Multicast source routing in packet-switched networks
T.-S.P. Yum, Mon -Song Chen · 1991
An address coding mechanism is presented for multicast source routing packets in packet-switched networks. A simple algorithm for processing these address codes at intermediate output link adaptors is presented. It involves only the recognition of a particular link label at the front part of the address code and the stripping off of a front segment of the address code and so can easily be implemented in hardware. Recognizing that the recipients of a multicast packet very often need to respond to the source node, a reverse-path address code is designed that allows individual destination nodes to retrieve the reverse path address without searching the topology database and invoking any route computation program.>