MULTICAST ROUTING SCHEMES IN ATM

In this study, we investigate the problem of accommodating multicast traffic in ATM networks, with emphasis on the virtual path (VP) environment. We propose a network structure called “virtual copy network” that is suitable for multicast communication and connection setup scheme, taking into account the VP environment. With our technique, we can expect statistical multiplexing gain in accommodating multiple multicast traffic streams over a VP. Also, we propose two multicast routing algorithms (the CNR-LH algorithm and the improved CNR-LH algorithm) for an ATM network environment. In these algorithms, in addition to determining an adequate route, the exact corresponding VPs on the route are also obtained. We examine the efficiency of the algorithms by demonstrating their basic characteristics using computer simulations.