System and method for efficient state synchronization among neighboring network devices

• US 9,351,130 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Gupta, Manoj, PalChaudhuri, Santashil
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang, Kiet
• Application Number:
  US13/931,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations including detecting, by a first network device, a second network device within a radio frequency (RF) communication range from the first network device. Responsive at least to detecting the second network device, the first network device subscribes to a multicast group associated with the second network device. Thereafter, the first network device receives multicast data associated with the multicast group associated with the second network device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations comprising:

detecting, by a first access point, a second access point within a radio frequency (RF) communication range from the first access point;

responsive at least to detecting the second access point, subscribing, by the first access point, to a multicast group hosted by the second access point;

receiving, by the first access point, multicast data associated with the multicast group from the second access point; and

modifying, by the first access point, a channel access request configuration of the first access point based on the received multicast data.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein subscribing to the multicast group responsive at least to detecting the second access point comprises subscribing to the multicast group in response to detecting that wireless signals from the second access point have a signal strength above a particular threshold.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein subscribing to the multicast group hosted by the second access point further comprises receiving a multicast address in a beacon message from the second access point.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein subscribing to the multicast group hosted by the second access point comprises computing a multicast address associated with the multicast group based at least on a portion of information associated with the second access point.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise using the received multicast data to provide one or more services to a client device currently associated with the first access point and previously associated with the second access point.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise modifying of a configuration of the first access point to preclude any additional client devices from successfully associating with the first access point.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise modifying a configuration of the first access point to narrow a bandwidth of a wireless channel utilized by the first access point based on information within the received multicast data.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the multicast data transmitted to members of the multicast group is determined by the second access point.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

subscribing, by the first access point, to a multicast group hosted by the third access point; and

receiving, by the first access point, multicast data associated with the multicast group hosted by the third access point.

10. A first access point comprising:

one or more radio units to receive wireless signals from a second access point within a radio frequency (RF) communication range from the first access point; and

at least one hardware processor coupled to the one or more radio units, wherein the at least one hardware processor is to control the first access point to subscribe to a multicast group hosted by the second access point in response to detecting the wireless signals from the second access point, receive multicast data associated with the multicast group from the second access point subsequent to the first access point joining the multicast group, and modify a channel access request configuration of the first access point based on the received multicast data.

11. The first access point of claim 10, wherein the first access point is to subscribe to the multicast group in response to determining that the wireless signals, from the second access point, have a signal strength above a particular threshold.

12. The first access point of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is to control the first network device to compute a multicast address associated with the multicast group based on a portion of information associated with the second access point.

13. The first access point of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further to control the first network device to use the received multicast data to provide one or more services to a client device currently associated with the first access point and previously associated with the second access point.

14. The first access point of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further to modify a configuration of the first access point to preclude any additional client devices from successfully associating with the first access point.

15. The first access point of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further to narrow, based on information within the received multicast data, a bandwidth of a wireless channel being utilized by the one or more radio units.

16. The first access point of claim 10, wherein the multicast data transmitted to members of the multicast group is determined by the second access point.

17. The first access point of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further to control the first access point to subscribe to a multicast group hosted by a third access point, and receive multicast data associated with the multicast group hosted by the third access point.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium implemented within a first access point and comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to:

receive a message from a second access point, wherein the message comprises state information of the second access point;

determine a multicast address for a multicast group hosted by the second access point based at least on the state information received in the message;

subscribe, by the first access point, to the multicast group hosted by the second access point;

receive, by the first access point, multicast data associated with the multicast group hosted by the second access point; and

modify a configuration of the first access point to reduce a functionality of the first access point to assist an operation ability of the second access point.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the state information comprises Opportunistic Key Caching (OKC) information used to initiate a 4-way handshake authentication.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the state information comprises load capacity of the second access point.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the load capacity comprises a number of client devices in association with the second access point.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the load capacity comprises processor utilization information for the second access point.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the state information comprises operating bandwidth to convey one or more wireless channels utilized by the second access point.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the modified configuration reduces an amount of time to authenticate a client device roaming to the first access point from a neighboring access point.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the modified configuration narrows a bandwidth of a home channel for the first access point.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the modified configuration precludes further client devices from successfully associating with the first access point.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein receiving the message by the first access point from the second access point is in response to a PROBE REQUEST message transmitted by the first access point, wherein the PROBE REQUEST message includes state information of the first access point.