System and method for managing network resources and policies in a multicast environment

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
• the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
• designate one or more network elements of a network as one or more local multicast service providers,
• map the one or more local multicast service providers with a plurality of multicast groups,
• receive an allocation request to join one of the multicast groups,
• determine whether a first policy resource manager or a second policy resource manager can accommodate the allocation request, wherein the policy resource managers have a hierarchical relationship with respect to knowledge of resources of the network,
• determine whether the network can accommodate the allocation request using either the first policy resource manager or the second policy resource manager,
• modify the network to accommodate the allocation request by modifying the mapping of the one or more local multicast service providers with the multicast groups, and
• designate other ones of the network elements as the first policy resource manager or the second policy resource manager,
• wherein the first policy manager is designated as a local policy resource manager configured to manage resources that are directly connected to the local policy resource manager, and the second policy manager is designated as a domain policy resource manager configured to manage resources across a domain of the network.

A system comprising:

• a network resource manager configured to designate one or more network elements of a network as one or more local multicast service providers;
• and
• a plurality of policy resource managers configured to communicate with the network resource manager, wherein the policy resource managers have a hierarchical relationship with respect to knowledge of resources of the network,
• wherein the network manager is further configured to map the one or more local multicast service providers with a plurality of multicast groups, receive an allocation request to join one of the multicast groups, determine whether any one of the policy resource managers can accommodate the allocation request, determine whether the network can accommodate the allocation request using either the first policy resource manager or the second policy resource manager, to modify the network to accommodate the allocation request by modifying the mapping of the one or more local multicast service providers with the multicast groups, and designate other ones of the network elements as the first policy resource manager or the second policy resource manager,
• wherein the first policy manager is designated as a local policy resource manager configured to manage resources that are directly connected to the local policy resource manager, and the second policy manager is designated as a domain policy resource manager configured to manage resources across a domain of the network.