Patent ID: 8213435

Claim:
A processor-implemented method of operation for a network-facing provider edge device (n-PE) of a core network, the method comprising: receiving a packet from an access network, the packet having a first Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag of a first predetermined bit length; mapping the service instance identifier of the first VLAN tag into a second VLAN tag of a second predetermined length greater than the first predetermined bit length, the second VLAN tag identifying a Virtual Private LAN service (VPLS) instance; sending the packet with the second VLAN tag across a service provider (SP) core network via a pseudowire (PW) that functions as a logical link that carries a provider VLAN to another PE device; and executing an application that exchanges VLAN configuration information with other network devices; wherein mapping the service instance identifier includes generating the second VLAN tag based on the exchanged VLAN configuration information.