A network can be organized for providing virtual private network services
to customers into two regions. A network core for providing layer 2
transport and an associated number of logical provider edges. Each
logical provider edge is partitioned into first and second portions. The
first portion provides virtual private network services to customers. The
second portion works with the core network to communicate with any other
logical provider edge within the network. The first portion designated as
the PE-Edge includes a group of functions such as a function for
configuring optical Ethernet layer 2 virtual private network service, a
function for service labeling, a function for ingress traffic management,
and a function for information exchange between local VPN and core VPN.
The second portion designated as PE-Core includes a group of functions
such as a function for distributing service labels, a function for
distributing information on transport tunnels, a function for information
exchange between local and core VPN. Within the logical provider edge or
Logical PE, the PE-Edge and PE-Core communicate via a layer 2 network.