Redundancy at a virtual provider edge node that faces a tunneling protocol core network for virtual private local area network (LAN) service (VPLS)

A method comprising:

• connecting directly each node of a plurality of nodes with every other node of the first plurality of nodes;
• executing logic on each node of the plurality of nodes that causes the plurality of nodes to perform as a single virtual node with a single network address and media access control (MAC) identifier;
• connecting a network interface on each node of the plurality of nodes to the same particular node in a core network that uses a tunneling protocol;
• and
• connecting a different second network interface on each node of the plurality of nodes to a different aggregation network that includes a second plurality of user facing provider edge (UPE) nodes that communicates with a plurality of virtual local area network (VLAN) instance;
• and
• executing logic on the single virtual node for forwarding data packets between the core network and the second plurality of UPE nodes for the plurality of VLAN instances.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of network interfaces that are each configured for communicating a data packet with a packet-switched network;
• logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution, and, when executed, cause one or more processors to:
• receive configuration data including primary node data identifying that the apparatus is a primary node for one or more particular virtual local area network (VLAN) instances;
• identify an indication that a first data packet, received at a network interface of the plurality of network interfaces, corresponds to a VLAN instance;
• determine that the VLAN instance is included in the one or more particular VLAN instances for which the apparatus is the primary node;
• and
• forward the first data packet based at least in part on a determination that the first VLAN instance is included in the one or more particular VLAN instances;
• and
• wherein the apparatus is included in a plurality of edge nodes of a virtual edge node, a fist plurality of the plurality of network interfaces are each configured for communicating a data packet with a core network that uses a tunneling protocol, and a second plurality of the plurality of network interfaces are each configured for communicating a data packet with an aggregation network that includes a plurality of user facing provider edge (UPE) nodes that communicate with the plurality of VLAN instances.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of network interfaces that are each configured for communicating a data packet with an aggregation packet-switched network that includes a plurality of user facing provider edge (UPE) nodes that communicates with a plurality of virtual local area network (VLAN) instances;
• a second plurality of network interfaces that are each configured for communicating a data packet with a particular node in a core packet-switched network that uses a tunneling protocol for forwarding data packets for the plurality of VLAN instances;
• a plurality of processors, wherein each one of the plurality of processors is connected to a network interface of the plurality of network interfaces and a network interface of the second plurality of network interfaces and to every other processor in the plurality of processors;
• and
• logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution on the plurality of processors, and, when executed, operable for
• causing the plurality of processors to perform as a single virtual node with a single network address and media access control (MAC) identifier, and
• forwarding data packets between the core network and the second plurality of user facing provider edge (UPE) nodes for the plurality of VLAN instances.