Patent ID: 8868745

Claim:
A method for managing resources associated with a virtual private network, comprising: receiving a request for a new route across said virtual private network, said request for said new route generated in response to assignment of an address to a client device, wherein said request for said new route includes at least an address prefix; comparing said address prefix in said request for said new route to a value of a prefix field in at least one route limit policy rule; in response to said address prefix in said request for said new route matching a value of said prefix field in said route limit policy rule, obtaining a route count limit from said route limit policy rule; determining a current route count for said virtual private network by determining a current number of forwarding entries in a route table associated with said virtual private network and stored in a provider edge device; accepting said request for said new route in the event that adding said requested route to said current route count would not violate said route limit policy rule; rejecting said request for said new route in the event that adding said requested route to said current route count would violate said route limit policy rule; maintaining a rejected route request list of requested routes that were previously rejected; detecting a change in said route count limit; and accepting at least one of said previously rejected routes in said rejected route request list responsive to said change in said route count limit causing said current route count to go below said route count limit.