example 498500
multicast traffic 489
calculating RPF information 490497
transient state, CBT
forwarding cache 184
Join-Request messages 183184
multicast forwarding 185
nonmember sending 185186
transmitting video (VIC) 98
trees
CBTs (Core-Based Trees) 179183
Core router discovery 191
DR (Designated Router) 189190
Flush-Tree messages 188
forwarding cache 184
Hello protocol 189190
Join Brokering 190
keepalive messages 187
member source 180
multicast forwarding 185
nonmember sending 185186
one-way branches 186
pruning 188189
shared trees, joining 183
multicast distribution 3435
shared trees 3637
SPTs (shortest path trees) 3536
shared
pruning 171174, 289293
refreshing 162163
source trees, pruning 293300
SPTs (Shortest Path Trees) 132133, 156157
grafting 143144
joins 157, 158
MOSPF 198
PIM Register process 276279
prunes 159161
shorthand notation 198
switchback process 289
switchover 169, 280288
truncated broadcast 113116
wildcard notation 37

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VIC 567

troubleshooting
ATM p2mp VCs 467468
DVMRP 397399
tunneling 399404
Pruning over multi-access links 361362
first-hop routers, Registering state 268
IGMPv1, Leave Group latency 437438
interswitch links 438440
push/pull interoperability 387390
switches, router cores 440441
unicast-multicast congruency (PIM networks)
383387
truncated broadcast trees 113116
grafting 123
pruning 118119, 122
TTL (Time To Live)
RP-Announce messages, scope 325
scoping 4445
thresholds, multicast forwarding 4345
values, remapping 504
tuning
IGMPv2 Query-Response Interval 6668
RPs (PIMv2) 337338
tunnel mode DVMRP command 356
tunnel source Ethernet0 command 356
tunnels
DVMRP 356357
creating 382
non-pruners, disconnecting 367
route exchanges, verifying 401 404
verifying 399401
GRE (generic routing encapsulation), load
splitting 500502
terminating 384, 388
turnaround router 308
Tweedly, Alex 428
Type field
IGMPv1 messages 59
IGMPv2 messages 65

U
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) 12
unexpected traffic, state creation 301303
unicast address encoding, PIMv2 528
unicast routing table, PIM-SM 149
unicast routing tables, RPF check 134
unicasts, RIB (Routing Information Base) 5

unidirectional branches 191

unidirectional shared trees 3840
unreliable packet delivery 12
updating
outgoing interface lists 234237
topology, mroute table 227
upside-down routing 489
RPF information, calculating 490497
USA (Unicast Source Address) 428
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) 12
utilities
data distribution 16
MBone freeware 8687
SDR 8790
VAT 9193
VIC 94 98
Whiteboard 100
multimedia conferencing 15
RAT (Robust Audio Tool) 80
real-time data delivery 16
see also gaming applications

V
VAT 9193
VCDS (virtual circuit descriptors) 467
VCs (virtual circuits)
ATM p2mp 461463
connectivity, establishing 462463
debugging 466 468
limiting 465
hub-and-spoke topology, partial-mesh networks
453
p2p SVCs, IP-to-ATM addressing 468 470
VCD (virtual circuit descriptor) 467
verifying
DVMRP route exchanges 401404
DVMRP tunnel status 399401
Version field (IGMPv1 messages) 59
versions, CBT 186, 191
VIC 9498
bandwidth consumption 100
Modes button 9798
Quality slider 100
size button 97

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568 video conferencing

video conferencing
h261 compression 100
RTP (Real-TimeProtocol) 7980
utilities 16
VIC 9498
Whitebaord 100
video streaming, bandwidth, comparing unicast and
multicast 9
video streams, rate limiting 477
viewing
DVMRP routes 382
PIM neighbor adjacencies 131
SAP announcements 87
static routes 494
Vsystem 7

W
Web browser, SDR 90
Web sites, Multimedia Conferencing Applications
Archive 87
Whiteboard 100
whiteboard multicast streams, rate limiting 477
wildcard multicast receivers 204206
wildcard notation, shared trees 37
windows, Session Information (SDR) 89

X
X-Flag (PIM-SM) 254

Z
zones
Global 483
Organizational-Local 483486
Site-Local 482483
configuring 484485
RPs, configuring 486487