Method and system for processing encapsulated wireless traffic

Abstract

A method for processing network traffic data units (NTDUs). The method includes receiving, by a wireless access point (WAP), a NTDU from a client device. The method further includes identifying a virtual tunnel upon which to transmit the NTDU, where the virtual tunnel is associated with a network device and transmitting, via the virtual tunnel, the NTDU to the network device.

1 . A computer-implemented method for processing network traffic data units (NTDUs), the method comprising:
 receiving, by a wireless access point (WAP), a plurality of NTDUs from one or more client devices;   encapsulating, using an encapsulation protocol, at a virtual endpoint implemented on the WAP, each NTDU; and   transmitting, by the WAP, via a preconfigured virtual tunnel, the encapsulated NTDU to a preconfigured destination network device regardless of the destination identified in a header of the NTDU before encapsulation.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the preconfigured destination network device is identified using a look-up table of the WAP. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 establishing a second virtual tunnel between the WAP and a second network device, wherein the network device is associated with a layer- 2  domain, wherein the second network device is associated with a second layer- 2  domain. 
 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the identified virtual tunnel is implemented as a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) pseudowire. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the identified virtual tunnel is a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) tunnel. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the destination network device may be reached via a plurality of available virtual tunnels that includes a plurality of preconfigured virtual tunnels that connect the WAP to a plurality of destination network devices. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the preconfigured destination network device re-encapsulates the NTDU for transmission within a layer- 2  domain of the preconfigured destination network device. 
     
     
         8 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of processing network traffic data units (NTDUs), the method comprising:
 receiving, by a wireless access point (WAP), a plurality of NTDUs from one or more client devices;   encapsulating, using an encapsulation protocol, at a virtual endpoint implemented on the WAP, each NTDU; and   transmitting, by the WAP, via a preconfigured virtual tunnel, the encapsulated NTDU to a destination network device regardless of the destination identified in a header of the NTDU before encapsulation.   
     
     
         9 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the destination network device is identified using a look-up table. 
     
     
         10 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 8  further comprising:
 establishing a second virtual tunnel between the WAP and a second network device, wherein the network device is associated with a layer- 2  domain, wherein the second network device is associated with a second layer- 2  domain. 
 
     
     
         11 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the identified virtual tunnel is a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) tunnel. 
     
     
         12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of available virtual tunnels includes one or more pre-configured virtual tunnels that connect the WAP to a plurality of network devices. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the preconfigured destination network device re-encapsulates the NTDU for transmission within a layer- 2  domain of the preconfigured destination network device. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the destination network device further transmits at least one transmitted NTDU without encapsulation. 
     
     
         15 . A networking system comprising:
 at least one network device;   at least one wireless access point (WAP), the at least one WAP comprising:
 a processor; 
 an antenna; 
 a physical network interface; and 
 memory comprising computer readable program code, wherein when the computer readable program code is executed by the processor, the WAP performs a method comprising:
 receiving, by a wireless access point (WAP), a plurality of NTDUs from one or more client devices; 
 encapsulating, using an encapsulation protocol, at a virtual endpoint implemented on the WAP, each NTDU; and 
 transmitting, by the WAP, via a preconfigured virtual tunnel, the encapsulated NTDU to a selected destination network device regardless of the destination identified in a header of the NTDU before encapsulation. 
 
   
     
     
         16 . The networking system of  claim 15 , wherein the selected destination network device is selected regardless using a mapping table of the WAP. 
     
     
         17 . The networking system of  claim 15  further comprising:
 establishing a second virtual tunnel between the WAP and a second network device, wherein the network device is associated with a layer-2 domain, wherein the second network device is associated with a second layer-2 domain. 
 
     
     
         18 . The networking system of  claim 15 , wherein the identified virtual tunnel is implemented as a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) pseudowire. 
     
     
         19 . The networking system of  claim 18 , wherein the identified virtual tunnel is a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) tunnel. 
     
     
         20 . The networking system of  claim 19 , wherein the destination network device may be reached via a plurality of available virtual tunnels includes that a plurality of preconfigured virtual tunnels that connect the WAP to a plurality of destination network devices.