Patent ID: 7660265

Claim:
A multi-protocol label switching/virtual private network racket inspection and forwarding network, comprising: a first router, said first router being a provider edge multi-protocol label switching capable router, said first router including a firewall service module configured for inspection of only virtual private network data packets and two or more virtual routers connected to said firewall service module; two or more second routers, each second router of said two or more second routers being a provider edge multi-protocol label switching capable router, each second router of said two or more second routers connected to a respective virtual router of said first router through a network path of a multi-protocol label switching network; and a third router, said third router being a provider edge multi-protocol label switching capable router, said third router connected to at least two of said two or more second routers by said respective network paths of said multi-protocol label switching network, bypassing said first router.