Multicast is an efficient form of communication that delivers information from a source tomultiple destinations simultaneously. Given a wide range of multicast applications, numerousmulticast routing algorithms have been defined to satisfy different requirements of various applications.In addition, given a multicast routing algorithm and metric, the same application mayperform differently in different types of networks. Designing an appropriate routing algorithmfor a multicast application is crucial to ensure its optimal performance in the target network.It is important to have a broad view of multicast routing algorithms in relation to performancerequirements of applications and network characteristics. In this article, we present a surveyof multicast routing algorithms in the wireline Internet and wireless multi-hop networks. Wealso review routing metrics and multicast routing implementation issues, and discuss issues andchallenges for future research.

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