Patent ID: 8488604

Claim:
A method for forwarding multicast packets, comprising: receiving a multicast packet, a first forwarding identifier, and a second forwarding identifier of the multicast packet; obtaining a destination line card corresponding to the multicast packet according to the first forwarding identifier; and forwarding the multicast packet and the second forwarding identifier to the destination line card so that the destination line card obtains a port corresponding to the multicast packet according to the second forwarding identifier, wherein during or after forwarding the multicast packet and the second forwarding identifier to the destination line card, the method further comprises: forwarding the first forwarding identifier to the destination line card so that the destination line card obtains a destination sub-line card according to the first forwarding identifier; and forwarding, by the destination sub-line card, the multicast packet to the port corresponding to the multicast packet, wherein the port corresponding to the multicast packet is obtained by the destination sub-line card according to the second forwarding identifier, and wherein the destination line card comprises at least two destination sub-line cards.