Patent ID: 7274704

Claim:
A Border Gateway Protocol Speaker (BGP Speaker) in a communication system which implements at least one network based Virtual Private Network (NB-VPN) across a backbone, the at least one NB-VPN using an Open System Interconnect (OSI) layer-2 protocol and an OSI layer-3 protocol, one or more of the at least one NB-VPN using an OSI layer-2 protocol different from an OSI layer-2 protocol used by the backbone or using an OSI layer-3 protocol different from an OSI layer-3 protocol used by the backbone, the BGP Speaker operable to: transmit an Update message being in conformance with a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the Update message further including: Virtual Private Network (VPN) Membership information that indicates an identification of at least one VPN to which the Update message relates; a VPN Reachability Mode field that indicates a type of VPN model being used by the at least one VPN; VPN Reachability information that indicates at least one route by which the at least one VPN can be reached; and Tunnel Mechanism information that indicates characteristics of a tunnel used to transport VPN packets across the backbone.