Efficient way to manage host subscription state on a proxy device

A network element configured to function as a proxy for an upstream multicast router using internet group management protocol (IGMP) or Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) to provide a plurality of multicast sources to a plurality of multicast subscriber nodes, the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes to be coupled in communication with the network element, the network element to efficiently and scalably manage an interface with the upstream multicast router by tracking a subset of multicast sources from the plurality of multicast sources required by an aggregate state of the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes, the tracking using an interface tracking table for determining the aggregate state for the interface instead of a forwarding information base (FIB) and membership database that tracks more specific data detailing each multicast source required by each multicast subscriber node, the network element comprising:

• an ingress module configured to receive data packets over a network connection between the network element and the upstream multicast router;
• an egress module configured to transmit data packets over to the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes;
• and
• a network processor communicatively coupled to the ingress module and egress module, the network processor configured to execute an IGMP module or MLD module,
• the IGMP module or MLD module configured to process IGMP packets or MLD packets and to update the FIB and the membership database that tracks multicast sources required by each of the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes, the IGMP packets or MLD packets including IGMP or MLD membership reports that indicate changes to which of the plurality of multicast sources are required by each of the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes, the IGMP module or MLD module including an aggregation management module, the IGMP module or MLD module configured to provide the changes to the aggregation management module and to update the FIB and membership database,
• the aggregation management module configured to update an interface tracking table, based on the changes identified after the IGMP or MLD membership reports are processed, for the interface with the upstream multicast router to maintain the aggregate state and the aggregation management module configured to notify the upstream multicast router of changes in the aggregate state, wherein the aggregate state defines the subset of multicast sources to be forwarded to or blocked from the plurality of multicast subscriber nodes.