Method and apparatus for transferring network management information to wireless nodes

• US 8,180,339 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2006
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Douglas, Bretton Lee, Davi, Gregg Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUA, QUAN M
• Application Number:
  US11/502,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20080037482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/67.11, 4554221-425, 455/414.3, 455/418, 370/245, 370/338, 340/539.13, 340/539.11
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to providing network management information to wireless access points in a wireless network. In one implementation, a wireless client interrogates a wireless access point for its MAC address, for service set identifier (SSID) information, and/or for authentication-related information. If the wireless client determines that the wireless access point is the correct wireless access point, the wireless client polls sensors for physical environment and parameter (PEP) data, which the wireless client then transmits to the wireless access point.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage media comprising instructions for execution by one or more processors and when executed operable to cause the one or more processors to:

detect, by scanning using a communications interface of a wireless client host, one or more remote wireless elements of a wireless network in physical radio frequency vicinity of the client host;

select, using the communications interface of the wireless client host, a detected remote element of the one or more remote elements of the wireless network detected during the scan using a network identifier of the selected wireless remote element;

interrogate the selected remote wireless element, using one or more sensors directly attached to the wireless client host by;

sensing signal characteristics of a radio frequency signal received from the selected wireless remote element;

analyzing the sensed signal characteristics associated with the selected wireless remote element; and

determining installation configuration information of the selected wireless remote element; and

transmit to the selected wireless remote element, using the communications interface of the wireless client host, a message including the installation configuration information corresponding to the selected wireless remote element, wherein said transmitting includes identifying the selected wireless remote element using the network identifier and inserting in the message a network command that upon execution causes the selected wireless remote element to locally store the installation configuration information in a file maintained in a non-volatile memory of the selected wireless remote element for later retrieval.

2. The instructions of claim 1 wherein the instructions is further operable to enable an operator to provide manual input or override the physical environment information.

3. The instructions of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors is a global positioning system receiver.

4. The instructions of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors is one of a laser rangefinder for height above ground, an altimeter for altitude, and a compass for antenna pointing direction.

5. The instructions of claim 1 wherein the instructions is further operable to display polled physical environment information.

6. The instructions of claim 5 wherein the instructions is further operable to:

display fields for the polled physical environment information; and

enable a user to modify the polled physical environment information.

7. The instructions of claim 5 wherein the instructions is further operable to display a graphic user interface for displaying polled physical environment information.

8. The instructions of claim 1 wherein the instructions is further operable to query the selected remote element for data.

9. The instructions of claim 1 wherein the instructions is further operable to apply one or more security policies.

10. The instructions of claim 1 wherein the message is cryptographically secured.

11. A wireless apparatus for capturing wireless network management information, comprising

one or more sensors;

one or more wireless network interfaces;

a memory;

one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to;

detect, by scanning using the one or more wireless network interfaces, one or more remote wireless elements of a wireless network in physical radio frequency vicinity of the wireless network interfaces,

select, using the one or more wireless network interfaces, a detected remote element of the one or more remote elements of a wireless network detected during the scan using a network identifier of the selected wireless remote element;

interrogate the selected wireless remote wireless element, using the one or more sensors to;

sense signal characteristics of a radio frequency signal received from the selected wireless remote element;

analyze the sensed signal characteristics associated with the selected wireless remote element; and

determine installation configuration information of the selected wireless remote element based on the analyzed signal characteristics; and

transmit to the selected wireless remote element, using the one or more wireless network interfaces, a message including the installation configuration information corresponding to the selected remote element, wherein said transmitting includes identifying the selected wireless remote element using the network identifier and inserting in the message a network command that upon execution causes the selected wireless remote element to locally store the installation configuration information in a file maintained in a non-volatile memory of the selected wireless remote element for later retrieval.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable an operator to provide manual input or override the physical environment information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least one of the sensors is a global positioning system receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least one of the sensors is one of a laser rangefinder for height above ground, an altimeter for altitude, and a compass for antenna pointing direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the one or more processors to display polled physical environment information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:

display fields for the polled physical environment information; and

enable a user to modify the polled physical environment information.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the one or more processors to display a graphic user interface for displaying polled physical environment information.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the one or more processors are configured to query the selected remote element for data.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the one or more processors are configured to apply one or more security policies.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the message is cryptographically secured.

21. A method for capturing wireless network management information, comprising:

detecting, by scanning using a communications interface of a wireless client host, one or more wireless remote elements of a wireless network in physical radio frequency vicinity of the wireless client host;

selecting, using the communications interface of the wireless client host, a detected wireless remote element of the one or more wireless remote elements of a wireless network detected during the scan using a network identifier of the selected wireless remote element;

interrogating the selected remote wireless element, using one or more sensors directly attached to the wireless client host by;

sensing signal characteristics of a radio frequency signal received from the selected wireless remote element;

analyzing the sensed signal characteristics associated with the selected wireless remote element; and

determining installation configuration information of the selected wireless remote element; and

transmitting to the selected wireless remote element, using the communications interface of the wireless client host, a message containing the installation configuration information corresponding to the selected wireless remote element, wherein said transmitting includes identifying the selected wireless remote element using the network identifier and inserting in the message a network command that upon execution causes the selected remote element to locally store the installation configuration information in a file maintained in a non-volatile memory of the selected wireless remote element for later retrieval.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising enabling an operator to provide manual input or override the physical environment information.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising displaying polled physical environment information.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

displaying fields for the polled physical environment information; and

enabling a user to modify the polled physical environment information.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising displaying a graphic user interface for displaying polled physical environment information.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising querying the selected remote element for data.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising applying one or more security policies.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the message is cryptographically secured.

29. A system comprising:

a sensor device comprising one or more sensors and a wireless communications interface, the sensor device configured to;

perform a scan, using the wireless communications interface, and detect one or more wireless access points in physical radio frequency vicinity of the sensor device,

select a detected wireless access point of the one or more wireless access points detected during the scan using a network identifier of the selected wireless access point,

interrogate the selected wireless access point, using the one or more sensors by;

sensing signal characteristics of a radio frequency signal received from the selected wireless access point;

analyzing the sensed signal characteristics associated with the selected access point; and

determining installation configuration information of the selected wireless access point based on the analyzed signal characteristics; and

transmit to the selected wireless access point a message containing the installation configuration information corresponding to the selected wireless access point, wherein said transmitting includes identifying the selected wireless access point using the network identifier and inserting in the message a network command that upon execution causes the selected wireless access point to locally store the installation configuration information in a file maintained in a non-volatile memory of the selected wireless access point for later retrieval; and

a wireless access point configured to receive the message containing the installation configuration information from the sensor device, and store the installation configuration information in a file maintained in a non-volatile memory of the selected wireless access point for later retrieval upon executing the network command.