Management apparatus and method to support WLAN offloading

An element manager (“EM”) comprising:

• translator circuitry to:
• obtain first management information transmitted from an access point (“AP”) of a wireless local area access network (“WLAN”) via a first interface, wherein the first management information includes WLAN alarm information;
• and
• map the first management information to second management information to be sent via an alarm integration reference point (“AlarmIRP”) interface, wherein the AlarmIRP interface is implemented according to a 3rd generation partnership project (“3GPP”) protocol;
• and
• integration reference point (“IRP”) agent circuitry coupled with the translator circuitry to send the second management information to an IRP manager of a 3GPP communication network via the AlarmIRP interface to facilitate management of a WLAN offloading operation based on the WLAN alarm information,
• wherein the first management information is to indicate a state change of the AP.

A system comprising:

• access controller (“AC”) circuitry to communicate first management information with a plurality of wireless local area access network (“WLAN”) access points (“APs”) via a Type-1 interface, wherein the first management information includes WLAN performance information or WLAN alarm information, and wherein the Type-1 interface is implemented according to a lightweight access point protocol (“LWAPP”) used by at least one of the plurality of WLAN APs;
• integration reference point (“IRP”) agent circuitry to communicate second management information with an IRP manager of a network management (NM) apparatus via a Type-2 interface to facilitate management of a WLAN offloading operation based on the WLAN performance information of the WLAN alarm information, wherein the Type-2 interface is implemented according to a standardized protocol in 3rd generation partnership project (“3GPP”), and wherein the type-2 interface and the type-1 interface are different;
• and
• translation circuitry, coupled with the AC circuitry and the IRP agent circuitry, to map the first management information to the second management information or the second management information to the first management information,
• wherein the first management information is to indicate a state change of a first AP of the plurality of WLAN APs.

One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause an element manager to:

• obtain first management information from an access point (“AP”) of a wireless local area access network (“WLAN”) via a Type-1 interface, wherein the first management information includes WLAN performance information or WLAN alarm information, and wherein the Type-1 interface is implemented according to a lightweight access point protocol (“LWAPP”);
• map the first management information to second management information to be sent via a Type-2 interface, wherein the Type-2 interface is implemented according to a standardized protocol in 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), and wherein the Type-2 interface and the Type-1 interface are different;
• and
• send the second management information to a network manager associated with a 3GPP communication network via the Type-2 interface;
• and
• send instructions to the AP via the Type-1 interface to adjust offloading traffic between the AP and a base station of a cellular network,
• wherein the first management information is to indicate a state change in the AP.