Platform for enterprise wireless network management applications

• US 7,668,513 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chandra, Ranveer, Bahl, Paramvir, Padhye, Jitendra D., Wolman, Alastair, Zill, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/474,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20070298779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/453, 455/435.1, 455/450, 455/411, 455/426.1, 455/432, 455/432.2, 370/338, 370/352, 370/241, 709/219, 709/223, 702/186
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

A framework for wireless network management applications in an enterprise environment using existing general purpose computing devices is presented. At least one of the devices is configured with a wireless adapter and is used as an AirMonitor to monitor one or more wireless networks. Other devices are configured as LandMonitors to monitor traffic on a wired network in the enterprise environment. At least one inference engine uses the LandMonitors and AirMonitors by assigning them monitoring tasks. Data from the monitoring tasks are stored in a database. Analysis of the data that is computationally intensive is generally performed by the inference engines. Wireless network management applications use the framework by installing and running application-specific components (e.g., filters) on the AirMonitors, LandMonitors, and/or inference engines.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a framework for wireless network management applications using general purpose computing devices in an enterprise having at least one wireless network comprising:

provisioning a selected number of the general purpose computing devices with a wireless adapter, the selected number of the general purpose computing devices deployed throughout at least one wired network such that a wireless footprint established by the selected number of the general purpose computing devices covers a selected area in the enterprise;

on the selected number of the general purpose computing devices;

installing a wireless device driver for communicating with the wireless adapter; and

installing an AirMonitor service for monitoring the at least one wireless network; and

monitoring the at least one wired network using a LandMonitor service operably coupled with at least one of the general purpose computing devices, wherein the LandMonitor service comprises;

a driver interface for communication with at least one wired network;

a filter processor module in communication with the driver interface, the filter processor module receiving packets from the driver interface and multicasting the packets to at least one running filter;

a command processor module in communication with the filter processor module; and

at least one support module in communication with the at least one running filter.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising providing an inference engine adapted to communicate with the selected number of the general purpose computing devices.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising installing the LandMonitor service on the at least one of the general purpose computing devices.

4. The method of claim 3, installing the LandMonitor service on the at least one of the general purpose computing devices comprising:

installing a driver interface;

installing a filter processor module;

installing a command processor module; and

installing at least one support module.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising installing a database on one of the at least one wireless network and the at least one wired network.

6. The method of claim 5, the inference engine further adapted to communicate with the database.

7. The method of claim 1, installing the AirMonitor service on the selected number of the general purpose computing devices comprising:

installing a driver interface;

installing a filter processor module;

installing a command processor module;

installing at least one support module; and

installing a sender module.

8. The method of claim 1, when installed, the device driver not automatically switching to other channels when a particular channel is selected.

9. A framework for wireless network management applications using general purpose computing devices having at least one wireless network comprising:

at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as an AirMonitor, comprising;

a wireless adapter;

a wireless device driver for communicating with the wireless adapter; and

an AirMonitor service for monitoring the at least one wireless network, the AirMonitor service in communication with the wireless device driver, and comprising;

a driver interface in communication with the wireless device driver;

a filter processor module in communication with the driver interface, the filter processor module receiving packets from the driver interface and multicasting the packets to at least one running filter;

a command processor module in communication with the filter processor module;

at least one support module in communication with the at least one running filter; and

a sender module for sending requests and receive incoming responses;

the sender module in communication with the at least one running filter; and

at least one inference engine in communication with the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as an AirMonitor.

10. The framework of claim 9, the at least one support module including an 802.11 parser module.

11. The framework of claim 10, the wireless device driver supporting:

packet logging so that received 802.11 frames are copied into a buffer, user-level programs to copy the contents of the buffer; and

counting how many packets are dropped if the buffer becomes full.

12. The framework of claim 9, the at least one support module including a database helper module to assist with a task of submitting summaries to a database.

13. The framework of claim 9, comprising at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as a LandMonitor.

14. The framework of claim 13, a general purpose computing device configured as a LandMonitor comprising:

a driver interface for communication with at least one wired network;

a filter processor module in communication with the driver interface, the filter processor module receiving packets from the driver interface and multicasting the packets to at least one running filter;

a command processor module in communication with the filter processor module; and

at least one support module in communication with the at least one running filter.

15. The framework of claim 13, the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as a LandMonitor establishing a footprint that covers a selected area of an enterprise.

16. The framework of claim 9, the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as an AirMonitor establishing a wireless footprint that covers a selected area of an enterprise.

17. The framework of claim 9, a plurality of the general purpose computing devices configured as AirMonitors and densely deployed throughout an enterprise such that a wireless footprint established by the plurality of the general purpose computing devices covers a selected area in the enterprise.

18. The framework of claim 9, comprising at least one database in communication with the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as an AirMonitor and the at least one inference engine.

19. A non-transient computer readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, that when executed on a computing system via a microprocessor perform a method of provisioning a framework for wireless network management applications using general purpose computing devices in an enterprise having at least one wireless network, the method comprising:

provisioning a selected number of the general purpose computing devices with a wireless adapter, the selected number of the general purpose computing devices deployed throughout the at least one wired network such that a wireless footprint established by the selected number of the general purpose computing devices covers a selected area in the enterprise;

on the selected number of the general purpose computing devices;

installing a wireless device driver for communicating with the wireless adapter;

using an AirMonitor service for monitoring the at least one wireless network, where using the AirMonitor service comprises;

using a driver interface to communicate with the wireless device driver;

using a filter processor module in communication with the driver interface to receive packets from the driver interface and multicast the packets to at least one running filter;

using a command processor module in communication with the filter processor module;

using at least one support module in communication with the at least one running filter; and

using a sender module to send requests and receive incoming responses, where the sender module is in communication with the at least one running filter; and

providing an inference engine adapted to communicate with the selected number of the general purpose computing devices.

20. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 19, the method comprising using at least one of the general purpose computing devices as a LandMonitor, where the LandMonitor comprises one or more of:

a driver interface for communication with at least one wired network;

a filter processor module in communication with the driver interface, the filter processor module receiving packets from the driver interface and multicasting the packets to at least one running filter;

a command processor module in communication with the filter processor module; and

at least one support module in communication with the at least one running filter.