Handling multicast device latencies through selective join forwarding

A switch, comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• forwarding hardware;
• a plurality of ports;
• a packet processor to:
• receive a first query which requests a response from all hosts in the network;
• and
• transmit the first query to the first set of the hosts,
• wherein the switch is a next-hop switch of a first set of the hosts in a multicast group, wherein the first query is an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) all-host query message, and wherein the first query is generated by an IGMP querying host and transmitted via one or more intermediate switches;
• a join-tracking logic block to track join messages received from the first set of the hosts in response to the first query, wherein a respective join message indicates that a corresponding host is to remain in the multicast group, and wherein the respective join message comprises an IGMP report message;
• a threshold-determining logic block to:
• maintain a timer based on transmitting the first query and receiving the join messages;
• track a number of received join messages;
• determine an expiration of the timer;
• and
• determine that the tracked join messages meet a predetermined threshold, wherein the tracked number of received join messages exceeding a preconfigured number prior to or at the expiration of the timer comprises the predetermined threshold;
• and
• a join-consolidating logic block to, responsive to the threshold-determining logic block determining that the tracked join messages meet the predetermined threshold, consolidate the tracked join messages by forwarding a reduced number of join messages, wherein the reduced number is less than a total number of the tracked join messages,
• thereby reducing a total number of join messages propagated from the first set of the hosts to the IGMP querying host via the intermediate switches.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a switch, a first query which requests a response from all hosts in the network;
• and
• transmitting, by the switch, the first query to the first set of the hosts,
• wherein the switch is a next-hop switch of a first set of the hosts in a multicast group, wherein the first query is an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) all-host query message, and wherein the first query is generated by an IGMP querying host and transmitted via one or more intermediate switches;
• tracking, by the switch, join messages received from the first set of the hosts in response to the first query, wherein a respective join message indicates that a corresponding host is to remain in the multicast group, and wherein the respective join message comprises an IGMP report message;
• maintaining a timer based on transmitting the first query and receiving the join messages;
• tracking a number of received join messages;
• determining an expiration of the timer, wherein the tracked number of received join messages exceeding a preconfigured number prior to or at the expiration of the timer comprises a predetermined threshold;
• and
• responsive to determining that the tracked join messages meet the predetermined threshold, consolidating, by the switch, the tracked join messages by forwarding a reduced number of join messages, wherein the reduced number is less than a total number of the tracked join messages,
• thereby reducing a total number of join messages propagated from the first set of the hosts to the IGMP querying host via the intermediate switches.