All things related to multicast

[Dave Devereaux-Weber <>]

Joff,

Here in MAdison, we've been multicast-open for several years, and we haven't 
seen an MSDP storm or malware that exploits multicast.

When trying to describe compelling reasons to enable multicast, the term "killer 
app" is limited and doesn't describe the benefits in positive terms.

As our local campus network is improved, and more users are able to view 
multicast video, we will promote the use of multicast video over the network to 
a greater degree.  At present, we have a local system we call the Digital 
Academic Television Network <http://datn.wisc.edu/>.  Because of contract 
agreement restrictions, we use locally-scoped multicast addresses which do not 
get routed.  But the idea of watching video on a computer is catching on pretty 
smoothly.  We run statistics on the system, and they can be seen at 
<http://datn.wisc.edu/statistics>.

There are several benefits of the convergence of voice and data.  The university 
does not have the cost of maintaining multiple networks.  The cost of 
construction, maintenance, repair, spare parts, test equipment and training for 
cable television networks will gradually go away.  The cost of procuring and 
operating television sets, videotape recorders, and videotape collections (for 
training purposes) will gradually go away.

When video converges with data, it will not be necessary to upgrade televisions 
to digital and/or high definition when broadcasting changes over from analog to 
digital.

When multicast becomes more widely available, we will be able to watch video 
from other universities around the world, and from other institutions, like the 
BBC in the UK or ABC in Australia, or TV5 from France, NHK from Japan, and so on.

A couple of weeks ago, we watched live, high-definition multicast video from the 
Pacific Ocean in the Visions05 program <http://www.visions05.washington.edu/> 
from the University of Washington.  The ability to see live undersea video in 
high definition was pretty compelling.


Dave

Jonathan S. Thyer JSTHYER wrote:
> Ok folks,
>
> So I have my MSDP all up and running, and my regional WAN provider will 
> happily peer.   But, what's in it for my campus?
>
> Especially given the idea that traffic can be quickly flooded into my 
> network through an MSDP storm, or perhaps a malware can be introduced 
> that forces client machines to "join" a group for fun.    I gotta be 
> honest, I am a little gun shy here....
>
> Someone hurry up and finish that killer app, ok!
>
> -------
> Joff Thyer
> Senior Networks Engineer/Architect
> IT Networks Department
> 211C Forney Building, UNCG
> PO BOX 26170, Greensboro NC 27402-6170
> Phone: (336) 256-TECH

--
David Devereaux-Weber, P.E.     

Network Services     http://cable.doit.wisc.edu/
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The University of Wisconsin - Madison
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