CLOUD CONTROLLER FOR SELF-OPTIMIZED NETWORKS

• US 20150237519A1
• Filed: 02/18/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Benu Networks, Incorporated (Ciena Corporation)
• Inventors: GHAI, Rajat
• Granted Patent: US 9,832,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

A management system implemented in a cloud computing environment for automatically managing a plurality of Wi-Fi access points in a network can receive information from each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points. The system can analyze the received information from each Wi-Fi access point to determine at least one operation condition of at least one Wi-Fi access and determine at least one new operation setting for the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the analyzed information. The system can remotely configure the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the at least one new operation setting.

Claims

1. In a management system implemented in a cloud computing environment, a method for automatically managing a plurality of Wi-Fi access points in a network, comprising:

receiving, by the management system including memory and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, information from each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the network;

analyzing, by the management system, the received information from each Wi-Fi access point to determine at least one operation condition of at least one Wi-Fi access;

determining, by the management system, at least one new operation setting for the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the analyzed information; and

configuring, by the management system, the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the at least one new operation setting, whereby the at least one Wi-Fi access point is remotely configured by the management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information from each Wi-Fi access point in the network comprises at least one of a number of connected devices to each Wi-Fi access point, data rate information for each Wi-Fi access point, neighboring Wi-Fi AP maps, historical usage information, overall load, interference metrics, and device attachment attempts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one new operation setting comprises at least one of an operating channel, an operating frequency band, a service set identifier, a modulation and coding scheme, and a transmission power setting.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the management system, a first encryption key for a first session between a first Wi-Fi access point and a first Wi-Fi enabled device;

storing, by the management system, the first encryption key in a database implemented in the cloud computing environment;

retrieving, by the management system, the first encryption key from the database; and

providing, by the management system, the first encryption key to at least one of the first Wi-Fi access point, the first Wi-Fi enabled device, and a second Wi-Fi access point.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting inoperative Wi-Fi access points in the network; and

generating Wi-Fi access points neighbor maps based on the location of each Wi-Fi access point in the network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

terminating the first session between the first Wi-Fi access point and the first Wi-Fi enabled device based on at least one criterion; and

enabling a second session between the first Wi-Fi enabled device and a second Wi-Fi access point in range of the first Wi-Fi enabled device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one criterion comprises data rate information corresponding to the first session.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a data rate corresponding to the second session is higher than a data rate corresponding to the first session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the management system is configured to communicate with each Wi-Fi access point through a radio resource management (RRM) profile.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating statistical information for the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the network.

11. A system for automatically managing a plurality of Wi-Fi access points in a network, the system comprising a processor configured to run a module stored in memory that is configured to cause the processor to:

receive information from each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the network;

analyze the received information from each Wi-Fi access point to determine at least one operation condition of at least one Wi-Fi access;

determine at least one new operation setting for the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the analyzed information; and

configure the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the at least one new operation setting, whereby the at least one Wi-Fi access point is remotely configured by the system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information from each Wi-Fi access point in the network comprises at least one of a number of connected devices to each Wi-Fi access point, data rate information for each Wi-Fi access point, neighboring Wi-Fi AP maps, historical usage information, overall load, interference metrics, and device attachment attempts.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one new operation setting comprises at least one of an operating channel, an operating frequency band, a service set identifier, a modulation and coding scheme, and a transmission power setting.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a first encryption key for a first session between a first Wi-Fi access point and a first Wi-Fi enabled device;

store the first encryption key in a database implemented in the cloud computing environment;

retrieve the first encryption key from the database; and

provide the first encryption key to at least one of the first Wi-Fi access point, the first Wi-Fi enabled device, and a second Wi-Fi access point.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect inoperative Wi-Fi access points in the network; and

generate Wi-Fi access points neighbor maps based on the location of each Wi-Fi access point in the network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

terminate the first session between the first Wi-Fi access point and the first Wi-Fi enabled device based on at least one criterion; and

enable a second session between the first Wi-Fi enabled device and a second Wi-Fi access point in range of the first Wi-Fi enabled device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one criterion comprises data rate information corresponding to the first session.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a data rate corresponding to the second session is higher than a data rate corresponding to the first session.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate with each Wi-Fi access point through a radio resource management (RRM) profile.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate statistical information for the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the network.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions operable to cause an apparatus to:

receive information from each of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points in the network;

analyze the received information from each Wi-Fi access point to determine at least one operation condition of at least one Wi-Fi access;

determine at least one new operation setting for the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the analyzed information; and

configure the at least one Wi-Fi access point based on the at least one new operation setting, whereby the at least one Wi-Fi access point is remotely configured by the system.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the executable instructions are operable to further cause the apparatus to:

receive a first encryption key for a first session between a first Wi-Fi access point and a first Wi-Fi enabled device;

store the first encryption key in a database implemented in the cloud computing environment;

retrieve the first encryption key from the database; and

provide the first encryption key to at least one of the first Wi-Fi access point, the first Wi-Fi enabled device, and a second Wi-Fi access point.