IP multicast transmits a data stream to multiple hosts simultaneously. Protocol-Independent Multicast (PIM) is one of several protocols designed for IP multicast. PIM does not rely on a specific routing protocol to create its network topology state, but uses routing information from other protocols.
PIM messages are sent encapsulated in an IP
packet where the IP protocol is 103 and the version is 6 for IPv6. Depending on the type
of message, packets are sent to the PIM All-Router-Multicast address (FF02::D) or sent as unicast
to a specific host.
Extreme Networks supports IPv6 PIM in the IPv6 multicast TCAM hardware profile.