Controlling data link layer elements with network layer elements

A method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of multicasting protocol messages identifying a multicast stream from a respective plurality of subscriber devices by a network layer device;
• sending the multicast stream from the network layer device to a data link layer device via an Ethernet network, wherein the multicast stream comprises a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets, wherein the data link layer device comprises an Ethernet switch, and wherein sending the multicast stream via the Ethernet network comprises encapsulating the IP packets of the multicast stream within Ethernet frames;
• and
• sending one or more control messages, the control messages comprising IP packets encapsulated in Ethernet frames separate from the multicast stream, from the network layer device to the data link layer device via an Ethernet control channel in response to the multicasting protocol messages to configure a control object stored by the data link layer device to control the data link layer device to replicate and forward the multicast stream to the subscriber devices in accordance with the multicasting protocol messages.

A network layer device comprising:

• an interface that receives a plurality of multicasting protocol messages identifying a multicast stream from a respective plurality of subscriber devices;
• and
• a control unit that sends, via the interface, the multicast stream to a data link layer device operable as an Ethernet switch, and sends one or more control messages to the data link layer device via a dedicated Ethernet control channel separate from the multicast stream in response to the multicasting protocol messages to configure a control object stored by the data link layer device to control the data link layer device to replicate and forward the multicast stream to the subscriber devices in accordance with the multicasting protocol messages,
• wherein the multicast stream comprises a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) packets and the control unit sends the IP packets of multicast stream encapsulated within Ethernet frames to the data link layer device via an Ethernet network, and the control messages of the dedicated Ethernet control channel comprise IP packets encapsulated in Ethernet frames.