One function that is implemented by multilayer switches is protocol independent multicast (PIM). When PIM is implemented on a pair of switches, where the pair of switches appear as a single logical layer-2 switch with separate per-physical switch routing instances, it is important to ensure that multiple Internet Protocol (IP) multicast packets are not delivered to the same destination. Traditionally, in such implementations, proprietary tags are attached to the IP multicast packets by the multilayer switches, where the proprietary tags are used to ensure that multiple copies of the IP multicast packet are not delivered to the same destination. The use of proprietary tags decreases the interoperability of various switches and also makes network trouble shooting difficult.