Centralized management of access points

• US 9,331,900 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fortinet Inc.
• Inventors: Gorajala Chandra, Sekhar Sumanth, Thangaraj, Selvam
• Primary Examiner(s): KAMARA, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US13/934,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370328-331, 370/336, 370/338, 370/350, 455/11.1, 455/437, 455/436, 455/450, 455/456.2, 455/522
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for centralized access, control, and management of access points (AP) in a network architecture to facilitate easy and efficient maintenance and monitoring of access points, for example. Systems and methods are also provided for assigning unique identifiers to one or more access points, and use the identifiers through an interface, such as a command line interface (CLI) of an access controller (AC), to manage and monitor the one or more access points through their respective interfaces. System of the present disclosure further enables transitioning from CLI of a first access point to CLI of a second access point without going through AC.

Claims

1. An Access Controller (AC) comprising:

one or more processors;

a communication interface device;

one or more internal data storage devices operatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing;

an identifier module configured to assign a unique identifier to each Access Point (AP) of a plurality of APs that are managed by the AC, wherein the unique identifier is not an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the AP;

an interface module configured to present an interface to a user through which commands are provided by the user and to access a first AP of the plurality of APs responsive to a command received from the user and based upon the first AP'"'"'s assigned unique identifier, wherein the interface comprises a command line interface (CLI); and

an access module configured to access the first AP responsive to the command, wherein the access to the first AP enables an AP CLI of the first AP and displays a prompt associated with the AP CLI to the user through which said user may issue commands to the first AP, wherein the AP CLI of the first AP further permits access to a second AP of the plurality of APs and wherein the access to the second AP enables an AP CLI of the second AP and displays a prompt associated with the AP CLI of the second AP to the user through which the user may issue commands to the second AP.

2. The AC of claim 1, wherein the AP CLI of the first AP enables access back to said AC.

3. The AC of claim 1, wherein said interface comprises a graphical user interface.

4. The AC of claim 1, wherein said AC further comprises a reporting module configured to report a status of said first AP to said AC.

5. The AC of claim 1, wherein said AC is connected to said plurality of APs through one or more of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

6. The AC of claim 1, wherein said AC establishes a connection with one or more of said plurality of APs through one or more of Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP), telnet and Secure Shell (SSH).

7. The AC of claim 3, wherein the AP interface module presents a layout of the plurality of APs within the graphical user interface.

8. The AC of claim 7, wherein said layout comprises a tree layout, mesh layout, star layout, and ring layout.

9. A method comprising:

assigning, by an Access Controller (AC), a unique identifier to each Access Point (AP) of a plurality of APs that are managed by the AC, wherein the unique identifier is not an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the AP;

presenting, by the AC, an interface to a user through which commands are provided by the user and to access a first AP of the plurality of APs responsive to a command received from the user and based upon the first AP'"'"'s assigned unique identifier, wherein said interface comprises a command line interface (CLI); and

accessing, controlling or debugging, by the AC, the first AP based on the command, wherein the access to the first AP enables an AP CLI of the first AP and displays a prompt associated with the AP CLI to the user through which said user may issue commands to the first AP, wherein the AP CLI of the first AP further permits access to a second AP of the plurality of APs, wherein the access to the second AP enables an AP CLI of the second AP and displays a prompt associated with the AP CLI of the second AP to the user through which the user may issue commands to the second AP.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the AP CLI of the first AP enables access back to said AC.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said interface comprises a graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said AC is connected to said plurality of APs through one or more of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting a layout of the plurality of APs within the graphical user interface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said layout comprises a tree layout, mesh layout, star layout, and ring layout.