System and method for optimized load balancing on 6 GHz radios using out-of-band discovery in a mixed AP deployment
Systems and methods are provided by which all APs in a particular deployment can be used to assist in the out-of-band discovery of 6 GHz radios by client devices. That is, a series of iterative operations can be performed to: (I) determine the state of 6 GHz radios in a zone/deployment area; (II) identify what radios can be considered near-neighbors to non-6 GHz radios for purposes of advertising one or more of the 6 GHz radios; (Ill) rank neighboring 6 GHz radios for a given non-6 GHz radio based on certain radio metrics; and (IV) ultimately determine those 6 GHz radios that can be advertised by the given non-6 GHz radio.
1. A method for advertising neighboring 6 GHz radios in a radio frequency (RF) zone of a wireless local area network (WLAN) through which one or more of the 6 GHz radios in the WLAN may be advertised for out-of-band discovery, the method comprising:
receiving, at a non-6 GHz radio in the RF zone, collocated 6 GHz radio metrics broadcast from a controller, the 6 GHz radio metrics being collected by each 6 GHZ radio in the RF zone;
identifying neighboring 6 GHZ radios for the non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone;
combining ordered lists corresponding to the identified neighboring 6 GHz radios for the non-6 GHz radio; and
determining which of the 6 GHz radios can be advertised by the non-6 GHz radio.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-6 GHz radio comprises an index radio of a corresponding one of the ordered lists.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating the receiving of the collocated 6 GHz radio metrics for each additional non-6 GHz radio in the RF zone.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising repeating the identifying of the neighboring 6 GHz radios for each of the additional non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising repeating the combining of the ordered lists for each of the additional non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising repeating the determining of the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised by each of the additional non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising load balancing the one or more of the 6 GHz radios.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the 6 GHz radio metrics reflect a number of active client devices associated with each 6 GHz in the RF zone.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising advertising the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised by the non-6 GHz radio in accordance with an order where a lowest number of active client devices corresponds to a highest advertising priority, and where a highest number of active client devices corresponding to a lowest advertising priority.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, alternatively advertising the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised by the non-6 GHz radio that have the same number of active client devices.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including information regarding the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised in a reduced neighborhood report (RNR) information element ( 1 E) of at least one of a discovery beacon and probe response of the non-6 GHz radio.
12. A network device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory unit operatively connected to the processor, and including computer code that when executed causes the processor to perform the following:
receive, at a non-6 GHz radio of an access point (AP) in the RF zone, collocated 6 GHz radio metrics broadcast from an AP controller, the 6 GHz radio metrics being collected by each 6 GHZ radio in the RF zone;
identify neighboring 6 GHZ radios for the non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone;
combine ordered lists corresponding to the identified neighboring 6 GHz radios for the non-6 GHz radio; and
determine which of the 6 GHz radios can be advertised by the non-6 GHz radio; and
advertise the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised in least one of a discovery beacon and probe response of the non-6 GHz radio.
13. The network device of claim 12 , wherein the computer code further causes the processor to repeat the receiving of the collocated 6 GHz radio metrics for each additional non-6 GHz radio in the RF zone.
14. The network device of claim 13 , wherein the computer code further causes the processor to repeat the identifying of the neighboring 6 GHz radios for each of the additional non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone.
15. The network device of claim 14 , wherein the computer code further causes the processor to repeat the combining of the ordered lists for each of the additional non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone.
16. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the computer code further causes the processor to repeat the determining of the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised by each of the additional non-6 GHz radios in the RF zone.
17. The network device of claim 12 , wherein the computer code further causes the processor to load balance the one or more of the 6 GHz radios.
18. The network device of claim 17 , wherein the 6 GHz radio metrics reflect a number of active client devices associated with each 6 GHz in the RF zone.
19. The network device of claim 18 , herein the computer code further causes the processor to advertise the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised by the non-6 GHz radio in accordance with an order where a lowest number of active client devices corresponds to a highest advertising priority, and where a highest number of active client devices corresponding to a lowest advertising priority.
20. The network device of claim 18 , herein the computer code further causes the processor to alternatively advertise the 6 GHz radios that can be advertised by the non-6 GHz radio that have the same number of active client devices.