Method and system for load balancing traffic in a wireless network

• US 8,417,257 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shankar, Rohit, Shukla, Swati, Deshpande, Sumit B., Swarangi, Muralidhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US11/466,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,422 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for load balancing traffic in a wireless network includes identifying a respective operational parameter from wireless network devices in the wireless network. The respective operational parameter indicates a number of endpoint associations for the wireless network devices. The method also includes detecting a wireless network device with a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters. The method further includes, in response to the detected wireless network device, configuring the wireless network device to limit the number of endpoint associations to a number less than the particular number.

Claims

1. A method for load balancing traffic in a wireless network, comprising:

identifying, by a managing device, a respective operational parameter from each of a plurality of wireless network devices in the wireless network, the respective operational parameter indicative of a number of endpoint associations for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

identifying a maximum number of endpoint associations supported for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

examining, by the managing device, each of the respective operational parameters to generate an overloaded wireless network device list and a partially loaded wireless network device list, the overloaded wireless network device list comprising one or more wireless network devices with the maximum number of endpoint associations, the partially loaded wireless network device list comprising one or more wireless network devices with less than the maximum number of endpoint associations;

identifying, by the managing device, a wireless network device from the overloaded wireless network device list;

distributing, by the managing device, a first command to an endpoint device to disassociate from the identified wireless network device and a second command to the endpoint device to associate with a wireless network device of the one or more wireless network devices from the partially loaded wireless network device list; and

configuring, by the managing device, the identified wireless network device to limit the number of endpoint associations that are allowed to be wirelessly associated with the identified wireless network device by preventing additional endpoint devices from wirelessly associating with the identified wireless network device while the number of endpoint associations of the identified wireless network device is at least a particular number, wherein the particular number is less than the maximum number.

2. A method for load balancing traffic in a wireless network, comprising:

identifying, by a managing device, a respective operational parameter from each of a plurality of wireless network devices in the wireless network, the respective operational parameter indicative of a number of endpoint associations for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

identifying a maximum number of endpoint associations supported for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

detecting, by the managing device, a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters; and

in response to the detected wireless network device, configuring, by the managing device, the detected wireless network device to limit the number of endpoint associations that are allowed to be wirelessly associated with the detected wireless network device by preventing additional endpoint devices from wirelessly associating with the detected wireless network device while the number of endpoint associations of the detected wireless network device is at least the particular number, wherein detecting, by the managing device, a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters further comprises generating, by the managing device, an overloaded wireless network device list, wherein the overloaded wireless network device list comprises one or more wireless network devices in the wireless network with a maximum number of endpoint associations, and wherein detecting, by the managing device, a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters further comprises generating, by the managing device, a partially loaded wireless network device list, wherein the partially loaded wireless network device list comprises one or more wireless network devices in the wireless network with a minimal number of endpoint associations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring, by the managing device, the detected wireless network device to limit the number of endpoint associations that are allowed to be wirelessly associated with the detected wireless network device further comprises specifying, by the managing device, a maximum number of endpoint associations at the detected wireless network device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising distributing, by the managing device, a command to an endpoint device of the detected wireless network device to disassociate from the detected wireless network device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising distributing, by the managing device, a command to an endpoint device of the detected wireless network device to associate with a new wireless network device of the plurality of wireless network devices.

6. A system for load balancing traffic in a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network, the wireless network comprising one or more devices; and

a managing device operable to connect to the wireless network, the managing device comprising;

a processor; and

a storage device readable by the managing device, embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform acts for load balancing traffic in a wireless network, the acts comprising;

identifying a respective operational parameter from each of a plurality of wireless network devices in the wireless network, the respective operational parameter indicative of a number of endpoint associations for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

identifying a maximum number of endpoint associations supported for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

detecting a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters; and

in response to the detected wireless network device, configuring the detected wireless network device to limit the number of endpoint associations that are allowed to be wirelessly associated with the detected wireless network device by preventing additional endpoint devices from wirelessly associating with the detected wireless network device while the number of endpoint associations of the detected wireless network device is at least the particular number, wherein the act of detecting a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters further comprises the act of generating an overloaded wireless network device list, wherein the overloaded wireless network device list comprises one or more wireless network devices in the wireless network with a maximum number of endpoint associations, and wherein detecting a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters further comprises the act of generating a partially loaded wireless network device list, wherein the partially loaded wireless network device list comprises one or more wireless network devices in the wireless network with a minimal number of endpoint associations.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising the act of distributing a command to an endpoint device of the detected wireless network device to disassociate from the detected wireless network device.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising the act of distributing a command to an endpoint device of the detected wireless network device to associate with a new wireless network device of the plurality of wireless network devices.

9. A tangible computer readable media encoded with logic, the logic configured to, when executed by a processor:

identify, by a managing device, a respective operational parameter from each of a plurality of wireless network devices in the wireless network, the respective operational parameter indicative of a number of endpoint associations for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

identify a maximum number of endpoint associations supported for each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

detect, by the managing device, a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters; and

in response to the detected wireless network device, configure, by the managing device, the detected wireless network device to limit the number of endpoint associations that are allowed to be wirelessly associated with the detected wireless network device by preventing additional endpoint devices from wirelessly associating with the detected wireless network device while the number of endpoint associations of the detected wireless network device is at least the particular number, wherein the logic configured to detect, by the managing device, a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters is further configured to generate, by the managing device, an overloaded wireless network device list, wherein the overloaded wireless network device list comprises one or more wireless network devices in the wireless network with a maximum number of endpoint associations, and wherein the logic configured to detect, by the managing device, a wireless network device with at least a particular number of endpoint associations by examining each of the respective operational parameters is further configured to generate, by the managing device, a partially loaded wireless network device list, wherein the partially loaded wireless network device list comprises one or more wireless network devices in the wireless network with a minimal number of endpoint associations.

10. The tangible computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to distribute, by the managing device, a command to an endpoint device of the detected wireless network device to disassociate from the detected wireless network device.

11. The tangible computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further configured to distribute, by the managing device, a command to an endpoint device of the detected wireless network device to associate with a new wireless network device of the plurality of wireless network devices.