Licensing Requirements and Limitations for IPv6 Multicast Route Management
Involved Network Elements
-
A device that sends multicast data to receiver hosts. For example, a video server is a multicast source.
IPv6 Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) device
A device that uses the IPv6 PIM protocol to generate and maintain multicast routing entries and forwards multicast data based on multicast routing entries. On an IPv6 multicast network, all Layer 3 devices must run IPv6 PIM; otherwise, multicast forwarding paths cannot be established.
-
A device that exchanges MLD 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 MLD protocol or be configured with static MLD 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 MLD 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 MLD 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, IPv6 multicast route management is configured on a device running IPv6 PIM to monitor and maintain multicast forwarding paths.
Licensing Requirements
IPv6 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 IPv6 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.
- IPv6 multicast route management-capable switches support IPv6 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.
- Before configuring IPv6 multicast route management, enable IPv6.