Licensing Requirements and Limitations for IPv4 PIM

Involved Network Elements

An IPv4 multicast network consists of the following network elements:

Multicast source

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 device

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.
IGMP querier

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.
IGMP snooping device

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.
Receiver

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 PIM is configured on a device that needs to run IPv4 PIM to monitor and maintain multicast forwarding paths.

License Requirements

IPv4 PIM 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 PIM.

For details about software mappings, visit Hardware Query Tool and search for the desired product model.

Feature Limitations

IPv4 PIM-capable switches support IPv4 PIM 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.
Since V200R010, the S5720-HI, S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-HI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S support IPv4 PIM configuration on dot1q and QinQ termination sub-interfaces only when the VLAN tag to be terminated (or both inner and outer VLAN tags on the QinQ termination sub-interface) is a single VLAN ID, but not a range of VLAN IDs. Sub-interfaces running PIM can only be used as inbound interfaces of multicast streams and cannot be used as outbound interfaces. The S5720-EI, S6720-EI, and S6720S-EI also support IPv4 PIM command configuration on dot1q and QinQ termination sub-interfaces, but they do not support multicast traffic forwarding on these sub-interfaces.
PIM-DM and PIM-SM cannot be configured simultaneously in a VPN instance or the public network instance. IPv4 PIM can be configured in a VPN instance, but the VPN instance cannot be bound to a physical interface that has been switched to Layer 3 mode using the undo portswitch command. Only the following products and versions support the IPv4 PIM multi-instance feature:
- S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-HI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S: all versions
- S6700-EI and S5700-HI: V200R005C01
- S6700-EI, S5700-HI, and S5710-HI: V200R005C02
- S5710-HI: V200R005C03
- S5720-EI, S5720-HI, S6720-EI, and S6720S-EI: V200R010 and later versions
The VLANIF interface corresponding to the super VLAN cannot be used as an inbound interface of multicast data packets, that is, interface facing the multicast source.
A PIM Domain cannot run PIM-DM and PIM-SM simultaneously.
If both Layer 2 and Layer 3 multicast services are required in a VLAN, enable IPv4 PIM on the corresponding VLANIF interface first, and then enable IGMP snooping in the VLAN. If IGMP snooping is enabled in the VLAN first, IPv4 PI cannot be enabled on the VLANIF interface.
When you configure PIM over GRE on the S5720-EI, S6720-EI, and S6720S-EI, note the following: If the source interface of the tunnel interface is a Layer 3 physical interface running PIM, the tunnel interface cannot forward multicast traffic.
In V200R013C02 and later versions, after 1:1 VLAN mapping is configured, the VLANIF interface corresponding to a mapped VLAN supports PIM functions. If multicast functions have been configured on the VLANIF interface before VLAN mapping is configured on a switch running an earlier version, the multicast functions will become unavailable after the switch is upgraded to V200R013C02 or a later version.
Secondary IP addresses does not support PIM, and the direct routes generated based on secondary IP addresses are not involved during multicast RPF check. Therefore, if the source IP address of multicast packets is on the same network segment as the secondary IP address of a Layer 3 interface, these multicast packets received on the Layer 3 interface cannot pass the RPF check.