SDN Controller for Unified WDS and LAN Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communications systems face challenges in managing wireless distribution systems (WDS) and local area networks (LAN) effectively, particularly in indoor environments with limited cellular coverage, leading to suboptimal quality-of-experience (QoE) for wireless customers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a software-defined networking (SDN) architecture with an SDN controller that monitors and optimizes both WDS and LAN through unified software-based management, analyzing performance reports to reconfigure elements and improve QoE by providing configuration instructions to WDS and LAN control systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If WDS and LAN are managed separately with independent control systems, then each system can be optimized independently, but the overall system complexity increases and unified QoE optimization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate WDS control system and LAN control system into a unified SDN-based management architecture. The SDN controller consolidates control functions for both wireless and wired networks, enabling centralized policy management and coordinated optimization while reducing operational complexity through single-point control.
Solution Approach 2:
The SDN controller implements multi-functional capabilities to manage both WDS and LAN environments through a single platform. It provides universal QoE monitoring, performance analysis, and configuration management across heterogeneous network types, eliminating the need for separate specialized control systems.
2Productivity
If manual monitoring and optimization of WDS and LAN performance is performed, then system changes can be carefully controlled, but response time to performance issues increases and operational costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the SDN controller monitors performance metrics from both WDS and LAN, automatically analyzes QoE degradation patterns, and triggers reconfiguration actions. This closed-loop control enables rapid response to performance issues without manual intervention while maintaining precise control over system changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The SDN controller provides self-service capabilities by automatically detecting performance degradation, analyzing root causes, and executing optimization configurations without human intervention. This autonomous operation reduces operational costs and accelerates response time while maintaining controlled system evolution through programmed decision logic.
3Reliability
If multiple independent control systems manage WDS and LAN, then each control system can specialize in its domain, but operational costs and management overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The SDN controller is designed with universal management capabilities that cover both WDS and LAN domains within a single system. It maintains specialized knowledge for wireless and wired network optimization through integrated modules while presenting a unified control interface, thereby reducing the number of control systems without sacrificing domain-specific expertise.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to managing a communications system based on software defined networking (SDN) architecture. An SDN controller is provided in the communications system to manage a wireless distribution system (WDS) and a local area network (LAN) based on SDN architecture. The SDN controller is communicatively coupled to a WDS control system in the WDS and a LAN control system in the LAN via respective SDN control data plane interfaces (CDPIs). The SDN controller analyzes a WDS performance report and a LAN performance report and provides a WDS configuration instruction(s) and/or a LAN configuration instruction(s) to the WDS control system and/or the LAN control system to reconfigure a WDS element(s) and/or a LAN element(s) to improve quality-of-experiences (QoEs) of the communications system. Monitoring and optimizing the WDS and the LAN based on a unified software-based network management platform can improve performance at reduced operational costs and complexity.