Methods and systems for centralized cluster management in wireless switch architecture

• US 20080080438A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Gopalakrishnan, Kamatchi Soundaram, Malik, Ajay
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

Wireless switch are monitored or configured on a cluster basis rather than being limited to configuration on an individual switches. A switch cluster is made up of two or more wireless switches that share a cluster number or other identifier. A command is received from a user interface module at a first node in the cluster, and an instruction related to the command is transmitted from the first node to the other nodes in the cluster. After receiving responses from at least some of the other nodes in the cluster as to the effect of the instruction, the first node provides an updated response to the administrator. The administrator is therefore able to configure or monitor each of the nodes in the cluster from a single administrative node.

Claims

1. A method of executing a command on a plurality of networked nodes, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the command from a user interface module at a first one of the plurality of networked nodes;

transmitting an instruction related to the command from the first one of the plurality of networked nodes to the other nodes;

receiving responses from at least some of the other nodes indicating an effect produced by the instruction; and

providing a response to the user interface module from the first one of the plurality of networked nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of networked nodes are configured to act as the first one of the plurality of networked nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of validating the command at the first one of the plurality of networked nodes prior to the transmitting step.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of validating the responses from the at least some of the other nodes prior to the providing step.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving step comprises a timeout wherein responses received prior to a predetermined time are processed differently from responses received after the predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving the instruction from the first one of the plurality of networked nodes at a second one of the plurality of networked nodes;

executing the command in response to the instruction at the second one of the plurality of networked nodes;

collecting the response to the command; and

forwarding the response to the first one of the plurality of networked nodes.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

receiving the instruction from the first one of the plurality of networked nodes at a third one of the plurality of networked nodes;

executing the command in response to the instruction at the third one of the plurality of networked nodes;

collecting the response to the command; and

forwarding the response to the first one of the plurality of networked nodes.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of nodes form a cluster of nodes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of nodes form a cluster of nodes identifiable by a cluster identification code.

10. A wireless switch configured to execute the method of claim 1.

11. A wireless switch operating as one of a plurality of wireless switches receiving a command from a user interface module, the wireless switch comprising:

means for receiving the command;

means for transmitting an instruction related to the command to the other nodes;

means for receiving responses from at least some of the other nodes indicating an effect produced by the instruction; and

means for providing a response to the user interface module from the first one of the plurality of networked nodes.

12. The wireless switch of claim 11 further comprising:

means for receiving a second instruction from a second one of the plurality of networked nodes;

means for executing a second command in response to the second instruction;

means for collecting the response to the second command; and

means for forwarding the response to the second one of the plurality of networked nodes.