Patent ID: 7555546

Claim:
A method for providing network services in an enterprise network, wherein said enterprise network includes a plurality of forwarding domains, comprising: obtaining at least one end to end network service parameter from an application program; communicating said at least one end to end network service parameter to a plurality of network service modules, wherein said network service modules are embodied within at least one hardware device including a computer readable memory, each of said network service modules associated with a respective one of said forwarding domains; determining, by said network service modules, whether said communication paths within each of said forwarding domains can be established to provide said network performance reflecting said at least one end to end network service parameter; and establishing, by said network service modules, communication paths within each of said forwarding domains, said communication paths within each of said forwarding domains together providing an end to end communication path for a single virtual connection across all of said forwarding domains, such that said communication paths within said forwarding domains are each required to provide network performance for communications over said virtual connection reflecting said at least one end to end network service parameter within their respective forwarding domains.