All things related to multicast

["Kevin C. Almeroth" <>]

>>Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 15:39:34 -0500
>>From: Tim Ward 
>><>
>>To: 
>>
>>Subject: Monitoring multicast groups
>>
>>We're into our second day of distribution of 4 off air TV channels to the 
>>students in four dorms over our campus multicast-enabled network.  We've
>>seen far more client problems than network problems.  About the biggest
>>complaint we get is the quality of the picture, which we're working on 
>>cleaning up before it gets to the encoder.
>>
>>One of the issues we're struggling with now is how to monitor that the
>>system is really working.  One thing I could do is put a beefy machine 
>>in the NOC to view all four channels at once (software decoding!), but
>>I'm not sure I want the NOC to be watching TV all of the time!  And if
>>we go with a 20 channel line up in the fall, I'll need a lot more machines!
>>
>>Anyone have any suggestions?  I was thinking a small applet running
>>on a host that could join the group and successfully tell that there
>>was traffic on it, but that doesn't actually tell me the content.  Ideally
>>it would SNMP trap if the traffic went to zero.  How do real CATV operators 
>>do 
>>this?  A bank of monitors?  Or do they rely on the distributed diagnostic 
>>tool known as "the user"?
>>
>>Tim
>>-- 
>>Tim Ward                                  
>>
>>      V 847-467-1449
>>Associate Director                     G172 Leverone Hall  F 847-467-5690
>>Telecommunications and Network Services            Information Technology
>>2001 Sheridan Rd  Evanston IL 60208-2030          Northwestern University
>>
>>
>>