Patent ID: 7152115

Claim:
A network organized for providing virtual private network services to customers in first and second local networks, with the network comprising: a core network for providing layer 2 transport; a first logical provider edge including first and second physical devices, the first physical device providing virtual private network services access to customers via the first local network, the second physical device working with the core network, wherein the second physical device includes a function for distributing information on transport tunnels; and a second logical provider edge including third and fourth physical devices, the third physical device providing virtual private network service access to customers via the second local network, the fourth physical device working with the core network and including a function for distributing information on transport tunnels, wherein the first and second logical provider edges are interconnected via the core network, and wherein at least a portion of Ethernet packet traffic communicated between the first and second logical provider edges is transported via a pair of uni-directional tunnels.