Managing multicast distribution using multicast trees

A method performed by a network device, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a first input/output (I/O) unit of a plurality of I/O units associated with the network device, multicast traffic intended for a plurality of devices connected via the network device;
• determining, by the first I/O unit and based on information identifying a flow associated with the multicast traffic, whether the multicast traffic is to be processed based on a first binary tree or a second binary tree,
• a root node, of the first binary tree, being associated with a second I/O unit of the plurality of I/O units,
• a root node, of the second binary tree, being associated with a third I/O unit of the plurality of I/O units;
• and
• selectively sending, by the first I/O unit, the multicast traffic to:
• the second I/O unit to be processed based on the first binary tree when the multicast traffic is to be processed based on the first binary tree, or
• the third I/O unit to be processed based on the second binary tree when the multicast traffic is to be processed based on the second binary tree.

A device comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a plurality of input/output (I/O) units,
• a first I/O unit, of the plurality of I/O units, to:
• receive traffic,
• determine, based on information identifying a flow associated with the traffic, that the traffic is to be processed based on a tree of a plurality of trees,
• a root node, of the tree, being associated with a second I/O unit of the plurality of I/O units,
• a leaf node, of the tree, being associated with a third I/O unit of the plurality of I/O units, retrieve information associated with the tree from a data structure,
• the data structure storing information associated with the plurality of trees, and
• send the traffic to the second I/O unit to be processed based on the information associated with the tree.

A system comprising:

• a network device to:
• receive, by a first input/output (I/O) unit of a plurality of I/O units associated with the network device, traffic;
• determine, by the first I/O unit and based on information identifying a flow associated with a portion of the traffic, whether the portion of the traffic is to be processed based on a first tree or a second tree,
• a root node, of the first tree, being associated with a second I/O unit of the plurality of I/O units,
• a root node, of the second tree, being associated with a third I/O unit of the plurality of I/O units;
• and
• selectively send, by the first I/O unit, the traffic to:
• the second I/O unit to be processed based on the first tree when the traffic is to be processed based on the first tree, or
• the third I/O unit to be processed based on the second tree when the traffic is to be processed based on the second tree.