Experimental implementation of efficient multicast processes: towards Carrier Ethernet networks and all-optical multicast

As the data traffic grows in IP networks, some adjustments are needed for making networks suitable for such kind of applications. In particular, packet switching and optical technologies in every network section will improve efficiency and bandwidth availability. Moreover, video applications are going to be predominant with respect to other ones, and IP networks could be seen as a viable alternative to traditional TV platforms. In this work, we show two network scenarios for multicast applications, and we propose and study two ways for packet replication both in Carrier Ethernet networks and IP over Optical networks.