CONFIGURABLE WIRELESS SWITCHED NETWORK

• US 20150257040A1
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, John E. Jr., Price, Jeffrey K., Wentworth, Robert R., Wood, Stanley C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,750,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A configurable wireless switched network includes a wireless access point. The wireless access point includes an application that is executable thereon. The application is configured to set, by a user via an input component, a first port of a plurality of ports as a command channel. The command channel provides a first point of contact between the wireless access point and client devices. The application is also configured to receive configuration parameters from the user. The configuration parameters include port allocation instructions for the ports and identifiers of the client devices. The application is further configured to monitor bandwidth utilization on a network; receive, at the command channel, a request from one of the client devices to access the network; and assign one of the ports to the client device based on the port allocation instructions, the bandwidth utilization, and an identifier of the client device.

Claims

1. A wireless access point, comprising:

a plurality of ports;

an input component;

a memory unit;

a computer processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports, the input component, and the memory unit; and

an application executable by the computer processor, the application operable to;

set, by a user via the input component, a first port of the plurality of ports as a command channel, the command channel providing a first point of contact between the wireless access point and client devices communicatively supported over a network by the wireless access point;

receive configuration parameters from the user, the configuration parameters including port allocation instructions for the plurality of ports and identifiers of the client devices, the port allocation instructions and the identifiers stored in the memory unit;

monitor bandwidth utilization on the network;

receive, at the command channel, a request from one of the client devices to access the network;

retrieve the port allocation instructions; and

assign one of the plurality of ports to the client device based on the port allocation instructions, the bandwidth utilization, and an identifier of the one of the client devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters include:

assignment of at least one of the client devices, via a corresponding identifier of the at least one of the client devices, to a shared port of the plurality of ports.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters include:

assignment of at least one of the client devices, via a corresponding identifier of the at least one of the client devices, to a dedicated port of the plurality of ports.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the command channel operates as a shared port with respect to at least one of the client devices based on a threshold level of bandwidth utilization of the at least one of the client devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters include a maximum threshold bandwidth utilization pattern that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the application is configured to:

dynamically renegotiate assignment of at least one of the client devices to a dedicated port of the plurality of ports.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters include a minimum threshold bandwidth utilization pattern that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the application is configured to:

dynamically renegotiate assignment of the at least one of the client devices to a shared port of the plurality of ports.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters include a threshold bandwidth utilization value that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the application is configured to:

renegotiate assignment of at least one of the client devices when bandwidth utilization of the at least one of the client devices is outside of the threshold bandwidth utilization value, wherein reassignment of the at least one of the client devices is implemented based on at least one of;

immediately on determination that the at least one of the client devices is outside of the threshold utilization value; and

upon reconnection of the at least one of the client devices to the network.

8. A method, comprising:

setting, via an input component of a wireless access point, a first port of a plurality of ports as a command channel, the command channel providing a first point of contact between the wireless access point and client devices communicatively supported over a network by the wireless access point;

receiving, at a computer processor of the wireless access point, configuration parameters from the user, the configuration parameters including port allocation instructions for the plurality of ports and identifiers of the client devices, the port allocation instructions and the identifiers stored in a memory unit;

monitoring bandwidth utilization on the network;

receiving, at the command channel, a request from one of the client devices to access the network;

retrieving the port allocation instructions; and

assigning one of the plurality of ports to the client device based on the port allocation instructions, the bandwidth utilization, and an identifier of the client device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameters include:

assignment of at least one of the client devices, via a corresponding identifier of the at least one of the client devices, to a shared port of the plurality of ports.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameters include:

assignment of at least one of the client devices, via a corresponding identifier of the at least one of the client devices, to a dedicated port of the plurality of ports.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the command channel operates as a shared port with respect to at least one of the client devices based on a threshold level of bandwidth utilization of the at least one of the client devices.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameters include a maximum threshold bandwidth utilization pattern that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the method comprises:

dynamically renegotiate assignment of at least one of the client devices to a dedicated port of the plurality of ports.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameters include a minimum threshold bandwidth utilization pattern that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the method comprises:

dynamically renegotiate assignment of the at least one of the client devices to a shared port of the plurality of ports.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameters include a threshold bandwidth utilization value that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the method comprises:

renegotiate assignment of at least one of the client devices when bandwidth utilization of the at least one of the client devices is outside of the threshold bandwidth utilization value, wherein reassignment of the at least one of the client devices is implemented based on at least one of;

immediately on determination that the at least one of the client devices is outside of the threshold utilization value; and

upon reconnection of the at least one of the client devices to the network.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied thereon, the program instructions executable by a computer processor to cause the computer processor to:

set, via an input component of a wireless access point, a first port of a plurality of ports as a command channel, the command channel providing a first point of contact between the wireless access point and client devices communicatively supported over a network by the wireless access point;

receive, at the wireless access point, configuration parameters from the user, the configuration parameters including port allocation instructions for the plurality of ports and identifiers of the client devices, the port allocation instructions and the identifiers stored in a memory unit;

monitor bandwidth utilization on the network;

receive, at the command channel, a request from one of the client devices to access the network;

retrieve the port allocation instructions; and

assign one of the plurality of ports to the client device based on the port allocation instructions, the bandwidth utilization, and an identifier of the client device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration parameters include at least one of:

assignment of at least one of the client devices, via a corresponding identifier of the at least one of the client devices, to a shared port of the plurality of ports; and

assignment of at least one of the client devices, via a corresponding identifier of the at least one of the client devices, to a dedicated port of the plurality of ports.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the command channel operates as a shared port with respect to at least one of the client devices based on a threshold level of bandwidth utilization of the at least one of the client devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration parameters include a maximum threshold bandwidth utilization pattern that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the program instructions executable by a computer processor further cause the computer processor to:

dynamically renegotiate assignment of at least one of the client devices to a dedicated port of the plurality of ports.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration parameters include a minimum threshold bandwidth utilization pattern that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the program instructions executable by a computer processor further cause the computer processor to:

dynamically renegotiate assignment of the at least one of the client devices to a shared port of the plurality of ports.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the configuration parameters include a threshold bandwidth utilization value that is identified from monitoring the network over time, and the program instructions executable by a computer processor further cause the computer processor to:

renegotiate assignment of at least one of the client devices when bandwidth utilization of the at least one of the client devices is outside of the threshold bandwidth utilization value, wherein reassignment of the at least one of the client devices is implemented based on at least one of;

immediately on determination that the at least one of the client devices is outside of the threshold utilization value; and

upon reconnection of the at least one of the client devices to the network.