Architecture using inexpensive, managed wireless switching points to deliver large scale WLAN
View Patent ↗Methods, apparatus and a computer program product provide for a network architecture implemented between a Wireless Switching Point and a remote Wireless Controller. The Wireless Switching Point contains only a first data plane portion. At least one incoming data packet is received at a respective port of the Wireless Switching Point. Based on data included within the at least one incoming data packet, the Wireless Switching Point determines a first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the Wireless Switching Point. The Wireless Switching Point uploads the first current network interface to a remote Wireless Controller—which implements a first control plane capability on behalf of the Wireless Switching Point. After uploading the first current network interface, the Wireless Switching Point receives an update, provided by the remote Wireless Controller, to the first current network interface.
1. A method comprising:
in a first network device containing only a first data plane portion:
based on data included within at least one incoming data packet, determining a first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the first network device, the at least one incoming data packet received at the at least one port of the first network device;
uploading the first current network interface to a remote Wireless Controller, the remote Wireless Controller implementing a first control plane capability on behalf of the first network device; and
after uploading the first current network interface, receiving an update to the first current network interface, the update provided by the remote Wireless Controller.
2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein determining the first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the first network device includes:
extracting the data from at least one layer of the incoming data packet;
utilizing the data to determine at least one characteristic of protocol activity currently occurring at the port of the first network device; and
creating the current network interface based on the at least one characteristic of protocol activity.
3. The method as in claim 2 , wherein utilizing the data to determine the at least one characteristic of protocol activity currently occurring at the port of the first network device includes:
selecting at least one from a group comprising:
(i) identifying a link status on the port, wherein identifying the link status includes: identifying the link speed;
(ii) identifying a type of vendor associated with a device connected to the port; and
(iii) identifying at least one virtual local area network (VLAN) observed at the port.
(iv) identifying at least one Internet Protocol subnet observed at the port.
4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein uploading the first current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller includes:
uploading the current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller while the remote Wireless Controller implements a second control plane capability on behalf of a second network device, the second network device containing only a second data plane portion.
5. The method as in claim 1 , comprising:
wherein determining the first current network interface of the first network device occurs during an initialization process of the first network device; and
wherein the initialization process includes: obtaining a network address of the at least one port of the first network device.
6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein receiving the update to the first current network interface includes:
receiving an indication that the first current network interface is valid; and
receiving at least one configuration message from the remote Wireless Controller.
7. The method as in claim 6 , comprising: reconfiguring the at least on port based on the configuration message received from the remote Wireless Controller.
8. The method as in claim 7 , wherein reconfiguring the at least on port based on the configuration message includes:
storing the first current network interface;
rebooting the first network device; and
as the first network device boots up, modifying the first current network interface based on the configuration message received from the remote Wireless Controller.
9. The method as in claim 1 , comprising:
wherein determining the first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the first network device includes:
extracting the data from at least one layer of the incoming data packet;
utilizing the data to determine at least one characteristic of protocol activity currently occurring at the port of the first network device; and
creating the current network interface based on the at least one characteristic of protocol activity;
wherein uploading the first current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller includes:
uploading the current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller, the remote Wireless Controller concurrently implementing the first control plane capability with a second control plane capability on behalf of a second network device, the second network device containing only a second data plane portion; and
wherein receiving the update to the first current network interface includes:
receiving an indication that the first current network interface is valid; and
receiving at least one configuration message from the remote Wireless Controller, the at least one configuration message providing a reconfiguration of the at least one port of the first network device to occur during a reboot of the first network device.
10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions encoded thereon operable on a computerized device to perform processing comprising:
instructions for determining, in a first network device containing only a first data plane portion, a first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the first network device, the first current network interface based on data included within at least one incoming data packet received at the at least one port of the first network device;
instructions for uploading the first current network interface to a remote Wireless Controller, the remote Wireless Controller implementing a first control plane capability on behalf of the first network device; and
instructions for receiving, after uploading the first current network interface, an update to the first current network interface, the update provided by the remote Wireless Controller.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 10 , wherein the instructions for determining the first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the first network device include:
instructions for extracting the data from at least one layer of the incoming data packet;
instructions for utilizing the data to determine at least one characteristic of protocol activity currently occurring at the port of the first network device; and
instructions for creating the current network interface based on the at least one characteristic of protocol activity.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 11 , wherein the instructions for utilizing the data to determine the at least one characteristic of protocol activity currently occurring at the port of the first network device include:
instructions for selecting at least one from a group comprising:
(i) instructions for identifying a link status on the port, wherein identifying the link status includes: identifying the link speed;
(ii) instructions for identifying a type of vendor associated with a device connected to the port; and
(iii) instructions for identifying at least one virtual local area network
(VLAN) observed at the port.
(iv) instructions for identifying at least one Internet Protocol subnet
observed at the port.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 10 , wherein the instructions for uploading the first current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller include:
instructions for uploading the current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller while the remote Wireless Controller implements a second control plane capability on behalf of a second network device, the second network device containing only a second data plane portion.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 10 , comprising:
wherein the instructions for determining the first current network interface of the first network device are executable with respect to an initialization process of the first network device; and
wherein the initialization process includes: instructions for obtaining a network address of the at least one port of the first network device.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 10 , wherein the instructions for receiving the update to the first current network interface includes:
instructions for receiving an indication that the first current network interface is valid; and
instructions for receiving at least one configuration message from the remote wireless controller.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 15 , comprising:
instructions for reconfiguring the at least on port based on the configuration message received from the remote Wireless Controller.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 16 , wherein the instructions of r reconfiguring the at least on port based on the configuration message includes:
instructions for storing the first current network interface;
instructions for rebooting the first network device; and
instructions for modifying, as the first network device reboots, the first current network interface based on the configuration message received from the remote Wireless Controller.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 10 , comprising:
wherein the instructions for determining the first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the first network device include:
instructions for extracting the data from at least one layer of the incoming data packet;
instructions for utilizing the data to determine at least one characteristic of protocol activity currently occurring at the port of the first network device; and
instructions for creating the current network interface based on the at least one characteristic of protocol activity;
wherein the instructions for uploading the first current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller include:
instructions for uploading the current network interface to the remote Wireless Controller, the remote Wireless Controller concurrently implementing the first control plane capability with a second control plane capability on behalf of a second network device, the second network device containing only a second data plane portion; and
wherein the instructions for receiving the update to the first current network interface include:
instructions for receiving an indication that the first current network interface is valid; and
instructions for receiving at least one configuration message from the remote Wireless Controller, the at least one configuration message providing a reconfiguration of the at least one port of the first network device to occur during a reboot of the first network device.
19. A network device comprising:
a processor;
a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; and
an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of:
based on data included within at least one incoming data packet, determining a first current network interface utilized by at least one port of the network device, the at least one incoming data packet received at the at least one port of the network device;
uploading the first current network interface to a remote Wireless Controller, the remote Wireless Controller implementing a first control plane capability on behalf of the network device; and
after uploading the first current network interface, receiving an update to the first current network interface, the update provided by the remote Wireless Controller.
20. A method comprising:
in a first network device:
receiving a current network interface from at least one remote network device, the first network device implementing a control plane capability, in accordance with a network architecture, on behalf of the remote network device, wherein the remote network device implements a data control plane in accordance with the network architecture;
processing the current network interface to produce a configuration message, the configuration message managing the remote network device with respect to protocol activity on at least one port of the remote network device; and
transmitting the configuration message to the remote network device.