Broadcasting Definition/Meaning:
A message-routing algorithm in which a message is transmitted to
all nodes in a network. Some data-communication media, such as the
Ethernet,
are inherently broadcast in nature. Address filtering is used to restrict the
set of messages that any one host actually reads. The network service that
delivers the message is known as broadcast service and is implemented using a
special address, which all stations are prepared to accept. Other communication
systems, such as the ARPANET, may require that a copy of the message be
separately addressed to each possible recipient in order to implement
broadcasting.
Broadcasting may be used for a variety of purposes. For instance, to find the
shortest path to a destination, a message can be broadcast to all intermediate
nodes repeatedly until the destination node is reached. If path information is
recorded as the message traverses the network, the same path can be used for
future messages to the same destination node. As a second example, in local area
networks with a tree-like topology, or in satellite communication links with
multiple ground stations within a beam radius, broadcasting can be used to
simplify addressing. This allows certain messages, such as request for a
bootstrap, to be sent to all hosts with the expectation that at least one host
will be able to satisfy the request. Thirdly, a broadcast message may be one
that carries general information of potential interest to all nodes on the net.
A generalization of broadcasting is multicasting, in which special address flags
are used to indicate that particular messages are of interest to particular
classes of
nodes, but not necessarily to all nodes on the net.
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