Patent ID: 8571028

Claim:
A method comprising: a. a multicast snooping switch storing, for a combination of a first port, a first multicast group address and a first host: i. a first INCLUDE state record, comprising identifying data of the first port through which the multicast snoopmg switch has received a multicast data request, identifying data of the first multicast group address from which the multicast data has been requested, identifying data of the first host from which the multicast data request has been received, an INCLUDE filter mode designator, and an INCLUDE source list comprising source IP addresses, the INCLUDE state record devoid of timers associated with the source IP addresses and usable to remove the source IP addresses from the INCLUDE source list; or ii. a first EXCLUDE state record, comprising identifying data of the first port through which the multicast snoopmg switch has received a multicast data request, identifying data of the first multicast group address from which the multicast data has been requested, identifying data of the first host from which the multicast data request has been received, an EXCLUDE filter mode designator, and an EXCLUDE source list comprising source IP addresses, the EXCLUDE state record devoid of timers associated with the source IP addresses and usable to remove the source IP addresses from the EXCLUDE source list; b. the multicast snooping switch receiving from the first host, via the first port, a routing message using a multicast routing protocol, the routing message comprising identifying data of the first multicast group address; c. the multicast snooping switch reading information data contained in the routing message; and d. the multicast snooping switch replacing, based on the information data, the first state record for the combination of the first port, the first multicast group address and the first host with a second state record without modifying the state records of other hosts for the same first port and first multicast group address, the second state record devoid of timers associated with the source IP addresses and usable to remove the source IP addresses from the second state record source list.