Flexible, scalable, wireless data forwarding and mobility for secure wireless networks
First Claim
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1. A computer network system for forwarding packets through an integrated wired-wireless network, wherein the network supports wireless communication based on one more wireless communication protocols including 802.11, WiFi, 802.16, and WiMax, the system comprising:
- one or more wireless data forwarding controllers (WDF controllers), each of which comprises one or more software modules resident upon one of a switch, router, bridge and other network device resident on the network, wherein the one or more wireless data forwarding controllers are in communication with one another via one or more protocols at layers 2 through 7;
a plurality of wireless data forwarding elements (WDF elements), each of the wireless data forwarding element comprising one or more software modules, each of the wireless data forwarding elements associated with a primary wireless data forwarding controller, the primary wireless data forwarding controller selected from the one or more wireless data forwarding controllers, wherein each of the wireless data forwarding elements is located on one of a wireless access point, a wireless Base Station, a networking switch, a router or another device in the network, wherein each wireless data forwarding element is in communication with the primary wireless data forwarding controller associated therewith via one or more protocols at layers 2 through 7.
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Abstract
Systems and methods are described to allow secure undisrupted communication from wireless clients that roam a wide area network. System architectures and communication protocols are provided to ensure that wireless clients can seamlessly associate and reassociate with controllers on the network, without disruption to ongoing secure communications.
290 Citations
70 Claims
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1. A computer network system for forwarding packets through an integrated wired-wireless network, wherein the network supports wireless communication based on one more wireless communication protocols including 802.11, WiFi, 802.16, and WiMax, the system comprising:
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one or more wireless data forwarding controllers (WDF controllers), each of which comprises one or more software modules resident upon one of a switch, router, bridge and other network device resident on the network, wherein the one or more wireless data forwarding controllers are in communication with one another via one or more protocols at layers 2 through 7;
a plurality of wireless data forwarding elements (WDF elements), each of the wireless data forwarding element comprising one or more software modules, each of the wireless data forwarding elements associated with a primary wireless data forwarding controller, the primary wireless data forwarding controller selected from the one or more wireless data forwarding controllers, wherein each of the wireless data forwarding elements is located on one of a wireless access point, a wireless Base Station, a networking switch, a router or another device in the network, wherein each wireless data forwarding element is in communication with the primary wireless data forwarding controller associated therewith via one or more protocols at layers 2 through 7. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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41. A computer network system for coordinating integrated wireless-wired network functions between a community of wireless controllers in the same administrative domain in a network, the system comprising:
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one or more wireless controllers that implement a logical Wireless Control Plane (WCP), the one or more wireless controllers located in one or more of a server, switch, router and another device in the network;
one or more WDF Controllers in the wireless controller;
one or more WAA Controllers in the wireless controller;
wherein the one or more wireless controllers are operative to perform wireless application coordination, which may further include one or more of the following functions;
wireless data forwarding, mobility, fast roaming, authentication, load balancing, redundancy, RF management, configuration management, and network monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A system of communication of wireless client authentication and association information, the system comprising:
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a computer network including fixed-wire and wireless communication;
one or more wireless clients in communication with the computer network;
two or more neighboring controllers in a community, wherein the system is operative to perform one or more of the following;
(a) one or more of the following wireless stations are operative to roam between one of a first Access Point and a first Base Station directly controller by a first controller to one of a second Access Point and a second Base Station directly controlled by a second controller, (b) determine whether RF data collected by one of a first AP and a second BS directly controlled by the first controller indicates that one of a second AP and a second BS directly controlled by the second controller is an RF neighbor;
(c) determine whether the two or more controllers administratively configured as neighbors. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of authenticating a wireless client to one of an AP and a BS directly controlled by a first controller, the method comprising:
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processing messages in an authentication exchange from the wireless client addressed to AP or BS controlled by the first controller that are received at an AP or BS directly controlled by a second controller, further including;
encapsulating, at the AP or BS controlled by the second controller, the messages in one of a WiFi VPN and CAPWAP protocol addressed to the second controller, receiving and decapsulating the messages at the second controller;
encapsulating the messages in one of IWCPP and another protocol addressed to the first controller, decapsulating the messages at the first controller;
processing the messages in authentication exchange from the first controller addressed to the wireless client and sending the messages to an AP or BS directly controlled by the second controller, processing the messages further including;
encapsulating the messages in one of IWCPP and another protocol addressed to the second controller, decapsulating the messages in one of WiFi VPN and CAPWAP protocol addressed to the AP or BS directly controlled by the second controller, sending the messages wirelessly from one of the AP and the BS controlled by the second controller. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. A computer network system for forwarding packets through an integrated wired-wireless network, wherein the network supports wireless communication based on one more wireless communication protocols including 802.11, WiFi, 802.16, and WiMax, the system comprising:
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one or more wireless data forwarding controllers (WDF controllers), each of which comprises one or more software modules resident upon one of a switch, router, bridge and other network device resident on the network, wherein the one or more wireless data forwarding controllers are in communication with one another via one or more protocols at layers 2 through 7;
a plurality of wireless data forwarding elements (WDF elements), each of the wireless data forwarding element comprising one or more software modules, each of the wireless data forwarding elements associated with a primary wireless data forwarding controller, the primary wireless data forwarding controller selected from the one or more wireless data forwarding controllers, wherein each of the wireless data forwarding elements is located on one of a wireless access point, a wireless Base Station, a networking switch, a router or another device in the network, wherein each wireless data forwarding element is in communication with the primary wireless data forwarding controller associated therewith via one or more protocols at layers 2 through 7;
wherein the system is operative to support the discovery of WDF elements by WDF Controllers in a community other than the primary WDF Controller for the WDF element, wherein such discovery is supported using one of IWCPP and another discovery protocol. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 64)
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Specification