Managing a communications system based on software defined networking (SDN) architecture
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to managing a communications system based on software defined networking (SDN) architecture. An SDN controller is provided in the communications system to manage a wireless distribution system (WDS) and a local area network (LAN) based on SDN architecture. The SDN controller is communicatively coupled to a WDS control system in the WDS and a LAN control system in the LAN via respective SDN control data plane interfaces (CDPIs). The SDN controller analyzes a WDS performance report and a LAN performance report and provides a WDS configuration instruction(s) and/or a LAN configuration instruction(s) to the WDS control system and/or the LAN control system to reconfigure a WDS element(s) and/or a LAN element(s) to improve quality-of-experiences (QoEs) of the communications system. Monitoring and optimizing the WDS and the LAN based on a unified software-based network management platform can improve performance at reduced operational costs and complexity.
1. A software defined networking (SDN) controller in a communications system, the SDN controller configured to:
receive a wireless distribution system (WDS) performance report from a WDS control system in communication with the SDN controller and a WDS comprising a plurality of remote units;
receive a local area network (LAN) performance report from a LAN control system in communication with the SDN controller and a LAN;
determine whether quality-of-experiences (QoEs) of the communications system meet performance targets;
provide a WDS configuration instruction to the WDS control system in response to determining that the WDS needs to be reconfigured to improve the QoEs of the communications system; and
provide a LAN configuration instruction to the LAN control system in response to determining that the LAN needs to be reconfigured to improve the QoEs of the communications system, wherein:
the LAN control system is configured to:
determine a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that is out of service; and
generate the LAN performance report indicating that the selected RF circuit is out of service; and
the SDN controller is configured to provide the WDS configuration instruction to the WDS control system to shift capacity to a selected remote unit in the WDS that is collocated with the selected RF circuit.
2. The SDN controller of claim 1 , wherein the WDS control system is configured to:
determine a selected remote unit in the WDS that has increased connection count; and
generate the WDS performance report indicating that the selected remote unit has the increased connection count.
3. The SDN controller of claim 2 , wherein the SDN controller is configured to provide the LAN configuration instruction to the LAN control system to shift bandwidth allocation from the LAN to the selected remote unit.
4. The SDN controller of claim 1 , wherein the LAN control system is configured to:
determine a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that is over capacity; and
generate the LAN performance report indicating that the selected RF circuit is over capacity.
5. The SDN controller of claim 1 , wherein the WDS control system is configured to:
determine a selected remote unit in the WDS that experiences interference; and
generate the WDS performance report indicating the selected remote unit that experiences interference.
6. The SDN controller of claim 1 , wherein the WDS control system is configured to:
determine a selected remote unit in the WDS that consumes excessive power; and
generate the WDS performance report indicating the selected remote unit that consumes excessive power.
7. The SDN controller of claim 1 , wherein the LAN control system is configured to:
determine a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that consumes excessive power; and
generate the LAN performance report indicating the selected RF circuit that consumes excessive power.
8. The SDN controller of claim 1 , wherein the LAN control system is configured to:
determine a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that has increased connection count; and
generate the LAN performance report indicating that the selected RF circuit has the increased connection count.
9. A software defined networking (SDN) controller in a communications system, the SDN controller configured to:
receive a wireless distribution system (WDS) performance report from a WDS control system in communication with the SDN controller and a WDS comprising a plurality of remote units;
receive a local area network (LAN) performance report from a LAN control system in communication with the SDN controller and a LAN;
determine whether quality-of-experiences (QoEs) of the communications system meet performance targets;
provide a WDS configuration instruction to the WDS control system in response to determining that the WDS needs to be reconfigured to improve the QoEs of the communications system; and
provide a LAN configuration instruction to the LAN control system in response to determining that the LAN needs to be reconfigured to improve the QoEs of the communications system, wherein:
the WDS control system is configured to provide the WDS performance report to the SDN controller and receive the WDS configuration instruction from the SDN controller via a first SDN control data plane interface (CDPI); and
the LAN control system is configured to provide the LAN performance report to the SDN controller and receive the LAN configuration instruction from the SDN controller via a second SDN CDPI.
10. The SDN controller of claim 9 , wherein the LAN control system is configured to:
determine a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that is over capacity; and
generate the LAN performance report indicating that the selected RF circuit is over capacity.
11. The SDN controller of claim 10 , wherein the SDN controller is configured to provide the WDS configuration instruction and the LAN configuration instruction to the WDS control system and the LAN control system, respectively, to move a LAN client device associated with the selected RF circuit to a selected remote unit that is collocated with the selected RF circuit.
12. The SDN controller of claim 9 , wherein the WDS control system is configured to:
determine a selected remote unit in the WDS that experiences interference; and
generate the WDS performance report indicating the selected remote unit that experiences interference.
13. The SDN controller of claim 12 , wherein the SDN controller is configured to provide the WDS configuration instruction and the LAN configuration instruction to the WDS control system and the LAN control system, respectively, to move a WDS client device associated with the selected remote unit to a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit that is collocated with the selected remote unit.
14. The SDN controller of claim 9 , wherein the WDS control system is configured to:
determine a selected remote unit in the WDS that consumes excessive power; and
generate the WDS performance report indicating the selected remote unit that consumes excessive power.
15. The SDN controller of claim 14 , wherein the SDN controller is configured to provide the WDS configuration instruction to the WDS control system to reduce power supply to selected service antennas in the selected remote unit.
16. The SDN controller of claim 9 , wherein the LAN control system is configured to:
determine a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that consumes excessive power; and
generate the LAN performance report indicating the selected RF circuit that consumes excessive power.
17. The SDN controller of claim 16 , wherein the SDN controller is configured to provide the LAN configuration instruction to the LAN control system to reduce power supply to selected service antennas in the selected RF circuit.
18. The SDN controller of claim 9 , wherein the LAN control system is configured to:
determine a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that has increased connection count; and
generate the LAN performance report indicating that the selected RF circuit has the increased connection count.
19. The SDN controller of claim 18 , wherein the SDN controller is configured to provide the WDS configuration instruction to the WDS control system to shift capacity from the WDS to the selected RF circuit.
20. A software defined networking (SDN) controller in a communications system, the SDN controller configured to:
receive a wireless distribution system (WDS) performance report from a WDS control system in communication with the SDN controller and a WDS comprising a plurality of remote units;
receive a local area network (LAN) performance report from a LAN control system in communication with the SDN controller and a LAN;
analyze the WDS performance report and the LAN performance report to determine whether quality-of-experiences (QoEs) of the communications system meet performance targets;
provide a WDS configuration instruction to the WDS control system in response to determining that the WDS needs to be reconfigured to improve the QoEs of the communications system; and
provide a LAN configuration instruction to the LAN control system in response to determining that the LAN needs to be reconfigured to improve the QoEs of the communications system, wherein:
the WDS control system is configured to:
determine a selected remote unit in the WDS that is powered down; and
generate the WDS performance report indicating that the selected remote unit is powered down; and
the SDN controller is configured to provide the LAN configuration instruction to the LAN control system to reconfigure quality-of-service (QoS) parameters of the LAN to increase bandwidth of a selected radio frequency (RF) circuit in the LAN that is collocated with the selected remote unit.