An apparatus , comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including a set of instructions; wherein the set of instructions is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: support communication of a multicast packet of a multicast flow using an explicit path multicast tree in a network by receiving the explicit path multicast tree computation request including a set of quality-of-service, QoS, parameters for the multicast flow from a router, computing the explicit path multicast tree that meets the set of QoS parameters, transmitting the explicit path multicast tree to the router to cause the router to send the multicast packet of the multicast flow based on the explicit path multicast tree, and reserving QoS resources required by the multicast flow, wherein the explicit path multicast tree includes an ordered set of nodes and adjacencies, wherein the multicast packet includes a payload and a header, wherein the payload includes a packet of the multicast flow, wherein the header includes an encoding of the explicit path multicast tree based on a set of identifiers, wherein the set of identifiers includes a set of node identifiers indicative of a set of egress nodes of the explicit path multicast tree and a set of adj acency identifiers indicative of the set of adjacencies for a set of explicit hops of the explicit path multicast tree. at least one processor; and at least one memory including a set of instructions; wherein the set of instructions is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: support communication of a multicast packet of a multicast flow using an explicit path multicast tree in a network by receiving the explicit path multicast tree computation request including a set of quality-of-service, QoS, parameters for the multicast flow from a router, computing the explicit path multicast tree that meets the set of QoS parameters, transmitting the explicit path multicast tree to the router to cause the router to send the multicast packet of the multicast flow based on the explicit path multicast tree, and reserving QoS resources required by the multicast flow, wherein the explicit path multicast tree includes an ordered set of nodes and adjacencies, wherein the multicast packet includes a payload and a header, wherein the payload includes a packet of the multicast flow, wherein the header includes an encoding of the explicit path multicast tree based on a set of identifiers, wherein the set of identifiers includes a set of node identifiers indicative of a set of egress nodes of the explicit path multicast tree and a set of adj acency identifiers indicative of the set of adjacencies for a set of explicit hops of the explicit path multicast tree. support communication of a multicast packet of a multicast flow using an explicit path multicast tree in a network by receiving the explicit path multicast tree computation request including a set of quality-of-service, QoS, parameters for the multicast flow from a router, computing the explicit path multicast tree that meets the set of QoS parameters, transmitting the explicit path multicast tree to the router to cause the router to send the multicast packet of the multicast flow based on the explicit path multicast tree, and reserving QoS resources required by the multicast flow, wherein the explicit path multicast tree includes an ordered set of nodes and adjacencies, wherein the multicast packet includes a payload and a header, wherein the payload includes a packet of the multicast flow, wherein the header includes an encoding of the explicit path multicast tree based on a set of identifiers, wherein the set of identifiers includes a set of node identifiers indicative of a set of egress nodes of the explicit path multicast tree and a set of adj acency identifiers indicative of the set of adjacencies for a set of explicit hops of the explicit path multicast tree. <EOS>