Patent ID: 8520580

Claim:
A method comprising: subsequent to a client associating with a first access node and the client being communicatively coupled with a first controller through the first access node: storing, by the first controller, information on one or more of: active broadcast sessions for the client or active multicast sessions for the client; subsequent to the client associating with a second access node and the client being communicatively coupled with a second controller through the second access node: detecting, by the second controller, that the client is communicatively coupled to the second controller through the second access node; responsive at least to detecting that the client is communicatively coupled to the second controller: sending, by the second controller, an inquiry to one or more other controllers comprising the first controller for the information on one or more of: the active broadcast sessions for the client or the active multicast sessions for the client; receiving, by the second controller from the first controller, the information on one or more: the active broadcast sessions for the client or the active multicast sessions for the client; using, by the second controller, the information to establish one or more of: the active broadcast sessions for the client or the active multicast sessions for the client, wherein the second controller comprises a hardware processor.