Deadlock-resistant fabric tree replication in a network device

A network device comprising:

• a plurality of packet replicators interconnected by a switch fabric, wherein each packet replicator of the plurality of packet replicators is configured with a plurality of partitions of a packet buffer of the packet replicator to store multicast packet data received by the network device;
• at least one processor configured to generate a plurality of multi-level replication data structures each having nodes hierarchically arranged in a plurality of levels that define an internal forwarding relationship among the nodes, wherein each node represents one of the plurality of packet replicators,
• wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate, from the plurality of multi-level replication data structures, forwarding information that maps the plurality of levels of each of the plurality of multi-level replication data structures to respective partitions of the plurality of partitions of packet buffers of the plurality of packet replicators, and
• wherein the plurality of packet replicators are configured to internally forward, according to the forwarding information, the multicast packet data received by the network device.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing at least one programmable processor to:

• configure, by a network device for each packet replicator of a plurality of packet replicators of the network device, a plurality of partitions of a packet buffer of the packet replicator to store multicast packet data received by the network device;
• generate, by the network device, a plurality of multi-level replication data structures each having nodes hierarchically arranged in a plurality of levels that define an internal forwarding relationship among the nodes, wherein each node represents one of the plurality of packet replicators;
• generate, by the network device from the plurality of multi-level replication data structures, forwarding information that maps the plurality of levels of each of the plurality of multi-level replication data structures to respective partitions of the plurality of partitions of packet buffers of the plurality of packet replicators;
• and
• internally forward, by the plurality of packet replicators according to the forwarding information, the multicast packet data received by the network device.