mDNS support in unified access networks
View Patent ↗Methods, systems and computer readable media for mDNS support in unified access networks are described.
1. A method comprising:
starting a zero configuration protocol agent on a switch;
electing a first switch of a group of switches to be a gateway switch for a network, wherein the network includes a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), and wherein each switch of the group of switches is part of only a first VLAN in the network, and wherein the first switch is designated as a gateway between the first VLAN and a remainder of the network;
synchronizing service records from the gateway switch to the other switches in the group of switches;
learning, at the gateway switch, a new service from a peer gateway switch that is not in the group of switches;
relaying information about the new service from the gateway switch to other switches in the group of switches, wherein the information is relayed based upon a policy table in the gateway switch, wherein the policy table stores end user privileges associated with the new service;
providing stored service records from the gateway switch in response to a service discovery request message;
monitoring, at one of the switches, service discovery request messages and responses to learn available services;
sending a copy of the available services to a wireless controller;
detecting, at the one switch, a service discovery request;
sending a message from the one switch to the wireless controller requesting the available services;
receiving a response from the wireless controller;
framing the response in a service request protocol format; and
sending the framed response on a network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service discovery request message is a multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) message.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the copy of the available services is sent via a unicast message.
4. A system comprising one or more processors configured to perform operations including:
starting a zero configuration protocol agent on a switch;
electing a first switch of a group of switches to be a gateway switch for a network, wherein the network includes a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), and wherein each switch of the group of switches is part of only a first VLAN in the network, and wherein the first switch is designated as a gateway between the first VLAN and a remainder of the network;
synchronizing service records from the gateway switch to the other switches in the group of switches;
learning, at the gateway switch, a new service from a peer gateway switch that is not in the group of switches;
relaying information about the new service from the gateway switch to other switches in the group of switches, wherein the information is relayed based upon a policy table in the gateway switch, wherein the policy table stores end user privileges associated with the new service;
providing stored service records from the gateway switch in response to a service discovery request message;
monitoring, at one of the switches, service discovery request messages and responses to learn available services;
sending a copy of the available services to a wireless controller;
detecting, at the one switch, a service discovery request;
sending a message from the one switch to the wireless controller requesting the available services;
receiving a response from the wireless controller;
framing the response in a service request protocol format; and
sending the framed response on a network.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the service discovery request message is a multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) message.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the copy of the available services is sent via a unicast message.
7. A nontransitory computer readable medium having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by a processor of a wireless controller, cause the processor to perform operations including:
starting a zero configuration protocol agent on a switch;
electing a first switch of a group of switches to be a gateway switch for a network, wherein the network includes a plurality of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), and wherein each switch of the group of switches is part of only a first VLAN in the network, and wherein the first switch is designated as a gateway between the first VLAN and a remainder of the network;
synchronizing service records from the gateway switch to the other switches in the group of switches;
learning, at the gateway switch, a new service from a peer gateway switch that is not in the group of switches;
relaying information about the new service from the gateway switch to other switches in the group of switches, wherein the information is relayed based upon a policy table in the gateway switch, wherein the policy table stores end user privileges associated with the new service;
providing stored service records from the gateway switch in response to a service discovery request message;
monitoring, at one of the switches, service discovery request messages and responses to learn available services;
sending a copy of the available services to a wireless controller;
detecting, at the one switch, a service discovery request;
sending a message from the one switch to the wireless controller requesting the available services;
receiving a response from the wireless controller;
framing the response in a service request protocol format; and
sending the framed response on a network.
8. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the service discovery request message is a multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) message.
9. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the copy of the available services is sent via a unicast message.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first switch includes an access point.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of VLANs in the network has a respective particular switch designated as a respective gateway switch.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end user privileges specify whether the new service is to be relayed across the network.
13. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of VLANs in the network has a respective particular switch designated as a respective gateway switch.
14. The system of claim 4 , wherein the end user privileges specify whether the new service is to be relayed across the network.
15. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of VLANs in the network has a respective particular switch designated as a respective gateway switch.
16. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the end user privileges specify whether the new service is to be relayed across the network.