Patent ID: 7420933

Claim:
A method for configuring a network interface on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider network to support a virtual private network, comprising the steps of: storing configuration data at a server on a host computer on a provider network, determining without human intervention whether conditions are satisfied for sending the configuration data to a particular node at an edge of the provider network without receiving a request message from the particular node; and if it is determined that conditions are satisfied for sending the configuration data, then sending the configuration data to the particular node to cause the particular node to configure a particular interface without human intervention for a particular virtual private network over the provider network based on the configuration data, wherein: the provider network is a packet-switched network; the particular virtual private network is a link layer virtual private network; the particular node is different from the host; and the particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network.