PRPL mesh

Open Source Overview

Foundation
Executive summary
• Intel has contributed its mesh framework into prplMesh

 Designed for production-quality with very strict security requirement

 Intel invested many man years to develop, test, document, flow diagrams,
…

 Includes a proven full Mesh solution (Controller & Agent running on actual
HW)

• Intel will support prpl

 Training/Bootcamp and on-going support

 Dedicated team contributor/maintainers to keep developing with PRPL

• PRPL own the project and will adapt it into prplMesh

PrplMesh - System arch partitioning
 PRPL EasyMesh architecture
OS/Distribution Management Entity

Algorithms
Algorithms
Features
PRPL mesh Controller TFL PRPL mesh Agent TFL
Management BML BTL BTL PAL BWL
API?s

Multi-AP Framework

Local Message Bus(XSub-XPub )

WLAN
MPL TFL TFL TFL API
1905.1 1905.1
Management Platform
Topology& Transport D-WPAL
Service discovery service service Service
PPL Hostapd Supplicant Netlink
WLAN Driver
Network Stack OS/ Distribution
(cfg80211)
L2 – Raw Socket FAPI

Sheared TFL – TLV factory Library BML – BeeRocks Management Library

Framework Controller/agent WLAN PAL – Platform Abstraction Library
Library BTL – BeeRocks Transport Library
(TX / RX CMDU
)
Legend PPL – Platform Plugin Library BWL – BeeRocks WLAN Library
Local BUS IPC API MPL – Management Plugin Library D- WPAL – Dynamic WLAN Platform Library
Main benefits of PRPL’s new EasyMesh stack
(1/3)
• Fully featured Mesh solution (including Controller)

 Includes optimized and tested Controller decision-making algorithms

 Working and tested Mesh system

 mobility / steering, channel selection, statistics, network map, BH optimization,

DFS

• Security - Intel requires very strict security standards

 Solution arch complies with Intel’s strict security requirements for product
grade

 Threat model approval, service and permission segregation

(compartmentalization), security code reviews, malware scans, static code
analysis and more…
Main benefits of PRPL’s new EasyMesh stack
(2/3)
• IEEE 1905.1 stack

 Tested Intel proprietary stack, built for 32bit systems with all EasyMesh features

 fragmentation, MID tracking, cookie, multicast, etc..

• Scalable architecture

 Designed to be easily ported to multiple SDK’s / Wi-Fi vendors / HW platforms

 Using Platform, Wi-Fi and Management Adaptation Libraries

 Already quickly ported to RDK-B (running) from UGW (OpenWRT-based)

 Micro-Service approach

 Best fit for open source with dispersed community of multiple developers /
Main benefits of PRPL’s new EasyMesh stack
(3/3)
• TLV Factory Library

 Major infrastructure capability, enabling automatic creation of 1905 message TLV Classes

 Replaces monolithic BBF 1905 with a bus-based service (also used for IPC)

 Designed to easily add / modify message structures

 All R1 messages supported

 R2 messages can be added trivially

 YAML inputs converted into C++ Classes with APIs to form & parse 1905 messages &
TLVs

 Internal messaging reuses the TLV factory (via YAML)

 Serializes into any specific structure (unlike Google ProtoBuf) such as 1905

 Valuable as standalone open-source

PRPL mesh agent/controller –
high level overview
High-level Agent Architecture
BeeRocks - Agent
BeeRocks - Radio Agent
PAL

Agent UDS
Multi-AP BTL Agent Radio Agent
Framework
Agent UDS

Backhaul Manager
Radio Radio
Agent UDS Agent UDS
sta manager eth_bh_monitor
BWL AP Manager Monitor

Single Process Process per Radio BWL BWL

Legend

Process Platform component BeeRocks component TFL BCL

Shared Libraries (Used by Agent and Radio Agent)

Thread Sheared Library UDS: Unix Domain Socket

BCL = BeeRocks Common Library BUS connection

PAL = Platform Abstraction Library
BTL = BeeRocks Transport Library
TFL = TLV Factory Library
 High-level Controller Architecture
BeeRocks Controller

Master DB Task Pool

BML

Multi-AP Statistics Polling Optimal Path

DB Algo
Framework Task Task

Controller IRE Network

BTL Health Check
Message Router Controller
SON Actions Task
Optimization
UDS Task

Client Steering Client Locating

Task Task
Controller Controller CLI
Channel
BML
selection
Process Platform component BeeRocks component Task
LAN Clients Task
Discovery BML Wifi Association
Thread Sheared Library UDS: Unix Domain Socket Credentials Handling
Update Task Task
Logger
BCL = BeeRocks Common Library BUS connection
BML = BeeRocks Management Library
BTL = BeeRocks Transport Library BCL TFL Service Fairness Load Balancer
Persisted DB
Task Task
TFL = TLV Factory Library Shared Library's
BACKUP
 Mesh SW
upgrade
Integration markup controller*
Mesh
Based on Intel presentation controller* * Controller can be on remote device and may be accessed
System indirectly through the transport according to EasyMesh
IPC Northbound standard
API
MPL
Mesh SW upgrade
Managemen
agent t Service MultiAP Framework
Westbound API
P OS specific
Mesh Agent Local Message Bus (XSub- Platform Service P implementatio
XPub) Southbound L n
BWL
WPA_ctrl wrapper API
Southbound SW upgrade
API 1905.1 Ethernet Bridge API
1905.1

SIOCGIFHWADDR
Wireless Topology &
transport

SIOCGIFINDEX

SIOCETHTOOL

RTNLGRP_LINK
RTM_GETLINK
discovery
wpa_supplican service
hostapd t service
Network Stack
L2 - raw socket
nl80211
Southbound
API ioctl

Kernel netlink

bridge /
Switchdev /
OpenvSwitch 3

12
EasyMesh - Local BUS IPC
Framework Controller
BeeRocks
CLI Local BUS BeeRocks Controller
Management

MPL
BML Message Router
Platform
Service Controller
WebUI/Management Controller UDS BTL

1905.1 1905.1 CMDU͛s

Transport
service
Agent
BTL
Backhaul manager
Agent

LOCAL BUS
wlan1/3
1905.1 Agent
Agent UDS
Topology & UDS BWL
discovery Agent
service UDS

Local BUS

Platform Platform Local BUS

PPL

API͛s Service

PAL PAL

Legend Radio Agent - wlan0 Radio Agent - wlan2

Local BUS IPC Radio Agent wlan0 Radio Agent wlan0 Radio Agent wlan2 Radio Agent wlan2
API
UDS UDS UDS UDS
UDS IPC
AP Manager Monitor AP Manager Monitor
Sheared
Library
Process Thread wlan0 wlan0 wlan2 wlan2
BWL BWL BWL BWL
Framework WLAN Radio Agent 0 Radio Agent 1
BeeRocks Platform

WLAN D-WPAL (Sheared Library)

Thank
you
Open Source
Foundation