METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING A MESH NETWORK OF WIRELESS SWITCHES TO SUPPORT LAYER 3 ROAMING IN WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (WLANs)

Abstract

Techniques are provided for techniques are provided for creating a mesh network in wireless local area network comprising a plurality of wireless switches. An IP address of the registration server can be configured on each of the wireless switches and used to open an IP socket from each of the wireless switches to the registration server. Each of the wireless switches register with a registration server by communicating configuration information about each of the wireless switches to the registration server. In one implementation, the configuration information for each switch comprises a switch IP address and a list of subnets the switch supports. The configuration information can be used by the registration server to create a wireless switch list which includes a listing of each of the wireless the switches in the wireless local area network. The configuration information about each of the wireless switches and the wireless switch list can then be communicated to each of the wireless switches. Each wireless switch can use the configuration information from each of the other wireless switches to create a mesh network of wireless switches. In one implementation, each of the wireless switches can use the configuration information and the wireless switch list to open a UDP/IP socket to each of the other wireless switches.

1 . A network, comprising:
 a registration server; and   a plurality of wireless switches each being coupled to at least one access port and each being designed to: communicate configuration information to the registration server to register with the registration server, wherein the configuration information for each wireless switch comprises a switch IP address and a list of subnets the switch supports;   wherein the registration server is designed to use the configuration information to create a wireless switch list which includes a listing of each of the wireless switches and configuration information about each of the wireless switches, and to communicate the wireless switch list to each of the wireless switches, and   wherein each of the wireless switches is designed to use the wireless switch list and configuration information for each of the other wireless switches to open a connection to each of the other wireless switches and create a mesh network of wireless switches.   
   
   
       2 . The network of  claim 1 , wherein each of the wireless switches is further designed to configure an IP address of the registration server thereon, and to use the IP address to open an IP socket to the registration server. 
   
   
       3 . The network of  claim 1 , wherein each of the wireless switches is designed to send configuration information to each of the other wireless switches. 
   
   
       4 . The network of  claim 1 , wherein the connection comprises a UDP/IP socket. 
   
   
       5 . The network of  claim 1 , wherein each of the wireless switches is designed to send update messages to each of the other wireless switches, wherein the update messages comprise changes to configuration information for each wireless switch. 
   
   
       6 . The network of  claim 1 , wherein the registration server comprises a first registration server, and further comprising:
 a second registration server having a configuration synchronized with a configuration of the first registration server.   
   
   
       7 . In a network comprising a registration server and a plurality of wireless switches each being communicatively coupled to others of the wireless switches, wherein the plurality of wireless switches comprise a first wireless switch communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of wireless switches, the first wireless switch comprising:
 a transmitter configured to communicate configuration information about the first wireless switch to the registration server over an IP socket to the registration server, wherein the configuration information for the first wireless switch comprises a switch IP address and a list of subnets the first wireless switch supports;   a receiver configured to receive configuration information for each of the other wireless switches and a wireless switch list which includes a listing of each of the other wireless the switches; and   a plurality of ports; and   a processor configured to use the configuration information and the first wireless switch list to open UDP/IP sockets from one of the ports to each of the other wireless switches.   
   
   
       8 . The first wireless switch of  claim 7 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive configuration information from each of the other wireless switches. 
   
   
       9 . The first wireless switch of  claim 7 , wherein the transmitter is configured to send configuration information for the first wireless switch to each of the other wireless switches. 
   
   
       10 . A method, comprising:
 communicating configuration information from each of a plurality of wireless switches to a registration server, wherein the configuration information for each wireless switch comprises a switch IP address and a list of subnets the switch supports;   creating a wireless switch list at the registration server based on the configuration information received from each wireless switch, wherein the wireless switch list comprises a listing of each of the wireless switches and corresponding configuration information received from each wireless switch, and communicating the wireless switch list and the configuration information for each of the wireless switches from the registration server to each of the wireless switches; and   creating, at each wireless switch, a connection to each of the other wireless switches using configuration information for each of the other wireless switches to thereby create a mesh network of wireless switches.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each connection to the other wireless switches comprises a UDP/IP socket. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 configuring an IP address of the registration server on each of the wireless switches; and   using the IP address to open an IP socket from each of the wireless switches to the registration server.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the wireless switches send configuration information to each of the other wireless switches. 
   
   
       14 . A method for networking a wireless switch having a plurality of ports with a plurality of other wireless switches, the method comprising:
 communicating configuration information about the wireless switch over an IP socket to a registration server, wherein the configuration information for the wireless switch comprises a switch IP address and a list of subnets the wireless switch supports;   receiving, at the wireless switch, a wireless switch list which includes a listing of each of the other wireless the switches and configuration information for each of the other wireless switches; and   creating UDP/IP sockets to each of the other wireless switches from the plurality of ports based on the wireless switch list and the configuration information.   
   
   
       15 . A registration server having an IP address and a plurality of ports, the registration server comprising:
 a transceiver configured to communicate the IP address to each of a plurality of wireless switches each being coupled to one or more access points, wherein each of the wireless switches use the IP address to open an IP socket to one of the ports, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive configuration information from each of the wireless switches over the IP sockets, wherein the configuration information for each wireless switch comprises a switch IP address and a list of subnets the switch supports;   a processor configured to use the configuration information received from each of the wireless switches to create a wireless switch list, wherein the wireless switch list includes a listing of each of the wireless the switches and configuration information received from each of the wireless switches, and   wherein the transceiver is configured to communicate the wireless switch list and configuration information for each of the wireless switches to each of the wireless switches.