Abstract: Embodiments herein include systems and methods for providing a mechanism to enable smooth, seamless, and reliable connectivity for wireless devices in a unified network. The system supports roaming of mobile units across mobility switches. A given mobile unit can retain its IP address in both intra-subnet and inter-subnet roaming scenarios. The given mobile unit also retains its membership to a mobility VLAN to which it had been assigned, even during roaming scenarios. Embodiments include a framework for wireless switches to advertise VLANs they support to peer wireless switches in the mobility domain, and to advertise their capability to act as VLAN servers for those VLANs. Embodiments support VLAN membership management capabilities that allow access points and peer wireless switches to request wireless switches to add VLANs to the tunnels they share.

Abstract: One or more implementations can include methods, systems and computer readable media for client location discovery. In some implementations, the method can include receiving, at an access point, a location discovery request message from a client and sending a request from the access point to a location server requesting location information for the client, when a location server is available. The method can also include receiving location information from the location server, when a location server is available and providing the access point location as location information, when a location server is not available. The method can further include sending the location information as a response to the client.

Abstract: A mobility network architecture includes a control plane and data plane. The control plane supports notification of VLAN configurations. The data plane supports routing of data amongst VLANs. Each VLAN has an associated identifier value as well as a version number. The version number for a respective VLAN can be updated to a new value each time there is a change to the VLAN. Typically, a controller communicates over the control plane to notify each member switch when a version number has changed for a VLAN. If controller notification fails, a member switch can receive a notification from a neighboring switch that the version number for a VLAN has been modified. In response to detecting such a condition, the switch receiving the notification can prevent forwarding of data even though the switch does not receive notification from the controller that the version number for the VLAN has changed.

Abstract: Implementations relate to configuring wireless access points in a wireless network. In some implementations, a method includes selecting, from a plurality of wireless access points in a communication network, a configuring subset of wireless access points and a different compensating subset of wireless access points. New settings are applied to the compensating subset of wireless access points to change a physical coverage of wireless communication provided by the compensating subset, thus at least partially compensating for disabled wireless communication of the configuring subset. The method disables wireless communication provided by the configuring subset, and configures the disabled configuring subset of wireless access points.

Abstract: One or more implementations can include methods, systems and computer readable media for client location discovery. In some implementations, the method can include receiving, at an access point, a location discovery request message from a client and sending a request from the access point to a location server requesting location information for the client, when a location server is available. The method can also include receiving location information from the location server, when a location server is available and providing the access point location as location information, when a location server is not available. The method can further include sending the location information as a response to the client.

Abstract: Implementations relate to configuring wireless access points in a wireless network. In some implementations, a method includes selecting, from a plurality of wireless access points in a communication network, a configuring subset of wireless access points and a different compensating subset of wireless access points. New settings are applied to the compensating subset of wireless access points to change a physical coverage of wireless communication provided by the compensating subset, thus at least partially compensating for disabled wireless communication of the configuring subset. The method disables wireless communication provided by the configuring subset, and configures the disabled configuring subset of wireless access points.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing seamless Internet Protocol multicast connectivity in unified networks is presented. The systems disclosed herein are able to transfer, from a designated (i.e., first) VLAN to a roaming (i.e., second) VLAN, a multicast stream from a multicast server in a mobility VLAN that is not available at the roaming VLAN. In operation, example embodiments of the present invention receive a report identifying a roaming mobile unit as a member of a first VLAN and forward the report to a first mobility switch in the first VLAN. The multicast stream is then received and forwarded toward the roaming mobile unit in the second VLAN so that transfer of the multicast stream from the first VLAN to the second VLAN is seamless.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and a computer program product provide for a Tolerant License Manager that defines a cluster of a plurality of network controllers, wherein each respective network controller contributes at least one license to a current total amount of licenses in a license pool. The Tolerant License Manager identifies at least one threatened access point upon detecting a first network controller has become unavailable. Each threatened access point comprises any access point connected to the first network controller when the first network controller becomes unavailable. The Tolerant License Manager establishes (and/or) approves a connection between a back-up controller and the threatened access point(s). While the first network controller is unavailable, the Tolerant License Manager allocates a license to each threatened access point via the back-up network controller.

Abstract: In a mobility domain providing wired and wireless network transport to an enterprise or campus environment, a mobility switch maps a logical network identifier, such as a VLAN ID, to a “home” or wired network VLAN ID so that a mobile device is mapped to the wired VLAN for user identification, IP address consistency, and network policy enforcement. Propagation of the mapping to mobility switches ensures that a roaming user is mapped to the wired network VLAN from a remote L2 switch, and mobility tunnels across L3 boundaries allow roaming into a different broadcast domain or L3 switch connectivity in the mobility domain. Users are assigned to mobility VLAN(s) which are mapped to a VLAN in the wired domain at a mobility switch. The wireless users can roam within the wireless enterprise, or mobility domain, and the network maintains access to the user assigned mobility VLAN(s).

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing policy inheritance between Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) is presented. The systems disclosed herein are able to convey, from a designated (i.e., first) VLAN to a roaming (i.e., second) VLAN, mobility VLAN policies enabled at the designated VLAN that are not provided at the roaming VLAN. In operation, example embodiments of the present invention detect a roaming mobile unit in the roaming VLAN. VLAN policies for the mobile unit are then requested from a VLAN server mobility switch in the designated VLAN. VLAN policies are then received and applied in the roaming VLAN.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for providing a mechanism to enable smooth, seamless, and reliable connectivity for wireless devices in a unified network, such as networks that apply a given security policy to both wired and wireless devices. The system supports roaming of mobile units across mobility switches. A given mobile unit can retain its IP address in both intra-subnet and inter-subnet roaming scenarios. The given mobile unit also retains its membership to a mobility VLAN to which the mobile unit had been assigned, even during roaming scenarios. The system moves or propagates IP address to MAC address bindings from one network to another network within a mobility domain. As soon as a mobile user roams to another network, authentication information is readily available to enable immediate connection to the new network to begin sending and receiving data traffic. The mobile unit can be using either static IP addressing, or can dynamically acquire IP addresses through DHCP.

Abstract: Unified mobility switches often define a virtual LAN (VLAN), including a combination of mobility tunnels and access tunnels, via which packets are transported to a mobile device over a combination of physical connections and wireless links. A unified switch may have multiple ports available to route a packet to a particular destination, since the unified switches identify routing paths for both physical connections and VLANs. A particular unified switch may therefore have multiple routes to a common destination, which can lead to a routing loop across a network of switches supporting both physical and virtual connections. A unified mobility switch provides loop detection and prevention through a set of rules for qualifying connections as virtual tunnels or physical connections, and defining a single path where multiple potential paths exist.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing policy inheritance between Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) is presented. The systems disclosed herein are able to convey, from a designated (i.e., first) VLAN to a roaming (i.e., second) VLAN, mobility VLAN policies enabled at the designated VLAN that are not provided at the roaming VLAN. In operation, example embodiments of the present invention detect a roaming mobile unit in the roaming VLAN. VLAN policies for the mobile unit are then requested from a VLAN server mobility switch in the designated VLAN. VLAN policies are then received and applied in the roaming VLAN.

Abstract: A mobility network architecture includes a control plane and data plane. The control plane supports notification of VLAN configurations. The data plane supports routing of data amongst VLANs. Each VLAN has an associated identifier value as well as a version number. The version number for a respective VLAN can be updated to a new value each time there is a change to the VLAN. Typically, a controller communicates over the control plane to notify each member switch when a version number has changed for a VLAN. If controller notification fails, a member switch can receive a notification from a neighboring switch that the version number for a VLAN has been modified. In response to detecting such a condition, the switch receiving the notification can prevent forwarding of data even though the switch does not receive notification from the controller that the version number for the VLAN has changed.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and a computer program product provide for a Tolerant License Manager that defines a cluster of a plurality of network controllers, wherein each respective network controller contributes at least one license to a current total amount of licenses in a license pool. The Tolerant License Manager identifies at least one threatened access point upon detecting a first network controller has become unavailable. Each threatened access point comprises any access point connected to the first network controller when the first network controller becomes unavailable. The Tolerant License Manager establishes (and/or) approves a connection between a back-up controller and the threatened access point(s). While the first network controller is unavailable, the Tolerant License Manager allocates a license to each threatened access point via the back-up network controller.

Abstract: Embodiments herein include systems and methods for providing a mechanism to enable smooth, seamless, and reliable connectivity for wireless devices in a unified network. The system supports roaming of mobile units across mobility switches. A given mobile unit can retain its IP address in both intra-subnet and inter-subnet roaming scenarios. The given mobile unit also retains its membership to a mobility VLAN to which it had been assigned, even during roaming scenarios. Embodiments include a framework for wireless switches to advertise VLANs they support to peer wireless switches in the mobility domain, and to advertise their capability to act as VLAN servers for those VLANs. Embodiments support VLAN membership management capabilities that allow access points and peer wireless switches to request wireless switches to add VLANs to the tunnels they share.

Abstract: Unified mobility switches often define a virtual LAN (VLAN), including a combination of mobility tunnels and access tunnels, via which packets are transported to a mobile device over a combination of physical connections and wireless links. A unified switch may have multiple ports available to route a packet to a particular destination, since the unified switches identify routing paths for both physical connections and VLANs. A particular unified switch may therefore have multiple routes to a common destination, which can lead to a routing loop across a network of switches supporting both physical and virtual connections. A unified mobility switch provides loop detection and prevention through a set of rules for qualifying connections as virtual tunnels or physical connections, and defining a single path where multiple potential paths exist.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for providing a mechanism to enable smooth, seamless, and reliable connectivity for wireless devices in a unified network, such as networks that apply a given security policy to both wired and wireless devices. The system supports roaming of mobile units across mobility switches. A given mobile unit can retain its IP address in both intra-subnet and inter-subnet roaming scenarios. The given mobile unit also retains its membership to a mobility VLAN to which the mobile unit had been assigned, even during roaming scenarios. The system moves or propagates IP address to MAC address bindings from one network to another network within a mobility domain. As soon as a mobile user roams to another network, authentication information is readily available to enable immediate connection to the new network to begin sending and receiving data traffic. The mobile unit can be using either static IP addressing, or can dynamically acquire IP addresses through DHCP.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing seamless Internet Protocol multicast connectivity in unified networks is presented. The systems disclosed herein are able to transfer, from a designated (i.e., first) VLAN to a roaming (i.e., second) VLAN, a multicast stream from a multicast server in a mobility VLAN that is not available at the roaming VLAN. In operation, example embodiments of the present invention receive a report identifying a roaming mobile unit as a member of a first VLAN and forward the report to a first mobility switch in the first VLAN. The multicast stream is then received and forwarded toward the roaming mobile unit in the second VLAN so that transfer of the multicast stream from the first VLAN to the second VLAN is seamless.

Abstract: In a mobility domain providing wired and wireless network transport to an enterprise or campus environment, a mobility switch maps a logical network identifier, such as a VLAN ID, to a “home” or wired network VLAN ID so that a mobile device is mapped to the wired VLAN for user identification, IP address consistency, and network policy enforcement. Propagation of the mapping to mobility switches ensures that a roaming user is mapped to the wired network VLAN from a remote L2 switch, and mobility tunnels across L3 boundaries allow roaming into a different broadcast domain or L3 switch connectivity in the mobility domain. Users are assigned to mobility VLAN(s) which are mapped to a VLAN in the wired domain at a mobility switch. The wireless users can roam within the wireless enterprise, or mobility domain, and the network maintains access to the user assigned mobility VLAN(s).