Method and system for a radio frequency management in a mesh network with a path distance factor

• US 8,611,256 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Zou, Xu, Huang, Kangchang
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMPTON, TARELL A
• Application Number:
  US13/112,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20110222435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/256, 370/255, 370/328, 370/351, 709/241, 709/242, 709/254, 709/255
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/028 Dynamic adaptation of the update intervals, e.g. event-triggered updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/18 Loop-free operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update

Abstract

A method and system for radio frequency management (RFM) in a mesh network using a path distance factor (PDF) is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method, comprises calculating a path distance factor (PDF) between a first mesh router and a portal. A frame is transmitted to a second mesh router, wherein the frame includes the path distance factor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network device, a frame from a neighbor node in a mesh network, wherein the frame comprises a first path distance vector indicating a path from a first mesh router to a portal which is connected to a wired network server;

determining, by the network device, whether a link exists between the first mesh router and the neighbor node;

responsive to the link not being existed, determining whether the neighbor node and the first mesh router are in a same layer of nodes;

responsive to the neighbor and the first mesh router being in the same layer, determining whether the path includes the neighbor node;

responsive to the path including the neighbor node, updating a topology database to indicate acceptance of the neighbor node; and

accepting, by the network device, the neighbor node based on said determination, the first path distance vector, and a second path distance vector corresponding to the neighbor node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the link being existed, determining whether the second path distance vector has a changed value; and

responsive to the second path distance vector having a changed value, updating the topology database.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a path distance vector threshold which specifies a total number of nodes on the path to be announced in the frame.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

dividing a plurality of nodes in the mesh network in the mesh network into a plurality of layers based on the path distance vector threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

optimizing the second path distance vector corresponding to the neighbor node.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to the neighbor and the first mesh router being in different layers, determining whether the neighbor node corresponds to an upper layer than the first mesh router; and

responsive to the neighbor node corresponding to the upper layer than the first mesh router, updating the topology database to indicate acceptance of the neighbor node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the neighbor node is accepted to form a loop-free topology.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame is one of a beacon frame and a probe response management frame.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a receiving mechanism coupled to the processor, the receiving mechanism to receive a frame from a neighbor node in a mesh network, wherein the frame comprises a first path distance vector indicating a path from a first mesh router to a portal which is connected to a wired network server;

a determining mechanism coupled to the process, the determining mechanism to

determine whether a link exists between the first mesh router and the neighbor node,

determine whether the neighbor node and the first mesh router are in the same layer responsive to the link not being existed, and

determine whether the path includes the neighbor node responsive to the neighbor and the first mesh router being in a same layer of nodes;

an updating mechanism coupled to the processor, the updating mechanism to update a topology database to indicate acceptance of the neighbor node responsive to the path including the neighbor node; and

an accepting mechanism coupled to the processor, the accepting mechanism to accept the neighbor node based on said determination, the first path distance vector, and a second path distance vector corresponding to the neighbor node.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the determining mechanism further to determine whether the second path distance vector has a changed value responsive to the link being existed;

and

wherein the apparatus further comprises an updating mechanism coupled to the processor, the updating mechanism to update the topology database responsive to the second path distance vector having a changed value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determining mechanism further to determine a path distance vector threshold which specifies a total number of nodes on the path to be announced in the frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a dividing mechanism coupled to the processor, the dividing mechanism to divide a plurality of nodes in the mesh network in the mesh network into a plurality of layers based on the path distance vector threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

an optimizing mechanism coupled to the processor, the optimizing mechanism to optimize the second path distance vector corresponding to the neighbor node.

14. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the determining mechanism further to determine whether the neighbor node corresponds to an upper layer than the first mesh router responsive to the neighbor and the first mesh router being in different layers;

and

wherein the updating mechanism further to update the topology database to indicate acceptance of the neighbor node responsive to the neighbor node corresponding to the upper layer than the first mesh router.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the neighbor node is accepted to form a loop-free topology.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the frame is one of a beacon frame and a probe response management frame.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a router being a part of a wireless mesh network, cause said router to perform:

receiving a frame from a neighbor node in a mesh network, wherein the frame comprises a first path distance vector indicating a path from a first mesh router to a portal which is connected to a wired network server;

determining, by the network device, whether a link exists between the first mesh router and the neighbor node;

responsive to the link not being existed, determining whether the neighbor node and the first mesh router are in a same layer of nodes;

responsive to the neighbor and the first mesh router being in the same layer, determining whether the path includes the neighbor node;

responsive to the path including the neighbor node, updating a topology database to indicate acceptance of the neighbor node; and

accepting the neighbor node based on said determination, the first path distance vector, and a second path distance vector corresponding to the neighbor node.