Wireless Access Point Controller Separation for Scalable Data Forwarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless networks face limitations due to the access point controller managing both data and control planes, leading to unnecessary resource and cost inefficiencies, particularly when handling a large number of access points and data traffic.
Innovation Solution
The separation of control and data planes is achieved by assigning unique tunnel identifiers to virtual local area networks (VLANs), allowing wireless access points to forward data packets directly to associated access switches without intermediation by the access point controller, utilizing the forwarding resources of the wired network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the access point controller manages both control plane and data plane functions, then the wireless network can be simplified with a single controller, but the controller becomes a limiting factor for the number of wireless access points and forwarding capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the controller functions into two separate entities: a control plane controller that manages wireless access points and a data plane forwarding element that handles data traffic. This segmentation allows the control plane to remain simple while the data plane can scale independently to handle larger volumes of traffic and more access points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the data plane forwarding function from the control plane controller and places it in a separate forwarding element. This extraction removes the bottleneck from the controller, allowing it to focus on control plane management while the dedicated forwarding element handles data traffic at line rate.
2Productivity
If additional controllers are added to increase forwarding capacity, then the wireless network can handle more data traffic, but unnecessary forwarding capacity is added when a single controller is sufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal data plane forwarding element that can serve multiple wireless access points simultaneously. This single forwarding element can handle traffic from numerous access points, eliminating the need to add multiple controllers just to increase forwarding capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses control plane copies or replicas to manage multiple access points while a single data plane forwarding element handles the actual traffic. The control plane information is replicated to multiple access points, but the forwarding function remains centralized in a single efficient element.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional controllers are added to support more wireless access points, then the network can scale to more access points, but unnecessary wireless access point management capacity is added
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the management function from the forwarding function. A single control plane controller manages multiple wireless access points through standardized protocols, while the data plane forwarding is handled by a separate element. This allows the network to scale to many access points without increasing controller complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a dimensional separation between control plane management and data plane forwarding. By operating in different functional dimensions, the system can support a large number of access points through efficient control plane protocols without requiring proportional increases in controller resources.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a wireless access point controller configured to receive information associated with a topology of a network including information associated with which access switch from a set of access switches each virtual local area network (VLAN) from a set of VLANs is associated. The wireless access point controller is configured to associate each VLAN from the set of VLANs with a unique tunnel identifier from a set of tunnel identifiers. The wireless access point controller is configured to provide each wireless access point from a set of wireless access points control information including the set of tunnel identifiers such that a wireless access point from the set of wireless access points can send a data packet received from a wireless device to an access switch from the set of access switches associated with a destination VLAN from the set of VLANs using the tunnel identifier associated with the destination VLAN.