Traffic forwarding

1. A method for traffic forwarding in a network where a virtual local area network (VLAN) exists in multiple network sites that are geographically dispersed and connected via virtual links, the method being applicable to a first edge device (ED) at a first site, the method comprising:

receiving, from a second ED at a second site, information identifying a VLAN of the second ED at the second site through a first virtual link, wherein the VLAN identified in the information is an active VLAN of the second ED, wherein the second site further includes a third ED connected to the first ED at the first site via a second virtual link, and the VLAN identified in the information is not an active VLAN of the third ED at the second site;

recording an association between (i) the VLAN of the second ED and (ii) the first virtual link through which the information is received from the second ED; and

when forwarding traffic to the VLAN of the second ED at the second site, determining that the first virtual link is a link associated with the VLAN of the second ED based on the recorded association and forwarding, by the first ED at the first site, the traffic via the first virtual link of the second ED at the second site and not via the second virtual link of the third ED at the second site.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending information identifying a VLAN of the first ED via a virtual link of the first ED, wherein the VLAN identified in the information is an active VLAN of the first ED.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first site is a multi-homed site that connects to a public network via the first ED and at least one other ED, and the method further comprises:

negotiating with the at least one other ED to elect the first ED as being responsible for traffic forwarding within the active VLAN of the first ED.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first site is a single-homed site that connects to a public network via the first ED only, and the method further comprises: setting a VLAN used for layer 2 virtual interconnection as the active VLAN of the first ED.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the association between the VLAN of the second ED and the first virtual link through which the information identifying the active VLAN of the second ED is recorded in a database item in a database; and

determining that the first virtual link is a link associated with the VLAN of the second ED comprises searching for a database item containing the VLAN in the database.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic is a broadcast traffic for broadcasting or multicast traffic for flooding.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network connecting multiple network sites at layer 2 is Ethernet Virtual Interconnect (EVI), and the virtual link is a virtual Ethernet link.

8. A network device for traffic forwarding in a network where a virtual local area network (VLAN) exists in multiple network sites that are geographically dispersed and connected via virtual links, wherein the network device acts as a first edge device (ED) at a first site, and comprises a processor to:

receive, from a second ED at a second site, information identifying a VLAN of the second ED through a first virtual link, wherein the VLAN identified in the information is an active VLAN of the second ED, wherein the second site further includes a third ED connected to the first ED at the first site via a second virtual link, and the VLAN is not an active VLAN of the third ED at the second site;

record an association between (i) the VLAN of the second ED and (ii) the first virtual link through which the information is received from the second ED; and

based on forwarding traffic to the VLAN of the second ED at the second site, determine that the first virtual link is a link associated with the VLAN of the second ED based on the recorded association and forward the traffic via the first virtual link of the second ED at the second site and not via the second virtual link of the third ED at the second site.

9. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further to send information identifying a VLAN of the first ED via a virtual link of the first ED, wherein the VLAN identified in the information is an active VLAN of the first ED.

10. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the first site is a multi-homed site that connects to a public network via the first ED and at least one other ED, and the processor is further to:

negotiate with the at least one other ED to elect the first ED as being responsible for traffic forwarding within the active VLAN of the first ED.

11. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the first site is a single-homed site that connects to a public network via the first ED only, and the processor is further to:

set a VLAN used for layer 2 virtual interconnection as the active VLAN of the first ED.

12. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the information identifying the VLAN of the second ED is received using Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (ISIS) Protocol notification.

13. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the traffic is a broadcast traffic for broadcasting or multicast traffic for flooding.

14. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the network connecting multiple network sites at layer 2 is Ethernet Virtual Interconnect (EVI), and the first virtual link is a virtual Ethernet link.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information identifying the VLAN of the second ED is received using an Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (ISIS) Protocol notification.

16. A first edge device (ED) at a first site for forwarding traffic in a network where a virtual local area network (VLAN) exists in multiple network sites that are geographically dispersed and connected via virtual links, the first edge device comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive, from a second ED at a second site via a first virtual link, information identifying that the VLAN is an active VLAN of the second ED at the second site, wherein the second site further includes a third ED connected to the first ED at the first site via a second virtual link, and the VLAN is not an active VLAN of the third ED at the second site;

receive, from a fourth ED at a third site via a third virtual link, information identifying that the VLAN is an active VLAN of the fourth ED at the third site;

record an association between the VLAN and the first and third virtual links through which the information from the second and fourth EDs, respectively, is received; and

when forwarding traffic to the VLAN, determine that the first and third virtual links are associated with the VLAN based on the recorded association and forward the traffic via the determined first and third virtual links, and not via the third virtual link of the third ED at the second site.

17. The first edge device of claim 16 , wherein the first site further includes a fifth ED, and wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to:

negotiate with the fifth ED to elect the first ED as being responsible for traffic forwarding within the active VLAN of the first ED.

18. The first edge device of claim 16 , wherein the information identifying that the VLAN is an active VLAN of the second ED is received using Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (ISIS) Protocol notification.

19. The first edge device of claim 16 , wherein the network is Ethernet Virtual Interconnect (EVI), and the first and second virtual links are virtual Ethernet links.