Method and apparatus for routing and congestion control in multicast networks

An embodiment consistent with the present invention includes a method and apparatus for distributing multicast data. The method may be performed by a data processor and comprises the steps of forming a multicast repair tree including a sender, a plurality of heads, and a plurality of receivers, wherein at least one head is associated with the sender and at least one receiver is associated with the head; sending, by a sender to the plurality of heads and the plurality of receivers, a plurality of multicast messages at a data rate; receiving, by the sender from one of the plurality of heads, a congestion status associated with a receiver of the head; and slowing the data rate, by the sender, in accordance with the congestion status.