Queuing and scheduling architecture for a unified access device supporting wired and wireless clients

A network appliance capable of communicating packets between wired and wireless clients and a network, comprising:

• a packet buffer;
• a set of queues;
• a set of queue-groups;
• a set of ports;
• means for dynamically associating the packets between one or more of the sets of queues, queue-groups and ports;
• means for enqueuing the packets using the packet buffer and the sets of queues, queue-groups and ports;
• means for scheduling the packets using the packet buffer and the sets of queues, queue-groups and ports;
• means for shaping the packets using the packet buffer and the sets of queues, queue-groups and ports.

A method for communicating packets to wired and wireless clients in a network, comprising:

• dynamically associating the packets between one or more sets of queues, queue-groups and ports;
• enqueuing the packets using a packet buffer and the sets of queues, queue-groups and ports;
• scheduling the packets using the packet buffer and the sets of queues, queue-groups and ports;
• shaping the packets using the packet buffer and the sets of queues, queue-groups and ports.

A method for facilitating a wireless client to roam between access points in a network, comprising the steps of:

• attaching the wireless client to a first queue associated with a first port;
• detecting that the wireless client has roamed to an access point associated with a second port;
• detaching, dynamically, the wireless client and the first queue from the first port upon roaming detection;
• and
• reattaching, dynamically, the wireless client and the first queue to the second port without packet loss in the first queue.

A network appliance capable of communicating packets to a wireless client roaming between access points in a network, comprising:

• a first port and a first queue associated with the wireless client;
• a second port to which the wireless client has roamed;
• means for detaching, dynamically, the wireless client and the first queue from the first port;
• and
• means for reattaching, dynamically, the wireless client and the first queue to the second port without packet loss in the first queue.