A multicasting strategy for multiple heterogeneous networks

This paper proposes a multicasting strategy for multimedia services in multiple heterogeneous networks. By incorporating the Internet protocols used for multimedia services such as RTP (real time transport protocol) and RSVP (resource reservation protocol), into the CBT (core based trees) multicasting protocol, the deficiencies that the currently used multicasting protocols over the Internet have in supporting the heterogeneous QoS (quality of service) are supplemented. This paper introduces two concepts for the embodiment of the proposed multicasting strategy in a real-time communication protocol model supporting heterogeneous QoS. One is a synchronization core, a node with special functions similar to the ones of an RTP mixer or translator. The other is the SCBT (synchronization-CBT), a CBT with synchronization cores. This paper also discusses design factors to be extended in order to support the heterogeneous QoS classes, and service primitives for the interface among the network components. Finally, a computer simulation is carried out to compare the performance of the SCBT with DVMRP (distance vector multicast routing protocol) and CBT (core based tree).