Migration support for bit indexed explicit replication

A network device associated with a network node, the network device comprising:

• one or more network interfaces;
• a memory configured to store a bit-indexed forwarding table comprising multiple forwarding table entries, wherein each of the multiple forwarding table entries comprises a respective neighbor bit array and is associated with a respective neighboring node;
• and
• a processor configured to
• receive at the network node a multicast message comprising an incoming message bit array, wherein
• a set of multiple possible destination nodes for the message corresponds to the same set of respective relative bit positions in the incoming message bit array and each of the neighbor bit arrays,
• compare the incoming message bit array to a first neighbor bit array associated with a first forwarding table entry of the multiple forwarding table entries,
• determine that for at least one relative bit position the corresponding destination node is both an intended destination for the message and a reachable destination from a first neighboring node associated with the first forwarding table entry, and
• in response to a determination that an intended destination for the message is a reachable destination from the first neighboring node, forward toward the first neighboring node a copy of the message comprising a forwarded message bit array, wherein a first node on the path of the forwarded message does not comprise a respective bit-indexed forwarding table.