WIP Contents and Architecture
WIP is a Linux-based software platform that enables wireless access device developers to rapidly create innovative, differentiated wireless network access products, such as WLAN access points for businesses, wireless residential gateways, and Wi-Fi hotspot nodes.
WIP’s primary software components are illustrated in the following block diagram and described below:
- At the heart of WIP is a wireless subsystem comprising the AP Module,
the Devicescape Datapath Driver, and Low-Level Chipset Drivers.
The AP Module handles 802.11 beacons and probes, provides authentication
and association management functions, and supports the interface to external
RADIUS servers. The Datapath and Low-Level Chipset drivers work
together to perform all 802.11 MAC-layer functions - the Devicescape Datapath
driver performs hardware-independent MAC functions, while the Low-Level
Chipset drivers handle functions that are dependent on specific hardware
implementations. WIP can also work with silicon vendor-supplied monolithic
drivers that encapsulate all MAC functionality in a single module.
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- The management subsystem provides enterprise-class management via SNMP, web and command line interfaces. WIP is fully instrumented with the dot11, bridge and MIB-II SNMP MIBs, as well as with an extensive Devicescape Enterprise MIB. The Web interface is pre-loaded with a complete set of sample administrative pages. A web templating system is provided to enable easy modification and extension to the sample web pages.
- The Device Management Agent encapsulates the entire configured and operational state of a WIP-based device, and reconciles changes from all management interfaces.
- The clustering subsystem enables access points to share management, configuration and security information with each other over the wired backbone infrastructure. APs newly added to a wireless network can automatically acquire configuration data from other APs in the cluster, and the entire cluster can be managed from a single AP. APs may also share channel utilization information and automatically modify channel assignments in order to optimize the use of radio spectrum resources.
- A local authentication server provides internal 802.1X PEAP/MSCHAPv2 authentication for client stations, eliminating the need for an external RADIUS server in small/medium business networks and enterprise branch networks. Local authentication data is replicated across the wireless network by means of the clustering subsystem.
- The Embedded Linux Operating is supplied as a foundation for the entire runtime system. Support for key CPU architectures used in wireless devices (XScale/ARM, MIPS, PowerPC and x86) is provided. The WIP package also bundles pre-built GNU cross-development toolchains for the supported CPU architectures.
- The Wireless Test and Calibration Utilities aid in the development and debugging of wireless access devices. Included are a virtual client simulator, IEEE 802.11 frame generator, IEEE 802.11 protocol analyzer, wireless traffic sniffer, TKIP countermeasures tester, and an EMI radio test mode controller.
In addition to the above system of integrated software components, WIP comes with full technical documentation set in PDF and online formats. Devicescape also provides a complete Administrator's Guide that can be branded to be part of a device manufacturer's product offering. |
