Patent ID: 8416775

Claim:
A first provider edge (PE) device associated with a virtual private local area network service (VPLS) system, the first PE device comprising: a processor to: receive a first data frame from a source customer edge (CE) device associated with the VPLS system, incorporate the first data frame into a first VPLS packet, determine whether the source CE device is a single-homed CE device that is connected to a single PE device or a multi-homed CE device that is connected to a plurality of PE devices, the single PE device including only the first PE device, and the plurality of PE devices including the first PE device and one or more other PE devices associated with the VPLS system, incorporate, into the first VPLS packet, a first pseudowire label when the source CE device is the single-homed CE device, incorporate, into the first VPLS packet, a second pseudowire label when the source CE device is the multi-homed CE device, the second pseudowire label being different from the first pseudowire label, transmit the first VPLS packet receive a second VPLS packet from a second PE device of the one or more other PE devices, the second VPLS packet including a second data frame, determine that the second data frame originated from a neighbor CE device based on a neighbor field that indicates that the neighbor CE device is connected to the second PE device, the neighbor CE device being the source CE device, and transmit, based on determining that the second data frame originated from the neighbor CE device, the second data frame to one or more other CE devices that are connected to the first PE device and are not connected to the second PE device.