WO2013071803A1

WO2013071803A1 - Vendor information of wireless network devices

Info

Publication number: WO2013071803A1
Application number: PCT/CN2012/082836
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guoxiang XU; Haitao Zhang
Original assignee: Hangzhou H3C Technologies Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2011-11-14
Filing date: 2012-10-12
Publication date: 2013-05-23
Also published as: CN102394949A

Abstract

A network device for operation in local area network (LAN) comprising a processor to collect vendor information of a counterpart network device connected to the LAN and to establish communication with the counterpart network device based on the collected vendor information.

Description

VENDOR INFORMATION OF WIRELESS NETWORK DEVICES

BACKGROUND

Many local area networks (LAN) include wireless network devices such as WiFi enabled devices. A LAN comprising a number of wireless network devices is commonly referred to as a wireless LAN (WLAN), and IEEE 802.1 1 is the prevailing standard on WLAN operations. A wireless network device is connected to a wired LAN via a network interfacing device which is known as an access point (AP). An AP can be a piece of dedicated hardware device or a computer configured to act as a communication hub for a wireless device to connect to a wired LAN. A wireless station (STA) is a wireless network device other than an AP under the terminology of IEEE 802.1 1. An access controller (AC) is a network device that is deployed to control an AP whereby access by a wireless network device to a LAN is controlled or regulated.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The disclosure will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:-

Figure 1 is an example WLAN comprising network devices of the present disclosure,

Figure 2A shows an example DHCPACK message including an option 43 packet with AC IP addresses sent by the DHCP of Figure 1 , Figure 2B shows an example DHCPACK message including an option 43 packet with AC names sent by the DHCP of Figure 1 , Figure 3 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating exchange between the AP and the DHCP server to establish data communication between the AP and the AC of Figure 1 using IP addresses, and

Figure 4 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating exchange between AP, DHCP server and a DNS server to establish data communication between the AP and the AC of Figure 1 using AC names.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES

In one aspect, the disclosure teaches a network device for operation in local area network (LAN). The network device comprising a processor to collect vendor information of a counterpart network device connected to the LAN and to establish communication with the counterpart network device based on the collected vendor information. In this way, in a WLAN comprising a plurality of network devices from different vendors, network devices from the same or compatible vendors may be connected together The vendor information may comprise the name of a vendor or a name code of a vendor. The terms vendor information and vendor specific information are used interchangeably here.

For example, the network device may be a wireless access point (AP) device for wireless LAN operation, and the counterpart network device may be an access controller (AC) compatible with the AP. As the DHCP protocol is widely used in TCP/IP environment, the AC and the AP may operate in DHCP environment.

In another aspect, the disclosure has described a DHCP server comprising a processor to compile a database of access controllers (AC) which are connected to a wireless network and a memory to store the database, wherein the database comprises information on the access controllers and vendor information associated with an individual access controller, and wherein the DHCP is to send the database to an access point (AP) device to facilitate the AP to identify and work with an access controller of the same vendor or a compatible vendor. The DHCP server enables AP to identify AC of the same vendor or a compatible vendor to establish communication.

In another aspect, there is described a method of network device operation in a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the method comprises a device broadcasting vendor information of a network device on the WLAN, the device collecting vendor information of other network devices on the WLAN, and the device establishing communication between network devices of the same vendor or compatible vendors based on the vendor information.

An example WLAN depicted in Figure 1 comprises a wired LAN 100, an access point (AP) 120, a DHCP server 140, and an access controller (AC) 160.

An AP has built-in radio transceivers which operate to connect wireless network devices to a wired LAN. An AP is important for providing wireless security and for extending the physical range of service a wireless user has access to. A typical AC provides authentication, encryption, network policies, radio frequency management, fail- over, load balancing wireless intrusion scanning and other functionalities for wireless users across a WLAN.

A WLAN may comprise a plurality of AC and a plurality of AP. Each AC is responsible for controlling one or a plurality of AP, depending on the network size and deployment configuration. As AP and AC may be added to the WLAN at different times, the plurality of AC and AP in a WLAN may be of different vendors. In this example, only a single AP and a single AC are shown for illustration simplicity.

The AP may for example be an IEEE 802.1 1 hub or bridge device that is connected to the LAN, and may facilitate access of wireless devices to the wired LAN. The AP comprises a processor (AP processor), a memory (AP memory), and a wireless transceiver to facilitate wireless data communication with a number of wireless stations (STA). The AP processor is to control the wireless transceiver to facilitate wireless data communication between the LAN and a STA. The AP memory is to store configuration parameters such as the assigned IP address and information for identifying the vendor of the AP. The vendor related information is stored in the AP memory as vendor specific information. The AC comprises a processor (AC processor) which is to facilitate access control to the AP and a memory (AC memory) to store configuration parameters. The DHCP server comprises a processor (DHCP server processor) and a memory (DHCP server memory). The DHCP server memory is to store a database of IP addresses available for allocation to network devices, allocated IP addresses, configuration information and vendor specific information on access controllers on the WLAN. The vendor information of each AC on the WLAN is stored in a database relating the name of an individual AC to its vendor identification such as vendor code. The DHCP server processor is adapted to perform various configuration functions such as allocating IP address or prefix that is appropriate to the AP and sending the configuration parameters to the AP.

DHCP server is used as a convenient example because the Dynamic Host Configuration (DHCP) protocol is one of the most widely used network protocols that are used to configure network devices so that they can communicate on a LAN such as a TCP/IP network. The DHCP protocol is defined in RFC2131 which is incorporated herein by reference. In general, a DHCP client uses the DHCP protocol to acquire configuration information, such as an IP address, a default route and one or more DNS server addresses from a DHCP server. The DHCP client then uses this information to configure its host. Once the configuration process is complete, the host is able to communicate on the internet. The DHCP server maintains a database of available IP addresses and configuration information. When it receives a request from a client, the DHCP server determines the network to which the DHCP client is connected, and then allocates an IP address or prefix that is appropriate for the client, and sends configuration information appropriate for that client.

DHCP servers typically grant IP addresses to clients only for a limited interval. DHCP clients are responsible for renewing their IP address before that interval has expired, and must stop using the address once the interval has expired, if they have not been able to renew it. DHCP is used for IPv4 and IPv6. Hosts that do not use DHCP for address configuration may still use it to obtain other configuration information.

In operation, the DHCP server will have compiled a database of all the AC on the WLAN. The database includes information relating the vendor information of an individual AC to the name or identification of the AC and this database is stored in the DHCP server memory.

Since the DHCP server manages a pool of IP addresses and information on client configuration parameters such as default gateway, domain name, name servers, other servers such as time servers, an AP will broadcast a query to the DHCP server requesting necessary information when connected to the LAN. The broadcast may contain a DHCP DISCOVER or a DHCP REQUEST message as stipulated in RFC 2132 which is incorporated herein by way of reference. The AP also sends its vendor information by way of a DHCP option 60 (vendor class identifier option) message when the broadcast is sent. This option 60 is used by DHCP clients to identify vendor type and configuration of a DHCP client such as an AP. On receiving a valid request, the server will assigns an IP address to the AP, a lease (length of time the allocation is valid), and other IP configuration parameters, such as the subnet mask and the default gateway. Upon receipt of the DHCP REQUEST or the DHCP DISCOVERY message, the DHCP server would have received the vendor information of the AP from the vendor class identifier option.

The DHCP server will send vendor information of the AC on the WLAN to the AP as a DHCP option 43 message when the DHCPACK packet is sent, as depicted in Figure 2. The DHCP option 43 defines a vendor specific Information option. This option is used by clients and servers to exchange vendor specific information. The information is an opaque object of n octets, usually interpreted by vendor-specific code on the clients and server, and the definition of this information is vendor specific. The vendor information of the individual AC can be sent by DHCP option 43 in the example message forms below.

Example 1:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Code Len IP Addresses--

In this example 1, the IP addresses of the available AC are provided to the AP. In particular, the 'Code' field is a vendor specific code, the 'Len' field specifies the length of the IP addresses in the 'IP Addresses' field, and the 'IP addresses' field contains the IP address or IP addresses of the AC of the same vendor code. There can be one or many IP addresses in the 'IP Addresses' field without loss of generality.

Figure 3 depicts an application of this example. Initially, the AP will send its own vendor information to the DHCP server and the DHCP will send the AC vendor information together with the associated vendor information such as vendor code or vendor identifier to the AP. The AP upon receipt of the relevant vendor information will then establish communication with an AC of the same vendor or a compatible vendor according to pre-stored vendor information.

Example 2:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Code Len AC Names--

In this example 2, the names of the AC are provided to the AP. In particular, the

'Code' field is a vendor specific code, the 'Len' field specifies the length of the IP addresses in the 'IP Addresses' field, and the 'AC names' field contains the name or names of the AC of the same vendor code. There can be one or many names in the 'AC Names' field without loss of generality.

Upon receipt of the vendor information, the AP processor will process the vendor information and identify AC of the same or compatible vendors so that the AP can identify and operate with AC of the same or compatible vendors.

An example application using names of the AC is illustrated with reference to Figure 4 in which a DNS server is shown. Operation of this example is similar to that of the configuration of Figure 3 except that the DHCP server sends the AC names and the DNS IP address and domain name to the AP, and the DNS server provides the AP with the name associated with the access controllers.

In another example, the DHCP server is to provide the AP with information such as the name (or names) and/or IP address (or addresses) of AC of the same vendor or compatible vendor on the WLAN to facilitate AP-AC communication.

In another example, the DHCP server includes a database which stores the IP address or names of AP and AC on the WLAN and the associated vendor information so as to facilitate communication.

The above examples can be implemented by hardware, software or firmware or a combination thereof. For example the various methods and functions of the devices described herein may be implemented by a processor (the term processor is to be interpreted broadly to include a CPU, processing unit, ASIC, logic unit, or programmable gate array etc.). The methods and functions may all be performed by a single processor or split between several processers; reference in this disclosure or the claims to a 'processor' should thus be interpreted to mean 'one or more processors'. The processes, methods and functional modules be implemented as machine readable instructions executable by one or more processors, hardware logic circuitry of the one or more processors or a combination thereof. Further the teachings herein may be implemented in the form of machine readable instructions stored in a non-transitory machine readable storage medium and executable by a processor to perform the methods and functions described herein.

While the above examples have been described with WLANs comprising AP, AC and DHCP server operating in a DHCP environment, it would be understood by persons skilled in the art that the examples are not limiting. For example, the DHCP protocol is just a convenient example and other LAN or TCP/IP protocols are equally suitable without loss of generality. Furthermore, while AP and AC have been used as examples of network devices that require counterpart to operate, it will be appreciated that the principles are applicable to other network devices that can pair up to operate in a network environment.

Claims

1. A DHCP server comprising a processor to compile a database of access controllers (AC) which are connected to a wireless network and a memory to store the database, wherein the database comprises information on the access controllers and vendor information associated with an individual access controller, and wherein the DHCP server is to send the database to an access point (AP) device to facilitate the AP to identify and work with an access controller of the same vendor or a compatible vendor.

2. A DHCP server according to Claim 1 , wherein the information on the access controllers includes names of the access controllers.

3. A DHCP server according to Claim 1 , wherein the information on the access controllers includes IP addresses of the access controllers

4. A DHCP server according to Claims 2 or 3, wherein the vendor information is in code form.

5. A DHCP server according to Claim 1 , wherein the processor is to send the database to the AP with the DHCPACK message.

6. A DHCP server according to Claim 5, wherein processor is to send the database as a DHCP option 43 message within the DHCPACK message.

7. A network device for operation in local area network (LAN) comprising a processor to collect vendor information of a counterpart network device connected to the LAN and to establish communication with the counterpart network device based on the collected vendor information.

8. A network device according to Claim 7, wherein the network device is a wireless access point (AP) device for wireless LAN operation, and the counterpart network device is an access controller (AC) compatible with the AP.

9. A network device according to Claim 8, wherein the AC and the AP are to operate in DHCP environment.

10. A network device according to Claim 7, wherein the network device is a wireless access point device (AP) and the processor of the AP is to identify an AC of the same or compatible vendor and to establish data connection therewith.

1 1. A network device according to Claim 7, wherein the network device is a wireless access point device (AP) and the processor of the AP is to broadcast its vendor information when the AP is connected to the LAN.

12. A network device according to Claim 7, wherein the network device is a wireless access point device (AP) and the processor of the AP is to broadcast its vendor information with the DHCP DISCOVER or DHCP REQUEST message on connection to the LAN.

13. A network device according to Claim 12, wherein the processor of the AP is to broadcast its vendor information using a DHCP option 60 message.

14. A method of network device operation in a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the method comprises:-

- a device broadcasting vendor information of a network device on the WLAN,

- the device collecting vendor information of other network devices on the WLAN, and

- the device establishing communication with another network device of the same vendor or compatible vendors based on the vendor information.