Bit Indexed Explicit Forwarding Optimization

Disclosed is the generation of a bit-indexed forwarding table (BIFT) that can include a plurality of entries, each such entry corresponding to a bit position of a plurality of bit positions, where each such bit position represents an egress network node of a plurality of egress network nodes, and the generating configures the BIFT to be used in forwarding a packet to one or more of the plurality of egress network nodes, based at least in part on a bit string in the packet. The generating includes selecting a bit position of the plurality of bit positions as a selected bit position, creating an entry of the plurality of entries (where the entry corresponds to the selected bit position), identifying a neighbor node associated with the selected bit position, and updating one or more fields of the entry with neighbor information regarding the neighbor node.