Multicast distribution tree versioning for minimizing multicast group traffic disruption

1. A method implemented by a network device to minimize multicast traffic loss or duplication in response to an update to multicast group membership in a network where multicast group membership changes can disrupt multicast traffic delivery to other members of the multicast group, the method comprising:

receiving a registration for the multicast group including a member since version number that is greater than a current version number of a multicast distribution tree (MDT) that serves the multicast group or the registration for the multicast group including a member until version number that is less than or equal to the current version number of the MDT;

advertising a new MDT identifier (ID) with a new version number for the MDT that serves the multicast group in the network; and

switching distribution of multicast group traffic from the current version of the MDT that serves the multicast group to the new version of the MDT that serves the multicast group after a pre-determined time.

2. The method of claim 1 where the network is a source packet in routing networking (SPRING) network.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

tunneling multicast traffic of the multicast group to a joining node until such time as when a root switches the multicast traffic to the new MDT.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

advertising the current MDT ID and current version number of the MDT in response to a request from a node in the network without state information for the multicast group.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the registration includes the member until and member since version numbers.

6. A network device configured to minimize multicast traffic loss or duplication in response to an update to multicast group membership in a network where multicast group membership changes can disrupt multicast traffic delivery to other members of the multicast group, the network device comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a multicast manager; and

a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the processor to execute the multicast manager, the multicast manager to receive a registration for the multicast group including a member since version number that is greater than a current version number of a multicast distribution tree (MDT) that serves the multicast group or the registration for the multicast group including a member until version number that is less than or equal to the current version number of the MDT, to advertise a new MDT identifier (ID) with a new version number for the MDT that serves the multicast group in the network, and to switch distribution of multicast group traffic from the current version of the MDT that serves the multicast group to the new version of the MDT that serves the multicast group after a pre-determined time.

7. The network device of claim 6 where the network is a source packet in routing networking (SPRING) network.

8. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the multicast manager is further to tunnel multicast traffic of the multicast group to a joining node until such time as when a root switches the multicast traffic to the new MDT.

9. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the multicast manager is further to advertise the current MDT ID and current version number of the MDT in response to a request from a node in the network without state information for the multicast group.

10. The network device of claim 6 , wherein the registration includes the member until and member since version numbers.

11. A computing device in communication with a network device in a network with a plurality of network devices, the computing device to execute a plurality of virtual machines for implementing network function virtualization (NFV), wherein a virtual machine from the plurality of virtual machines is configured to minimize multicast traffic loss or duplication in response to an update to multicast group membership in a network where multicast group membership changes can disrupt multicast traffic delivery to other members of the multicast group, the computing device comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a multicast manager; and

a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the processor to execute the virtual machine from the plurality of virtual machines, the virtual machine to execute the multicast manager, the multicast manager to receive a registration for the multicast group including a member since version number that is greater than a current version number of a multicast distribution tree (MDT) that serves the multicast group or the registration for the multicast group including a member until version number that is less than or equal to the current version number of the MDT, to advertise a new MDT identifier (ID) with a new version number for the MDT that serves the multicast group in the network, and to switch distribution of multicast group traffic from the current version of the MDT that serves the multicast group to the new version of the MDT that serves the multicast group after a pre-determined time.

12. The computing device of claim 11 where the network is a source packet in routing networking (SPRING) network.

13. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the multicast manager is further to tunnel multicast traffic of the multicast group to a joining node until such time as when a root switches the multicast traffic to the new MDT.

14. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the multicast manager is further to advertise the current MDT ID and current version number of the MDT in response to a request from a node in the network without state information for the multicast group.

15. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the registration includes the member until and member since version numbers.

16. A control plane device is configured to implement a control plane of a software defined networking (SDN) network including a network device in a network with a plurality of network devices, wherein the control plane device is configured to minimize multicast traffic loss or duplication in response to an update to multicast group membership in a network where multicast group membership changes can disrupt multicast traffic delivery to other members of the multicast group, the control plane device comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a multicast manager; and

a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the processor to execute the multicast manager, the multicast manager to receive a registration for the multicast group including a member since version number that is greater than a current version number of a multicast distribution tree (MDT) that serves the multicast group or the registration for the multicast group including a member until version number that is less than or equal to the current version number of the MDT, to advertise a new MDT identifier (ID) with a new version number for the MDT that serves the multicast group in the network, and to switch distribution of multicast group traffic from the current version of the MDT that serves the multicast group to the new version of the MDT that serves the multicast group after a pre-determined time.

17. The control plane device of claim 16 where the network is a source packet in routing networking (SPRING) network.

18. The control plane device of claim 16 , wherein the multicast manager is further to tunnel multicast traffic of the multicast group to a joining node until such time as when a root switches the multicast traffic to the new MDT.

19. The control plane device of claim 16 , wherein the multicast manager is further to advertise the current MDT ID and current version number of the MDT in response to a request from a node in the network without state information for the multicast group.

20. The control plane device of claim 16 , wherein the registration includes the member until and member since version numbers.