Job Management Partner 1/Software Distribution Description and Planning Guide
JP1/Software Distribution uses two methods of job distribution, unicast distribution and multicast distribution. You can specify the distribution method independently for each job.
The standard method of sending the packets for a job one-on-one from a higher system to a client is what is called unicast distribution. In unicast distribution, the higher system sends individual packets to each destination client. As a result, the number of packets sent increases directly with the number of clients.
In multicast distribution, the IP multicast protocol is used to send the packets to specified multiple clients. In multicast distribution, the higher system sends the packets to a conceptual group known as a multicast group. The packets are then distributed to each client in that group. Regardless of the number of clients, the higher system has to send the packets only to the multicast group, greatly reducing traffic on the network.
Each multicast group has a unique IP address, known as its multicast address, to which the packets are sent. You can specify a multicast address when you set up a client, and the client is thus registered in that multicast group. Packets sent to a multicast address are distributed to all clients registered in that multicast group. Because only one packet is transferred along common routes, jobs can be distributed efficiently without overloading the network.
The following figure illustrates the unicast and multicast distribution concepts.
Figure 6-14 Unicast and multicast distribution concepts
JP1/Software Distribution allows only Install package jobs to be distributed by means of multicast distribution. You can reduce the communications volume by using multicast distribution for the following types of jobs:
If a job is to be sent to only a few destinations, or if the package is small, using multicast distribution can actually reduce efficiency. For such jobs, specify unicast distribution when you create the job.
Note that selection of multicast or unicast distribution when you create a job specifies only the method of job distribution. It does not specify the actual destinations of the job. Regardless of whether the job destination is an individual host, a host group, or an ID group, the job is distributed using multicast distribution to the specified destinations. If there is a client in the specified destinations that is not registered in the multicast group, the job is distributed to that client only using the standard unicast method.
When you specify multicast distribution for jobs in JP1/Software Distribution, the packets are sent using multicast distribution only between a higher system and its directly connected clients. Unicast distribution is used between the system that executes the job and the higher system to which the clients are directly connected.
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