Multicast package policies

Overview

Multicast package policies are used to assign a common set of multicast groups to NEs in an MVR VPLS. Multicast package policies ensure that the multicast groups on the devices of one or more MVR VPLS instances are consistent. See Chapter 27, NE routing and forwarding for information about configuring multicast groups on individual devices using a multicast routing policy.

When a multicast package policy is distributed to an NE, a multicast routing policy is configured with the appropriate multicast prefix list, which is based on the multicast groups in the multicast package policy. Multicast package policies are only used to distribute the policies to one of the two NEs. Policy discovery and synchronization are not supported.

A multicast package policy has zero or more multicast groups associated with it. The multicast groups are distributed to the NE as part of the policy. Only root catalog multicast packages can be distributed to the NE.

Multicast package policy design considerations

Consider the following when creating multicast package policies:

• one root multicast package policy should be created for a ring or multiple rings, which contains the multicast addresses of all BTV channels distributed in the ring

• specify this root multicast package policy for the BTV (MVR) VLAN

• create other multicast package policies from the root package by clicking on the Copy button on the configuration form, or by clicking on the More Actions button and choosing Copy, if the Copy button is not visible.

• use the child policies to differentiate the types of broadcast TV services offered, for example, basic service and premium service

Distributing multicast package policies

When you distribute a multicast package policy to an NE, the NFM-P maps one multicast package policy to one routing policy statement. Each multicast policy group entry is mapped to one routing policy prefix list member.

For example, the ID of a multicast package policy is 2. When the policy is distributed to an NE, the NFM-P automatically creates a routing policy statement for the device. The name created for the routing policy statement is SAM_MPP_2, where 2 is the multicast package policy ID.

When the policy is distributed to an NE, the ID of the routing policy statement entry is always 1. A name is generated by the NFM-P to identify the prefix list in the routing policy statement entry. The name is SAM_MPG_2_1, where 2 is the multicast package policy ID and 1 is the routing policy statement entry ID. The prefix list name is referenced in the routing policy statement entry as the multicast group prefix list name.

In the same example, the multicast address for the multicast group of a multicast package policy is 224.0.0.0. When the multicast package policy is distributed to an NE, the NFM-P automatically creates a routing policy prefix list member for the device. The prefix list member address is 224.0.0.0.

Since the multicast package policy is not resynchronized, you must avoid duplicate names for routing policies.

If a multicast group does not have a policy group entry, the multicast group is not distributed to the device as a prefix member.

If a multicast package policy is used by any MVR VPLS, it cannot be removed from the NFM-P.