Patent ID: 7626995

Claim:
A method for sending multicast data from a source to at least one receiver, the method comprising: providing at least one existing multicast distribution tree; determining whether a predefined threshold for said at least one existing multicast distribution tree is single-source based or is cumulative-source based; if said predefined threshold is single-source based, building a new data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group; sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing multicast distribution tree of said at least one existing multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold, wherein said building and sending are implemented to carry multicast traffic only, and control traffic is carried along a default multicast distribution tree; if said predefined threshold is cumulative-source based, building a new super data multicast distribution tree for sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver if an amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data meets or exceeds said predefined threshold, wherein said new super data multicast distribution tree defines one or more paths for delivering multicast data to a plurality of receivers in a multicast group; and sending said multicast data to said at least one receiver over an existing super multicast distribution tree if said amount of bandwidth required to send said multicast data falls below said predefined threshold.