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5/26/05 Radio Resource Management (RRM)
OL-7426-03
About Radio Resource Management (RRM)Radio Resource Management (RRM)
Radio Resource Management (also known as RRM) allows Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers to continually
monitor their associated Cisco 1000 Series lightweight access points for the following information:
• Traffic Load -- How much total bandwidth is used for transmitting and receiving traffic. This
allows WLAN managers to track and plan network growth ahead of client demand.
• Interference -- How much traffic is coming from other 802.11 sources.
• Noise -- How much non-802.11 noise is interfering with the currently-assigned channel.
• Coverage -- Received Signal Strength (RSSI) and Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for all clients.
• Nearby access points.
Using the collected information, Radio Resource Management can periodically reconfigure the 802.11
RF network within operator-defined limits for best efficiency. To do this, Radio Resource Management:
• Dynamically reassigns channels to increase capacity and performance, both within the same
Cisco Wireless LAN Controller and across multiple Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers.
• Adjusts the transmit power to balance coverage and capacity, both within the same Cisco
Wireless LAN Controller and across multiple Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers.
• Allows the operator to assign nearby Cisco 1000 Series lightweight access points into groups to
streamline Radio Resource Management algorithm processing.
• As new clients associate, they are load balanced across grouped Cisco 1000 Series lightweight
access points reporting to each Cisco Wireless LAN Controller. This is particularly important
when many clients converge in one spot (such as a conference room or auditorium), because
Radio Resource Management can automatically force some subscribers to associate with nearby
access points, allowing higher throughput for all clients.
• Automatically detects and configures new Cisco 1000 Series lightweight access points as they
are added to the network. Radio Resource Management automatically adjusts nearby Cisco
1000 Series lightweight access points to accommodate the increased coverage and capacity.
• Automatically detects and configures new Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers as they are added to
the network. The Radio Resource Management automatically distributes associated Cisco 1000
Series lightweight access points to maximize coverage and capacity.
• Detects and reports coverage holes, where clients consistently connect to a Cisco 1000 Series
lightweight access point at a very low signal strength.
• Automatically defines Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Groups within operator-defined Mobility
Groups.
The Radio Resource Management solution thus allows the operator to avoid the costs of laborious
historical data interpretation and individual Cisco 1000 Series IEEE 802.11a/b/g lightweight access
point reconfiguration. The power control features of Radio Resource Management ensure client satisfac-
tion, and the coverage hole detection feature can alert the operator to the need for an additional (or
relocated) Cisco 1000 Series lightweight access point.
Note that the Radio Resource Management uses separate monitoring and control for each of the
deployed networks: 802.11a and 802.11b/802.11g. Also note that Radio Resource Management is
automatically enabled, but can be customized or disabled for individual Cisco 1000 Series lightweight
access points.
Finally, for operators requiring easy manual configuration, the Radio Resource Management can
recommend the best Cisco Radio settings, and then assign them on operator command.
The Radio Resource Management controls produce a network that has optimal capacity, performance,
and reliability. The Radio Resource Management functions also free the operator from having to contin-