WLAN Error Rate Measurement Using Counter Wrapping Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for monitoring WLAN performance measurements face challenges in accurately collecting and processing data due to counter wrapping issues, particularly in dynamic mobile data traffic scenarios, which can lead to inefficiencies in offloading performance from radio access networks to WLANs.
Innovation Solution
An element manager is configured to receive and compute measurements from WLAN access points, including counters for data transmission and reception errors, to calculate error rates and CSMA/CA-related values, addressing counter wrapping by comparing initial and final values during a granularity period, and transmitting these computed values to a network manager for performance analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If counter values are collected at regular intervals to monitor WLAN performance, then performance monitoring capability is improved, but counter wrapping issues occur leading to measurement inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing previous counter values before collecting current counter values. This allows the system to detect counter wrapping by comparing current values with previously stored values, thereby maintaining measurement reliability while continuing to monitor performance at regular intervals
Solution Approach 2:
The element manager acts as an intermediary between the WLAN access point and the network manager. It collects counter values, detects wrapping conditions by comparing with previous values, computes accurate performance measurements, and then transmits these corrected values to the network manager, thus resolving the measurement accuracy issue
2Productivity
If more WLAN nodes are deployed to improve offloading performance, then offloading efficiency is improved, but system complexity and deployment costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring WLAN performance measurements including error rates and CSMA/CA metrics. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of WLAN node deployment strategies, allowing operators to optimize offloading efficiency by deploying or removing nodes based on actual performance data rather than static planning
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors multiple performance parameters such as error rates, CSMA/CA success rates, and data transmission volumes. By analyzing changes in these parameters over time, the system can determine optimal deployment configurations, thereby improving offloading efficiency while avoiding unnecessary deployment complexity
3Speed
If counter values are collected frequently to capture dynamic traffic patterns, then measurement responsiveness is improved, but processing overhead and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by collecting counter values at regular intervals rather than continuously monitoring all traffic. This approach captures dynamic traffic patterns sufficiently for performance monitoring while avoiding the excessive processing overhead that would result from continuous monitoring, thus balancing responsiveness with resource consumption
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a communication between an element manager and a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP). The WLAN AP may be configured with one or more counters. The one or more counters may measure events, such as data transmission and/or reception at the WLAN AP or a carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) procedure by the WLAN AP. The element manager may be configured to read one or more of these counters and compute one or more values based on the values read from the one or more counters. The element manager may be configured to communicate the one or more computed values to a network manager. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.