Load balancing among bands and access points in a wireless network
During operation, an access point communicates with one or more electronic devices. Based at least on the communication, the access point determines an available capacity metric of the access point. Then, the access point provides the determined available capacity metric to one or more second access points, and receives available capacity metrics of the one or more second access points. Moreover, the access point compares the available capacity metric and a parameter corresponding to the available capacity metrics. Based at least in part on the comparison, the access point dynamically and selectively performs load balancing, where performing the load balancing involves providing a recommendation to at least a first electronic device of the one or more electronic devices, and where the recommendation indicates that the first electronic device, which is associated with the access point, transition to a different communication channel.
1. An access point, comprising:
a network node;
an antenna node configured to couple to an antenna; and
an interface circuit, coupled to the network node and the antenna node, configured to communicate via wireless communication with one or more electronic devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN) that is compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, and to communicate via wired communication or wireless communication with one or more second access points in the WLAN, wherein the access point is configured to:
communicate, via the antenna node, one or more packets or frames intended for or associated with the one or more electronic devices;
determine, based at least on the communication, an available capacity metric of the access point;
provide, to the network node or the antenna node, one or more messages intended for the one or more second access points, wherein the one or more messages comprise the determined available capacity metric;
receive, at the network node or the antenna node, one or more second messages associated with the one or more second access points, wherein the one or more second messages comprise available capacity metrics of the one or more second access points;
compare the available capacity metric and a parameter corresponding to the available capacity metrics;
provide, address to another access point, a request to perform a scan for communication associated with the electronic device;
receive, associated with the other access point, a trigger message;
provide, addressed to the electronic device, fake traffic that is otherwise unnecessary;
receive, associated with the electronic device, an acknowledgment for the fake traffic:
receive, associated with the other access point, a report that specifies communication performance of the electronic device; and
dynamically perform, based at least in part on the comparison, load balancing, wherein the load balancing comprises selectively providing a recommendation intended for at least a first electronic device of the one or more electronic devices, wherein the recommendation indicates that the first electronic device, which is associated with the access point, transition to a different communication channel,
wherein the recommendation is based at least in part on the report,
wherein the recommendation allows the first electronic device to accept the transition or to ignore the recommendation and to remain with a current communication channel, and
wherein the different communication channel is in a first band of frequencies and is associated with the access point.
2. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the available capacity metric is associated with a second band of frequencies.
3. The access point of claim 1 , wherein, prior to the load balancing, communication with the first electronic device uses a second band of frequencies.
4. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the comparison indicates that the access point is overloaded in a second band of frequencies.
5. The access point of claim 1 , wherein providing the recommendation uses a basic service set transition management (BTM) protocol.
6. The access point of claim 5 , wherein, when the first electronic device does not support the BTM protocol, the access point is configured to de-associate from the first electronic device.
7. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the parameter comprises a headroom value plus a moment of a distribution of the available capacity metrics.
8. The access point of claim 1 , wherein, prior to providing the recommendation, the access point is configured to identify at least the first electronic device based at least in part on one or more performance metrics associated with at least a subset of the one or more electronic devices.
9. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device has a higher traffic volume and a lower transmission rate than a remainder of the one or more electronic device.
10. The access point of claim 8 , wherein identifying at least the first electronic device comprises:
normalizing the one or more performance metrics associated with at least the subset of the one or more electronic devices;
calculating distance metrics of at least the subset of the one or more electronic devices based at least in part on the normalized one or more performance metrics associated with at least the subset of the one or more electronic devices, wherein a given distance metric is calculated among the normalized one or more performance metrics associated with at least the subset of the one or more electronic devices, and wherein the given distance metric comprises a Euclidean distance; and
ranking at least the subset of the one or more electronic devices based at least in part on the calculated distance metrics.
11. The access point of claim 1 , wherein, prior to providing the recommendation, the access point is configured to:
provide, to the antenna node, requests for beacon reports intended for the one or more electronic devices; and
receive, at the antenna node, the beacon reports associated with at least a subset of the one or more electronic devices;
wherein the recommendation is based at least in part on the beacon reports and at least the subset of the one or more electronic devices comprises the first electronic device; and
wherein a given beacon report comprises information specifying one or more of the second access points with which a given electronic device in the one or more electronic devices communicates using wireless communication, and the given beacon report is compatible with an IEEE 802.11k standard.
12. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the access point is configured to repeat performing the dynamic load balancing after a time interval has elapsed.
13. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the recommendation is based at least in part on a history of prior responses to recommendations by at least one of the one or more electronic devices, and the prior responses comprise an instance of ignoring a previous recommendation.
14. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second access points comprise one or more neighboring access points of the access point; and
wherein the access point identifies the one or more neighboring access points based at least in part on wireless ranges between the one or more neighboring access points and the access point.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with an access point, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the access point, causes the access point to perform operations comprising:
communicating one or more packets or frames intended for or associated with one or more electronic devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN) that is compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard;
determining, based at least on the communication, an available capacity metric of the access point;
providing one or more messages intended for one or more second access points, wherein the one or more messages comprise the determined available capacity metric;
receiving one or more second messages associated with the one or more second access points, wherein the one or more second messages comprise available capacity metrics of the one or more second access points;
comparing the available capacity metric and a parameter corresponding to the available capacity metrics;
providing, address to another access point, a request to perform a scan for communication associated with the electronic device;
receiving, associated with the other access point, a trigger message;
providing, addressed to the electronic device, fake traffic that is otherwise unnecessary;
receiving, associated with the electronic device, an acknowledgment for the fake traffic;
receiving, associated with the other access point, a report that specifies communication performance of the electronic device; and
dynamically performing, based at least in part on the comparison, load balancing, wherein the load balancing comprises selectively providing a recommendation intended for at least a first electronic device of the one or more electronic devices, wherein the recommendation indicates that the first electronic device, which is associated with the access point, transition to a different communication channel,
wherein the recommendation is based at least in part on the report,
wherein the recommendation allows the first electronic device to accept the transition or to ignore the recommendation and to remain with a current communication channel, and
wherein the different communication channel is in a first band of frequencies and is associated with the access point.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein, when the first electronic device does not support the BTM protocol, the access point is configured to de-associate from the first electronic device.
17. A method for performing dynamic load balancing, comprising:
by an access point:
communicating one or more packets or frames intended for or associated with one or more electronic devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN) that is compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard;
determining, based at least on the communication, an available capacity metric of the access point;
providing one or more messages intended for one or more second access points, wherein the one or more messages comprise the determined available capacity metric;
receiving one or more second messages associated with the one or more second access points, wherein the one or more second messages comprise available capacity metrics of the one or more second access points;
comparing the available capacity metric and a parameter corresponding to the available capacity metrics;
providing, address to another access point, a request to perform a scan for communication associated with the electronic device;
receiving, associated with the other access point, a trigger message;
providing, addressed to the electronic device, fake traffic that is otherwise unnecessary;
receiving, associated with the electronic device, an acknowledgment for the fake traffic;
receiving, associated with the other access point, a report that specifies communication performance of the electronic device; and
dynamically performing, based at least in part on the comparison, the load balancing, wherein the load balancing comprises selectively providing a recommendation intended for at least a first electronic device of the one or more electronic devices, wherein the recommendation indicates that the first electronic device, which is associated with the access point, transition to a different communication channel,
wherein the recommendation is based at least in part on the report,
wherein the recommendation allows the first electronic device to accept the transition or to ignore the recommendation and to remain with a current communication channel, and
wherein the different communication channel is in a first band of frequencies and is associated with the access point.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the communication channel is associated with one of the one or more second access points, or is in a second band of frequencies and is associated with the access point.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein providing the recommendation uses a basic service set transition management (BTM) protocol.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein, when the first electronic device does not support the BTM protocol, the access point is configured to de-associate from the first electronic device.