Supporting Reliable Concast with ATM Networks

We explore the issues concerning the support of reliable concurrent multicast in ATM networks. We provide motivation for using tree-based schemes versus receiver-initiated schemes, and compare variations on the fundamental tree-based scheme, showing the properties needed for an efficient reliable concast protocol for ATM. A new tree structure, called a feedback tree, is introduced for use in packet deletion flow control. Feedback trees are shown to have a lower average path length, and therefore require less memory and have lower flow control latencies than traditional ack trees. We consider proposals for multipoint-to-multipoint routing and how these protocols effect the efficiency of the reliable concast protocols.