Wireless mesh network timed commit provisioning

• US 20060018303A1
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited
• Original Assignee: Tropos Networks Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Srikrishna, Devabhaktuni, Sugiarto, Ridwan Peter G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for managing a network. The management includes storing configuration parameters in cells within the network, sending a commit command and a commit delay time to the cells, sensing failed reception of the commit command, and aborting the commit command if a failure is sensed.

Claims

1. A method of managing a network comprising:

storing configuration parameters in cells within the network;

sending a commit command and a commit delay time to the cells;

sensing failed reception of the commit command; and

aborting the commit command if a failure is sensed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing configuration parameters comprises storing the configuration parameters within stored memory of devices of the cells.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the commit command causes devices within the cells to transfer configuration parameters from stored memory to present memory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein configuration parameters stored in present memory determine configurations of the devices within the cells.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the devices within the cells include gateways and access nodes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the gateways and access node provide a client with a data path to an internet network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing failed reception comprises:

requesting each cell to repeat back an earlier sent command; and

not receiving a proper response to the request from all of the cells within the network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the commit delay time is determined by an amount of time required to successfully abort the commit command.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the commit delay time is determined by an amount of time required to successfully abort the commit command of all cells within the network.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the amount of time required to successfully abort the commit command is dependent upon a size of the network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters and the commit command are sent simultaneously in time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the commit delay time is variable for different cells within the network, so that the commit command is executed by the different cells at approximately the same time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein new network configuration parameters are stored within cells of the network, and corresponding commit command and commit time delay sent when transmission channel updates are determined to be desirable.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein new network configuration parameters are stored within cells of the network, and corresponding commit command and commit time delay sent when new data encryption is determined to be desirable.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein new network configuration parameters are stored within cells of the network, and corresponding commit command and commit time delay sent when new routing control messages are determined to be desirable.

16. A method of Network Management System (NMS) managing a wireless mesh network comprising:

the NMS storing wireless configuration parameters in cells within the wireless mesh network;

the NMS sending a commit command and a commit delay time to the cells;

the NMS sensing failed reception of the commit command; and

the NMS aborting the commit command if a failure is sensed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein storing configuration parameters comprises storing the configuration parameters within stored memory of devices of the cells.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the NMS and cells within the network are interconnected according to an SNMP protocol.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless configuration parameters comprise at least one of wireless routing domain (WRD), WEP, and transmission channels.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the commit command causes wireless devices within the cells to transfer wireless configuration parameters from stored memory to present memory.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein configuration parameters stored in present memory determine configurations of the devices within the cells.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the wireless devices within the cells include at least one of wireless gateways and wireless access nodes.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the wireless gateways and wireless access node provide a wireless client with a data path to an internet network.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein sensing failed reception comprises:

the NMS requesting each device within the cells to repeat back an earlier sent command; and

not receiving a proper response to the request from all of the cells within the network.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the commit delay time is determined by an amount of time required for the NMS to successfully abort the commit command of all cells within the network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the amount of time required to successfully abort the commit command is dependent upon a size of the network.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless configuration parameters and the commit command are sent simultaneously in time.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the commit delay time is variable for different cells within the network, so that the commit command is executed by the different cells at approximately the same time.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein new network configuration parameters are stored within cells of the network, and corresponding commit command and commit time delay sent when transmission channel updates are determined to be desirable.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein new network configuration parameters are stored within cells of the network, and corresponding commit command and commit time delay sent when new data encryption is determined to be desirable.

31. The method of claim 16, wherein new network configuration parameters are stored within cells of the network, and corresponding commit command and commit time delay sent when new routing control messages are determined to be desirable.

32. A managed wireless network comprising:

a network management system (NMS);

a plurality of gateways in communication with the NMS;

a plurality of access node in wireless communication with the gateways, the access node providing clients with data paths through the gateways to upstream networks;

the NMS operable to;

storing configuration parameters in gateways and access node within the wireless network;

sending a commit command and a commit delay time to the gateways and access nodes;

sensing failed reception of the commit command; and

aborting the commit command if a failure is sensed.

33. A wireless network management system (NMS) comprising:

means for storing configuration parameters in gateways and access node within the a wireless network;

means for sending a commit command and a commit delay time to the gateways and access nodes;

means for sensing failed reception of the commit command; and

means for aborting the commit command if a failure is sensed.

34. A network management product comprising a computer program, the computer program operable to control a network, when executed, that computer program causing the network to:

store configuration parameters in gateways and access node within the a wireless network;

send a commit command and a commit delay time to the gateways and access nodes;

sense failed reception of the commit command; and

abort the commit command if a failure is sensed.