Abstract: A system for indirect border gateway routing comprising a provider edge router; at least one virtual routing and forwarding instance in communication with the provider edge router, each virtual routing and forwarding instance including a route target; a pointer identification list in communication with the provider edge router, the pointer identification list containing at least one route target associated with a virtual routing and forwarding instance; and a virtual routing and forwarding import instance adapted to receive a route from the provider edge router, the route including a pointer identification directing the virtual routing and forwarding import instance to scan the pointer identification list for the route target associated with the plural virtual routing and forwarding instance, and wherein the virtual routing and forwarding import instance is further adapted to import the route to the at least one virtual routing and forwarding instance having a route target on the pointer identification list.

Abstract: A system for indirect border gateway routing comprising a provider edge router; at least one virtual routing and forwarding instance in communication with the provider edge router, each virtual routing and forwarding instance including a route target; a pointer identification list in communication with the provider edge router, the pointer identification list containing at least one route target associated with a virtual routing and forwarding instance; and a virtual routing and forwarding import instance adapted to receive a route from the provider edge router, the route including a pointer identification directing the virtual routing and forwarding import instance to scan the pointer identification list for the route target associated with the plural virtual routing and forwarding instance, and wherein the virtual routing and forwarding import instance is further adapted to import the route to the at least one virtual routing and forwarding instance having a route target on the pointer identification list.

Abstract: A network interworking facility (24) advantageously interworks Ethernet and ATM networks (22, 26) having different protocols to permit the data from in one network to pass to the other and vice versa without the need for the source in to account for the protocol of the destination. Upon receipt of an information frame from the source, the interworking facility forms a second frame of a format compatible with the destination network and including the information payload from the first frame. The interworking facility also maps the destination address incorporated in the origin frame to a corresponding destination address of a format compatible with the destination network to facilitate forwarding of the second frame to the destination.

Abstract: Interworking of first and second networks (12, 14) is accomplished by an interworking facility (30) that serves to map the destination address in first frames received from the first network into second destinations addresses compatible with the second network. To conserve such mapping the assignments, the first network encapsulates information frames (32) received from one or more sites associated with a first customer into jumbo frames (34) that have a generic address associated with that customer. At the interworking facility, the individual frames are stripped from the jumbo frame and routed to corresponding destinations in the second network.