A method and system for efficiently handling forwarding of multicast packets
by
ignoring VLAN (virtual local area network) context during lookup. In one embodiment,
the present invention receives, at an intermediate device, multicast registration
information for a client. The present embodiment then creates a forwarding database
of the multicast registration information. In the present embodiment, when handling
a multicast packet at an intermediate device, the present invention accesses the
multicast registration information stored in the forwarding database. More particularly,
in this embodiment, the present invention accesses the multicast registration information
stored in the forwarding database without utilizing VLAN context of the client.
As a result, the present invention allows the intermediate device to forward a
single multicast packet which will later be supplied to registered member ports.
The member ports apply the appropriate VLAN context. In so doing, the present invention
prevents unnecessary replication of multicast packets and avoids superfluous expensive
lookups in multicast registration tables.
