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Multicast Backbone, a high-speed
internet backbone
designed for sending large files such as video segments to multiple users.
Unlike normal internet transmissions, which rely on the one-to-one
capabilities of the ip protocol, Mbone transmissions allow material such as
live concert footage or radio broadcasts to be sent to thousands of people
simultaneously. Instead of sending a copy of the file to everybody, the
multicast protocol sends out a single file which copies itself only when
necessary. So if 50 people at economist.com request a copy of a 20-magabyte
news broadcast from an American server, just one copy of the file is sent
and duplicated once it arrives at the economist.com network. |
