Method for operating multi-domain provider Ethernet networks

A method of providing access to a network service instance hosted in a home network domain to customer site in a foreign network domain, the method comprising:

• in the foreign network domain:
• receiving from the customer site in the foreign network domain a request to access the network service instance;
• requesting authentication of the customer site from the home network domain;
• in response to receiving authentication of the customer site from the home network domain, establishing an attachment virtual circuit between the customer site in the foreign network domain and an access gateway of the foreign network domain, the attachment virtual circuit being associated with a service instance identifier;
• extending the attachment virtual circuit over a trunk from the access gateway of the foreign network domain through a border gateway of the foreign network domain to a boundary of the foreign network domain for connection to a border gateway of the home network domain at the boundary of the foreign network domain, the extended attachment virtual circuit being identified within the trunk by the service instance identifier;
• receiving foreign-domain-bound traffic tagged with the service instance identifier on the extended attachment virtual circuit at the boundary of the foreign network domain;
• forwarding the received foreign-domain-bound traffic on the extended attachment virtual circuit through the foreign network domain to the customer site based, at least in part, on the service instance identifier;
• receiving traffic from the customer site;
• tagging the traffic received from the customer site with the service instance identifier;
• and
• forwarding the tagged traffic on the extended attachment virtual circuit through the foreign network domain toward the border gateway of the home network domain.