Increasing multicast scale via localization of indices

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a line card, a multicast packet, where the line card is one of a plurality of line cards with each line card communicatively coupled to a first and second fabric module;
• comparing a multicast address associated with the received multicast packet with entries in a local outgoing interface (OIF) list;
• programming the local OIF list with the multicast address associated with the received multicast packet if an entry for the multicast address does not exist in the local OIF list;
• sending, by the network forwarding engine of the line card, a notification to each of the fabric modules, the notification identifying an association of the multicast address of the received multicast packet with the line card;
• and
• wherein if a number of entries in a list of indices for a fabric module exceeds a threshold, entering, by the network forwarding engine of the fabric module, a flood entry for the multicast address.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, at a line card, a multicast packet, wherein the line card is one of a plurality of line cards with each line card communicatively coupled to a first and second fabric module;
• comparing a multicast address associated with the received multicast packet with entries in a local outgoing interface (OIF) list;
• programming the local OIF list with the multicast address associated with the received multicast packet if an entry for the multicast address does not exist in the local OIF list;
• sending, by the network forwarding engine of the line card, a notification to each of the fabric modules, the notification identifying an association of the multicast address of the received multicast packet with the line card;
• and
• if a number of entries in a list of indices for a fabric module exceeds a threshold, entering, by the network forwarding engine of the fabric module, a flood entry for the multicast address.