A method for maintaining the
reachability of
IP multicast communications across a communications network with one or more subnetworks wherein each
subnetwork comprises at least one node coupled thereto and a node identified as a
subnetwork leader and the communications network comprises one node identified as a network leader. The method comprising the steps of: receiving a host address
list containing a
list of all the network addresses of the nodes in a network including at least two subnetworks, and a node in each
subnetwork identified as a subnetwork leader; using the host address
list for determining which subnetworks the subnetwork leaders are associated therewith. The
reachability of at least one subnetwork leader in the network is periodically monitored. And if at least one subnetwork leader for one of the subnetworks in the network become
multicast unreachable, then at least one node in the subnetwork associated with the subnetwork leader that has become
multicast unreachable performing the steps of: electing a new subnetwork leader for a
multicast unreachable subnetwork associated with the subnetwork. leader that has become unavailable; and establishing a connection using IP tunneling between a newly elected subnetwork leader for the multicast unreachable subnetwork with at least one other subnetwork leader in the network. In another embodiment, a apparatus and computer readable medium is disclosed to carry out the above method.