Patent ID: 6947428

Claim:
A distributed label-switching-router for sending a data packet from a first edge label-switching-router, across a non-multi-protocol-label-switching network, to a second edge label-switching-router, said distributed label-switching-router comprising: an ingress gateway logically positioned between said first edge label-switching-router and said non-multi-protocol-label-switching network, said ingress gateway receiving a label request from said first edge label-switching-router; a multicast agent in communication with said ingress gateway and said non-multi-protocol-label-switching network for relaying said label request from said ingress gateway, across said non-multi-protocol-label-switching network, to a plurality of egress gateways, and for relaying at least one response from said plurality of egress gateways, across said non-multi-protocol-label-switching network, to said ingress gateway; and a designated gateway from said plurality of egress gateways, said designated gateway being logically positioned between said second edge label-switching-router and said non-multi-protocol-label-switching network.