Multicast subscription in MLDP network with BIER core

A system comprising:

• a subscribing Multipoint Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP) edge router in a network comprising a plurality of mLDP edge routers and a Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) core, wherein the subscribing mLDP edge router is one of the plurality of mLDP edge routers and the subscribing mLDP edge router includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
• receive a message including an indication of a Bit-Forwarding Egress Router (BFER), of the BIER core, wherein the BFER is associated with a destination mLDP edge router that is a source of data of a multicast group;
• and
• transmit a multicast join message comprising at least:
• the indication of the BFER;
• and
• an indication of the destination mLDP edge router.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, instruct a processing unit of a subscribing Multipoint Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP) edge router of a plurality of mLDP edge routers in a network to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a message including an indication of a Bit-Forwarding Egress Router (BFER), of a Bit Index Explicit Replication (BIER) core of the network, associated with a destination mLDP edge router that is a source of data of a multicast group;
• and
• transmitting a multicast join message to the destination mLDP edge router via the BFER, the multicast join message comprising at least:
• the indication of the BFER;
• and
• an indication of the destination mLDP edge router.