Patent ID: 7072346
Filing Date: 2006-07-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network for forming a VPN on a shared network and communicating via the VPN, comprising: a core network of the VPN formed by an MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switch) network; access networks formed by VLANs to access said core newtwork; and edge routers provided at edges of the MPLS network for interfacing said MPLS network and the VLANs, wherein each of said edge routers includes a first table for storing correspondence between VLAN identifiers (VIDs) contained in VLAN packets and VPN labels contained in MPLS packets; a second table for storing correspondence between an address of each edge router which constructs said VPN and is connected to a VLAN, and an address of a VLAN-compatible device which constructs the VLAN and is connected to the edge router; means for finding a VPN label, which corresponds to a VLAN identifier (VID) of a VLAN packet, from said first table; a route decision unit for deciding a route which directs an MPLS packet to a receive-side edge router, and a third table for storing forwarding labels, which specify routes decided by said route decision unit, mapped to addresses of receive-side edge routers; means for finding a receive-side edge router corresponding to a destination of a packet from the second table based upon the destination address of a VLAN-compatible device contained in the VLAN packet and finding a forwarding label, which corresponds to the receive-side edge router, from said third table; a MPLS packet generation means for generating an MPLS packet that contains said VPN label and said forwarding label and sending this MPLS packet to the MPLS network; and means for finding a VID, which corresponds to a VPN label contained in an MPLS packet received from the MPLS network, from said first table, generating a VLAN packet having this VID and sending this VLAN packet to a VLAN indicated by this VID.