|
Overview :
Aricent PIMv6 (Protocol Independent Multicast for IPv6) is a portable software implementation of the PIM (Sparse Mode and Dense Mode) specification, for IPv6 networks. Aricent PIMv6 provides support for inter-domain routing between domains using PIMv6-SM or PIMv6-DM.
It also avoids the performance problems of earlier multicast routing protocols. This software provides multicast routing and forwarding capability to a router that runs the IPv6 protocol along with MLD (Multicast Listener Discovery). Aricent PIMv6 routes multicast data packets independent of any Unicast routing protocol.

Figure 1. Aricent PIMv6 Software Based Router Architecture.

Figure 2. Aricent PIMv6 Hardware Based Router Architecture.
Operation:
SM Operation is employed in environments where group members are sparsely distributed throughout the network and bandwidth is a constraint. For example, across many regions of the Internet or if users are connected through ISDN lines.DM Operation is employed in networks where receivers are densely populated in the network. It operates in a flood and prune approach. Multicast trees are built by the data sent from the source.
Features:
- Includes a multicast forwarding engine with clear separation between the control (routing) and multicast forwarding planes
- Provides support for multiple components where each component can act in either dense or sparse mode
- Implements the Reverse Path Forwarding (RPF) algorithm
- Builds and maintains the Rendezvous Point (RP), rooted shared trees (Multicast delivery trees) using periodic and triggered Join/ Prune messages
- Supports switching from RP tree to SP (Shortest Path) tree when a particular source generates heavy traffic
- Adapts to Unicast route changes
- Can be configured as BSR, and propagates RP-Set information into the network
- Confines to the IETF standards in RP and BSR elections
- Can be configured as C-RP, and informs the CRP information periodically to the BSR of the domain
- Supports configuration as Candidate-RP independently on each interface
- Supports regular housekeeping functions such as Neighbor Discovery and timeout
- Supports Operation under multi-access networks by suppressing and overriding of join/prunes and electing a single forwarder through Asserts in both sparse and dense modes. Supports operation over point-to-point interfaces
- Supports Graft messages and Graft acknowledgement messages for faster convergence in a dense mode network
- Components can interoperate between each other using the rules specified in RFC2715 and each component can also function independently, which indicates complete separation between components
- Supports Prune Rate-limiting in case of dense mode operation
- Provides well-defined APIs to interface with any IPv6/MLD router software
- Supports proprietary MIB for easier and better configuration
- Provides open interfaces for management using SNMP andCLI management software
- Provides clear interfaces to use hardware chipsets for multicast forwarding in case of dense mode operation
- Implements the Generation Identifier (GenID), which is required to rebuild the Multicast forwarding state, when a router goes offline and restarts
- Conforms to Future Software Architecture for Portability (FSAP2), thus ensuring highly portable code that uses flexible buffer and timer management libraries
|