Systems and methods for routing internet packets between enterprise network sites

1. A firewall comprising:

at least one memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send at least one packet to two or more hosts at a second site,

receive, from the first router, a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to the two or more hosts at a first site, and

receive a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix;

determine a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value;

send the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement;

receive a second community value from the second router, in a third advertisement, associated with a second sub-network prefix;

generate a second local preference value based at least in part on the second community value and the first local preference value; and

send the second local preference value to the first router in a fourth advertisement.

2. The firewall of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to determine a route to the two or more hosts at the first site using the first sub-network prefix.

3. The firewall of claim 1 , wherein the request from the first router is a request received from the two or more hosts, on a first network, connected to the first router.

4. The firewall of claim 1 , wherein the request received from the first router comprises a second request received by the first router from the two or more hosts at a third site assigned to the first network requesting a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.

5. The firewall of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a second sub-network prefix, in a second route advertisement, from the second router, wherein the second router is associated with the two or more hosts at the second site, and

wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.

6. The firewall of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

send the second sub-network prefix to the first router, in a third route advertisement, in response to the request from the first router, wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the hosts at the second site from the first router.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions stored therein, which when executed by at least one processor of a firewall, cause the at least one processor to perform the operation of:

receiving a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send one or more packets to two or more hosts at the second site,

receiving a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to two or more hosts at the first site from the first router, and

receiving a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix;

generating a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value;

sending the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement;

receiving a second community value from the second router associated with the second sub-network prefix in a third advertisement;

generating a second local preference value based at least in part on the second community value and the first local preference value; and

sending the second local preference value to the first router in a fourth advertisement.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a second sub-network prefix, in a second route advertisement, from the second router, wherein the second router is associated with the two or more hosts at the second site, and

wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site; and

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform the operations of:

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router, in a fifth route advertisement, wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site from the first router.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the first sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the first site.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the first and second local preference values are numerical values.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the request from the first router is a request received from two or more hosts, on the first network, connected to the first router.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the request received from the first router comprises a second request received by the first router from hosts at a third site assigned to the first network requesting a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.

14. A method of routing packets between hosts at a first site and hosts at a second site in a network using a firewall, the method comprising:

receiving a request, in a first packet, from a first router to send one or more packets to two or more hosts at the second site,

receiving a first sub-network prefix, in a route advertisement, corresponding to two or more hosts at the first site from the first router, and

receiving a first community value, in a first advertisement, associated with the first sub-network prefix;

generating a first local preference value based at least in part on the first community value;

sending the request, first sub-network prefix, and first local preference value to a second router, in a second advertisement;

receiving a second community value from the second router associated with the second sub-network prefix in a third advertisement;

generating a second local preference value based at least in part on the second community value and the first local preference value; and

sending the second local preference value to the first router in a fourth advertisement.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving a second sub-network prefix, in a second route advertisement, from the second router, wherein the second router is associated with the two or more hosts at the second site, and

wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site; and

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

sending the second sub-network prefix to the first router, in a fifth route advertisement, wherein the second sub-network prefix provides a route to the two or more hosts at the second site from the first router.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the request from the first router is a request received from two or more hosts, on the first network, connected to the first router.

18. The method of claim 14 , the request received from the first router comprises a second request received by the first router from two or more hosts at a third site assigned to the first network requesting a route to the two or more hosts at the second site.