WLAN testing using an RF abstraction layer
A technique for testing wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) infrastructure is described. In particular, a radio-frequency abstraction layer (RFAL) in a physical instance of an electronic device is used to simulate the physical layer communication hardware and radio channels. RFAL allows frames in initial packets that are compatible with a WLAN communication protocol (such as an IEEE 802.11 standard) to be encapsulated in the data-link layer into additional packets that are compatible with a network communication protocol (such as an IEEE 802.3 standard). These additional packets can include information that characterizes transmission of the packet through a simulated radio-frequency environment so that the software stack associated with a physical or virtual instance of an electronic device can be exercised as if the packet had been received over a wireless connection. Then, the additional packets can be communicated via Ethernet (i.e., without radio-frequency communication) among virtual instances of access points, clients and/or WLAN controllers.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
a network interface circuit;
a processor coupled to the network interface circuit; and
a memory, coupled to the processor, storing program instructions configured to be executed by the processor, wherein, when executed by the processor, the program instructions cause the electronic device to perform one or more operations comprising:
encapsulating, without regard to a type of MPDU, a first media access control (MAC) layer protocol data unit (MPDU) compatible with a wireless physical layer communication protocol and adding additional information that characterizes transmission of the first MPDU through a modeled radio-frequency environment into a second MPDU compatible with a wired medium communication protocol; and
communicating, from the network interface circuit, the second MPDU intended for one or more virtual electronic devices using the wired medium communication protocol, wherein the one or more virtual electronic devices are simulated during testing.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operations comprise communicating, from the network interface circuit, the second MPDU intended for another electronic device; and
wherein the network interface circuit is configured to communicate over at least one wired medium.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operations comprise generating the second MPDU.
4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the additional information comprises one of: pathloss, data rate, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), received signal-strength information (RSSI) and a phase angle of arrival.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the modeled radio-frequency environment is related to specific geo-spatial coordinates of one of: an environment, a portable electronic device, and an access point.
6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the geo-spatial coordinates of the portable electronic device or the access point are time-varying.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the additional information comprises layer 3 addressing.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operations comprise encapsulating one of: IEEE 802.11 control frames, and IEEE 802.11 management frames.
9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operations comprise detecting a third MPDU compatible with a second wireless physical layer communication protocol comprising additional information that characterizes a second simulated radio-frequency environment encapsulated in a fourth MPDU compatible with the wired medium communication protocol received from a wired medium.
10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more operations comprise:
de-encapsulating the detected the third MPDU; and
processing the third MPDU in accordance with the additional information accompanying the third MPDU.
11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processing of the third MPDU occurs without using the second wireless physical layer communication protocol that communicates frames via a wireless medium.
12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processing of the third MPDU comprises communicating, from the network interface circuit, the third MPDU intended for another electronic device.
13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more operations comprise:
de-encapsulating the detected the third MPDU;
determining transmit information in accordance with the additional information accompanying the third MPDU; and
transmitting, from a wireless interface circuit, the third MPDU in accordance with the transmit information.
14. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the third MPDU originates from a location outside a radio-frequency range of the electronic device.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein, when executed by the electronic device, the program instructions cause the electronic device to encapsulate a first media access control (MAC) layer protocol data unit (MPDU) by performing one or more operations comprising:
encapsulating, without regard to a type of MPDU, the first MPDU compatible with a wireless physical layer communication protocol and adding additional information that characterizes transmission of the first MPDU through a modeled radio-frequency environment into a second MPDU compatible with a wired medium communication protocol; and
communicating, from the network interface circuit, the second MPDU intended for one or more virtual electronic devices using the wired medium communication protocol, wherein the one or more virtual electronic devices are simulated during testing.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more operations comprise communicating, from a network interface circuit, the second MPDU intended for another electronic device.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the additional information comprises one or more of: pathloss, data rate, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), received signal-strength information (RSSI) and a phase angle of arrival.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the modeled radio-frequency environment is related to specific geo-spatial coordinates of one of: an environment, a portable electronic device, and an access point.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the additional information comprises layer 3 addressing.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more operations comprise detecting a third MPDU compatible with a second wireless physical layer communication protocol comprising additional information that characterizes a second simulated radio-frequency environment encapsulated in a fourth MPDU compatible with the wired medium communication protocol received from a wired medium.
21. A method for communicating a second media access control (MAC) layer protocol data unit (MPDU), comprising:
by an electronic device:
encapsulating, without regard to a type of MPDU, the first MPDU compatible with a wireless physical layer communication protocol and adding additional information that characterizes transmission of a first MPDU through a modeled radio-frequency environment into a second MPDU compatible with a wired medium communication protocol; and
communicating, via a network interface circuit, the second MPDU to intended for one or more virtual electronic devices using the wired medium communication protocol, wherein the one or more virtual electronic devices are simulated during testing.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the additional information comprises one or more of: pathloss, data rate, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), received signal-strength information (RSSI) and a phase angle of arrival.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the modeled radio-frequency environment is related to specific geo-spatial coordinates of one of: an environment, a portable electronic device, and an access point.