Controller Cluster Architecture for Wireless Network Scalability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) architectures face scalability and redundancy issues due to inefficient resource management across multiple controllers, leading to network disruptions and resource wastage when client devices roam between access points managed by different controllers, especially when crossing IP subnets or lacking state information.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cluster of controllers with equal functionalities and capabilities to communicate state information and manage client devices and access points, allowing for load balancing, redundancy, and efficient multicast proxy mechanisms to maintain seamless connectivity and optimize network resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a communication tunnel is created between controllers to maintain state information during client roaming, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and network resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cluster head controller as an intermediary that centralizes the management of state information and communication tunnels. Instead of creating direct tunnel relationships between all controller pairs, the cluster head acts as a mediator that receives and forwards state information requests, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining reliability during client roaming across different controllers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the state information management functions of multiple controllers into a centralized location (the cluster head controller). By combining the state information databases and communication tunnel management of individual controllers into a unified system at the cluster head, the patent reduces overall device complexity while preserving client connectivity during roaming events
2Reliability
If state information is synchronized across all controllers, then reliability is improved, but network traffic and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by allowing controllers to maintain state information locally when possible, while only synchronizing with the cluster head controller when necessary. This selective approach ensures that state information is available locally for immediate use, reducing the need for continuous network synchronization and thereby reducing network resource consumption while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The cluster head controller serves as an intermediary that manages state information synchronization on demand rather than continuously. When a client roams between controllers, the cluster head mediates the transfer of state information only for that specific client, rather than synchronizing all state information across all controllers continuously, thus reducing network resource consumption while maintaining state information availability
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple controllers manage different sets of access points, then scalability is improved, but coordination and client roaming management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the controller management function by introducing a hierarchical structure with cluster head controllers that manage groups of regular controllers. This segmentation allows the network to scale by adding more controller clusters independently, while the cluster head handles the coordination complexity, enabling scalability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to the controller architecture by introducing a hierarchical layer (cluster head controllers) above the regular controllers. This dimensional change allows the system to scale horizontally by adding more controller clusters, while the cluster heads manage inter-cluster coordination, thereby improving scalability without linearly increasing coordination complexity across all controllers
4Reliability
If client state information is maintained across controller boundaries, then reliability is improved, but network traffic routing becomes less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cluster head controller acts as an intermediary that optimizes the routing of client traffic while maintaining session continuity. When a client roams between controllers within the same cluster, the cluster head mediates the state information transfer and coordinates traffic routing to minimize path length, thereby maintaining reliability without excessive network traffic detours
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
According to one embodiment of the invention, a non-transitory computer readable medium for improving the scalability and redundancy of a wireless communications network. One embodiment of the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises instructions that select a first controller for controlling a configuration of a first access point and a second access point, detect a particular event and, responsive to detecting the particular event, select a second controller for controlling the configuration of the first access point without modifying the selection of the first controller for controlling the configuration of the second access point.