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CHAPTER
19-1
Cisco Prime Network 4.0 User Guide
OL-29343-01
19
Viewing IP and MPLS Multicast Configurations
These topics provide an overview of the IP Multicast technology and describe how to view IP and
multicast configurations in Prime Network Vision:
• IP and MPLS Multicast Configuration: Overview, page 19-1
• User Roles Required to View IP and Multicast Configurations, page 19-2
• Viewing the Multicast Configurations, page 19-2
IP and MPLS Multicast Configuration: Overview
IP Multicast is a bandwidth-conserving technology that reduces traffic by simultaneously delivering a
single stream of information to thousands of corporate recipients and homes. Applications that take
advantage of multicast include video conferences, corporate communications, distance learning, and
distribution of software, stock quotes, and news.
IP Multicast delivers source traffic to multiple receivers without adding any additional burden on the
source or the receivers while using the least network bandwidth of any competing technology. Multicast
packets are replicated in the network by Cisco routers enabled with Protocol Independent Multicast
(PIM), Multicast Label Distribution Protocol (MLDP) and other supporting multicast protocols resulting
in the most efficient delivery of data to multiple receivers possible.
Multicast is based on the concept of a group. An arbitrary group of receivers expresses an interest in
receiving a particular data stream. This group does not have any physical or geographical
boundaries—the hosts can be located anywhere on the Internet. Hosts that are interested in receiving data
flowing to a particular group must join the group using Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).
Hosts must be a member of the group to receive the data stream.
In Prime Network, IP and multicast support is available for the following network elements:
• Cisco Aggregation Service Router (ASR) 9000 series network elements
• Cisco Carrier Routing System (CRS) network elements
• Cisco Gigabit Switch Router (GSR) network elements