Patent ID: 8085690

Claim:
A method of controlling routing of data within a hub-and-spokes virtual private network (VPN) that comprises a hub and a plurality of spokes, wherein each of the plurality of spokes comprises a respective one of a plurality of spoke provider edge (PE) routing devices, wherein a first one of the plurality of spoke PE routing devices is connected to at least two different spoke customer site networks located within a same first one of the spokes, and wherein each of the at least two different spoke customer site networks is connected to the first one of the plurality of spoke PE routing devices using a respective access link, the method comprising: receiving, with the first spoke PE routing device for the first spoke, routes to destinations within the at least two customer site networks of the first spoke from a plurality of customer edge (CE) routing devices; determining, with the first spoke PE routing device for the first spoke, that the routes are local routes when: (i) the routes are between the at least two different customer site networks of the first spoke, and (ii) only traverse the first spoke; and selectively generating, with the first spoke PE routing device for the first spoke, forwarding information for the hub-and-spokes VPN to exclude the local routes.