Smart Rf - Brocade Communications Systems RFS6000 System Reference Manual

4

Smart RF

When invoked by an administrator, Smart RF (or self-monitoring at run time) instructs radios to
change to a specific channel and begin beaconing using their maximum available transmit power.
Within a well planned deployment, any associated radio should be reachable by at least one other
radio. The Smart RF feature records signals received from its neighbors as well as signals from
external, un-managed radios. AP to AP distance is recorded in terms of signal attenuation. The
information from external radios is used during channel assignment to minimize interference.
Smart RF management is comprised of the following two phases:
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Smart RF is well suited for clustered environments. Smart RF interacts with a number of existing
features, (such as radio detection, client load balancing, and self-healing).
CAUTION
SmartRF should only be enabled on Brocade Mobility 300 Access Point when using antennas
with gains of 7dBi or less. For Brocade Mobility 7131 Series Access Point it should only be used
with the façade antenna, and for Brocade Mobility 650 it should only be used with internal
antenna models.
Smart RF Calibration Phase
Smart RF calibration is initiated by an administrator during initial deployment or can be scheduled
at a specified frequency or time of the day. Smart RF instructs adopted radios to scan legal
channels and measure signal strength from associated radio and other device signals detected
within the environment.
Smart RF conducts the following network management activities:
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Smart RF Monitoring Phase
Smart RF monitoring occurs continuously. It includes the following monitoring activities:
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Smart RF Calibration Phase
Smart RF Monitoring Phase
Automatically calibrates associated radio's maximum power capability
Automatically assigns certain radios to be detectors
Automatically assign channels to radios to avoid channel overlap and interference from
external RF sources
Automatically calculates the transmit power of working radios
Automatically configures self-healing parameters. Radio assume the roles of caretaker and
caregiver. When a radio is down, it is referred to as the caretaker. Neighbor radios raising their
transmit power to cover for the failed radio are referred to as caregivers. Smart RF calibration
automatically chooses caregiver radios along with the power needed to cover.
Self-healing to monitor whether a radio is down
Interference monitoring using retry stats
Defines coverage holes and discerns transmit rates and client signal strength. When
necessary, Smart RF increases client power to maintain coverage
Brocade Mobility RFS4000, RFS6000, and RFS7000 System Reference Guide
53-1002515-01