Patent ID: 7710983

Claim:
A method of determining information associated with a particular multicast channel in a multicast network comprising a plurality of multicast channels, said method comprising: transmitting a program to a plurality of endpoints associated with said particular multicast channel, wherein said program is transmitted by a source node of said multicast network via a multicast topology of said particular multicast channel; generating a request message requesting said information associated with said particular multicast channel; propagating downstream said request message in a recursive manner via said multicast topology of said particular multicast channel, wherein said request message is propagated downstream after said program has begun to transmit; propagating upstream a plurality of response messages to said request message via said multicast topology of said particular multicast channel, wherein said plurality of response messages are propagated in response to said request message, and wherein said plurality of response messages comprises a number of said plurality of endpoints receiving said program transmission; and identifying said number of said plurality of endpoints receiving said program transmission via said multicast topology of said particular multicast channel based on said plurality of response messages.