Techniques for zero touch provisioning of edge nodes for a virtual private network by pushing configuration from a server

An apparatus for configuring a network interface on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider network to support a virtual private network, comprising the steps of:

• means for storing configuration data at a server on a host computer on a provider network,
• means for determining without human intervention whether conditions are satisfied for sending the configuration data to a particular node at an edge of the provider network without receiving a request message from the particular node;
• and
• means for sending the configuration data to the particular node to cause the particular node to configure a particular interface without human intervention for a particular virtual private network over the provider network based on the configuration data, if it is determined that conditions are satisfied for sending the configuration data,
• wherein:
• the provider network is a packet-switched network;
• the particular virtual private network is a link layer virtual private network;
• the particular node is different from the host;
• and
• the particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network.

An apparatus for configuring a network interface on an intermediate network node at an edge of a provider network to support a virtual private network, comprising:

• a network interface that is coupled to a provider network for communicating therewith a data packet;
• one or more processors;
• a computer-readable medium;
• and
• one or more sequences of instructions stored in the computer-readable medium, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of:
• storing configuration data on the computer-readable medium;
• determining without human intervention whether conditions are satisfied for sending the configuration data to a particular node at an edge of the provider network without receiving a request message from the particular node;
• and
• if it is determined that conditions are satisfied for sending the configuration data, then sending the configuration data to the different node to cause the different node to configure a particular interface without human intervention for a particular virtual private network over the provider network based on the configuration data,
• wherein:
• the provider network is a packet-switched network;
• the particular virtual private network is a link layer virtual private network;
• and
• the particular interface is for a direct communication link to a customer network node outside the provider network.