Patent ID: 7653048

Claim:
A method of providing VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) call routing in a virtual private network, comprising: a first gatekeeper issuing an information request to a first gateway, the first gateway including a first VRF (virtual private network routing and forwarding) routing table for a first set of VRF routes through the virtual private network; the first gatekeeper receiving VRF information from the first gateway, the information received being organized in a string; the first gatekeeper recommending to a second gatekeeper a transmission route through the virtual private network to the first gateway based on the VRF information received, the second gatekeeper receiving additional VRF information from a second gateway, the second gateway including a second VRF routing table for a second set of VRF routes through the virtual private network; and the second gatekeeper selecting the transmission route for a VoIP call through the virtual private network to the first gateway instead of a different transmission route indicated in the additional VRF information received from the second gateway.