Detecting and resolving multicast traffic performance issues

A network controller for improving multicast traffic flows, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
• receive multicast traffic statistics from each of a plurality of switches in a computer network;
• aggregate the multicast traffic statistics into a time-series;
• automatically identify a low-performing multicast flow, based on the time-series, wherein the low-performing multicast flow is associated with a source switch;
• and
• reconfigure the computer network to improve the low-performing multicast flow, the reconfigure including:
• automatically pruning one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow;
• first determine if a multicast root corresponding with the low-performing multicast flow can be transferred to a destination switch in the computer network;
• reconfigure the source switch and the destination switch to transfer the multicast root to the destination switch;
• second determine if one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow can be pruned based on the availability of alternate links to absorb the additional traffic of the multicast flow;
• and
• the automatically prune is in response to at least a positive result of the second determine.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• receive multicast traffic statistics from each of a plurality of switches in a computer network;
• aggregate the multicast traffic statistics into a time-series;
• automatically identify a low-performing multicast flow, based on the time-series, wherein the low-performing multicast flow is associated with a source switch;
• and
• reconfigure the computer network to improve the low-performing multicast flow, the reconfigure including:
• automatically pruning one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow;
• first determine if a multicast root corresponding with the low-performing multicast flow can be transferred to a destination switch in the computer network;
• reconfigure the source switch and the destination switch to transfer the multicast root to the destination switch;
• second determine if one or more links associated with the low-performing multicast flow can be pruned based on the availability of alternate links to absorb the additional traffic of the multicast flow;
• and
• the automatically prune is in response to at least a positive result of the second determine.