Unified, configurable, adaptive, network architecture

• US 7,310,664 B1
• Filed: 02/06/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Merchant, Shehzad T., Srinivasan, Balaji, Pitcher, Derek H., Peters, Matthew R., Maitra, Amit K., Li, Jia-Ru, Jain, Vipin K., Lin, Victor C., Rathi, Manish M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, David Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/773,487
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A network switch having a unified, adaptive management paradigm for wireless network devices is disclosed. The switch includes configurable ports for connecting devices. A software application running on the switch allows a network administrator to selectively configure each port to support either a wired device or wireless device. Configuration information and software images that are needed for operation of the wireless device are associated with the port. When a wireless device is first plugged into the switch port, it downloads its configuration directly from the switch port. By storing the configuration information and images at the switch and automatically downloading them to the wireless devices, the task of configuring the devices is greatly simplified for the network administrator. This is particularly advantageous in heterogeneous network environments that support both wired and wireless devices, and where wireless device are readily moved to different ports.

Claims

1. A network switch, comprising:

a configurable port for connecting either a wireless edge device or a wired device to the switch; and

a processor for executing an application running on the network switch, for configuring the port to support either a wired device or a wireless edge device, and also enabling the port, when configured to support a wireless edge device, to automatically configure a wireless edge device attached to the port to function as a wireless network access point.

2. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the application permits an administrator to create a profile associated with one or more ports of the network switch.

3. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the application permits an administrator to enter configuration information corresponding to the wireless edge device.

4. The network switch of claim 3, wherein the configuration information includes information selected from the group consisting of radio frequency (RF) parameters, security parameters and a combination of the forgoing parameters.

5. The network switch of claim 3, further comprising:

means for downloading the configuration information to the wireless edge device when the wireless edge device is connected to the port.

6. The network switch of claim 1, further comprising:

a database for storing configuration information associated with the port.

7. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the port is an Ethernet port.

8. The network switch of claim 1, wherein the wired device is a wired edge device.

9. The network switch of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing a software image corresponding to the wireless edge device; and

means for downloading the software image to the wireless edge device when the wireless edge device is connected to the port.

10. A network system, comprising:

a network switch including

a port,

a processor for executing a software application for configuring the port to support a wireless edge device,

a memory for storing configuration information associated with the port and a software image; and

;

a wireless edge device including a program for automatically downloading the configuration information and the software image when the wireless edge device is connected to the port, so that the wireless edge device is configured to function as a wireless network access point.

11. The network system of claim 10, wherein the port is configurable to support wired devices and wireless edge devices.

12. The network system of claim 10, wherein the network switch includes a plurality of ports.

13. The network system of claim 12, wherein a profile including the configuration information is associated with one or more ports of the network switch.

14. The network system of claim 10, wherein the configuration information includes information selected from the group consisting of radio frequency (RF) parameters, security parameters and a combination of the forgoing parameters.

15. The network system of claim 10, wherein the port is an Ethernet port.

16. The network system of claim 11, wherein the wired devices are wired edge devices.

17. In a network system, a method of configuring a network switch port and wireless edge device, comprising:

receiving configuration information at a network switch;

storing the configuration at the network switch;

associating the configuration information with a port of the network switch;

configuring the port to support either a wired device or a wireless edge device;

when the port is configured to support a wireless edge device, automatically downloading the configuration information to the wireless edge device when the wireless edge device is connected to the port; and

configuring the wireless edge device based on the downloaded configuration information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

creating a profile associated with one or more ports of the network switch.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the configuration information includes information selected from the group consisting of radio frequency (RF) parameters, security parameters and a combination of the forgoing parameters.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the port is an Ethernet port.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the wireless edge device is a wireless access point.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

downloading a software image to the wireless edge device when the wireless edge device is connected to the port.

23. A network switch, comprising:

means for connecting to a wireless edge device to the switch; and

means for selectively configuring the connecting means to connect to either a wired device or a wireless edge device; and

means for automatically configuring a wireless edge device attached to the connecting means so that the wireless edge device is able to function as a wireless network access point.

24. The network switch of claim 23, further comprising:

means for creating a profile associated with the connecting means.

25. The network switch of claim 23, further comprising:

means for storing configuration information.

26. The network switch of claim 23, further comprising:

means for downloading configuration information to the wireless edge device when the wireless edge device is attached to the connecting means.

27. The network switch of claim 26, wherein the configuration information includes information selected from the group consisting of radio frequency (RF) parameters, security parameters and a combination of the forgoing parameters.

28. The network switch of claim 23, further comprising:

means for downloading a software image to the wireless edge device when the wireless edge device is attached to the connecting means.

29. A network switch comprising:

one or more ports;

a memory for storing a software image executable by a wireless edge device;

a processor for configuring at least one of the ports to support a wireless edge device; and

an application for automatically downloading the software image to the wireless edge device when the wireless edge device is plugged into the port, thereby configuring the wireless edge device so that it is able to function as a wireless network access point.

30. The network switch of claim 29, wherein the memory stores a plurality of software images and the processor includes means for selectively associating one of the software images with the at least one of the ports.

31. The network switch of claim 29, further comprising means for upgrading the software image.

32. The network switch of claim 31, wherein the processor allows the upgraded software image to be associated with the at least one of the ports.