# US 8,542,612 B1 · Method and apparatus for providing a wide area network infrastructure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,612 B1 - Document ID: US8542612B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 11/319,956 - Filed: 2005-12-28 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2005-12-28 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. - Applicants: James Uttaro - Inventors: James Uttaro - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542612B1 ## CPC - H04L 12/2856: {Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access (asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W)} - H04L 12/462: {LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone} - H04L 45/033: by updating distance vector protocols - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for providing a wide area network infrastructure for providing services on IP networks such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks are disclosed. For example, an enterprise customer may subscribe to a service for obtaining a reliable wide area network infrastructure for communicating among two or more customer locations. The network service provider creates a virtual private network in the public domain and another virtual private network in the private domain to interconnect the customer locations. It then connects each customer edge router to two provider edge routers one in each domain and/or instances of provider edge functionality in each domain. Routes are then advertised via two control planes to both virtual private networks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for providing an infrastructure in a communication network, comprising: creating a first virtual private network in a public domain of the communication network; creating a second virtual private network in a private domain of the communication network, wherein the first and the second virtual private networks are controlled via two separate control planes; and advertising routes between two customer sites over the two separate control planes to the first and second virtual private networks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the routes are advertised via border gateway protocol sessions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual private network comprises a public provider edge device, and wherein the second virtual private network comprises a private provider edge device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where the first and second virtual private networks are created in response to a request from a customer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein a menu is provided to the customer for receiving data for connecting the two customer sites with the first and second virtual private networks. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the data received from the customer comprises a number of customer edge routers at each of the two customer sites, a set of address prefixes at each of the two customer sites, and a plurality of proposed locations for a plurality of provider edge routers. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing an infrastructure in a communication network, comprising: creating a first virtual private network in a public domain of the communication network; creating a second virtual private network in a private domain of the communication network, wherein the first and the second virtual private networks are controlled via two separate control planes; and advertising routes between two customer sites over the two separate control planes to the first and second virtual private networks. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the routes are advertised via border gateway protocol sessions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first virtual private network comprises a public provider edge device, and wherein the second virtual private network comprises a private provider edge device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the first and second virtual private networks are created in response to a request from a customer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a menu is provided to the customer for receiving data for connecting the two customer sites with the first and second virtual private networks. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the data received from the customer comprises a number of customer edge routers at each of the two customer sites, a set of address prefixes at each of the two customer sites, and a plurality of proposed locations for a plurality of provider edge routers. ### Claim 15 A system for providing an infrastructure in a communication network, comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising: creating a first virtual private network in a public domain of the communication network; and creating a second virtual private network in a private domain of the communication network, wherein the first and the second virtual private networks are controlled via two separate control planes; and advertising routes between two customer sites over the two separate control planes to the first and second virtual private networks. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the communication network is an internet protocol network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the first virtual private network comprises a public provider edge device, and wherein the second virtual private network comprises a private provider edge device.