Patent ID: 8638788
Filing Date: 2014-01-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method at a router coupled to sources of multicast streams and to multicast consumer hosts through one or more network elements, an interface between the router and the one or more network elements including, but not limited to, a Remote Multicast Replication (RMR) interface, the method for managing multicast streams sent to hosts through the one or more network elements using subscriber circuits, the method comprising: receiving a report from a host on a subscriber circuit, the subscriber circuit being coupled between the router and the host, the router being coupled with the one or more network elements through the RMR interface, the report indicating a request to receive a multicast stream, the multicast stream being associated with a group object; associating the group object with the subscriber circuit in a record at the router; receiving a leave message from a host on the subscriber circuit, the message indicating a request to stop receiving a traffic stream corresponding to a multicast group identified in the leave message; sending a group specific query on the subscriber circuit, the group specific query being directed to hosts on the subscriber circuit and regarding only the multicast group of the received leave message; removing the group object association with the subscriber circuit from the record at the router if, in response to the group specific query, no host of the subscriber circuit reports receiving the traffic stream corresponding to the multicast group identified in the leave message.