Cloud-Orchestrated Role Management for WLAN Scalability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional user role configuration models, such as static and dynamic models, face scalability issues in managing and distributing dynamic user roles across wireless networks, particularly when dealing with a large number of user devices and network connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based user role service is introduced to manage and distribute dynamic user roles, allowing for scalable configuration and distribution of user roles across multiple access points (APs) without the need for a central AP, thereby enhancing scalability and reducing reliance on broadcasting or virtual controllers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional static or dynamic user role configuration models are used, then user roles can be managed within a limited scope, but scalability is limited when dealing with a large number of user devices and access points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional flat, local configuration management to a cloud-based hierarchical architecture. User role configurations are centralized in the cloud, allowing APs to retrieve and apply roles remotely. This dimensional shift from local to cloud-based management enables scalable deployment across numerous APs without proportionally increasing management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cloud-based configuration service as an intermediary between the central management system and access points. This intermediary handles the complex tasks of user role configuration, authentication, and distribution, allowing APs to simply retrieve and apply configurations without needing complex local management logic.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic user roles are distributed via broadcasting, then user roles can be updated across the network, but the method is unreliable and does not work across different AP management VLANs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the unreliable broadcasting mechanism with a cloud-based intermediary service. The cloud service receives user role configurations and actively distributes them to authorized APs through reliable unicast communications, ensuring delivery across different VLANs and network segments without the limitations of traditional broadcasting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the configuration distribution function into separate components: the cloud-based service handles centralized management and distribution logic, while individual APs handle local configuration application. This segmentation allows reliable distribution across network boundaries by decoupling the distribution mechanism from VLAN constraints.
3Device complexity
If a central AP or virtual controller is used to manage user roles, then configuration distribution can be centralized, but reliance on these components creates a single point of failure and reduces system autonomy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the central AP or virtual controller with a cloud-based service that acts as an intermediary. This cloud service provides centralized configuration management without creating a single point of failure within the local network, as it operates independently of any specific AP or controller and can be accessed by multiple APs autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables APs to autonomously retrieve and apply user role configurations from the cloud-based service without requiring a central controller to push configurations. Each AP independently manages its own configuration state by querying the cloud service, thereby eliminating the single point of failure associated with centralized controllers while maintaining configuration consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples relate to configuring dynamic user roles that can be managed and distributed by a cloud-based user role service. In this way, dynamic user roles may be distributed in a more scalable manner than has been previously possible. Upon associating or connecting to an access point (AP), for example, a user device can be authenticated and assigned a user role. The AP can request the user role configuration from the cloud-based user role service. The cloud-based user role service can additionally distribute the same user role configuration/details to all neighboring APs. In this way, a user device can move, roam, or otherwise associate to another AP that post-distribution, already has the (dynamic) user role configuration, which can simply be applied to the user device.