Methods and systems for location identifier based forwarding

A system comprising:

• a network appliance, wherein
• the network appliance is configured to receive a packet from a first machine that has a first address a virtual local area network (VLAN) and has a second address on the VLAN indicating a second machine that is located at a remote location associated with a remote location identifier;
• the network appliance is configured to use the second address to determine the remote location identifier;
• the network appliance is configured to encapsulate the packet in a local segment packet that includes a local virtual network identifier (VNID) and that includes the remote location identifier to indicate that the packet is going to the remote location;
• the network appliance is configured to send the local segment packet to a local router;
• the local router is configured to use the remote location identifier and the local VNID to determine a remote router address and a remote VNID;
• the local router is configured to encapsulate the packet in an outer packet that includes the remote VNID;
• the local router is configured to send the packet to a remote router at the remote router address;
• and
• the outer packet does not use the remote location identifier to indicate that the packet is going to the remote location.

A system comprising:

• a means mapping from a plurality of remote IP addresses on a remote VLAN segment to a local router address in combination with a means for indicating a remote location;
• a means for mapping from a local VNID in combination with the means for indicating the remote location to a remote router address in combination with a remote VNID;
• a first VTEP means for receiving a packet that has a destination address that is one of the remote IP addresses;
• a first encapsulation means for communicating the packet, the local VNID, and the means for indicating the remote location;
• and
• a second encapsulation means for communicating the packet to a remote route at the remote router address,
• wherein the second encapsulation means does not use the means for indicating the remote location to indicate that the packet is going to the remote location.