Multicast flow overlay using registration over a reliable transport

An ingress routing device, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor in communication with the memory, the at least one processor being configured to:
• exchange, with a central routing device, a plurality of targeted hello messages to establish a targeted neighbor connection between the ingress routing device and the central routing device, wherein the ingress routing device is communicatively coupled to at least one source device;
• send, to the central routing device using the targeted neighbor connection, a source-active register message that specifies a source address and an identifier that are associated with a multicast stream provided by the at least one source device, wherein the source-active register message indicates that the multicast stream is active at the ingress routing device;
• after sending the source-active register message that indicates the multicast stream is active at the ingress routing device, receive, from the central routing device using the targeted neighbor connection, a list-of-receivers register message that specifies an egress routing device and at least the identifier that is associated with the multicast stream, wherein the list-of-receivers register message further indicates that the egress routing device requests receipt of data associated with the multicast stream;
• and
• after receiving the list-of-receivers register message, send, to the egress routing device, the data associated with the multicast stream when the multicast stream is active.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of an ingress routing device to perform operations comprising:

• exchanging, with a central routing device, a plurality of targeted hello messages to establish a targeted neighbor connection between the ingress routing device and the central routing device, wherein the ingress routing device is communicatively coupled to at least one source device;
• sending, to the central routing device using the targeted neighbor connection, a source-active register message that specifies a source address and an identifier that are associated with a multicast stream provided by the at least one source device, wherein the source-active register message indicates that the multicast stream is active at the ingress routing device;
• after sending the source-active register message that indicates the multicast stream is active at the ingress routing device, receiving, from the central routing device using the targeted neighbor connection, a list-of-receivers register message that specifies an egress routing device and at least the identifier that is associated with the multicast stream, wherein the list-of-receivers register message further indicates that the egress routing device requests receipt of data associated with the multicast stream;
• and
• after receiving the list-of-receivers register message, sending, to the egress routing device, the data associated with the multicast stream when the multicast stream is active.