Neighborhood Aware Load Balancing for Wi-Fi Access Points
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load balancing techniques for cloud-based WLAN management fail to optimize resource utilization, reduce latency, and ensure fault-tolerant configurations for Wi-Fi access nodes by not considering inter-node proximity, leading to suboptimal performance in directing telemetry traffic from access points in a radio frequency neighborhood.
Innovation Solution
A method that identifies a first access point associated with a single instance on a pod, determines subsequent access points within a threshold geographical location, and directs telemetry from these access points to the same instance, using a hash identifier to route traffic based on geographical proximity and signal strength, thereby optimizing load balancing and resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If existing load balancing techniques are used that purely base optimization on network load metrics, then network load distribution is achieved, but inter-node proximity is not considered resulting in increased latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into radio frequency neighborhoods (RFNs) based on geographical proximity and signal strength characteristics. By dividing the network into localized segments rather than treating it as a uniform whole, the system can route telemetry traffic within specific segments to reduce latency while maintaining manageable load balancing complexity through localized decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making load balancing decisions specific to each radio frequency neighborhood rather than applying uniform load balancing across the entire network. Each RFN has its own characteristics (geographical location, signal strength) that are considered when determining telemetry routing, allowing optimization for local conditions while reducing overall latency.
2Productivity
If access points are distributed across multiple service instances without considering geographical proximity, then resource utilization is simplified, but telemetry traffic from APs in the same RF neighborhood may experience increased latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges access points that are geographically proximate and share similar signal strength characteristics into the same radio frequency neighborhood group. These merged APs then route their telemetry traffic to the same service instance, improving productivity by consolidating processing while reducing latency through localized routing within the merged group.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the routing parameters from purely load-based distribution to a composite parameter that includes geographical location and signal strength characteristics. By modifying the routing decision parameters to consider RF neighborhood attributes, the system achieves both improved productivity through efficient resource utilization and reduced latency through localized routing.
3Reliability
If load balancing does not consider radio frequency neighborhood characteristics, then service instance distribution is simplified, but fault tolerance and performance optimization for localized Wi-Fi access nodes are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-categorizing access points into radio frequency neighborhoods based on their geographical location and signal strength characteristics before telemetry routing decisions are made. This preliminary classification enables faster routing decisions and improves fault tolerance by ensuring that APs in the same RF neighborhood are handled by the same service instance, while keeping the actual routing logic relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, computer-readable media, and devices are disclosed for collecting access point telemetry. A first access point is identified that is associated with a single instance on a pod. A hash identifier is identified, where the hash identifier identifies a radio frequency (RF) neighborhood of the first access point based on a geographical location of the first access point. Subsequent access point members of the RF neighborhood are dynamically determined by dynamically assigning a second access point to the RF neighborhood, the dynamic assignment based on the second access point being within a threshold geographical location to the first access point. Telemetry from the second access point is directed towards the single instance on the pod, where the pod receives telemetry for all access points in the dynamically determined RF neighborhood.