Multicast visualization and management

Lessons learned from the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiments (JEFX) included the need for better tools to visualize and manage multicast networks. At the present time, collaborative tools are driving the requirement for multicast-aware networks in the deployed environment. The Defense Information Services Agency (DISA) is also considering the use of multicast on certain networks. Multicast-aware applications can be very efficient in comparison to their unicast counterparts. However, they also have the capability to cripple a network. The tools that exist today do not provide sufficient information to monitor the impact of the multicast traffic on our networks. This paper describes the set of tools that we are developing to provide the "big picture" for multicast traffic. These tools will show aggregate and individual utilization on a group-by-group basis and will analyze the multicast spanning trees created in large-scale networks. This paper also discusses potential ways to manage multicast from an enterprise viewpoint. The tools will provide a better understanding of how multicast traffic is affecting the network in real time. In theory, one could use this knowledge to apply quality of service (QoS) policies to control the flow of multicast traffic throughout the network.