In one embodiment, a method by an edge router configured to operate at a first site of a software-defined wide-area network includes receiving a data packet from a first host located in the first site, where the data packet is destined to a second host located in a second site, determining that an identifier of a second group to which the second host belongs is not available at the edge router, sending a request for an identifier of the second group to a network apparatus, where the request may comprise an address of the second host, receiving a response comprising the identifier of the second group from the network apparatus, determining that the second group is a destination group, applying one or more policies associated with the destination group to the data packet, and causing the data packet to be routed to the second host.