Supporting multicast communications

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

• support communication of a packet of a virtual private network within a network, wherein the packet is intended for delivery to a set of egress devices via a multicast distribution tree supported within the network, wherein the packet includes an indexed label stack, wherein the indexed label stack includes at least one label encoding a set of indices uniquely identifying the respective egress devices within the network, wherein the indexed label stack includes a set of labels assigned by the respective egress devices to identify the virtual private network within the network, wherein the at least one label encoding the set of indices uniquely identifying the respective egress devices within the network includes an index bit string having a set of bit positions corresponding to a respective set of devices of the network, wherein ones of the bit positions corresponding to the respective egress devices are set to provide the set of indices uniquely identifying the respective egress devices within the network.

A method, comprising:

• supporting communication of a packet of a virtual private network within a network, wherein the packet is intended for delivery to a set of egress devices via a multicast distribution tree supported within the network, wherein the packet includes an indexed label stack, wherein the indexed label stack includes at least one label encoding a set of indices uniquely identifying the respective egress devices within the network, wherein the indexed label stack includes a set of labels assigned by the respective egress devices to identify the virtual private network within the network, wherein the at least one label encoding the set of indices uniquely identifying the respective egress devices within the network includes an index bit string having a set of bit positions corresponding to a respective set of devices of the network, wherein ones of the bit positions corresponding to the respective egress devices are set to provide the set of indices uniquely identifying the respective egress devices within the network.