If the merge is successful, routing tables of neighboring zones' nodes are updated to reflect the merge. The network will see the subsection of the overlay network as one, single zone after a merge and treat all routing processing with this mindset. To effectuate a take-over, the take-over node updates neighboring zones' nodes' routing tables, so that requests to either zone resolve to the take-over node. And, as such, the network still sees the subsection of the overlay network as two separate zones and treats all routing processing with this mindset.