You can configure IPv4 multicast to replicate packets to optimized hardware on a logical port instead of using the forwarding controller (FC) on the router.
The bandwidth between the line module and the I/O module or IOA on the E-series router is limited. A high-density Ethernet module provides eight physical ports that can consume the bandwidth between the line module and the I/O module or IOA before providing enough traffic to support egress line rate for all of these ports.
Figure 4 displays how multicast traffic is typically replicated on the line module. Each of these replicated packets is transmitted from the line module to the I/O module or IOA.
Figure 4: Packet Flow Without Hardware Multicast Packet Replication
The hardware multicast packet replication feature enables you to configure multicast traffic for a VLAN or S-VLAN to be replicated on the I/O module or IOA so that only one copy of the packet is transmitted from the line module to the I/O module or IOA. Replication for each of the ports is performed on the I/O module or IOA.
Configuring hardware multicast packet replication for high-density Ethernet is useful when you want to provide the same multicast stream out of some or all of the ports, such as for IP television (IPTV). Configuring hardware multicast packet replication enables you to:
You can use the additional bandwidth to increase the bandwidth of multicast traffic out of each of the Gigabit Ethernet ports.
Figure 5 displays the flow of a multicast packet using the hardware multicast packet feature.
Figure 5: Packet Flow with Hardware Multicast Packet Replication
Each high-density Ethernet module has eight physical ports, numbered 0–7. A logical port is available for the hardware multicast packet replication feature, numbered port 8.
JUNOSe tracks the OIFs in an mroute that have been redirected to use the hardware multicast packet replication hardware. The system accepts only egress multicast traffic to traverse the interface stack on the enabled port. The system drops unicast traffic that is routed to this port.
Each port on the I/O module or IOA displayed in Figure 5 has two queues. These queues are further down the egress path than the queues found on the line module and populated by the FC.
The low-priority queue is dedicated to packets that are received from the line module queues that are dedicated to the physical ports. This queue blocks when full and provides backpressure to the line module. This queue services unicast and multicast traffic that is not using the hardware multicast packet replication feature.
The high-priority queue is dedicated to packets that are received from the line module queue for port 8. This queue is serviced at a higher priority than the first queue, and drops packets when full.
For more information about high-density Ethernet, see Configuring Ethernet Interfaces in the JUNOSe Physical Layer Configuration Guide.
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