Patent ID: 8270413
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving a first data packet at a network device from a first unidirectional tunnel, the first data packet containing a first label stack that includes a virtual private network (VPN) label, a first destination address, and first protocol-specific information; receiving a second data packet at the network device from a second unidirectional tunnel, the second unidirectional tunnel established in an opposite direction relative to the first unidirectional tunnel, the second data packet containing a second label stack that includes the VPN label, a second destination address, and second protocol-specific information; determining whether the first and second unidirectional tunnels are established for use by the same application based on a comparison of the first and second data packets' contained first and second protocol-specific information; in response to determining that the first and second unidirectional tunnels are established for use by the same application based on the comparison of the first and second data packets' contained first and second protocol-specific information, associating the first label stack and first destination address and the second label stack and second destination address both with a common layer-2 identification (L2ID) value, wherein the L2ID is different from the VPN label; and updating one or more data structures at the network device used in classifying data packets to store the associations.