Patent ID: 8898320

Claim:
A method of virtual multicasting (VMC) multicast content on non-multicast enabled networks, comprising the steps of: determining if an attached network is multicast enabled, wherein the network includes client computers that have unicast addresses; if the attached network is not multicast enabled, querying for virtual multicast requests for the multicast content from non-multicast enabled client computers; listening for virtual multicast requests, wherein at least one virtual multicast request includes a unicast address identifying a client computer of the network and a requested method of delivery for the multicast content; determining, based on the virtual multicast requests, which client computers request the multicast content, from the unicast addresses, and the requested methods of delivery for the multicast content; and transmitting the multicast content from a virtual router to client computers requesting the multicast content, wherein the transmitting includes the virtual router transmitting the multicast content as unicast content to non-multicast enabled client computers and as multicast content to multicast enabled client computers, wherein the virtual router maintains an original multicast content sender IP address in the unicast content.