Method and apparatus for balancing wireless access based on centralized information

A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of, comprising:

• receiving, from a first access node in a plurality of access nodes, a request to provide service to a wireless client, wherein each of said plurality of access nodes is configured to provide wireless service to one or more clients;
• selecting, from among a plurality of stored policies, a first access policy applicable to said first access node;
• wherein said first access policy comprises, at least in part, one or more rules about whether to allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client based on how many other wireless clients are being serviced by a set of access nodes associated with said first access node;
• determining whether to allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client based on said first access policy;
• upon determining that said first access policy allows said first access node to provide service to said wireless client, transmitting a first message, to said first access node, that instructs said first access node to provide service to said wireless client;
• and
• upon determining that said first access policy does not allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client, transmitting a second message, to said first access node, that instructs said first access node to deny service to said wireless client.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for receiving, from a first access node in a plurality of access nodes, a request to provide service to a wireless client, wherein each of said plurality of access nodes is configured to provide wireless service to one or more clients;
• means for selecting, from among a plurality of stored policies, a first access policy applicable to said first access node;
• wherein said first access policy comprises, at least in part, one or more rules about whether to allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client based on how many other wireless clients are being serviced by a set of access nodes associated with said first access node;
• means for determining whether to allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client based on said first access policy;
• means for transmitting a first message, to said first access node, that instructs said first access node to provide service to said wireless client upon determining that said first access policy allows said first access node to provide service to said wireless client;
• and
• means for transmitting a second message, to said first access node, that instructs said first access node to deny service to said wireless client upon determining that said first access policy does not allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a network interface that is coupled to the data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;
• a processor;
• and
• one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out:
• receiving, from a first access node in a plurality of access nodes, a request to provide service to a wireless client, wherein each of said plurality of access nodes is configured to provide wireless service to one or more clients;
• selecting, from among a plurality of stored policies, a first access policy applicable to said first access node;
• wherein said first access policy comprises, at least in part, one or more rules about whether to allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client based on how many other wireless clients are being serviced by a set of access nodes associated with said first access node;
• determining whether to allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client based on said first access policy;
• upon determining that said first access policy allows said first access node to provide service to said wireless client, transmitting a first message, to said first access node, that instructs said first access node to provide service to said wireless client;
• and
• upon determining that said first access policy does not allow said first access node to provide service to said wireless client, transmitting a second message, to said first access node, that instructs said first access node to deny service to said wireless client.