Method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for multicast communication in a containerized environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11916776-B2
Application number	US-202117510751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2021
Priority date	Oct 26, 2021
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A method for execution by a processor of a host having an external interface for connection to at least one other network element of a packet-based data network, the host storing a routing table and implementing a container connected to a bridge, the container being addressable by an internal address on a bridge network associated with the bridge. The method includes obtaining an indication of a request for the container to join a multicast group. In response to the obtaining, a request is sent via the external interface for the host to join the multicast group. The routing table may be modified so as to make the bridge a next hop for future packets obtained from the external interface and destined for the multicast group. The routing table may also be modified so as to make the external interface a next hop for future packets that are obtained from the bridge, whose source address is the internal address of the container and that are destined for the multicast group. The method also includes setting up an expiry parameter increase for such future packets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for execution by a processor of a host network element, the host network element having an external interface for connection to at least one other network element of a packet-based data network, the host network element storing a routing table in memory and implementing a container connected to a bridge, the method comprising:
obtaining an indication of a request for the container to join a multicast group having a multicast group address;
in response to the obtaining, sending via the external interface a request for the host network element to join the multicast group having the multicast group address;
modifying the routing table so as to make the bridge a next hop for future packets obtained from the external interface and destined for the multicast group address; and
setting up an expiry parameter increase for said future packets.

2. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the bridge isolates the container from other host functions.

3. The method defined in claim 2 , wherein the other host functions comprise a routing function that uses the routing table to route the future packets.

4. The method defined in claim 3 , wherein the bridge is implemented by a container engine, the container engine further implementing a bridge network that connects the container to other containers while being isolated from the other host functions.

5. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the host network element is addressable from outside the host network element by an IP address, wherein said request for the host network element to join the multicast group comprises a multicast join request message identifying the IP address of the host.

6. The method defined in claim 5 , wherein the multicast join request is an IGMP request if the IP address is an IPv4 address or an MLD request if the IP address is an IPv6 address.

7. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the host network element is connected to a router via the external interface, wherein the router is addressable on the packet-based data network by an address and wherein said request for the host network element to join the multicast group is embedded in a packet having, as its destination address, the address of the router.

8. The method defined in claim 7 , wherein the host network element is addressable on the packet-based data network by an external address, wherein said packet identifies the external address of the host.

9. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein the host network element implements a kernel, and wherein the indication of the request for the container to join the multicast group comprises a notification message from the kernel.

10. The method defined in claim 9 , further comprising the kernel obtaining the request for the container to join the multicast group via the container engine.

11. The method defined in claim 10 , wherein the request for the container to join the multicast group comprises an IGMP request message or an MLD request message issued by the given container.

12. The method defined in claim 1 , wherein setting up the expiry parameter increase comprises adding the multicast group address to a list stored in the memory.

13. The method defined in claim 12 , wherein the host network element implements a routing process, wherein the routing process comprises consulting the list and increasing the expiry parameter of an IP packet obtained from the external interface if the destination address of the obtained IP packet is on the list.

14. The method defined in claim 13 , wherein said increasing comprises incrementing.

15. The method defined in claim 1 , the container being addressable by an internal address on a bridge network associated with the bridge, further comprising modifying the routing table so as to make the external interface a next hop for second future packets obtained from the bridge whose source address is the internal address of the container.

16. The method defined in claim 15 , further comprising setting up an expiry parameter increase also for said second future packets.

17. The method defined in claim 16 , wherein the host network element implements a routing process, wherein the routing process comprises consulting the list and increasing the expiry parameter of an IP packet obtained from the container engine if a destination address of the obtained IP packet is on the list.

18. The method defined in claim 17 , wherein said increasing comprises incrementing.

19. The method defined in claim 16 , the host network element being addressable by network elements other than the host network element by an external address, further comprising setting up an address change that sets the source address of said second future packets to be the external address of the host network element.

20. A host network element for use in a packet-based data network, comprising:
a processor;
a memory operatively coupled to the processor;
an external interface operatively coupled to the processor and for connection to at least one other network element of the packet-based data network;
the memory storing a routing table and non-transitory computer-readable instructions;
the processor being configured to implement a container and a bridge and being further configured to execute the instructions thereby to carry out a method that includes:
obtaining an indication of a request for the container to join a multicast group having a multicast group address;
in response to the obtaining, sending via the external interface a request for the host network element to join the multicast group having the multicast group address;
modifying the routing table so as to make the bridge a next hop for future packets obtained from the external interface and destined for the multicast group address; and
setting up an expiry parameter increase for said future packets.

Assignees

• Genetec Inc

Inventors

• Bouchard Jean

Classifications

• H04L12/1886

  with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains · CPC title

• H04L12/185

  with management of multicast group membership · CPC title

• H04L45/16 Primary

  Multipoint routing · CPC title

• H04L45/021

  Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers · CPC title

• H04L45/20 Primary

  Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL · CPC title