Patent ID: 7710961

Claim:
A method for forwarding packets over a computer network, wherein routing of individual forwarded packets is coordinated at the application layer of at least one server coupled to the computer network, the method comprising: receiving a first packet according to a multicast format, the first packet having individual fields that collectively include at least one of a multicast address and a parameter corresponding to the multicast address; examining the multicast address and based upon the multicast address, associating a forwarding rule set with the first packet, said associated forwarding rule set based on the multicast address, the forwarding rule set including a plurality of destination addresses corresponding to the multicast address; and for at least one of the plurality of destination addresses within the forwarding rule set, determining whether the first packet should be converted before being forwarded to the at least one destination address, if determined that the packet should be converted before being forwarded to the at least one destination address, converting the first packet into a second packet that is based on a unicast format of the at least one destination address, and forwarding the second packet to the at least one destination address via a unicast only network segment, and if determined that the packet should not be converted before being forwarded to the at least one destination address, forwarding an unconverted first packet to the at least one destination address.