Communication channels between access points and network zones

• US 10,694,500 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2018
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Killadi, Srinivas Rao, Akasapu, Indu Shree
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafoerkhan, Faiyazkhan
• Application Number:
  US15/945,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20190313373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

In an example, an access point includes a first and second Ethernet port, a processing resource and a memory resource storing machine readable instructions. The machine readable instructions may be to cause the processing resource to create a first communication channel between the access point and a first network zone using the first Ethernet port and to create a second communication channel between the access point and a second network zone using the second Ethernet port. The first and second network zones may be independently configured with respective first and second zone controllers and the first and second communication channels may exist simultaneously.

Claims

1. An access point comprising:

a first Ethernet port;

a second Ethernet port that is different from the first Ethernet port;

a processing resource; and

a memory resource storing machine readable instructions to cause the processing resource to;

create a first communication channel between the access point and a first network zone using the first Ethernet port;

create a second communication channel between the access point and a second network zone using the second Ethernet port, wherein the first and second network zones are independently configured with respective first and second network zone controllers, wherein the first and second communication channels are to exist simultaneously, wherein the processing resource is to generate further communication channels between the access point and further network zones, wherein the Ethernet port selected for a communication channel to a network zone is selected according to an identifier of the network zone, where the identifier is a number and communication channels of odd numbered network zones are formed between the access point and the network zone using one of the first and second Ethernet port and communication channels of even numbered network zones are formed between the access point and the network zone using the other of the first and second Ethernet port.

2. The access point according to claim 1 wherein the processing resource is to:

receive a first virtual access point configuration from the first network zone, to configure a first virtual access point for the first network zone and to create the first communication channel to connect the first network zone controller to the first virtual access point using the first Ethernet port; and

receive a second virtual access point configuration from the second network zone, to configure a second virtual access point for the second network zone and to create the second communication channel to connect the second network zone controller to the second virtual access point using the second Ethernet port.

3. The access point according to claim 2 wherein the access point comprises a wireless communication transceiver, the first network zone is a primary network zone and the second network zone is a data network zone, each of the network zones comprising at least one client device which is to communicate wirelessly via the wireless communication transceiver.

4. The access point according to claim 3 which is to receive from the primary network zone and via the first Ethernet port, data relating to the data network zone, and to use the data in configuring a multi-zone network.

5. The access point according to claim 1 wherein the processing resource is to generate a look up table recording an association between the first network zone and the first Ethernet port and the association between the second network zone and the second Ethernet port;

the memory resource is to store the look up table; and

the processing resource is to access the look up table when receiving network traffic addressed to the first or second network zone.

6. The access point according to claim 1 wherein at least one communication channel comprises a Generic routing encapsulation (GRE) tunnel.

7. A method comprising:

establishing, by an access point, a first communication channel between a network access point and a first network zone controller using a first Ethernet port of the network access point; and

while the first communication channel exists, establishing, by the access point, a second communication channel, wherein the second communication channel is formed between the network access point and a second network zone controller using a second Ethernet port of the access point,

generating further communication channels between the access point and further network zones, wherein the Ethernet port selected for a communication channel to a network zone is selected according to an identifier of the network zone, where the identifier is a number and communication channels of odd numbered network zones are formed between the access point and the network zone using one of the first and second Ethernet port and communication channels of even numbered network zones are formed between the access point and the network zone using the other of the first and second Ethernet port.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein establishing the second communication channel comprises sending communications via the first Ethernet port.

9. The method according to claim 7 comprising establishing a plurality of communication channels between the access point and a plurality of controllers of different networks zones, the method further comprising selecting an Ethernet port for a communication channel to a network zone controller according to an identifier of the network zone.

10. The method according to claim 7 comprising determining a look up table mapping networks zones to the Ethernet ports to which they are connected.

11. The method according to claim 10 comprising, on receipt of a data packet for a network zone, using the look up table to forward the data packet.

12. The method according to claim 7 wherein the second network zone controller is a controller of a second network zone, the method comprising receiving data relating to the second network zone from the first network zone controller,

establishing communications with the second network zone and receiving a virtual access point configuration;

and

establishing the second communication channel based on the virtual access point configuration.

13. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause performance of operations comprising:

establishing a first secure tunnel between a network access point and a first network zone controller using a first Ethernet port of the network access point,

establishing a second secure tunnel, wherein the second secure tunnel is formed between the network access point and a second network zone controller using a second Ethernet port of the network access point,

generating further communication channels between the network access point and further network zones, wherein the Ethernet port selected for a communication channel to a network zone is selected according to an identifier of the network zone, where the identifier is a number and communication channels of odd numbered network zones are formed between the access point and the network zone using one of the first and second Ethernet port and communication channels of even numbered network zones are formed between the network access point and the network zone using the other of the first and second Ethernet port.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium according to claim 13 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause performance of operations comprising:

receiving, using the first Ethernet port, data relating to the second network zone,

establishing communications with the second network zone and receiving a virtual access point configuration; and

creating the second secure tunnel based on the virtual access point configuration.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium according to claim 13 wherein the instructions to establish the first and second secure tunnels are instructions to establish Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnels.