Patent ID: 8166205
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving at a first edge device located within a first network site, Media Access Control (MAC) addresses for network devices located in one or more other network sites connected to said first network site through a core network, each of the network sites comprising an edge device in communication with the core network; mapping each of said MAC addresses of the network devices to an address of the edge device located in the same network site as the network device; receiving a packet at said first edge device from a network device in said first network site, the packet comprising a destination address of one of the network devices in said other network sites; encapsulating the packet with an IP header comprising a destination address of the edge device mapped to the destination address of the network device; and forwarding said encapsulated packet to the core network; wherein said first network site and said one or more other network sites are connected together via the edge devices operating in an overlay network and wherein state information for said overlay network is maintained at the edge devices.