Configuring Ip Multicast - Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Software Configuration Manual

Configuring IP Multicast

This chapter describes IP multicast routing on the Catalyst 4500 series switch. It also provides
procedures and examples to configure IP multicast routing.
This chapter includes the following major sections:
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Note For more detailed information on IP Multicast, refer to this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6552/products_ios_technology_home.html
For complete syntax and usage information for the switch commands used in this chapter, see the
Cisco IOS Command Reference Guides for the Catalyst 4500 Series
If a command is not in the Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switch Command Reference , you can locate it in
the
About IP Multicast
Note Controlling the transmission rate to a multicast group is not supported.
At one end of the IP communication spectrum is IP unicast, where a source IP host sends packets to a
specific destination IP host. In IP unicast, the destination address in the IP packet is the address of a
single, unique host in the IP network. These IP packets are forwarded across the network from the source
to the destination host by routers. At each point on the path between source and destination, a router uses
a unicast routing table to make unicast forwarding decisions, based on the IP destination address in the
packet.
At the other end of the IP communication spectrum is an IP broadcast, where a source host sends packets
to all hosts on a network segment. The destination address of an IP broadcast packet has the host portion
of the destination IP address set to all ones and the network portion set to the address of the subnet. IP
hosts, including routers, understand that packets, which contain an IP broadcast address as the
About IP Multicast, page 38-1
Configuring IP Multicast Routing, page 38-13
Monitoring and Maintaining IP Multicast Routing, page 38-23
Configuration Examples, page 38-29
Cisco IOS Master Command List, All
Catalyst 4500 Series Switch, Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide - Cisco IOS XE 3.9.xE and IOS 15.2(5)Ex
C H A P T E R
Releases.
38
Switch.
38-1