Abstract: Virtual Private Network (VPN) service status management apparatus, methods, Graphical User Interfaces, and data structures are disclosed. A service-specific status of a service site in a communication system with respect to a VPN service is managed independently of a service-specific status of the service site with respect to a different VPN service with which the service site is associated. A service site may thus have a different service-specific status in different VPN services. Management of entire VPN services is also facilitated, in that changes in the overall status of a VPN service affects service sites only in respect of that VPN service. In one embodiment, status management is accomplished through automatic manipulation of Route Targets (RTs) in VPN Routing and Forwarding (VRF) tables.

Abstract: A method for testing connectivity of virtual private networks, the virtual private networks including customer edge routers and provider edge routers, the provider edge routers belonging to a network managed by a service provider, the method comprising: displaying a list of the virtual private networks on a display screen of a network management system for the network; receiving a signal from a user to select a virtual private network from the list of the virtual private networks, the virtual private network having a topology, an import route target, and an export route target associated therewith; generating a list of operations to test connectivity of the virtual private network from the topology, the import route target, and the export route target; displaying the list of operations to the user on the display screen; receiving a signal from the user to select an operation from the list of operations, the operation having a source provider edge router and a destination provider edge network associated there

Abstract: A method for generating a route distinguisher for a virtual private network, the virtual private network managed by a service provider through a network management system, the method comprising: receiving a signal from a user through a graphical user interface displayed on a display screen of the network management system to select a format for the route distinguisher; receiving a signal from the user through the graphical user interface to select a policy for determining the route distinguisher; displaying an available value for the route distinguisher on the display screen, the available value determined from the policy and the format, the available value including an administrator subfield value portion and a next assigned number subfield value portion; receiving an administrator subfield value and a next assigned number subfield value from the user through the graphical user interface; and, combining the administrator subfield value and the next assigned number subfield value to generate the route disting