Alcatel Lucent

Nokia Technologies Oy

Nokia of America Corporation

Aloatel Lucent

Gitesh Patel

Andrew Dolganow

Jayant Kotalwar

A first network device adapted for communication with one or more other network devices is configured to determine a number of receivers of a multicast, and to control switching of traffic between selective and inclusive routes for the multicast based at least in part on the determined number of receivers. For example, in some embodiments the first network device is configured to control switching of traffic between the selective and inclusive routes for the multicast by utilizing a selective route for the multicast responsive to a determination that traffic for the multicast is at or above a bandwidth threshold and the number of receivers is below an add threshold, and utilizing an inclusive route for the multicast responsive to a determination that traffic for the multicast is below the bandwidth threshold or the number of receivers is above a delete threshold.

Controlled switching of multicast traffic between selective and inclusive routes based on number of multicast receivers

A first network device adapted for communication with one or more other network devices is configured to originate a first route identifying a tunnel for carrying traffic for a multicast, to originate a second route specifying a leaf information requirement for the multicast but not identifying a tunnel for carrying traffic for the multicast, and to track a plurality of receivers of the multicast based at least in part on leaf information received from the multicast receivers responsive to the specified leaf information requirement of the second route. The first route may comprise an inclusive route having a tunnel attribute that identifies an inclusive tunnel for the multicast and the second route may comprise a selective route having a tunnel attribute configured to indicate that it carries no tunnel information. Multicast traffic can be switched between an inclusive tunnel and a selective tunnel responsive to the multicast receiver tracking.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Gitesh Patel