PIM Support

A FortiGate unit can be configured to support PIM by going to Router > Dynamic > Multicast and enabling multicast routing. You can also enable multicast routing using the config router multicast CLI command. When PIM is enabled, the FortiGate unit allocates memory to manage mapping information. The FortiGate unit communicates with neighboring PIM routers to acquire mapping information and if required, processes the multicast traffic associated with specific multicast groups.

The end-user multicast client-server applications must be installed and configured to initiate Internet connections and handle broadband content such as audio/video information.

Client applications send multicast data by registering IP traffic with a PIM-enabled router. An end-user could type in a class D multicast group address, an alias for the multicast group address, or a call-conference number to initiate the session.

Rather than sending multiple copies of generated IP traffic to more than one specific IP destination address, PIM- enabled routers encapsulate the data and use the one multicast group address to forward multicast packets to multiple destinations. Because one destination address is used, a single stream of data can be sent. Client applications receive multicast data by requesting that the traffic destined for a certain multicast group address be delivered to them — end-users may use phone books, a menu of ongoing or future sessions, or some other method through a user interface to select the address of interest.

A class D address in the 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 range may be used as a multicast group address, subject to the rules assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). All class D addresses must be assigned in advance. Because there is no way to determine in advance if a certain multicast group address is in use, collisions may occur (to resolve this problem, end-users may switch to a different multicast address).

To configure a PIM domain

1. If you will be using sparse mode, determine appropriate paths for multicast packets.

2. Make a note of the interfaces that will be PIM-enabled. These interfaces may run a unicast routing protocol.

3. If you will be using sparse mode and want multicast packets to be handled by specific (static) RPs, record the IP addresses of the PIM-enabled interfaces on those RPs.

4. Enable PIM version 2 on all participating routers between the source and receivers. On FortiGate units, use the config router multicast command to set global operating parameters.

5. Configure the PIM routers that have good connections throughout the PIM domain to be candidate BSRs.

6. If sparse mode is enabled, configure one or more of the PIM routers to be candidate RPs.

7. If required, adjust the default settings of PIM-enabled interface(s).