3com 8807 User Guide

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C
HAPTER
 37: IP M
ULTICAST
 O
VERVIEW
Figure 97   Data transmission in broadcast mode
Suppose the Users B, D, and E need the information, the information source 
Server broadcasts the information through the router; User A and User C can also 
receive the information. In that case, information security and rewards to services 
are not guaranteed. Moreover, bandwidth is terribly wasted when only a few part 
of users are in need of the information.
In short, the unicast mode is useful in networks with scattered users, and the 
multicast mode is suitable for networks with dense users. When the number of 
users is uncertain, the adoption of unicast or multicast mode results in low 
efficiency.
Advantages of Multicast
Multicast
IP multicast technology solves those problems. When some users in the network 
need specific information, it allows the multicast source to send the information 
only once. With the tree route established by the multicast routing protocol, the 
information will not be duplicated or distributed until it reaches the bifurcation 
point as far as possible. See Figure 98 “Data transmission in multicast mode”.
Figure 98   Data transmission in multicast mode
Suppose the Users B, D, and E need the information, they need to be organized 
into a receiver group to ensure that the information can reach them smoothly. The 
routers on the network duplicate and forward the information according to the 
Server
Broadcast
User A
User B
User C
User D
User E
Server
Multicast
User A
User B
User D
User E
User C
Server
Multicast
User A
User B
User D
User E
User C