Method for multicast flow routing selection

1. A network component comprising:

a memory coupled to a processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions when executed by the processor causes the network component to:

select a first multicast routing mode from a plurality of multicast routing modes supported by a network comprising the network component;

assign the first multicast routing mode to a first multicast flow; and

advertise a first information frame to a plurality of first nodes within the network,

wherein the first information frame provides an assignment of the first multicast routing mode to the first multicast flow,

wherein the first multicast flow represents a flow of data packets that travels from a source node of the first plurality of nodes to a plurality of receiver nodes of the first plurality of nodes,

wherein the first information frame comprises a tie-break field that indicates a tree path determined using the first multicast routing mode,

wherein the tie-break field provides for a default tree,

wherein the default tree indicates an Equal Cost Tree (ECT)-Algorithm is used to create the tree path, and

wherein the multicast routing modes represent different types of routing modes used to determine one or more multicast forwarding routes for at least the first multicast flow within the network.

2. The network component of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the network component to:

select a second multicast routing mode from the multicast routing modes supported by the network;

assign the second multicast routing mode to a second multicast flow; and

advertise a second information frame to a plurality of second nodes,

wherein the second information frame provides an assignment of the second multicast routing mode to the second multicast flow.

3. The network component of claim 2 , wherein the first multicast routing mode and the second multicast routing mode are different multicast routing modes such that the first multicast routing mode calculates a plurality of forwarding states for the first nodes differently than how the second multicast routing mode calculates a plurality of states for the second nodes.

4. The network component of claim 1 , wherein the information frame comprises a multicast selection field that indicates the first multicast routing mode assigned to the first multicast flow.

5. The network component of claim 4 , wherein the multicast selection field provides for a default routing mode, and wherein the multicast selection field is about two bits long.

6. The network component of claim 4 , wherein the multicast selection field indicates a head-end replication routing mode, a source specific tree routing mode, or a shared tree routing mode is assigned to the first multicast flow.

7. The network component of claim 1 , wherein the tie-break field is about four bits long.

8. The network component of claim 1 , wherein the receiver nodes advertise a request data frame to receive data from the first multicast flow.

9. The network component of claim 1 , wherein the information frame is a modified Shortest Path Bridging Media Access Control (SPBM) servicer identifier and Unicast Address sub-type-length-value (sub-TLV) that further comprises a multicast selection field and a tie-break field.

10. A network component comprising:

a memory coupled to a processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions when executed by the processor causes the network component to:

select a selected multicast mode from a plurality of multicast modes for multicast routing;

assign the selected multicast mode to a multicast flow; and

advertise a sub-type-length-value (sub-TLV) that indicates an assignment of the selected multicast mode for the multicast flow,

wherein the sub-TLV comprises:

a shared tree transmit indication (Ts) bit that indicates a Backbone Service Instance Identifier (I-SID) endpoint uses a shared tree for multicast frames; and

a tie-break mask that indicates the shared tree used for the I-SID endpoint,

wherein the multicast flow corresponds to a flow of data packets from an I-SID source to a plurality of I-SID receivers within the network,

wherein each of the multicast modes represents a different routing mode used to determine a multicast path used to route packets for the multicast flow, and

wherein a tree is constructed corresponding to an Equal Cost Tree (ECT)-Algorithm between the I-SID source and any I-SID receiver that have a same group service membership identifier.

11. The network component of claim 10 , wherein the sub-TLV further comprises a transmit allowed (T) bit that indicates the I-SID endpoint is the I-SID source for Group Media Access Control (MAC) addresses, a multicast receive indication (R) bit that indicates the I-SID endpoint is a I-SID receiver for the Group MAC addresses, and an I-SID field that indicates a group service membership identifier.

12. The network component of claim 10 , wherein the Ts bit takes precedence when the T bit is set and the Ts bit is set.

13. The network component of claim 10 , wherein tie-break mask is about four bits long, wherein the Ts bit is about one bit long, wherein a transmitter field is about one bit long, wherein a receiver field is about one bit long, and wherein an I-SID field is about 24 bits long.

14. The network component of claim 13 , wherein the tie-break mask is repeated to form a 64-bit mask used in selecting a low bridge identifier from a set of bridge identifiers, and wherein a selection process is used in one or more multicast tree calculations to select a shared tree root bridge and a plurality of parent nodes in Shortest Path Trees (SPTs) when equal cost paths are available.

15. A method for multicast transmission comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of multicast modes supported by a network for multicast routing;

assigning the one of the plurality of multicast modes to one of a plurality of multicast flows within the network;

determining a multicast route to transport data for the one of the plurality of multicast flows using the one of the multicast modes;

advertise a first information frame to a plurality of destination nodes within the network,

wherein the one of the plurality of multicast flows corresponds to a flow of data packets from a source node to the destination nodes within the network,

wherein each of the multicast modes supported by the network represents a different routing mode that governs the multicast route used to route packets for the one of the plurality of multicast flows,

wherein the first information frame comprises a tie-break field that indicates a tree path determined using a first multicast routing mode,

wherein the tie-break field provides for a default tree, and

wherein the default tree indicates an Equal Cost Tree (ECT)-Algorithm is used to create the tree path.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of multicast modes comprises a source rooted shortest path tree (SPT), a shared tree, and a head-end replication.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

assigning a tie-break mask when the one of the plurality of multicast modes is selected as either the source rooted SPT or the shared tree; and

selecting the multicast route using the tie-break mask from a plurality of equal cost paths when the one of the plurality of multicast modes is selected as either the source rooted SPT or the shared tree.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising transmitting a unicast frame to each of the destination nodes instead of sending a group addressed frame when the one of the plurality of multicast modes is selected for the head-end replication.