IP Multicast

Overview

The need for bandwidth is constantly increasing as numerous new bandwidth hungry applications emerge in our connected and mobile society. Networks are expanded massively to accommodate the users’ requirements. At the same time technologies have been developed to ensure that the available network capacity is used efficiently.

IP multicasting optimizes the use of an IP network for point to multi-point communication. A data packet is only sent once on a given network link, even if it is destined to many recipients.

IP multicasting distribution trees are dynamically created as recipients join a multicast group. Various routing protocols have been defined to set up and maintain the multicast distribution trees. Joining and leaving a multicast group is handled through the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) for IPv4.

To verify the IP multicast and IGMP performance, IETF has defined RFC 3918 “Methodology for IP Multicast Benchmarking”. RFC 3918 describes tests for measuring and reporting the throughput, forwarding, latency and IGMP group membership characteristics of devices that support IP multicast protocols.

The Xena Networks L2-3 test platforms ValkyrieBay and ValkyrieCompact equipped with appropriate test modules provide the features needed to quickly and cost-effectively test and verify IP multicast and IGMP performance in accordance with RFC 3918. Multicast stress testing and IGMP snooping verification are also easily performed with ValkyrieBay and ValkyrieCompact.

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