AP-local dynamic switching
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a processor coupled to a memory and that is configured to execute a dynamic switching module; and
the dynamic switching module implemented in a non-transitory computer readable medium, and configured to be coupled to a radio and a station switching record (SSR) database storing an SSR associated with a first wireless station that is operatively coupled to an access point (AP) that defines a first virtual access point and a second virtual access point;
the dynamic switching module configured to send a signal such that (1) when the first wireless station is operatively coupled to the first virtual access point, traffic received by the radio from the first wireless station is Layer 2 (L2) switched locally via the first virtual access point to a second wireless station connected to the AP, and (2) when on the first wireless station is operatively coupled to the second virtual access point, the traffic received by the radio from the first wireless station is L2 tunneled upstream via the second virtual access point to the second wireless station,the traffic including a priority characteristic of the first wireless station, the priority characteristic being associated with a sender of the traffic.
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Abstract
A technique for implementing AP-local dynamic switching involves Layer 2 switching. This may be accomplished by providing data associated with wireless stations to an AP sufficient to enable the AP to determine whether traffic from a particular wireless station should be locally switched. Alternatively, the wireless station may be able to determine whether to locally switch traffic based upon the traffic itself. For example, it may be desirable to AP-locally switch voice traffic to avoid latency, which is particularly detrimental to voice transmissions such as voice-over-IP. Traffic that is not to be switched locally is Layer 2 tunneled upstream.
663 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processor coupled to a memory and that is configured to execute a dynamic switching module; and the dynamic switching module implemented in a non-transitory computer readable medium, and configured to be coupled to a radio and a station switching record (SSR) database storing an SSR associated with a first wireless station that is operatively coupled to an access point (AP) that defines a first virtual access point and a second virtual access point; the dynamic switching module configured to send a signal such that (1) when the first wireless station is operatively coupled to the first virtual access point, traffic received by the radio from the first wireless station is Layer 2 (L2) switched locally via the first virtual access point to a second wireless station connected to the AP, and (2) when on the first wireless station is operatively coupled to the second virtual access point, the traffic received by the radio from the first wireless station is L2 tunneled upstream via the second virtual access point to the second wireless station, the traffic including a priority characteristic of the first wireless station, the priority characteristic being associated with a sender of the traffic. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processor coupled to a memory and that is configured to execute a dynamic switching engine; and the dynamic switching engine configured to be coupled to a wireless switch and an access point (AP) that define a first virtual access point and a second virtual access point and is connected to a first wireless station; and the dynamic switching engine implemented in at least one of a processor or a memory, the dynamic switching engine configured to determine whether to (1) Layer 2 switch traffic locally at the AP via the first virtual access point to a second wireless station connected to the AP based upon the first wireless station being operatively coupled to the first virtual access point or (2) Layer 2 tunnel the traffic upstream via the second virtual access point toward the wireless switch for upstream switching to the second wireless station connected to the AP based upon the first wireless station being operatively coupled to the second virtual access point, the traffic including a priority characteristic of the first wireless station, the priority characteristic being associated with a sender of the traffic. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method, comprising:
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defining, at an access point (AP) that is operatively coupled to a first wireless station and a second wireless station, a first virtual access point and a second virtual access point; based on the first wireless station being operatively coupled to the second virtual access point, Layer 2 tunneling traffic from the first wireless station upstream via the second virtual access point to a the second wireless station; and based on the first wireless station being operatively coupled to the first virtual access point, Layer 2 switching the traffic from the first wireless station AP-locally via the first virtual access point to the second wireless station, the traffic including a priority characteristic of the first wireless station, the priority characteristic being associated with a sender of the traffic. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification