Method and Apparatus for Processing Forwarding Entry

An apparatus disposed on a first routing device, wherein the apparatus comprises:

• a memory configured to store instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, wherein when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the apparatus to:
• obtain, from a second routing device, a first identifier and a second identifier, wherein the first identifier is a bit forwarding router (BFR)-identifier (ID) of the second routing device that is valid in a bit indexed explicit replication (BIER) sub-domain to which the second routing device belongs, and wherein the second identifier indicates the second routing device is to be used only as a bit forwarding ingress router (BFIR);
• and
• skip, based on the second identifier and the first identifier, setting a first bit that is in a first forwarding bit mask (F-BM) and that corresponds to the first identifier,
• wherein the first F-BM is comprised in all BIER forwarding entries corresponding to the BIER sub-domain on the first routing device.

A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and that, when executed by a processor, cause a first routing device of a bit indexed explicit replication (BIER) network to:

• obtain, from a second routing device, a first identifier and a second identifier, wherein the first identifier is a bit forwarding router (BFR)-identifier (ID) of the second routing device that is valid in a BIER sub-domain to which the second routing device belongs, and wherein the second identifier indicates the second routing device is to be used only as a bit forwarding ingress router (BFIR);
• and
• skip, based on the first identifier and the second identifier, setting a first bit that is in a first forwarding bit mask (F-BM) and that corresponds to the first identifier,
• wherein the first F-BM is comprised in all BIER forwarding entries corresponding to the BIER sub-domain on the first routing device.