Forwarding Device Maintains AP Table Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing star architecture for WLAN networks, with a base station and base station controller, faces data bottlenecks and high costs due to high routing and forwarding performance requirements, leading to increased forwarding delay, management complexity, and failure probability when handling handovers between access points.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a forwarding device that maintains a wireless access point table by updating, adding, or deleting entries based on data transmission and reception, and communicating with a network controller to ensure consistent data relationships between access points and home forwarding devices, thereby optimizing data forwarding and reducing network complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the star architecture with AC is used to manage multiple APs, then the network can provide centralized control and management, but the AC becomes a data bottleneck with high forwarding delay and performance requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecentralized control capabilityVSAvoidforwarding delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized AC into multiple distributed forwarding devices (AGs), each capable of independent data forwarding. This distributes the forwarding burden from a single AC to multiple AGs, reducing the data bottleneck and forwarding delay while maintaining centralized control through logical grouping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimensional organization by grouping APs under multiple AGs in a many-to-many relationship, rather than the traditional one-to-many relationship under a single AC. This multi-dimensional forwarding structure allows data to be forwarded through multiple paths, reducing congestion and delay at any single point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If border router/BRAS is used for data forwarding at layer 3, then user attribute management can be performed, but the forwarding efficiency is low and cost is high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser attribute management capabilityVSAvoidforwarding efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the data forwarding function from the layer 3 border router/BRAS and places it at the edge AGs, which operate at layer 2. This allows high-speed layer 2 forwarding at the edge while layer 3 processing and user attribute management remain at the core router, improving overall forwarding efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces AGs as intermediary devices between APs and the core router. These AGs perform layer 2 forwarding and basic control functions, reducing the burden on the layer 3 router and improving forwarding efficiency while maintaining user attribute management capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If high performance switches and routers are deployed in the bearer network, then data transmission capability is improved, but the superimposed architecture increases forwarding delay, management complexity and failure probability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission capabilityVSAvoidnetwork architecture complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the service network (WLAN) and bearer network functions into a unified architecture where AGs perform both access control and data forwarding. This eliminates the superimposed architecture, reducing management complexity and failure probability while maintaining high data transmission capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes AGs universal devices that can perform multiple functions including data forwarding, control plane operations, and user profile management. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate high-performance switches and routers, simplifying the network architecture while maintaining transmission capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Area of stationary object

If one AC manages dozens to thousands of APs, then network coverage is expanded, but the routing performance and forwarding performance requirements of AC become excessively high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork coverageVSAvoidrouting and forwarding performance requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the large-scale AC into multiple smaller AGs, each managing a subset of APs. This segmentation reduces the routing and forwarding performance requirements for each individual device while maintaining overall network coverage through the distributed AG structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent organizes APs in a many-to-many relationship with multiple AGs, creating a multi-dimensional forwarding structure. This allows load distribution across multiple AGs, reducing the performance burden on each individual AG while maintaining comprehensive network coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3029983B1Method for processing radio access, forwarding device, and network controller
Publication Date: 2018.09.26 ZTE CORP
  • EP3029983B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3029983B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP3029983B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Disclosed are a method for processing wireless access, a forwarding device and a network controller, the method includes: the forwarding device establishing a wireless access point table for local access; the forwarding device maintaining the wireless access point table for local access according to whether a wireless access point in the wireless access point table for local access exists and a state of the wireless access point in the wireless access point table for local access. The embodiments of the present invention have achieved that the data of a corresponding relationship between APs and home forwarding devices are kept consistently under a pure WLAN network scenario or a multi-network integrated scenario in which the WLAN network accesses a mobile core network.