Granted Patent B2

US 7,961,690 · App. 11/482,368 · Granted Jun 14, 2011

Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.

Abstract

Claims (23)

1. A network of wireless switches configured as part of a mobility domain in a mesh network, comprising:

a first mobility area of the mobility domain, comprising: a first designated wireless switch; and a simultaneously active backup designated wireless switch and a first client wireless switch which has an internal peering session with the first designated wireless switch and the backup designated wireless switch in the first mobility area, wherein the internal peering session establishes a tunnel between the first designated wireless switch and the first client wireless switch and a tunnel between the backup designated wireless switch and the first client wireless switch to create control connections there between;

a second mobility area of the mobility domain, comprising:

a second designated wireless switch which has an external peering session with the first designated wireless switch and the backup designated wireless switch in the first mobility area, wherein the external peering session establishes tunnels between the first designated wireless switch in the first mobility area and the second designated wireless switch and between the backup designated wireless switch in the first mobility area and the second designated wireless switch to create control connections there between in order to provide that all designated and backup designated wireless switches in the mobility domain are fully-meshed, wherein client switches have internal peering sessions only with the designated and backup designated switches in their own mobility area, and wherein either the first designated switch or the backup designated switch in the first mobility area is operable to relay control messages between the client switches in its area and the second designated wireless switch over the external peering session; and

a third client wireless switch as part of the second mobility area of the mobility domain, wherein the third client wireless switch has an internal peering session with the second designated wireless, wherein the internal peering session establishes a tunnel between the second designated wireless switch and the third client wireless switch to create control connections there between to effect the mesh network; and

wherein the first mobility area further comprises: a second client wireless switch which has another internal peering session with the first designated wireless switch and backup designated wireless switch in the first mobility area, wherein the another peering session establishes tunnels between the designated and backup designated wireless switches in the first mobility area and the second client wireless switch to create control connections there between to further effect the mesh network.

2. A network according to claim 1 , wherein the first designated wireless switch is configured to relay the control messages to the backup designated wireless switch.

3. A network according to claim 1 , wherein the first mobility area further comprises: a fourth client wireless switch having an internal peering session with the backup designated wireless switch in the first mobility area.

4. A network according to claim 3 , wherein the backup designated wireless switch is configured to relay the control messages to the first, second, and fourth client wireless switches.

5. A network according to claim 4 , wherein the fourth client wireless switch does not have a peering session with first designated wireless switch, the second designated wireless switch, the first client wireless switch, the second client wireless switch, or the third client wireless switch.

6. A method for configuring wireless switches within a mobility domain of a mesh network, comprising:

configuring a first designated wireless switch, a simultaneously active backup designated wireless switch, and a first client wireless switch as part of a first mobility area of the mobility domain;

establishing an internal peering session in the first mobility area between the first client wireless switch, the active backup designated wireless switch, and the first designated wireless switch, wherein the internal peering session establishes a tunnel between the first designated wireless switch and the first client wireless switch and a tunnel between the backup designated wireless switch and the first client wireless switch to create control connections there between;

configuring a second designated wireless switch as part of a second mobility area of the mobility domain;

establishing an external peering session between the first designated wireless switch and the backup designated wireless switch in the first mobility area and the second designated wireless switch in the second mobility area, wherein the external peering session establishes tunnels between the first designated wireless switch in the first mobility area and the second designated wireless switch and between the backup designated wireless switch in the first mobility area and the second designated wireless switch to create control connections there between in order to provide that all designated and backup designated wireless switches in the mobility domain are fully-meshed, wherein client switches have internal peering sessions only with the designated and backup designated switches in their own mobility area, and wherein either the first designated switch or the backup designated switch in the first mobility area is operable to relay control messages between the client switches in its area and the second designated wireless switch over the external peering session;

configuring a third client wireless switch as part of the second mobility area of the mobility domain;

establishing an internal peering session in the second mobility area between the second designated wireless and the third client wireless switch, wherein the internal peering session establishes a tunnel between the second designated wireless switch and the third client wireless switch to create control connections there between to effect the mesh network;

configuring a second client wireless switch as part of the first mobility area of the mobility domain; and

establishing another internal peering session in the first mobility area between the second client wireless switch and the first designated wireless switch and backup designated wireless switch, wherein the another internal peering session establishes tunnels between the designated and backup designated wireless switches in the first mobility area and the second client wireless switch to create control connections there between to effect the mesh network.

7. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

configuring a fourth client wireless switch as part of the first mobility area of the mobility domain; and

establishing another internal peering session in the first mobility area between the fourth client wireless switch and the backup designated wireless switch.

8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the fourth client wireless switch does not have a peering session with first designated wireless switch, the second designated wireless switch, the first client wireless switch, the second client wireless switch, or the third client wireless switch.

Assignments (13)

Continuity (1)