Patent ID: 7590149

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, using a first routing protocol, routing communications having routing metric information that describes costs associated with label-switched paths that form an overlay network from an ingress node to a plurality of egress nodes; receiving, using a second routing protocol, routing metric information from the egress nodes of the overlay network, wherein the routing metric information describes costs associated with paths that extend from the egress nodes to a destination node; calculating relative weights for label-switched paths that form an overlay network from an ingress node to a plurality of egress nodes, wherein the relative weights are a function of both the costs associated with the label-switched paths of the overlay network and the costs associated with paths that extend from the egress nodes to a destination node; receiving network flows addressed to the destination node; assigning the network flows to the label-switched paths so that relative utilization of the label-switched paths is based on the relative weights; and forwarding packets in the network flows through the label-switched paths assigned to the network flows.