Patent ID: 8675656

Claim:
A provider edge node located at a logical outer edge of a provider network, comprising: one or more network interfaces adapted to communicate with one or more customer routers of a customer network, one or more service routers located within an interior of the provider network remote from any logical outer edge of the provider network, and a service directory/broker (SDB); one or more processors coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and a memory adapted to store an edge router process executable by each processor, the edge router process when executed operable to: i) maintain a virtual routing/forwarding table (VRF) having a limited sub set of routing information related to one or more attached virtual private networks (VPNs); ii) register with the SDB the one or more attached virtual private networks (VPNs); iii) receive from the SDB a) one or more service headers, each corresponding to a respective VPN, and b) an address of a service router, located within the interior of the provider network, remote from any logical outer edge of the provider network, corresponding to each service header, the service router configured to maintain a virtual routing/forwarding table (VRF) having a full set of routing information for the respective VPN; iv) receive a packet for a particular attached VPN from a customer router; iv) push a service header for the particular VPN, of the one or more service headers received from the SDB, onto the packet; and vi) forward the packet with the service header to a corresponding service router to thereby forward the packet based on the service router's maintained VRF according to the service header.