1. Vision For IEEE 802.11 Wireless Network Management
Submission
doc: IEEE /1059r1
September 2004
Vision For IEEE Wireless Network Management
Joe Kwak, InterDigital
Victoria Poncini, Microsoft
Jesse Walker, Intel
Paul Gray, AirWave
Submission
Kwak and others
Kwak et al

2. Submission
Background
802.11k (Radio Resource Measurements) provides a spring board for the introduction of radio resource control functionality
Rapid growth in demand for ubiquitous wireless services in enterprise, hotspot & home deployments increase the need for:
Self-configuration and self-monitoring and self-healing
Support of large user population/traffic
High spectrum efficiency
Contiguous coverage
Seamless roaming
Support of differentiated and guaranteed QOS
Advanced Radio Resources Management strategies are key to support these requirements
The speaker could point out that not all the items in the list relate to all three deployments. For example, support of large user population/traffic might be more related to hotspots and entreprise-like deployments.
Submission
Kwak and others
Kwak et al

3. WNM Vision (1/2) Self configuring and self-monitoring through
Submission
WNM Vision (1/2)
Self configuring and self-monitoring through
Self-discovery of nodes within/outside ESS
Environment-aware & context-aware (deploym., interf., load, location, etc.)
Dynamically adapts to external interf. (e.g. microwave, bluetooth, etc.)
Quick reaction times to changes in radio network environment
802.11k measurements + new measurement reporting / signaling
Recognition/classification of interference sources (microwave, radars, etc)
Increased capacity and Higher spectrum efficiency through
Ability to dynamically manage L1-L2 parameters of STA & AP
Automatic (Initial and Dynamic) frequency selection
Signaling/reporting to support smart antennas (STA and AP)
Enhanced rate adaptation
Normative spectrum etiquette for coexistance (cordless phones, bluetooth, etc)
Ability to manage virtual APs, their Beacons and Probe Responses.
Submission
Kwak and others
Kwak et al

4. WNM Vision (2/2) Contiguous coverage and seamless roaming through
Frequency relocation without disassociation (when AP switches channels)
Seamless and fast roaming/handover between BSSs (e.g. support VOIP)
Support of Quality and Grade of Service (QoS & GoS)
Network-centric admission control & congestion control
Link monitoring/control by AP beyond association/disassociation
Network-centric (rather than STA-driven) load balancing strategies
Network-centric (rather than STA-driven) rate control strategies
Also closely tied:
Enhanced O&M
Interfaces, architecture, observability, configurability, etc.
Should be independent of network architecture
E.g. Fat/Thin AP, mesh, hybrid
Coexists / Backwards compatible with pre-WNM AP/STAs
Submission
Kwak and others

5. WNM key requirements
802.11k provided enhanced observability through radio resource measurements.
The need for robust, high performance and self-configured WLAN Radio Networks commands advanced radio resources management strategies.
These are only possible if WNM provides the means by which APs can have more control over the behavior of stations.
Ability for network management to adapt from distributed (STA based) schemes for SOHO to centralized schemes for large campuses and global operators.
Submission
Kwak and others

6. IEEE 802.11 standards projects
Submission
IEEE standards projects
Network Architecture
802.11s
ESS Mesh
QoS and RRM
802.11
AP Functional
Description
WNM
Radio Resource
Management
802.11k
Radio Resource
Measurements
802.21
Media-Independent
Handover
802.11
802.11a/b/g/h/e/i
802.11r
Fast BSS
Transition
Legend:
Released standards
WIEN
Interworking with
External Networks
Standards in progress
Recently started
Being defined
Mobility and Inter-working
Submission
Kwak and others
Kwak et al

7. Interactions with other 802.11 Groups
Handover/Roaming
Support in WNM for Infrastructure-based Handover Functions (e.g. load-balancing), complementary to r/.21/WIEN (e.g. mobility)
Network Architecture/Topology
802.11s ESS Mesh imposes a new topology to be taken into account by WNM
AP Functional Description SG and TG items:
Central/Distributed AP (e.g. CAPWAP-like) type of topologies/architectures should also be considered when defining WNM functionalities
Hybrid networks will exist and therefore a combination of the previously mentioned topologies could be foreseen
WNM Functions located in a specific layer (i.e. L2/L2.5) or some split approach?
Will AP Functional Description define a placeholder for WNM functions?
Submission
Kwak and others