Automatic configuration and connection of heterogeneous bandwidth managed multicast fabrics

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a Software-Defined-Networking (SDN) controller in a first network, a request from a destination node to join a multi cast group of destination nodes receiving a data transmission, wherein the destination node is disposed in the first network;
• sending, from the SDN controller and to a border node in the first network, a request to discover a source node associated with the multicast group of destination nodes;
• receiving, at the SDN controller and from the border node, a discovery notification of the source node, disposed in a second network separate from the first network and associated with the multicast group of destination nodes, the discovery notification including an indication of an address of the source node, a group address associated with the multicast group of destination nodes, and network capability information associated with the second network;
• and
• configuring, at the SDN controller, a route for the data transmission from the border node to the destination node based at least in part on the network capability information associated with the second network.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a first border node disposed in a first network and from a second border node disposed in a second network, an advertisement message including an indication of an address of a source node hosting a data transmission to a multicast group of destination nodes, a group address associated with the multicast group of destination nodes, and network capability information associated with the second network, wherein the source node is disposed in the second network;
• storing, in a database associated with the first border node, the address of the source node, the group address, and the network capability information in association with the second border node;
• receiving, at the first border node and from a Software-Defined-Networking (SDN) controller disposed in the first network, a request to discover the source node associated with the multicast group of destination nodes;
• and
• sending, from the first border node and to the SDN controller, a route configuration message including the address of the source node, the group address, and the network capability information.