System, apparatus and method for reducing failover time through redundancy using virtual access points

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium stored on one or more network devices comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to:

store, on a first network device, a plurality of Basic Service Set Identifications (BSSIDs) including:

a first BSSID identifying a first Basic Service Set (BSS) handled by the first network device; and

a second BSSID identifying a second BSS handled by a second network device;

wherein the second network device provides network access to a client device using the second BSSID;

determine that the second network device is not responsive;

based on the determination that the second network device is not responsive, activate a tunnel from the client device to the first network device and configure the first network device to provide the network access to the client device via the tunnel using the second BSSID that was previously used by the second network device without the client device disassociating from the second BSS; and

based on a determination that the second network device has resumed being responsive, configure the first network device to stop providing network access to the client device based on a capacity factor being reached by the first network device and configure the second network device to provide network access to the client device without the client device disassociating from the second BSS.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first and second BSSIDs are stored on the first network device prior to the determination that the second network device is not responsive.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first BSSID is an address of a virtual access point (a) used by the first network device while the first network device is determined to be responsive and (b) used by the second network device subsequent to determining that the first network device is not responsive.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , the instructions further cause the one or more hardware processors to receive state information associated with the client device from the second network device prior to the determination that the second network device is not responsive.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first network device is a first access point and the second network device is a second access point.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein prior to configuring the first access point to provide network access to the client device, the one or more hardware processors are further to select the second access point, from a plurality of access points associated with the first BSSID, for redundantly storing the first BSSID based on a presence of the second access point within a radio frequency (RF) neighborhood of the first access point.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein responsive to the determination that the second access point has resumed being responsive, the instructions cause the one or more hardware processors to configure the first access point to stop providing network access to the client device and the second access point to provide network access to the client device without the client device disassociating from the second BSS.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the second access point is a backup access point configured to provide network access to all client devices associated with the first BSSID based on a determination that the first access point is not responsive.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the determination that the second access point is not responsive is based on the first access point failing to detect one or more messages expected from the second access point.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the determination that the second access point is not responsive is based on a failure to detect, within a prescribed time interval, both a first heartbeat message directed from the second access point to a controller and a second heartbeat message directed from the second access point to the first access point.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein to configure the first access point, the one or more hardware processors are to configure the first access point to respond to a first set of messages, transmitted by the client device, that identify the second BSSID.

12. A method comprising:

storing, on a first access point, a plurality of Basic Service Set Identifications (BSSIDs) including a first BSSID identifying a first Basic Service Set (BSS) handled by the first access point and a second BSSID identifying a second BSS handled by a second access point, wherein the second access point provides services to a client device using the second BSSID;

determining that the second access point is not responsive;

based on the determination that the second access point is not responsive, activating a tunnel from the client device to the first access point and configuring the first access point to provide the services to the client device via the tunnel using the second BSSID that was previously used by the second access point without the client device disassociating from the second BSS; and

responsive to determining that the second access point has resumed being responsive, configuring the first access point to stop providing the services to the client device based on a capacity factor being reached by the first access point and configure the second access point to provide the services to the client device without the client device disassociating from the second BSS.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein storing the first and second BSSIDs on the first access point and the second access point is prior to determining that the first access point is not responsive.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first BSSID is an address of a virtual access point (a) used by the first access point while the first access point is determined to be responsive and (b) used by the second access point subsequent to determining that the first access point is not responsive.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving state information associated with the client device from the second access point prior to determining that the first access point is not responsive.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein prior to configuring the first access point to provide the services to the client device, the method further comprises selecting the second access point, from a plurality of access points associated with the first BSSID, for redundantly storing the first BSSID based on a presence of the second access point within a radio frequency (RF) neighborhood of the first access point.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second access point is a backup access point configured to provide the services to all client devices associated with the first BSSID based on determining that the first access point is not responsive.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining that the first access point is not responsive comprises failing to detect one or more messages expected from the first access point.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining that the first access point is not responsive comprises failing to detect, within a prescribed time interval, both a first heartbeat message directed from the first access point to a controller and a second heartbeat message directed from the first access point to the second access point.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein configuring the first access point comprises configuring the first access point to respond to a first set of messages, transmitted by the client device, that identify the first BSSID, and

wherein the method further comprises configuring the second access point to respond to a second set of messages, transmitted by the client device, that identify the same first BSSID.

21. A first access point, comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the memory including a plurality of Basic Service Set Identifications (BSSIDs) and failover control logic that:

when a second access point that is configured to provide services to at least one client device using a first Basic Service Set Identification (BSSID) is determined to be non-responsive, activates a tunnel from the client device to the first access point and provides network access to the at least one client device via the tunnel using the same first BSSID that was previously used by the second access point and is one of the plurality of BSSIDs without the at least one client device disassociating from the first BSSID; and

when the second access point is determined to have resumed being responsive, stop providing network access to the at least one client device based on a capacity factor being reached by the first client device, wherein the second access point resumes providing network access to the at least one client device.

22. The first access point of claim 21 , wherein the failover control logic receives a message from a controller that at least identifies that the second access point is non-responsive.