Application identification and path selection at a wireless access point for local network traffic breakout

A wireless access point comprising:

• a memory;
• one or more processors operably coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
• receive a first packet for an application provided by an application server;
• configure an initial packet flow for the application including a first forwarding action to send traffic for the application to the application server via a tunnel path;
• learn the application of the first packet;
• generate, based on a policy of the application, an entry in an application server address cache specifying an address of the application server and a second forwarding action to send traffic for the application to the application server via a local breakout path;
• receive a second packet for the application;
• configure, in response to determining that a destination address of the second packet matches the entry in the application server address cache, a subsequent packet flow for the application including the second forwarding action to send traffic for the application to the application server via the local breakout path;
• receive a third packet for the application;
• and
• in response to determining the third packet is associated with the subsequent packet flow, send, based on the second forwarding action, the third packet to the application server via the local breakout path.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed, cause one or more programmable processors of a wireless access point to:

• receive a first packet for an application provided by an application server;
• configure an initial packet flow for the application including a first forwarding action to send traffic for the application to the application server via a tunnel path;
• learn the application of the first packet;
• generate, based on a policy of the application, an entry in an application server address cache specifying an address of the application server and a second forwarding action to send traffic for the application to the application server via a local breakout path;
• receive a second packet for the application;
• configure, in response to determining that a destination address of the second packet matches the entry in the application server address cache, a subsequent packet flow for the application including the second forwarding action to send traffic for the application to the application server via the local breakout path;
• receive a third packet for the application;
• and
• in response to determining the third packet is associated with the subsequent packet flow, send, based on the second forwarding action, the third packet to the application server via the local breakout path.