Patent ID: 8811254

Claim:
A switch, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; a multicast forwarding table implemented in the memory; one or more network interfaces configured to: receive a request for multicast data; forward the received request to an upstream network destination; based on a determination that traffic is received in response to the request forwarded to an upstream network destination, forward the traffic to a requesting network destination from which the request originated; and the processor configured to: determine a group identifier associated with the received request for multicast data; determine an available upstream bandwidth and an available downstream bandwidth; add an entry for the identified group into the multicast forwarding table, the entry designated as temporary upon addition to the multicast forwarding table; allocate bandwidth from the available upstream bandwidth and available downstream bandwidth, the allocated bandwidth corresponding to bandwidth required by the requested multicast data; cause the received request to be forwarded to the upstream network destination; based on a determination that no response is received in response to the received request within a designated timeout period: remove the entry for the identified group in the multicast forwarding table; and restore the allocated bandwidth to the available upstream bandwidth and available downstream bandwidth; based on a determination that traffic is received in response to the request forwarded to an upstream network destination: remove the temporary designation of the entry added to the multicast forwarding table; and maintain the allocated bandwidth.