Upstream/downstream network control, management of mobile communication devices and corresponding communications through one or more wireless access points

1. A method comprising:

via processor hardware controlling a wireless access point in a wireless environment, performing operations of:

receiving monitor information indicating operating conditions of a wireless network and a corresponding communication link, the wireless network being shared by multiple communication devices to communicate with the wireless access point, the wireless access point in communication with a remote network through the corresponding communication link;

deriving a policy based on the operating conditions of the wireless network as indicated by the received monitor information; and

initiating execution of the policy to control subsequent conveyance of communications: i) over the wireless network between the multiple communication devices and the wireless access point, and ii) over the corresponding communication link;

wherein the monitor information indicates: i) an aggregate of actual wireless bandwidth used by the communication devices to receive data from the wireless access point, and ii) a signal-to-noise ratio associated with the wireless network and reception of the data, the method further comprising:

in response to detecting that the aggregate wireless bandwidth is greater than a wireless bandwidth threshold value and that the signal-to-noise ratio of communications in the wireless network is less than a signal-to-noise ratio threshold value, increasing an assigned per-user wireless bandwidth allocated for use by each of the communication devices in the wireless network; and

producing the policy to indicate the increased per-user wireless bandwidth.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein deriving the policy based on the received monitor information further comprises: i) producing a first set of control rules indicating how to control the wireless network, ii) producing a second set of control rules indicating how to control the corresponding communication link; and

wherein a combination of the first set of control rules and the second set of control rules indicates how to control the subsequent conveyance of the communications over the wireless access point and corresponding communication link.

3. The method as in claim 2 , wherein initiating execution of the policy to control subsequent conveyance of communications includes:

forwarding the first set of control rules to the wireless access point, the wireless access point implementing the first set of control rules to control the subsequent conveyance of the communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices; and

forwarding the second set of control rules to a gateway resource disposed between the wireless access point and the corresponding communication link, the gateway resource implementing the second set of rules to control the subsequent conveyance of the communications over the corresponding communication link between the gateway resource and the remote network.

4. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the first set of control rules specifies allocation of wireless bandwidth in the wireless network for use by each of the multiple communication devices; and

wherein the second set of control rules specifies an amount of bandwidth in the corresponding communication link allocated to convey communications associated with the multiple communication devices.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein initiating execution of the policy to control the subsequent conveyance of communications further comprises:

executing the policy to control the conveyance of a first portion of subsequent communications over the corresponding communication link, the corresponding communication link disposed between a gateway resource that receives the first portion of subsequent communications from the wireless access point and the remote network, the gateway resource controlling forwarding of the first portion of subsequent communications upstream over the corresponding communication link to the remote network; and

executing the policy to control the conveyance of a second portion of the subsequent communications over the wireless network, the wireless access point controlling subsequent communications downstream over the wireless network to the multiple communication devices.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

allocating an increased amount of bandwidth on the corresponding communication link for use by the multiple communication devices to communicate with the remote network; and

producing the policy to indicate the increased amount of bandwidth allocated on the corresponding communication link.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein deriving the policy further comprises: producing the policy to synchronize: i) allocation of bandwidth in the wireless network supporting communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices, and ii) allocation of bandwidth in the corresponding communication link supporting conveyance of the communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices; and

wherein producing the policy further comprises: allocating sufficient bandwidth in the corresponding communication link to support an aggregate of communications conveyed over the wireless network between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

modifying an allocation of bandwidth over the corresponding communication link between a gateway resource and the remote network depending upon operating conditions of the multiple communication devices communicating over the wireless network to the wireless access point.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

modifying an allocation of bandwidth over the corresponding communication link between a gateway resource and the remote network depending upon an amount of wireless bandwidth allocated to the multiple communication devices to communicate over the wireless network to the wireless access point.

10. The method as in claim 1 , wherein deriving the policy further comprises:

modifying bandwidth allocated on the corresponding communication link to accommodate a change in wireless bandwidth allocated to support communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

subsequent to initial use of the wireless network to convey data between the multiple communication devices and the wireless access point, updating the policy to allocate sufficient bandwidth in the corresponding communication link to support an aggregate of bandwidth allocated in the wireless network supporting wireless communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices.

12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the wireless access point is a first wireless access point providing wireless connectivity to a first zone of communication devices;

wherein the corresponding communication link provides the first wireless access point and a second wireless access point access to the remote network, the second wireless access point providing wireless connectivity to a second zone of communication devices;

the method further comprising:

adjusting an allocation of bandwidth in the corresponding communication link between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point depending on wireless bandwidth usage by the first zone of communication devices and the second zone of communication devices.

13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the monitor information indicates the bandwidth usage, the method further comprising:

adjusting the allocation of bandwidth in the corresponding communication link in response to detecting that the wireless bandwidth usage by the first zone of communication devices is greater than a wireless bandwidth threshold value.

14. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

in accordance with the policy, synchronizing an amount of wireless bandwidth allocated to convey communications over the wireless network to an amount of communication bandwidth allocated over the corresponding communication link, the communication bandwidth of the corresponding communication link allocated to convey the communications received over the wireless network to a remote network.

15. The method as in claim 14 , wherein synchronizing includes:

dynamically modifying the amount of communication bandwidth allocated on the corresponding communication link to accommodate a change in the amount of wireless bandwidth allocated to support the communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices.

16. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the change is an increase in wireless bandwidth allocated between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices; and

wherein the synchronizing includes increasing the amount of communication bandwidth allocated on the corresponding communication link to accommodate the increase in wireless bandwidth.

17. The method as in claim 1 , wherein deriving the policy based on the operating conditions of the wireless network as indicated by the received monitor information includes:

increasing an amount of communication bandwidth allocated on the corresponding communication link to accommodate an increase in an amount of wireless bandwidth allocated to support communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices.

18. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the processor hardware produces the derived policy to adjust an amount of bandwidth in the corresponding communication link allocated to convey communications associated with the wireless network.

19. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

allocating an increased amount of bandwidth in the corresponding communication link for use by the multiple communication devices to communicate with the remote network; and

producing the policy to indicate the increased amount of bandwidth allocated in the corresponding communication link for use by the multiple communication devices to communicate with the remote network.

20. A system comprising:

computer processor hardware; and

a hardware storage resource coupled to communicate with the computer processor hardware, the hardware storage resource storing instructions that, when executed by the computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to:

receive monitor information indicating operating conditions of a wireless network and corresponding communication link, the wireless network being shared by multiple communication devices to communicate with a wireless access point, the wireless access point in communication with a remote network through the corresponding communication link;

derive a policy based on the operating conditions of the wireless network as indicated by the received monitor information; and

initiate execution of the policy to control subsequent conveyance of communications: i) over the wireless network, and ii) over the corresponding communication link;

wherein the monitor information indicates: i) an aggregate of actual wireless bandwidth used by the multiple communication devices to receive data from the wireless access point, and ii) a signal-to-noise ratio associated with the wireless network and reception of the data, the computer processor hardware further operable to:

in response to detecting that the aggregate wireless bandwidth is greater than a wireless bandwidth threshold value and that the signal-to-noise ratio of communications in the wireless network is less than a signal-to-noise ratio threshold value, increase an assigned per-user wireless bandwidth allocated for use by each of the communication devices in the wireless network; and

produce the policy to indicate the increased per-user wireless bandwidth.

21. The computer system as in claim 20 , wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to: i) produce a first set of control rules indicating how to control the wireless network, ii) produce a second set of control rules indicating how to control the corresponding communication link; and

wherein a combination of the first set of control rules and the second set of control rules indicates how to control the subsequent conveyance of the communications over the wireless access points and corresponding communication link.

22. The computer system as in claim 21 , wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

forward the first set of control rules to the wireless access point, the wireless access point implementing the first set of control rules to control the subsequent conveyance of communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices; and

forward the second set of control rules to a gateway resource disposed between the wireless access point and the corresponding communication link, the gateway resource implementing the second set of rules to control the subsequent conveyance of communications over the corresponding communication link between the gateway resource and the network.

23. The computer system as in claim 20 , wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

execute the policy to control the conveyance of a first portion of subsequent communications over the corresponding communication link, the corresponding communication link disposed between a gateway resource that receives the first portion of subsequent communications from the wireless access point and the remote network, the gateway resource controlling forwarding the first portion of subsequent communications upstream over the corresponding communication link to the network; and

execute the policy to control the conveyance of a second portion of the subsequent communications over the wireless network, the wireless access point controlling the subsequent communications downstream over the wireless network to the multiple communication devices.

24. The computer system as in claim 20 , wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

allocate an increased amount of bandwidth on the corresponding communication link for use by the multiple communication devices to communicate with the network; and

produce the policy to indicate the increased amount of bandwidth allocated on the corresponding communication link.

25. The computer system as in claim 20 , wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

produce the policy to synchronize: i) allocation of bandwidth in the wireless network supporting communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices, and ii) allocation of bandwidth in the corresponding communication link supporting conveyance of the communications between the wireless access point and the multiple communication devices.

26. The computer system as in claim 20 , wherein the computer processor hardware is further operable to:

modify an allocation of bandwidth over the corresponding communication link between the gateway resource and the remote network depending upon operating conditions of the multiple communication devices communicating over the wireless network to the wireless access point.

27. Computer-readable hardware storage having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, causes the computer processor hardware to:

receive monitor information indicating operating conditions of a wireless network and corresponding communication link, the wireless network being shared by multiple communication devices to communicate with a wireless access point, the wireless access point in communication with a remote network through the corresponding communication link;

derive a policy based on the operating conditions of the wireless network as indicated by the received monitor information; and

initiate execution of the policy to control subsequent conveyance of communications: i) over the wireless network, and ii) over the corresponding communication link, the monitor information indicating: i) an aggregate of actual wireless bandwidth used by the communication devices to receive data from the wireless access point, and ii) a signal-to-noise ratio associated with the wireless network and reception of the data;

in response to detecting that the aggregate wireless bandwidth is greater than a wireless bandwidth threshold value and that the signal-to-noise ratio of communications in the wireless network is less than a signal-to-noise ratio threshold value, increase an assigned per-user wireless bandwidth allocated for use by each of the communication devices in the wireless network; and

produce the policy to indicate the increased per-user wireless bandwidth.