Per-VAP QoS Enforcement via Packet Forwarding Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless network technologies, such as IEEE 802.11, only allow a mobile client to associate with a single access point and SSID, limiting the ability to provide independently configurable and flexible quality-of-service for multiple client devices.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a wireless access point that supports multiple virtual access points (VAPs) with unique MAC addresses and quality-of-service profiles, allowing for per-VAP quality-of-service management and enforcement through a data packet forwarding engine, which assigns different priorities to traffic queues based on service levels like voice, video, and best effort data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single physical access point supports multiple virtual access points with unique BSSIDs, then the ability to provide multiple services and share infrastructure is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single physical access point into multiple virtual access points (VAPs), each with unique BSSIDs and independent QoS configurations. This segmentation allows the system to provide multiple services (guest access, employee access, voice, video, data) through a single physical device, resolving the contradiction by enabling multi-service support while managing complexity through virtualization rather than requiring multiple physical devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously by supporting multiple VAPs with different service profiles. Each VAP can be configured for different purposes (guest network, employee network, voice traffic, video traffic, data traffic), allowing a single device to replace multiple specialized devices and provide universal service support.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple BSSIDs are used to support multiple SSIDs within a single access point, then the versatility of the network is improved, but the quality-of-service configurability for each client device deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements per-VAP QoS configuration, where each virtual access point can have its own quality-of-service profile independently tailored to specific service requirements. For example, voice traffic can be prioritized on one VAP while best-effort service is provided on another. This local quality approach allows each VAP to be optimized for its specific purpose while maintaining overall system versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the access point into multiple VAPs, the system can apply different QoS policies to each segment based on its specific requirements. This segmentation enables fine-grained control over quality of service for different client devices and traffic types, resolving the contradiction between supporting multiple SSIDs and maintaining QoS configurability.
3Reliability
If per virtual access point quality-of-service profiles are implemented, then the quality of service for different services is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements QoS classification and prioritization at the point of entry into each VAP, where traffic is pre-categorized into different queues (voice, video, data, background) before transmission. This preliminary action ensures that quality of service is enforced from the beginning of the data flow, providing reliable QoS guarantees without requiring complex real-time processing throughout the entire data path.
Solution Approach 2:
The data packet forwarding engine acts as an intermediary between the wireless interface and the wired network, implementing QoS policies by classifying, prioritizing, and queuing packets according to their service requirements. This intermediary function isolates the complexity of QoS enforcement to a specific component, allowing the rest of the system to operate with simpler logic while still achieving reliable quality of service.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless network access device includes a radio and support for virtual access points. According to the invention, each virtual access point has an independently configurable quality-of-service profile. The per-VAP QoS support enables multiple services to be delivered from a single physical access point. A plurality of transmit/receive queues are associated with each virtual access point (VAP) configured on the access device. Each queue in the plurality of queues is associated with a given quality-of-service level, such as (in decreasing order of priority): voice, video, best effort data, and background data. The access device further includes a data transfer mechanism in the form of a data packet forwarding engine that, for each VAP, transfers data from the plurality of queues to enforce the per-VAP QoS policy.