Multicast networking is designed for efficient one-to-many and many-to-many data distribution. The architecture is flexible and supports various topologies.

A single source sending to a single receiver on a different segment is a valid, though trivial, use case.

The most common model is one-to-many, where a single source sends traffic to multiple receivers located on different network segments.

Advanced applications like video conferencing or online gaming utilize a many-to-many model, where multiple sources can send to the same multicast group, and multiple receivers can listen. This is supported by protocols using the Any-Source Multicast (ASM) model.

Therefore, a multicast network can have one or multiple sources, and one or multiple receiver segments.

C. A multicast network cannot have more than one source segments: This is incorrect. The Any-Source Multicast (ASM) model, a fundamental part of PIM-SM, explicitly allows for multiple sources to send traffic to the same multicast group.

E. A multicast network cannot have more than one receiver segments: This is incorrect. The primary purpose of multicast is to efficiently deliver data to a group of interested receivers, which are typically distributed across multiple network segments.

1. Nokia 7750 SR OS R19.10.R1 Multicast Routing Protocols Guide (December 2019)

Page 35, Section: Multicast Fundamentals: "Multicast is a mechanism by which a single packet can be sent from a source and delivered to multiple receivers." This statement supports the one-to-many model (Option B) and does not preclude the one-to-one (Option A) or many-to-many (Option D) models.

Page 41, Section: Any-Source Multicast (ASM): "In the ASM model, any sender can send to a multicast group, and receivers can join the multicast group without knowing the sender's unicast IP address." This directly confirms that multiple sources are permitted, making Option C incorrect and supporting Option D.

2. Nokia Data Center Fabric with SR Linux Cookbook (Version 2.0, June 2022)

Page 219, Section: Multicast overview: "Multicast is a method of forwarding the same data packets to a group of destinations simultaneously... This is in contrast to unicast, which is a one-to-one communication method, and broadcast, which is a one-to-all communication method." This description of multicast as a "one-to-group" mechanism inherently supports one-to-many communication (Option B) and, by extension, the simplest case of one-to-one (Option A) and the more complex many-to-many (Option D). It also invalidates the restriction proposed in Option E.