The recent, and strong, orientation of the Internet towards services has led to a closer coupling between the transport/network and service/application layers aiming to increase the overall Management Driven Hybrid Multicast Framework for Content Aware Networks efficiency through cross layer optimization. This can be achieved by making networks more aware of the transported content — content aware networks (CANs), or making applications more aware of network conditions — network aware applications (NAA). Management Driven Hybrid Multicast Framework for Content Aware Networks In parallel, recent developments of multimedia and content oriented services (e.g,. IPTV, video streaming, video on demand, and Internet TV) have reinforced the interest in multicast technologies. IP multicast has not been globally deployed due to problems related to group management, router capabilities, inter-domain transport, and lack of quality of service (QoS) support Management Driven Hybrid Multicast Framework for Content Aware Networks. Overlay multicast, despite its lower efficiency, has emerged as an alternative . In a complex scenario, a hybrid multicast, combining IP multicast with overlay multicast, can be attractive in terms of scalability, efficiency, and flexibility . Another trend, aiming to overcome the current Internet ossification by creating customized flexible networks, is to use network virtualization . Management Driven Hybrid Multicast Framework for Content Aware Networks New business entities (Fig. 1), named virtual network providers, can offer customized virtual networks. In particular, services providers (SP) can deploy their services on top of some hired virtual networks without the burden of performing connectivity control. Such virtualized transport service can be deployed by network providers (NPs), either enhanced to become virtual NPs, or by cooperating with separate new Management Driven Hybrid Multicast Framework for Content Aware Networks entities that offer network virtualization. However, each NP still manages its own infrastructure. While full network virtualization is challenging in terms of seamless deployment, more “light” solutions can be attractive by being deployed as parallel data planes , logically separated but under the coordination of a single management and control plane. In [9], several research challenges Management Driven Hybrid Multicast Framework for Content Aware Networks related to the management and control planes are identified. The proposed solution addresses some of them. In particular, the guaranteeing of service availability in accordance to a pre-established service level agreement (SLA), guaranteeing QoS, supporting large-scale service provisioning and deployment, enabling higher integration between services and networks, and the capability of accepting new activated ondemand services.