Multicast models and routing algorithms for high speed multi-service networks

The abstraction of tree structured communication channels used in wide-area packet multicasting are generalized by introducing the notions of acyclic graph and two user specifiable attributes, data directionality and transport quality of service. The abstraction is useful for multiservice networks in which applications have diverse transport requirements such as variable data rates and unidirectional data flow. Canonical multicast primitives suitable for a variety of data delivery requirements that allow flexible creation and removal of edges in a graph are presented. Simple and extensible routing algorithms to realize the primitives are also presented.<
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