Network devices for scalable point to multipoint networks

A domain master (DM) network device, comprising:

• a plurality of ports coupling the DM network device to two or more client devices via a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) network coupling;
• an additional port coupling the DM network device to one or more network devices via the P2MP network coupling;
• a control path transmitter configured to transmit control messages to the one or more network devices coupled to the DM network device;
• and
• a control path receiver configured to receive control request messages from the one or more network devices coupled to the DM network device, the DM network device configured to establish a connection to the one or more network devices using the additional port and based on the received control request messages;
• a data path receiver configured to receive data from a backbone network coupled to the P2MP network to form a hybrid P2MP network, the received data including a designated client device to receive the data and being arranged in a format that is compliant with a backbone communication protocol;
• and
• a data path transmitter configured to transmit the received data to the designated client device through the P2MP network in accordance with a P2MP communication protocol using a shared resource allocation in the transmitted control messages.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a network device, control messages from a domain master (DM) network device, the control messages specifying resource allocations for communicating with two or more client devices over a P2MP network coupling, the control messages being received by the network device from the DM network device over a network connection that is different than the P2MP network coupling;
• receiving, by the network device, data from a backbone network coupled to the P2MP network coupling, the received data designating a client device to receive the data and being arranged in a format that is compliant with a backbone communication protocol;
• and
• transmitting, by the network device, the received data to the designated client device based on the control messages through the P2MP network coupling in accordance with a P2MP communication protocol using a resource allocation received in the control message.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a domain master (DM) network device, control request messages from one or more network devices;
• establishing a connection via a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) network coupling to the one or more network devices based on the received control request messages;
• transmitting, by the DM network device, control messages to one or more network devices via the connection;
• receiving data from a backbone network coupled to the P2MP network coupling, the received data including a designated client device to receive the data and being arranged in a format that is compliant with a backbone communication protocol;
• and
• transmitting the received data to the designated client device through the P2MP network coupling in accordance with a P2MP communication protocol using a resource allocation in the transmitted control messages.