Patent ID: 8074270
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for establishing and configuring a network tunnel from an ingress router coupled to a first customer network to an egress router coupled to a second customer network, the method comprising: receiving, with the ingress router, a communication from the egress router in accordance with a tunnel establishment network protocol for establishing a network tunnel from the ingress router to the egress router, wherein the communication of the tunnel establishment network protocol includes a data field that has been redefined to specify at least one routing protocol that is supported by a router within the second customer network coupled to the egress router, wherein the data field includes a bitmap having a set of bits, wherein each bit is associated with a respective routing protocol; when establishing the network tunnel with the ingress router, automatically configuring the network tunnel with the ingress router to permit communications to enter the network tunnel that conform to the specified routing protocol by: after establishing the network tunnel, permitting the routing protocol communications exchanged between the first customer network and the second customer network to enter the network tunnel to communicate routing information through the network tunnel via the mutually supported routing protocol, wherein the routing information defines at least one route to a network destination.