Abstract: In one embodiment a method includes receiving at an interface a join request for a multicast data stream, determining whether the multicast data stream is presently being transmitted within a same Downlink Broadcast Domain of which the interface is a member, and based on a result of the determining step one of (i) adding an identifier of the interface to an Outgoing Interface List when the multicast data stream is not presently being transmitted within a same Downlink Broadcast Domain of which the interface is a member or (ii) adding the identifier of the interface to a Candidate Outgoing Interface List when the multicast data stream is presently being transmitted within a same Downlink Broadcast Domain of which the interface is a member.

Abstract: In one embodiment a method for routing packets includes receiving, at a first packet forwarding module, a first stream of packetized data from a first source, receiving, at a second packet forwarding module, a second stream of packetized data from a second source, wherein the second packet forwarding module is separate from the first packet forwarding module and is configured identically to the first routing forwarding module, and passing packet output from the first packet forwarding module and packet output from the second packet forwarding module to a single Quality of Service module configured to queue the packet output for egress to a network.