Apparatuses for a wired/wireless network architecture

• US 9,407,457 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Sindhu, Pradeep, Choudhury, Abhijit, Murphy, James, Mallya, Raghavendra, Pogde, Pranay, Nanda, Phalguni, Boddu, Jayabharat, Aybay, Gunes, Venkatramani, Anjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghowrwal, Omar
• Application Number:
  US13/252,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a core network node and a control module within an enterprise network architecture. The core network node is configured to be operatively coupled to a set of wired network nodes and a set of wireless network nodes. The core network node is configured to receive a first tunneled packet associated with a first session from a wired network node from the set of wired network nodes. The core network node is configured to also receive a second tunneled packet associated with a second session from a wireless network node from the set of wireless network nodes through intervening wired network nodes from the set of wired network nodes. The control module is operatively coupled to the core network node. The control module is configured to manage the first session and the second session.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a core network node configured to be operatively coupled to a plurality of wired network nodes and a plurality of wireless network nodes, the core network node being a switching device that includes a processor, the core network node configured to receive a first tunneled packet associated with a wired communication session from a wired network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, the core network node configured to receive a second tunneled packet associated with a wireless communication session from a wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes through intervening wired network nodes from the plurality of wired network nodes; and

a controller of the processor that, when operating, manages the wired communication session and the wireless communication session,

the wired communication session associated with a user communication device at a first time, the wireless communication session associated with the user communication device at a second time, the controller configured to apply a common user policy to the wired communication session and the wireless communication session.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wired communication session is associated with a wired user communication device, the wireless communication session is associated with a wireless user communication device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first tunneled packet is tunneled according to at least one of a layer-3 tunneling protocol or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS); and

the second tunneled packet is tunneled according to at least one of a layer-3 tunneling protocol or MPLS.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first tunneled packet is associated with a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel between the core network node, an aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, and an access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes,

the second tunneled packet is associated with a MPLS tunnel between the core network node, an aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, an access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, and a wireless access point from the plurality of wireless network nodes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first tunneled packet is associated with a layer-3 tunnel between the core network node, an aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, and an access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes,

the second tunneled packet is associated with a layer-3 tunnel between the core network node, an aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, an access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, and a wireless access point from the plurality of wireless network nodes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first tunneled packet and the second tunneled packet are each associated with a common tunnel between the core network node and a wired network node.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first tunneled packet and the second tunneled packet are each associated with a common tunnel between the core network node and a wired network node,

the first tunneled packet being associated with a wired communication device connected to the wired network node,

the second tunneled packet being associated with a wireless communication device connected to a wireless network node that is connected to the wired network node.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless access point including a memory and a processor, the wireless access point configured to be operatively coupled to a wireless communication device and a core network node that is operatively coupled to a plurality of wired network nodes, the wireless access point, when operating, forwarding a tunneled packet associated with a wireless session from the wireless communication device to the core network node such that a controller of the core network node manages the wireless session and a wired session associated with at least one wired network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, the core network node being a switching device,

the wired session associated with a user communication device at a first time, the wireless session associated with the user communication device at a second time, and the controller configured to apply a common user policy to the wired session and the wireless session.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tunneled packet is tunneled according to at least one of a layer-3 tunneling protocol or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a wired network node including a memory and a processor, the wired network node configured to be operatively coupled to a wireless access point that is operatively coupled to a wireless communication device, the wired network node configured to be operatively coupled to a core network node that is operatively coupled to a plurality of wired network nodes, the core network node being a switching device,

the wired network node, when operating, sending to the core network node a tunneled packet associated with a wireless session and associated with a packet received from the wireless access point such that a controller of the core network node manages the wireless session,

the wired network node, when operating, sending to the core network node a tunneled packet associated with a wired session such that the controller of the core network node manages the wired session.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the wired network node is an access network node, the access network node configured to send the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session and the tunneled packet associated with the wired session to the core network node through an intervening aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes,

the access network node configured to receive the packet associated with the wireless session from the wireless access point, the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session being tunneled between the access network node and the core network node.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the wired network node is an access network node, the access network node configured to send the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session and the tunneled packet associated with the wired session to the core network node through an intervening aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes,

the access network node configured to receive the packet from the wireless access point, the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session being the packet received from the wireless access point, the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session being tunneled between the wireless access point and the core network node.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the wired network node is an aggregation network node, the aggregation network node configured to receive the packet associated with the wireless session from the wireless access point through an intervening access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session being tunneled between the aggregation network node and the core network node.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the wired network node is an aggregation network node, the aggregation network node configured to send the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session and the tunneled packet associated with the wired session to the core network node,

the aggregation network node configured to receive the packet from the wireless access point through an intervening access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session being the packet received from the wireless access point, the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session being tunneled between the wireless access point and the core network node.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wired session is associated with a user at a first time, the wireless session is associated with the user at a second time, the controller configured to apply a common user policy to the wired session and the wireless session.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wired session is associated with a user communication device at a first time, the wireless session is associated with the user communication device at a second time, the controller configured to apply a common user policy to the wired session and the wireless session.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the tunneled packet associated with the wired session is tunneled according to at least one of a layer-3 tunneling protocol or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS),

the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session is tunneled according to at least one of a layer-3 tunneling protocol or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the tunneled packet associated with the wired session is associated with a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel between the core network node and the wired network node,

the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session is associated with a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel between the core network node, the wired network node, at least one of an aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes or an access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, and the wireless access point.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the tunneled packet associated with the wired session is associated with a layer-3 tunnel between the core network node and the wired network node,

the tunneled packet associated with the wireless session is associated with a layer-3 tunnel between the core network node, the wired network node, at least one of an aggregation network node from the plurality of wired network nodes or an access network node from the plurality of wired network nodes, and the wireless access point.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the wired network node is configured to send the tunnel packet associated with the wireless session and the tunnel packet associated with the wired session via a common tunnel to the core network node.