Microsoft Windows Media Resource Kit (Pro-Resource Kit)

Details of configuring hardware are outside the scope of this book, but we will explore the basics that are common to most switches and routers. The following list describes those areas that will need to be configured to support a multicast system such as the one at Fabrikam.

Routers

Configure router interfaces that will enable multicast distribution in the areas of the network that have been targeted. The following list describes typical settings:

• Multicast support. Unlike switches, routers do not forward multicast traffic by default, so you need to enable multicast support.

• Routing mode. Select the routing mode that you will use, such as PIM-SMv2.

• RP selection. Fabrikam will statically assign one router as the RP for all multicast traffic.

• SPT-Switchover. Enabling and configuring switchover causes a leaf router to automatically switch a client from a shared tree to a shortest path source tree. Fabrikam will configure the switchover to occur immediately.

Switches

Configure switches with the following typical settings:

• Multicast traffic forwarding. Most switches forward all multicast traffic by default.

• Layer 3 snooping. Most modern switches offer some method for forwarding multicast traffic to only those ports from which a group Membership Report has been received, and the system is often enabled by default.