Patent ID: 7468956
Filing Date: 2008-12-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling routing of data within a hub-and-spokes virtual private network (VPN) that comprises a hub and a plurality of spokes, wherein the hub comprises a hub provider edge (PE) routing device and each of the plurality of spokes comprises a respective one of a plurality of spoke PE routing devices, and wherein a first one of the plurality of spoke PE routing devices for a first one of the plurality of spokes is connected to at least two different spoke customer site networks located within the same first one of the plurality of spokes, the method comprising: storing routes associated with either of the at least two different customer site networks of the first spoke within a single forwarding information data structure of the first spoke PE routing device for the same first spoke; receiving, with the first spoke PE routing device for the first spoke, routes to destinations within the at least two customer site networks of the first spoke from a plurality of customer edge (CE) routing devices; determining, with the first spoke PE routing device for the first spoke, that the routes are local routes when: (i) the routes are between the at least two different customer site networks of the first spoke, and (ii) only traverse the first spoke, wherein the determination that the routes are local is based on at least one of access links, routing protocols, or interfaces by which the routes were received; and selectively generating, with the first spoke PE routing device for the first spoke, forwarding information within the single forwarding information data structure for the hub-and-spokes VPN to exclude the local routes.