Patent Document ID: 8675664
Application ID: 13197506
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method comprising: storing data defining a layer two (L2) learning table with a network switch positioned between one or more aggregation network devices and a service provider network device, wherein the L2 learning table includes a plurality of entries, each of the entries including a service identifier identifying a service virtual local area network (SVLAN) and also including a bitmap having bits representing a range of customer identifiers identifying respective customer virtual local area networks (CVLANs) associated with the SVLAN, wherein each of the bits of the bitmap indicates whether a corresponding CVLAN and SVLAN has been learned and authenticated, and wherein each of the entries of the L2 learning table is associated with a core-facing interface of one of the one or more aggregation network devices; receiving, by a receiving core-facing interface of one of the aggregation network devices, a first PDU that includes a service identifier identifying an SVLAN of the first PDU and a customer identifier identifying a CVLAN of the first PDU; accessing the L2 learning table to determine whether any one of the entries of the L2 learning table includes the service identifier and also includes a bitmap having bit representing a range of customer identifiers that include the customer identifier of the first PDU; and based on the determination that none of the entries of the L2 learning table includes the service identifier and also includes a bitmap having bits representing a range of customer identifiers that include the customer identifier of the first PDU, updating the L2 learning table to create a new entry in the L2 learning table that includes the service identifier of the first PDU and also includes a bitmap having bits representing a range of customer identifiers that include the customer identifier of the first PDU, wherein the new entry defines an association with the receiving core-facing interface without storing an association between an L2 address included within the first PDU and the receiving core-facing interface; receiving a second packet data unit (PDU) from the service provider network device, wherein the second PDU includes both a service identifier identifying an SVLAN of the second PDU and a customer identifier identifying a CVLAN of the second PDU; switching the second PDU when a corresponding bit of the L2 learning table for the SVLAN and CVLAN of the second PDU indicates the CVLAN and SVLAN of the second PDU has been learned and authenticated; and filtering the second PDU when the corresponding bit of the L2 learning table for the SVLAN and CVLAN of the second PDU indicates the CVLAN and SVLAN of the second PDU has not been learned and authenticated.