RFC 1458 (rfc1458) - Page 1 of 19

Requirements for Multicast Protocols

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Network Working Group                                        R. Braudes
Request for Comments: 1458                                    S. Zabele
                                                                   TASC
                                                               May 1993


                  Requirements for Multicast Protocols

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard.  Distribution of this memo is
   unlimited.

Summary

   Multicast protocols have been developed over the past several years
   to address issues of group communication.  Experience has
   demonstrated that current protocols do not address all of the
   requirements of multicast applications.  This memo discusses some of
   these unresolved issues, and provides a high-level design for a new
   multicast transport protocol, group address and membership authority,
   and modifications to existing routing protocols.

Table of Contents

   1.    Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.    The Image Communication Problem   . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.1   Scope   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.2   Requirements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.    Review of Existing Multicast Protocols  . . . . . . . . . .   4
   3.1   IP/Multicast  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   3.2   XTP   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   3.3   ST-II   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   3.4   MTP   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   3.5   Summary   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
   4.    Reliable Adaptive Multicast Service   . . . . . . . . . . .   9
   4.1   The Multicast Group Authority   . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
   4.1.1 Address Management  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
   4.1.2 Service Registration, Requests, Release, and Group
         Membership Maintenance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   4.2   The Reliable Adaptive Multicast Protocol (RAMP)   . . . . .  11
   4.2.1 Quality of Service Levels   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
   4.2.2 Error Recovery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
   4.2.3 Flow Control  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
   4.3   Routing Support   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
   4.3.1 Path Set-up   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
   4.3.2 Path Tear-down  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15



Braudes & Zabele
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