Patent ID: 7260097

Claim:
A method for providing virtual private LAN segment (VPLS) service in a network comprising a core network and a plurality of logical provider edges (LPEs), the method comprising the steps of: establishing a full mesh of tunnels between a second plurality of Edge-PEs, each of the second plurality of Edge-PEs having at least one customer site attached thereto, the customer sites being members of a VPLS; each of the second plurality of Edge-PEs further being part of one of the plurality of LPEs; each of the plurality of LPEs having at least one Core-PE, forming a third plurality of Core-PEs; each of the full mesh of tunnels comprising: a first tunnel segment between a first Edge-PE and a first Core-PE of a first LPE, a second tunnel segment between the first Core-PE and a second Core-PE, the second tunnel segment traversing the core network, and a third tunnel segment between the second Core-PE and a second Edge-PE of a second LPE; receiving at the first Edge-PE, a customer LAN packet from a first customer site having a source address associated with the first customer site and a destination address associated with a second customer site; encapsulating the customer LAN packet with a first label at the first Edge-PE, the first label being indicative of the first tunnel segment; forwarding the customer LAN packet on the first tunnel segment to the first Core-PE; swapping the first label for a second label associated with the second tunnel segment at the first Core-PE; forwarding the customer LAN packet on the second tunnel segment to the second Core-PE; swapping the second label for a third label associated with the third tunnel segment at the second Core-PE; and forwarding the customer LAN packet on the third tunnel segment to the second Edge-PE; examining the destination address and forwarding to a customer port at the second Edge-PE.