Platform for enterprise wireless network management applications

• US 20070298779A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bahl, Paramvir, Chandra, Ranveer, Padhye, Jitendra D., Wolman, Alastair, Zill, Brian D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

A framework for wireless network management applications in an enterprise environment using existing general purpose computing devices is presented. At least one of the devices is configured with a wireless adapter and is used as an AirMonitor to monitor one or more wireless networks. Other devices are configured as LandMonitors to monitor traffic on a wired network in the enterprise environment. At least one inference engine uses the LandMonitors and AirMonitors by assigning them monitoring tasks. Data from the monitoring tasks are stored in a database. Analysis of the data that is computationally intensive is generally performed by the inference engines. Wireless network management applications use the framework by installing and running application-specific components (e.g., filters) on the AirMonitors, LandMonitors, and/or inference engines.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a framework for wireless network management applications using general purpose computing devices in an enterprise having at least one wireless network comprising the steps of:

provisioning a selected number of the general purpose computing devices with a wireless adapter, the selected number of the general purpose computing devices deployed throughout the at least one wired network such that a wireless footprint established by the selected number of the general purpose computing devices covers a selected area in the enterprise; and

on each of the selected number of the general purpose computing devices;

installing a wireless device driver for communicating with the wireless adapter;

installing an AirMonitor service for monitoring the at least one wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing an inference engine adapted to communicate with the selected number of the general purpose computing devices over at least one wired network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the enterprise has a wired network, the method further comprising the step of installing a LandMonitor service on at least one of the general purpose computing devices for monitoring the wired network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of installing the LandMonitor service on the at least one of the general purpose computing devices includes the steps of:

installing a driver interface;

installing a filter processor module;

installing a command processor module; and

installing at least one support module.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of installing a database on the at least one wireless network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the inference engine is further adapted to communicate with the database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of installing the AirMonitor service on the selected number of the general purpose computing devices includes the steps of:

installing a driver interface;

installing a filter processor module;

installing a command processor module;

installing at least one support module; and

installing a sender module.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein when installed, the device driver does not automatically switch to other channels when a particular channel is selected.

9. A framework for wireless network management applications using general purpose computing devices having at least one wireless network comprising:

at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as AirMonitors, the at least one of the general purpose computing devices having a wireless adapter installed; and

at least one inference engine in communication with the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as AirMonitors

10. The framework of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of the general purpose computing devices configured as AirMonitors includes:

a wireless device driver for communicating with the wireless adapter; and

an AirMonitor service for monitoring the at least one wireless network, the AirMonitor service in communication with the wireless device driver.

11. The framework of claim 10 wherein the AirMonitor service comprises:

a driver interface in communication with the wireless device driver;

a filter processor module in communication with the driver interface, the filter processor module receiving packets from the driver interface and multicasting the packets to at least one running filter;

a command processor module in communication with the filter processor module;

at least one support module in communication with the at least one running filter; and

a sender module for sending requests and receive incoming responses;

the sender module in communication with the at least one running filter.

12. The framework of claim 11 wherein the at least one support module includes an 802.11 parser module.

13. The framework of claim 11 wherein the at least one support module includes a database helper module to assist with a task of submitting summaries to a database.

14. The framework of claim 10 wherein the wireless device driver supports:

packet logging so that all received 802.11 frames are copied into a buffer,

user-level programs to copy the contents of the buffer; and

counting how many packets are dropped if the buffer becomes full.

15. The framework of claim 9 further comprising at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as a land monitor.

16. The framework of claim 15 wherein each of the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as LandMonitors includes:

a driver interface for communication with at least one wired network;

a filter processor module in communication with the driver interface, the filter processor module receiving packets from the driver interface and multicasting the packets to at least one running filter;

a command processor module in communication with the filter processor module; and

at least one support module in communication with the at least one running filter.

17. The framework of claim 15 wherein the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as a LandMonitor establishes a footprint that covers a selected area of the enterprise.

18. The framework of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as an AirMonitor establishes a wireless footprint that covers a selected area of the enterprise.

19. The framework of claim 9 wherein a plurality of the general purpose computing devices are configured as AirMonitors and are densely deployed throughout the enterprise such that a wireless footprint established by the plurality of the general purpose computing devices covers a selected area in the enterprise.

20. The framework of claim 9 further comprising at least one database in communication with the at least one of the general purpose computing devices configured as an AirMonitor and the at least one inference engine.