Licensing Requirements and Limitations for IPv4 Multicast Route Management
Involved Network Elements
-
A device that sends multicast data to receiver hosts. For example, a video server is a multicast source.
IPv4 Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) device
A device that uses the IPv4 PIM protocol to generate and maintain multicast routing entries and forwards multicast data based on multicast routing entries. On an IPv4 multicast network, all Layer 3 devices must run IPv4 PIM; otherwise, multicast forwarding paths cannot be established.
Multicast Source Discovery Protocol (MSDP) device
A device that forwards multicast data from one PIM network to another. For example, if multicast data needs to be transmitted between two autonomous systems (ASs), the devices at the border of the ASs must run the MSDP protocol.
-
Multicast VPN enables multicast data of a private network to be transmitted over a public network. Multicast VPN devices are used on VPN networks. For example, if two sites of a VPN network need to exchange multicast data across a public network, multicast VPN needs to be configured on the PE devices.
-
A device that exchanges IGMP messages with receiver hosts to create and maintain group memberships. On a multicast network, Layer 3 devices connected to network segments of receivers must run the IGMP protocol or be configured with static IGMP groups. Otherwise, upstream PIM devices cannot know the multicast groups that users want to join, and therefore cannot establish multicast forwarding paths.
-
A device that listens to IGMP messages exchanged between upstream Layer 3 multicast devices and receiver hosts to create and maintain Layer 2 multicast forwarding entries, which are used for accurate multicast data forwarding on a Layer 2 network. To prevent broadcasting of multicast packets on a Layer 2 network and conserve network bandwidth, it is recommended that you configure IGMP snooping on Layer 2 devices.
-
A multicast user that receives multicast data. A receiver can be a PC, a set top box, or any device with multicast client installed.
Generally, IPv4 multicast route management is configured on a device running IPv4 PIM to monitor and maintain multicast forwarding paths.
Licensing Requirements
IPv4 multicast route management is a basic feature of a switch and is not under license control.
Feature Support in V200R019C10
All models of S5700 and S6700 series switches support IPv4 Multicast Route Management.
For details about software mappings, visit Hardware Query Tool and search for the desired product model.
Feature Limitations
- For the S5735-L, S5735S-L, S5735S-L-M, S5735-S, S5735-S-I, and S5735S-S, the multicast functions (both Layer 2 and Layer 3 multicast functions) conflict with the flow control function.
- IPv4 multicast route management-capable switches support IPv4 multicast route management configuration on physical interfaces that have been switched to Layer 3 mode using the undo portswitch command since V200R005. This configuration, however, is not supported on the S5720I-SI, S5720-LI, S5735-L, S5735S-L, S5735S-L-M, S5720S-LI, S5720S-SI, S5720-SI, S5735-S, S5735S-S, S5735-S-I, S5730S-EI, S5730-SI, S6720-LI, S6720S-LI, S6720S-SI, and S6720-SI.
- Only the following products and versions support configuration of IPv4 multicast route management in a VPN instance:
- V200R005C01: S6700-EI and S5700-HI
- V200R005C02: S6700-EI, S5700-HI, and S5710-HI
- V200R005C03: S5710-HI
- V200R010 and later versions: S5720-EI, S5720-HI, S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-EI, S6720-HI, S6720S-EI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S
- When configuring IPv4 multicast route management in a VPN instance, ensure that the VPN instance is not bound to a physical interface that has been switched to Layer 3 mode using the undo portswitch command.