Fortinet, Inc.

Lakshmi Narayana Dronadula

Ajay Malik

Avinash Bhagtani

Saurabh Kumar Agarwal

Nuwas Ponnambathayil

Pramod Shanbhag

Mahamkali Ravikiran

Saurabh Agarwal

Ravikiran Mahamkali

Abhilash R

Samuel Stephen Talari

A plurality of sniffing policies describing deep packet inspection processes performed on network traffic at sniffing access points from the plurality of access points is received. Network traffic levels are monitored at the plurality of access points and a level of sniffed traffic backhauled over the Wi-Fi network for analysis. A change can be detected in network traffic affecting a sniffing policy. Responsive to exceeding a certain level of sniffed traffic being backhauled, an amount of sniffed traffic sent upstream for analysis is adjusted. More specifically, a programmable policy engine at each of a sniffing access points serving as intrusion detection sensors to sniff traffic at various locations on the Wi-Fi network are reprogrammed dynamically. The adjustments reprogram a sniffing pipeline at each of the intrusion detection sensors including adjusting an endpoint device for sending sniffed traffic and dropping more traffic during deep packet inspection.

Programmable, policy-based efficient wireless sniffing networks in WIPS (wireless intrusion prevention systems)

A set of priority parameters for network traffic on the data communication network is stored. Based on a specific application determination, based at least in part on a source IP address, a source port address, a destination IP address, a destination port address and a protocol, an airtime fairness ratio (ATR) for the session with a specific station from the set of priority parameters concerning application priority is assigned. A higher ATR results in more packets being stored in the queue for processing and a lower ATR results in fewer packets being stored in the queue for processing, thereby affecting airtime.

Extending airtime fairness in WLANS (wireless local access networks) with selective dynamic allocation of quantum

Wi-Fi services multicast to a subnet in a software-defined network (SDN) are extended. An SDN controller centrally monitors a data plane of a Wi-Fi network. Advertisements for services within a first subnet by an advertising station are forwarded to the SDN controller. Parameters of the service of the advertising station are extracted for storage by performing deep packet inspection on the one or more packets. Queries for services within a second subnet by a querying station are also forwarded to the SDN controller. Parameters of the service of the querying station are extracted for storage by performing deep packet inspection on the one or more packets. The query for service to the advertisement matches responsive to the advertisement parameters compared to the query parameters. Responsive to matching, a set of connection parameters necessary for the querying station at the second subnet to connect to the advertising station at the first subnet is sent.

Extension of Wi-Fi services multicast to a subnet across a wi-fl network using software-defined network (SDN) to centrally control data plane behavior

Wi-Fi connectivity issues are automatically resolved over SMS. An SMS message including a MAC address is received for a station having a wireless connectivity issue involving a Wi-Fi portion of the data communication network. The SMS message is converted according to an API (application programming interface) of the network manager. Error logs are retrieved according to the MAC address. Based on the error logs, a connectivity solution (or other type of solution) to the connectivity issue is determined. The connectivity solution from the network manager API to an SMS message. The SMS message with the connectivity solution is sent to the station. Subsequent SMS messages are sent to the station to determine whether the connectivity solution was effective in improving a client experience.

Automated resolution of Wi-Fi connectivity issues over SMS

A quality of service is determined for the specific station. Quality of service defines whether the specific station receives beamforming service or not, independent of beamforming capability of the specific station. QoS can be implemented by centrally controlling the locationing for beamforming. The beamforming location information and QoS information are transmitted to an access point servicing the specific station. The access point transmits network packets with beamforming signals to the specific station based on the beamforming location information.

QoS (quality of service) beamforming by centrally controlling real-time locationing to control beamforming transmissions from access points independent of beamforming capability of stations

Facilitating content caching in a local network by using software-defined network (SDN) controller to centrally coordinate data plane behavior. One or more packets forwarded from a component of the plurality of network components is received because no flow has been installed at the component to instruct on how to handle the one or more packets. Responsive to a deep packet inspection identifying a request for external content, a caching server is queried on the local network to determine if the requested content is available locally. A response is received from the caching server that the requested content is not available, and in response, a first flow is installed within the local network to route copies of response packets associated with the requested content to the station. A second flow is installed within the local network to route copies of response packets associated with the requested content to the caching server. A third flow routes subsequent requests for the same content.

Facilitating in-network content caching with a centrally coordinated data plane

A control layer centrally controls in inherently distributed locationing protocols, such as IEEE 802.11ac or IEEE 802.11ad. As a result, network resources control when and how beamforming resources are allotted to stations on a Wi-Fi portion of the network. To do so, the station location information is organically determined for the plurality of stations from the plurality of access points using RSSI measurements at different access points. Beamforming locationing is thus centrally controlled by transmitting the beamforming location information for the specific station from the central locationing sever to a specific access point servicing the specific station from the plurality of access points. The access point can then transmit network packets with beamforming signals to the specific station based on the beamforming location information. Beamforming location is also provided to 2-way beamforming stations.

Network-controlled beamforming using centrally-monitored locationing for beamforming Wi-Fi transmissions to wireless stations from access points independent of beamforming capability of stations

Multicast packets from streaming services on a data network are reduced. A packet conversion policy distributes OpenFlow rules to network components involved in multicasting services. In coordination with, and responsive to, detecting a matching service provider advertisement and service receiver request, executing an SDN policy governing a multicast streaming service. Specifically, multicast packets from a flow for streaming the multicast service are converted from multicast to unicast when sent from the network component associated with the service provider, and then are converted from unicast to multicast when received at the network component associated with the station.

Reducing multicast service traffic for matching and streaming in SDN (software defined networking enabled networks

Wireless station experience is monitored by emulating client radios. A radio (or entire transceiver) from a plurality of radios on the access point is assigned to switch from a normal mode to a client mode to operate as a client radio. The client radio of the access point can send a probe request to a normal mode radio of the access point for registration as a client. Network performance can then be measured from the client radio and analyzed by the access point for network problems.

Monitoring wireless station experience on a wi-fi network by emulating client radios

Wi-Fi flows are intelligently bridged in a software-defined network (SDN) controller of a wireless communication network that centrally coordinates data plane behavior. A default mode tunnels packets received at an access point to the SDN controller for layer 2 routing decisions. A bridging policy concerning bridging of specific types of traffic flows for the wireless communication network is received at the SDN. Data plane traffic flow for each of a plurality of access points distributed around the wireless communication network is centrally monitored. New data streams tunneled to the SDN controller are matched to bridging policies with deep packet inspection. Responsive to matching, the tunnel mode is converted to a bridge mode by sending a rule concerning the new data stream to the access point. As a result, subsequent packets of the new data stream are transferred at the access point without tunneling additional packets to the SDN controller).

Intelligent bridging of Wi-Fi flows in a software defined network (SDN)

Extension of Wi-Fi services multicast to a subnet across a Wi-Fi network using software-defined networking (SDN) to centrally control data plane behavior

Growing community of inventors

Bengaluru, India

Lakshmi Narayana Dronadula