Decentralized Wireless LAN Controllers Using TRILL Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless network controllers face limitations in accommodating an increasing number of users due to bandwidth, processing capacity, and power consumption constraints, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs, while existing layer-2 technologies have not effectively benefited the deployment of intelligent wireless network controllers.
Innovation Solution
A converged wireless LAN architecture is created using decentralized wireless network controllers that are TRILL capable, allowing them to maintain identifying information for remote controllers and end devices, enabling seamless roaming and multicast forwarding through a virtual service network, with tunnel management, encapsulation, and forwarding mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the size and capability of a wireless network controller are increased to accommodate more users, then the number of users managed improves, but the cost increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the wireless network control function into multiple distributed controllers instead of using a single large controller. Each controller manages a subset of access points and users, reducing individual controller complexity while collectively handling large numbers of users. The TRILL protocol enables these segmented controllers to communicate and coordinate effectively.
2Quantity of substance
If the size and capability of a wireless network controller are increased to accommodate more users, then the number of users managed improves, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the control function across multiple smaller controllers, the patent reduces the cost of individual controller units. The system achieves the capability to manage large numbers of users through the collective effort of multiple controllers rather than requiring a single expensive high-capability controller.
3Quantity of substance
If the number of users managed by each controller is increased, then the system scale improves, but the efficiency decreases due to bandwidth and processing constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user base and access point management across multiple controllers, preventing any single controller from becoming overwhelmed. This maintains high processing efficiency and bandwidth utilization at each controller while achieving large overall system scale through the distributed architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The TRILL protocol acts as an intermediary mechanism that enables efficient communication and coordination between distributed controllers. It allows controllers to share information about user mobility and network state without creating bottlenecks, maintaining system-wide efficiency.
4Ease of operation
If a single controller manages all access points, then centralized control is achieved, but mobility management becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control domain into multiple regional controllers, each responsible for a subset of access points. This allows mobility management decisions to be made locally and quickly when users move between access points within the same controller's domain, reducing the time loss associated with centralized control while maintaining coordinated operation across the entire network.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless network controller. The wireless network controller includes a data structure, a tunnel management scheme, an encapsulation mechanism, and a forwarding mechanism. The data structure stores a TRILL RBridge identifier associated with a remote wireless network controller. The tunnel management mechanism maintains a tunnel with a local access point, and the encapsulation mechanism encapsulates a packet received from the tunnel with a TRILL header which includes the RBridge identifier of the remote wireless network controller. The forwarding mechanism forwards the encapsulated packet.