Configure Cisco next hop for multicast flows

Updated: August 14, 2026

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Explains how to configure your plan to use Cisco next hop selection method for multicast traffic flows.

Use this task to set Cisco Crosswork Planning to use Cisco next hops.

For manually inserted demands, all SSM demand traffic for the (S,G) pair (multicast flow) goes through any interface that is traversed by that demand.

However, you can set Cisco Crosswork Planning to use Cisco next hops, which are calculated using a hash on S and G for a multicast flow (S,G). The hash calculation is different in IOS and IOS XR. The default behavior is that of IOS. The IOS XR hash is used on all nodes whose OS field starts with IOS XR.

Procedure

Open the plan file (refer to Open plan files). It opens in the Network Design page.
In the toolbar, click or choose Actions > Edit > Network options.

The Network options page opens.
Click the Protocols tab.
Under the Multicast section, from the Multipath selection drop-down list, choose CiscoNextHop.
Save your changes.

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