Methods and apparatus for priority-based adoption of an access device
Apparatus and methods are provided for priority-based adoption of access devices coupled to a wireless switch. A method comprises maintaining a respective adoption priority for each of a plurality of access devices adopted by the wireless switch. The method further comprises receiving, in response to a disconnection event, an adoption request from a first access device coupled to the wireless switch, wherein the first access device has an adoption priority. The method further comprises analyzing the adoption priority for the first access device, and responding to the adoption request in a manner that is influenced by the analysis.
1. A method for re-adopting wireless local area network access points coupled to a wireless switch after the wireless switch resumes operation after a disconnect of the wireless switch and access point, the method comprising:
assigning and storing a respective adoption priority based on a monitored data throughput metric for each of a plurality of access points previously adopted by, and during previous association with, the wireless switch before the disconnect;
receiving an adoption request from an access point of the plurality of access points after the wireless switch resumes operation; and
responding to the adoption request based on the stored respective adoption priority of the access point.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the respective priority to each access point includes each access point having an initial adoption priority based on a location of the access point.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data throughput metric is based on the number of wireless clients associated with each respective access point.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the throughput metric includes any one of the group consisting of a packet rate and a data rate.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of access points subscribed to the switch exceeds an adoption limit of the switch.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switch is operable to adopt access points up to an adoption limit.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adoption priority is also based on type of data previously communicated by each access point.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein responding to the adoption request based on the respective priority of the access device comprises:
comparing the respective priority of the access device to a reference priority based on a limit to the number of devices that can be adopted by the switch; and
if the respective priority of the access device is higher than the reference priority, adopting the access device by the wireless switch.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing all pending adoption requests to each other, and adopting only the highest priority access points not greater than an adoption limit.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adoption request from the access point to the switch is received after the wireless switch is reset.
11. A wireless switch for a computer network, the wireless switch comprising:
a communication module, the communication module being configured to communicate with access devices coupled to the wireless switch;
a processor coupled to the communication module, wherein the processor is configured to:
assign and store a respective adoption priority based on a monitored data throughput metric for each access point of a plurality of access points adopted by and coupled to the wireless switch before a disconnect of the wireless switch and access point;
receive an adoption request from a first access point of the plurality of access points after the wireless switch disconnects and resumes operation, the first access point having been previously adopted by the wireless switch;
respond to the adoption request based on the stored respective adoption priority of the access point.