Patent ID: 8064446

Claim:
A method comprising: storing on a core node subscription information for a plurality of multicast members of a first multicast group; receiving at the core node multicast traffic destined for the plurality of multicast members of the first multicast group; determining a rate of the received multicast traffic; unicasting the multicast traffic from the core node to the plurality of multicast members of the first multicast group over a membership tree including a first plurality of nodes connected in a first topology unless the determined rate of received multicast traffic exceeds a first threshold; and multicasting the multicast traffic from the core node to the plurality of multicast members of the first multicast group over a dissemination tree including a second plurality of nodes connected in a second topology unless the determined rate of received multicast traffic does not exceed the first threshold, wherein the subscription information is provisioned to the plurality of multicast members of the first multicast group.