Scalable and efficient multiprotocol IP multicast over ATM

The paper describes efficient and scalable solution for IP multicast over ATM clouds, dubbed EARTH - EAsy IP multicast Routing THrough ATM clouds. Analysis of related work shows poor scalability even for small multicast groups, due to the fact that Classical IP over ATM is retained ''as is''. Two major principles introduced in the paper are: Multicast Logical IP subnet (MLIS) and Multiprotocol Over MLIS (MOM). The MLIS concept is defined over ATM in parallel with Classical LISs. MLIS dynamically includes all multicast capable hosts and statically includes all egress Mrouters with EARTH server being an ATMARP server for MLIS. MLIS spans the whole ATM cloud and therefore enables efficient short-cuts. Like IP Class D address which is not a ''true'' IP address, MLIS is not a ''true'' LIS, but an extension of LIS concept. The need for MOM is motivated by the following: separation of IP control and IP data flows is inevitable over ATM; control flows of multiple protocols tend to concentrate around ARP data. For IP multicast these protocols are: interdomain multicast protocols (like DVMRP); subnet group management protocol, Resource Reservation protocols (like RSVP). The EARTH server becomes a point of protocol attraction in MLIS.