All things related to multicast

[Marshall Eubanks <>]

James Martin wrote:

> At 04:45 PM 9/14/2001 -0400, Richard Mavrogeanes wrote:
> >Folks,
> >
> >The VBrick can be configured to join its own multicast, and this
> >is the default configuration.  This is because certain poorly designed
> >switches flood (cgmp) if there is not at least one client listening to
> >the multicast.  The feature can be disabled.
> >
> >I believe Tuesday's event was one of the largest multicast events, and
> >there were many people showing our video on the floor at N+I in Atlanta
> >via I2 multicast.
> >
> >I would certainly like to receive some evidence that this is true, and
> >if anyone can assist me in this regard, please feel free to contact me.
>
>          I can certainly confirm this. I'm the person in charge of IP
> Multicast for the InteropNet, the production network as well as the
> experimental labs. We've had global multicast natively on the show network
> ever since the spring of 1994, and for the last few shows, that feed has
> come from I2. At various times multicast has gotten use ranging from
> moderate to nearly nothing. However, this all changed last Tuesday.
>
>          We had a large plasma screen in the iLabs intended to demonstrate
> high rate HDTV over I2 (I'm sure some of you remember the profusion of
> "HD-underwater.mpg" sessions that we're being announced. Unfortunately,
> that was for us). We came in Tuesday morning and were preparing for the
> first day of the show when word came in about the initial plane crash into
> the towers. Our I2 Lead, Roy Hockett was able to switch the stream to a CNN
> broadcast that he was sourcing from UMich. We began attracting exhibitors
> to the display even before the showfloor opened. Once the attendees were on
> the floor, the crowd had grown to well over a hundred.
>
>          By this point, three things had happened. The crowds around the
> one display had grown so large as to constitute a fire hazard, all the
> major news web sites had completely melted down, and CNN was being
> multicast from several sources. We then started loading multicast tools on
> every PC in the NOC, from the one driving the large video wall to people's
> individual laptops. By 10:30 (about half an hour after the floor opened) we
> had at least 3 large displays as well as a number of normal monitors turned
> out towards the plexiglass walls.
>
>          Soon after, we had a good number of exhibitors come and ask how to
> get "the CNN viewer software". By noon, quite a few of the exhibitors on
> the floor had a live feed and were drawing a good crowd. We closed the show
> early that day, to allow folks to attend to all of the obvious personal
> business, but reopened for the next two days. During the whole time,
> between the NOC folks and the helpful exhibitors, we kept news coverage
> flowing to everyone at the show.
>
>          I'd hate to see what this would have looked like with replicated
> unicast.
>
>          - Jim

Dear Jim;

   Would you be willing to share this as part of the article I am trying to 
arrange on multicast's success on 9/11 ?
You certainly had a good vantage point.

   I was not trying to imply earlier that N+I participants were not 
interested in multicast news, just that I think that the audience was a lot
more wide spread.
--
                                 Regards
                                 Marshall Eubanks


T.M. Eubanks
Multicast Technologies, Inc
10301 Democracy Lane, Suite 410
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Phone : 703-293-9624       Fax     : 703-293-9609
e-mail : 

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