Multicast network switches

A switch connects different nodes and network segments, and sends network data to the correct node. A switch is a multiport network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. Some switches can also process data at the network layer (layer 3).

Typically in a data center environment, multiple nodes are interconnected by switches. When switches cascade, a multicast packet is sent from one node through a switch and then to another switch until it reaches the final destination node in the cluster. Switches handle multicast packets differently than regular network communication. Therefore, switch-to-switch communication might not occur for multicast packets if the network is not set up correctly.

The following figure displays a configuration where Node A is part of a cluster that connects to Node B through Switch 1 and Switch 2. For multicast packets to flow between Node A and Node B, the network connection between Switch 1 and Switch 2 must be enabled for multicast communication.