BSS Transition Management (802.11v)

BSS Transition Management enables an AP to request a voice client to transition to a specific AP, or suggest a set of preferred APs to a voice client, due to network load balancing or BSS termination. This helps the voice client identify the best AP to which that client should transition to as that client roams. ArubaOS supports BSS Transition Management features defined by the 802.11v standard.

The BSS Transition capability can improve throughput, data rates and QoS for the voice clients in a network by shifting (via transition) the individual voice traffic loads to more appropriate points of association within the ESS.

Frame Types

BSS Transition Management uses the following frame types:

Query: A Query frame is sent by the voice client that supports BSS transition management requesting a BSS transition candidate list to its associated AP, if the associated AP indicates that it supports the BSS transition capability.

Request: An AP that supports BSS Transition Management responds to a BSS Transition Management Query frame with a BSS Transition Management Request frame. The AP may also send an unsolicited BSS Transition Management Request frame to a voice client at any time, if the client supports the BSS Transition Management capability. The Request frame also contains a Disassociation flag. If the flag is set, then the AP forcefully disassociates the client after 10 beacon intervals.

Response: A Response frame is sent by the voice client back to the AP, informing whether it accepts or denies the transition.

802.11k and 802.11v Clients

For 802.11k capable clients, the client management framework uses the actual beacon report generated by the client in response to a beacon report request sent by the AP. This beacon report replaces the virtual beacon report for that client. For 802.11v capable clients, the controller uses the 802.11v BSS Transition message to steer clients to the desired AP upon receiving a client steer trigger from the AP.

Enabling 802.11v BSS Transition Management

802.11v BSS transition management is enabled by default. Client match uses this feature to steer devices. The cm-dot11v parameter in the rf arm-profile enables or disables client match to use the 802.11v feature.

(host) (config) #rf arm-profile default

(host) (Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) profile "default") # [no] cm-dot11v