Dynamic multicast routing facility for a distributed computing environment

A system for ensuring multicast messaging within a distributed computing environment comprising:

• multiple groups of computing nodes within the distributed computing environment;
• means for selecting one node of each group of computing nodes as a group leader node;
• means for forming a group of group leader nodes (GL13 group) and selecting a group leader of the GL13 group;
• and
• means for automatically creating a virtual interface for multicast messaging between the group leader node of the GL_group and at least one other group leader node within said GL13 group, thereby ensuring multicast routing between groups of nodes of the distributed computing environment.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means therein for use in ensuring multicast messaging within a distributed computing environment, said computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising:
• (i) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect establishing multiple groups of computing nodes within the distributed computing environment;
• (ii) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect selecting one node of each group of computing nodes as a group leader node;
• (iii) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect forming a group of group leader nodes (GL13 group) and selecting a group leader of the GL13 group;
• and
• (iv) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect automatically creating a virtual interface for multicast messaging between the group leader node of the GL13 group and at least one other group leader node within said GL13 group, thereby establishing multicast routing between groups of nodes of said distributed computing environment.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means therein for maintaining multicast message reachability within a distributed computing environment having multiple networks of computing nodes employing multicast messaging, each network having at least one computing node, and at least one computing node of the multiple networks of computing nodes functioning as a multicast routing node, said computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising:
• (i) computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect automatically responding to a failure at said at least one computing node functioning as said multicast routing node to reassign said multicast routing function;
• and
• (ii) wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect automatically responding comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect dynamically reconfiguring said distributed computing environment to replace each failed multicast routing node of said at least one multicast routing node with another computing node of said multiple networks of computing nodes to maintain multicast message reachability to all functional computing nodes of said distributed computing environment.