Cisco Systems 4 Viewing IP and MPLS Multicast Configurations

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Cisco Prime Network 4.0 User Guide

OL-29343-01

Viewing IP and MPLS Multicast Configurations

These topics provide an overview of the IP Multicast technology and describe how to view IP and

multicast configurations in Prime Network Vision:

• IP and MPLS Multicast Configuration: Overview, page 19-1

• User Roles Required to View IP and Multicast Configurations, page 19-2

• Viewing the Multicast Configurations, page 19-2

IP Multicast is a bandwidth-conserving technology that re duce s tr affic by simult aneou sly d elivering a

single stream of information to thousands of corporate re cipie nt s and h ome s. App lic ati on s tha t t ake

advantage of multicast include video conferences, corporate communications, distance learning, and

distribution of software, stock quotes, and news.

IP Multicast delivers source traffic to multiple receivers without adding any additional burden on the

source or the receivers while using the least network bandwidth of any competing te chnolog y. Multicast

packets are replicated in the network by Cisco routers enabled with Protocol Independent Multicas t

(PIM), Multicast Label Distribution Protocol (MLDP) and other supporting multicast protocols resulting

in the most efficient delivery of data to multiple receivers possible.

Multicast is based on the concept of a group. An arbitrary gr oup o f re ceivers expresses an int ere st in

receiving a particular data stream. This group does not have any physical or geographical

boundaries—the hosts can be located anywhere on the Internet. Hosts that are interested in receiving dat a

flowing to a particular group must join the group using Internet Gr oup Ma na geme nt Pr otoc ol ( IGM P).

Hosts must be a member of the group to receive the data stream.

In Prime Network, IP and multicast support is available for the following network elements:

• Cisco Aggregation Service Router (ASR) 9000 series network elements

• Cisco Carrier Routing System (CRS) network elements

• Cisco Gigabit Switch Router (GSR) network elements