Multicast flow distribution

1. A method comprising:

in response to being informed by a controller of a flow for transmission to at least one access terminal in a wireless network, a master base station router, assigning the flow to one of a plurality of slave base station routers to process the flow for transmission to the access terminal absent the flow being provided to the master base station router, wherein the assigned slave base station router operates as a radio node controller and assigning the flow includes the master base station router negotiating flow parameters with the controller, and

in response to a monitoring message being sent to the master base station router from a backup base station router, transferring flow operations from the master base station router to the backup base station router, wherein in transferring flow operations is based, at least in part, upon the absence of a message acknowledgement response being sent from the master base station router.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the controller is unaware of the plurality of slave base station routers.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a content server provides the flow to the assigned slave base station router.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the flow includes the master base station router determining the processing capacity of each of the plurality of slave base station routers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the flow includes each of the plurality of slave base station routers providing their respective processing capacity to the master base station router.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of slave base station routers periodically provide their respective processing capacity to the master base station router.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein an event triggers the providing of the processing capacity from each of the plurality of slave base station routers.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the event includes exceeding a processing capacity threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the controller is aware of the plurality of slave base station routers.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending a message from the backup base station router to each of the plurality of slave base station routers as a flow operations transfer alert.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the message indicates the transfer of operations from the master base station router to the backup base station router.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to detecting a failure of one of the plurality of slave base station routers, transferring flow operations from the slave base station router to a backup base station router.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the flow comprises a multicast flow.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the flow comprises a unicast flow.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the flow conforms to a published standard.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the flow comprises a Broadcast and Multicast Services (BCMCS) flow.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the master base station router operates as a radio node.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the master base station router operates as a radio node controller.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the master base station router operates as a packet data serving node.

20. A system comprising:

a controller to initiate transmission of a flow to at least one access terminal in a wireless network,

a master base station router to assign processing of the flow and negotiate flow parameters with the controller,

a plurality of slave base station routers, wherein at least one of the plurality of slave base station routers is assigned by the master base station router to process the flow for transmission to the access terminal absent the flow being provided to the master base station and the assigned slave base station router operates as a radio node controller, and

a backup base station router to send a monitoring message to the master base station router and capable of assuming flow operations from the master base station router, wherein in response to a monitoring message being sent to the master base station router from the backup base station router, flow operations are transferred from the master base station router to the backup base station router absent a message acknowledgement response from the master base station router.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the controller is unaware of the plurality of slave base station routers.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a content server to provide the flow to the assigned slave base-station router.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the assignment by the master base station router is based upon, at least in part, the processing capacity of each of the plurality of slave base station routers.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein each of the slave base station routers provides their respective processing capacity to the master base station router.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein each of the slave base station routers periodically provides their respective processing capacity to the master base station router.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein an event triggers the providing of the processing capacity for each of the plurality of slave base station routers.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the controller is aware of the plurality of slave base station routers.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein the backup base station router sends a message to each of the plurality of slave base station routers as a flow operations transfer alert.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the message indicates the transfer of operations from the master base station router to the backup base station router.

30. The system of claim 20 wherein detecting a failure of one of the plurality of slave base station routers, flow operations are transferred from the slave base station router to a backup base station router.

31. The system of claim 20 wherein the flow comprises a multicast flow.

32. The system of claim 20 wherein the flow comprises a unicast flow.

33. The system of claim 20 wherein the flow conforms to a published standard.

34. The system of claim 20 wherein the flow comprises a Broadcast and Multicast Services (BCMCS) flow.

35. The system of claim 20 wherein the master base station router operates as a radio node.

36. The system of claim 20 wherein the master base station router operates as a radio node controller.

37. The system of claim 20 wherein the master base station router operates as a packet data serving node.

38. A computer readable storage device medium bearing instructions to cause a machine to:

in response to being informed by a controller of a flow for transmission to at least one access terminal in a wireless network, a master base station router, assign the flow to one of a plurality of slave base station routers to process the flow for transmission to the access terminal absent the flow being provided to the master base station router, wherein the assigned slave base station router operates as a radio node controller and assigning the flow includes the master base station router negotiating flow parameters with the controller, and

in response to a monitoring message being sent to the master base station router from a backup base station router, transfer flow operations from the master base station router to the backup base station router absent a message acknowledgement response being sent from the master base station router.

39. The medium of claim 38 wherein the controller is unaware of the plurality of slave base station routers.

40. The medium of claim 38 wherein a content server provides the flow to the assigned slave base station router.

41. The medium of claim 38 wherein assigning the flow includes the master base station router determining the processing capacity of each of the plurality of slave base station routers.

42. The medium of claim 38 wherein assigning the flow includes each of the plurality of slave base station routers providing their processing capacity to the master base station router.

43. The medium of claim 42 wherein each of the plurality of slave base station routers periodically provide their respective processing capacity to the master base station router.

44. The medium of claim 42 wherein an event triggers the providing of the processing capacity from each of the plurality of slave base station routers.

45. The medium of claim 44 wherein the event includes exceeding a processing capacity threshold.

46. The medium of claim 38 wherein the controller is aware of the plurality of slave base station routers.

47. The medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

in response to a monitoring message being sent to the master base station router from a backup base station router, transfer flow operations from the master base station router to the backup base station router.

48. The medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

send a message from the backup base station router to each of the plurality of slave base station routers as a flow operations transfer alert.

49. The medium of claim 48 wherein the message indicates the transfer of operations from the master base station router to the backup base station router.

50. The medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to cause the machine to:

in response to detecting a failure of one of the plurality of slave base station routers, transfer flow operations assigned to the slave base station router to a backup base station router.

51. The medium of claim 38 wherein the flow comprises a multicast flow.

52. The medium of claim 38 wherein the flow comprises a unicast flow.

53. The medium of claim 38 wherein the flow conforms to a published standard.

54. The medium of claim 38 wherein the flow comprises a Broadcast and Multicast Services (BCMCS) flow.

55. The medium of claim 38 wherein the master base station router operates as a radio node.

56. The medium of claim 38 wherein the master base station router operates as a radio node controller.

57. The medium of claim 38 wherein the master base station router operates as a packet data serving node.