A path establishment method and a controller are disclosed. The method includes: when detecting a path establishment request for establishing P2MP TE, computing a P2MP TE path by using head node information and tail node information included in the path establishment request; identifying a target branch node in the P2MP TE path, and obtaining a label of the target branch node; and when a third node corresponding to the head node information and the target branch node are not a same node, sending first information to the third node, and sending second information to the target branch node, where the second information is used to instruct the target branch node to generate a multicast forwarding entry. Embodiments of this application can reduce complexity of establishing the P2MP TE path.

A multicast system includes a source device and a plurality of receiver devices connected by switches that are also coupled to a switch controller. The switch controller receives source device information for the source device from its connected first switch, and receives receiver device information for each of the receiver devices from their respective connected second switches. The switch controller uses the source device information and receiver device information to construct a multicast tree that includes switches capable of transmitting multicast communications from the source device to each of the receiver devices. The switch controller then programs at least some of the switches so that a multicast data communication from the source device is segment routed to a third switch, and replicated by the third switch to produce replicated multicast data communications that are each segment routed to at least some of the receiver devices through their respective second switches.

A system and method for transmitting packets to a plurality of network devices that cannot be accessed via a single hop. The system includes a source, which issues a multicast message to those network devices in close proximity, and also transmits an encapsulated multicast message to a distribution node. This encapsulated multicast message may be routed using traditional routing protocols. The distribution node then transmits the multicast message to those network devices within close proximity. The distribution node may also have the ability to transmit singlecast messages to those network devices, if necessary, to perform retries.

This application discloses a multicast forwarding method and a multicast router. The method includes: listening to, by a first multicast router, a plurality of unicast packets passing through the first multicast router, and determining a set of unicast packets that are from a same upstream multicast router and that belong to a same unicast stream; when determining that destination addresses of at least two unicast packets in the unicast packet set are different, sending, by the first multicast router, a prune message to the upstream multicast router; and sending, by the first multicast router, the received unicast packets with the multicast identifier to the destination devices corresponding to the destination address group. The method is used to provide a new multicast method, so as to implement multicast functions of some routers in an existing unicast network architecture.

Disclosed is a system for co-operative repetition of broadcast messages comprising a plurality of router nodes, each being able to receive and repeat transmission of broadcast messages. The plurality of router nodes is configured to repeat collectively a transmission of a broadcast message on one or more frequency channels a collective target amount of times inside a neighborhood of the plurality of router nodes. The amount of repetitions of individual router nodes differs from 0 to n, wherein n>0, in order to achieve the collective target amount of repetitions.

A method and talkgroup server for extending a battery life in a subscriber unit is provided. A time sync at a triple TSBK boundary is maintained, the triple TSBK boundary being associated with a talkgroup. The triple TSBK window is calculated based on the time sync and configuration data. A talkgroup call request is granted for the talkgroup using a talkgroup call grant. A first transmission of the talkgroup call grant is targeted in the triple TSBK window associated with the talkgroup.

A method for a parallel execution of services of a serial service chain on packets using multicast-based service insertion is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises identifying a plurality of services to be applied to packets of a data flow and determining a plurality of service machines that are configured to provide the plurality of services for the data flow. The plurality of service machines is grouped to a plurality of multicast groups; wherein multicast groups in the plurality of multicast groups are sequentially ordered from a first multicast group that includes a largest count of service machines to a last multicast group that includes a smallest count of service machines. Upon detecting a packet of the data flow, the is stored in memory, and multicast to the first multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups to cause applying, in parallel, services of service machines included in the first multicast group to the packet. Once a plurality of responses is received from service machines that belong to the first multicast group, the plurality of responses is used to determine whether service processing of the packet is completed. In response to determining that service processing of the packet is completed, the packet is disposed according the plurality of responses and without multicasting the packet to any other multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups.

Approaches for multicast routing a group packet that includes a payload and routing information (e.g., a target identifier vector and a target multicast group ID) in a network having multiple cells each comprising a parent node and one or more child nodes include establishing and storing one or more child-node multicast group map tables associated with the child node(s) for each cell; receiving a multicast group packet; determining whether to forward the multicast group packet to the child node(s) based at least in part on the child-node multicast group map table(s) associated therewith and the received target identifier vector; and if so, causing the parent node to forward the multicast group packet to the child node(s).

A method for a parallel execution of services of a serial service chain on packets using multicast-based service insertion is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises identifying a plurality of services to be applied to packets of a data flow and determining a plurality of service machines that are configured to provide the plurality of services for the data flow. The plurality of service machines is grouped to a plurality of multicast groups; wherein multicast groups in the plurality of multicast groups are sequentially ordered from a first multicast group that includes a largest count of service machines to a last multicast group that includes a smallest count of service machines. Upon detecting a packet of the data flow, the is stored in memory, and multicast to the first multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups to cause applying, in parallel, services of service machines included in the first multicast group to the packet. Once a plurality of responses is received from service machines that belong to the first multicast group, the plurality of responses is used to determine whether service processing of the packet is completed. In response to determining that service processing of the packet is completed, the packet is disposed according the plurality of responses and without multicasting the packet to any other multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for consensus system downtime recovery. One of the methods includes: multicasting a pre-prepare message to at least some of the backup nodes; obtaining (Q-1) or more prepare messages respectively from (Q-1) or more of the backup nodes, wherein the prepare messages each indicate an acceptance of the pre-prepare message by the corresponding backup node; storing the pre-prepare message and the (Q-1) or more prepare messages; multicasting a commit message to at least some of the backup nodes, the commit message indicating that the primary node agrees to the (Q-1) or more prepare messages; and obtaining, respectively from Q or more nodes among the primary node and the backup nodes, Q or more commit messages each indicating that the corresponding node agrees to (Q-1) or more prepare messages received by the corresponding node.