Methods for automating membership discovery in a distributed computer network are presented. A particular method includes establishing a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel and Targeted Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) signaling channel between a first Provider Edge (PE) device and a plurality of PE devices. A first Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) site is added to a Multi-Tenant Unit (MTU) device associated with the first PE device. A first LDP Label Mapping Message is sent to the first PE device from the MTU device. The first LDP Label Mapping Message is broadcast to the plurality of PE devices from the first PE device. A second LDP Label Mapping Message is sent to the MTU device from the first PE device to establish a virtual circuit label switch path between the MTU device and the first PE device. A second VPLS site is added to the MTU device without sending an associated LDP Label Mapping Message to the first PE device. A respective one VPLS site of the first VPLS site or the second VPLS site is deleted using a configuration command.