Wi-Fi Access Point Packet Processor Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Wi-Fi access points with multiple processing cores, existing technologies face challenges in balancing processor loads due to varying traffic volumes and differences in processing requirements between IEEE 802.11ac and IEEE 802.11bgn network packets, leading to inefficiencies and increased sensitivity to processor interrupts.
Innovation Solution
A packet distribution index is calculated based on CPU usage, pre-assigned processing cores, cache performance, interrupts, and context switches to determine the optimal processing core for each network packet, ensuring efficient processing and transmission across multiple WLAN interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single processor processes traffic for multiple interfaces, then device complexity is reduced, but context switching occurs when changing between IEEE 802.11ac and IEEE 802.11bgn packets, decreasing processing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the processing workload by assigning different interface types to different processors. Specifically, IEEE 802.11ac interface traffic is handled by one processor while IEEE 802.11bgn interface traffic is handled by another processor, eliminating context switching between protocol types and improving processing efficiency for each protocol family.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having one processor handle all interfaces and switching between them (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by having multiple processors each dedicated to specific interface types. This inversion eliminates the context switching problem by making the processor assignment static rather than dynamic.
2Productivity
If IEEE 802.11ac packets are processed with larger aggregation data fields, then throughput is increased, but sensitivity to processor interrupts increases, worsening processing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing of high-throughput IEEE 802.11ac packets with large aggregation data fields from other traffic types onto a dedicated processor. This isolation prevents interrupts from other interfaces from disrupting the processing of large aggregation packets, thereby maintaining both high throughput and processing stability.
3Productivity
If multiple processing cores are used to handle varying traffic volumes, then processing capacity is increased, but load balancing becomes complex, worsening system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning specific interface types to specific processors based on their processing characteristics. IEEE 802.11ac interfaces with high throughput requirements are assigned to processors optimized for that protocol, while IEEE 802.11bgn interfaces are assigned to other processors. This creates a static, protocol-based load balancing approach that is simpler than dynamic load balancing while still optimizing for each protocol's requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Network packet are steered to a particular processor of multiple available processors on an access point. Multiple WLAN interfaces can include at least one WLAN interface dedicated to network packets in compliance with IEEE 802.11ac and at least one WLAN interface dedicated to network packets in compliance with IEEE 802.11bgn. Responsive to a determination of a single station destination, a packet distribution index is determined for the network packet with respect to each of the multiple processing cores. The packet distribution index is based on at least whether a network packet is formatted according to IEEE 802.11ac or to IEEE 802.11bgn, among other factors. The network packet is processed by the processing core having the lowest packet distribution index.