.. _bier-user-guide:
BIER User Guide
===============
Overview
--------
The technology of Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) specifies a new
architecture for the forwarding of multicast data packets. It provides
optimal forwarding of multicast data packets through a "multicast domain".
However, it does not require the use of a protocol for explicitly building
multicast distribution trees, and it does not require intermediate nodes
to maintain any per-flow state. See specific in `draft-ietf-bier-architecture-05
`_
and related documents.
The BIER project provides functionality about BIER topo-mamagement and BIER
channel-mamagement, and invoking south-bound-interface for device driver.
BIER User-Facing Features
-------------------------
- **odl-bier-all**
- This feature contains all other features/bundles of BIER project. If you
install it, it provides all functions that the BIER project can support.
- **odl-bier-models**
- This feature contains all models of BIER project, such as ietf-bier,
ietf-multicast-information and so on.
- **odl-bier-topomanager-ui**
- This feature can display bier-topo-manager's APIs on UIs
(odl-mdsal-apidocs and odl-dluxapps-yangui).
- **odl-bier-channel-ui**
- This feature can display bier-channel's APIs on UIs (odl-mdsal-apidocs
and odl-dluxapps-yangui).
- **odl-bier-service**
- This feature provides function which processing the result of BIER
topo-mamager and BIER channel-manager, and invoking south-bound-interface
for driver.
- **odl-bier-adapter**
- This feature provides adapter for different BIER south-bound NETCONF
interface, so all BFRs in BIER domain with different NETCONF
configuration interface, they can operate normally together.
- **odl-bier-driver**
- This feature is south-bound NETCONF interface for BIER, it has
implemented standard interface (ietf-bier). If your BFR's NETCONF
interface is Non-standard, you should add your own interface for driver.
How To Start
-------------
Preparing for Installation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Forwarding devices must support the OpenFlow protocol, and already be
configured so that OpenDaylight can discover those devices via the :ref:`OpenFlow
Plugin `.
2. Forwarding devices must support BIER configuration via NETCONF, which has a
standard IETF YANG model.
Installation Feature
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Run OpenDaylight and install BIER Service *odl-bier-all* as below::
feature:install odl-bier-all
For a more detailed overview of the BIER, see the :ref:`bier-dev-guide`.