System and method for multicast routing using peer groups

A method of multicast routing, the method comprising:

• receiving a multicast packet on an input interface of a router;
• determining one or more properties of the multicast packet;
• determining one or more output interfaces based on the properties and first multicast routing entries;
• and
• forwarding copies of the multicast packet on each of the output interfaces;
• wherein the first multicast routing entries include one or more second multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the router and one or more third multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with a peer router coupled to the router via an inter-chassis link (ICL).

An information handling system comprising:

• a peer group comprising:
• a first router comprising a control unit and a memory coupled to the control unit, the memory storing one or more first multicast routing entries;
• a second router;
• and
• an inter-chassis link (ICL) coupling the first router and the second router;
• wherein the control unit is configured to:
• receive a multicast packet on an input interface;
• determine one or more properties of the multicast packet;
• <determine one or more output interfaces based on the properties and the first multicast routing entries;
• forward first copies of the multicast packet on each of the output interfaces;
• and
• forward a second copy of the multicast packet to the second router on the input interface using the ICL when the input interface is a spanned input interface;
• and
• wherein the first multicast routing entries include one or more local multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the first router and one or more synchronized multicast routing entries associated with multicast routing trees associated with the second router.