Multicast traffic optimization in multihomed edge network elements

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality of network devices of a multihomed network element in a computer network;
• and
• a processor coupled to the network interface, and configured to:
• receive multicast data from a source of a multicast network flow;
• publish a notification indicating that the multicast network flow is available from the apparatus;
• receive from a multicast recipient via the network interface, a subscription to the multicast network flow;
• determine whether to bridge the multicast data across the multihomed network element based on a multicast configuration of the computer network;
• and
• cause the network interface unit to provide the multicast data to the multicast recipient.

A system comprising:

• a multihomed network element in a computer network comprising a plurality of network elements, the computer network being in a multicast configuration, the multihomed network element comprising a plurality of network devices, wherein one or more particular network devices of the plurality of network devices are configured to:
• receive multicast data from a source of a multicast network flow;
• publish a notification indicating that the multicast network flow is available from the particular network device;
• and
• determine whether to bridge the multicast data across the multihomed network element based on the multicast configuration of the computer network;
• and
• a recipient edge network element in the computer network, the recipient edge network element configured to:
• receive from a multicast recipient, a subscription to the multicast network flow;
• and
• send the subscription to at least one of the one or more particular network devices in the multihomed network element,
• wherein the multihomed network element provides the multicast data to the recipient edge network element from at least one of the particular network devices that received the multicast data from the source of the multicast data flow.