Controllerless Networks

Hello, I've setup DHCP Option 43 on several customer networks in the past however each of these have been using Microsoft DHCP Servers. I have a customer that migrated to Adonis BlueCat DHCP/DNS appliances and they are telling me they cannot get DHCP Option 43 to work in order to point the Aruba AP's to the correctAruba Master Controller on their network. They have multiple Master Controllers so depending on what VLAN a particular group of AP's is on they need to direct them to specific Master Controllers.

Has anyone encountered this issue with Adonis BlueCat DHCP Servers? Any resolutions?

Thanks,

John

did you see this thread on the cisco forum?

https://supportforums.cisco.com/thread/329568

the principle should be the same for aruba.

you could also have your customer try their bluecat support, in a way it makes more sense to get an answer via that way.

I know this thread is 3 years old, but I wanted to add that we were finally able to implement DHCP Option 43 with the Adonis BlueCat Servers. We had configured the settings per the Cisco Link above, however, according to a very helpful BlueCat TAC - "Vendor Profiles" - Although they are Option 60 - are meant for vendors that use DHCP Option 43 Encapsulation -> *Sending Multiple Options inside of Option 43*.

BlueCat had us manually configure a custom Option 60, along with Option 43, we were able to successfully deploy a few test APs to our test controller without having to use console access. Very excited to have this finally working in our environment.

The link provided above was a good starting point

it has been so long ago blue cat renamed the product name by now :)

anyway nice to see it is solved for you and thanks for replying.

You must send options back to the AP.  We had to send DHCP Client Options:

15 - domain name   xxxx.xxxx.xxx

3 - gateway of the network you are configuring

43 - in HEX letters, the IP address of your aruba controller.  Like ac:11:ff:a6 for 172.17.255.166

60 - in STRING format, the name ArubaAP spelled just like that

You can configure the first 3 by going into your network definition.  Click on the Deployment Options tab, goto New and add options 15, 3, and 43.  Option 43 muse be HEX separated by colons - like ac:11:ff:a6 for 172.17.255.166

To define option 60 and have it appear in the drop down menu the same as options 15, 3, and 43, you must follow these instructions:  ( NOTE: this is configured in a more global, higher level than your network definition.  A tab named 'DHCP Settings' will appear and that is how you begin to configure this option 60 STRING value of ArubaAP to be sent back to the AP.)

Adding DHCP Custom Options - option 60 ArubaAP
Use DHCP custom options when you have software or applications that require a nonstandard DHCP option.

A small number of custom options including option 150 (TFTP server), 176 (IP Telephones), and 252 (WPAD) are available in the Address Manager user interface as DHCP client options. Options that are not included can be added as DHCP custom options.

DHCP custom options are created from a configuration’s DHCP Settings tab. After creating a custom option, it is available as a DHCP client option.

To add a DHCP custom option:

Select the My IPAM tab. From the configuration drop-down menu, select a configuration.
Select the IP Space tab. Tabs remember the page you last worked on, so select the IP Space tab again to ensure you are working with the Configuration information page.
Click the DHCP Settings tab.
Under DHCP Custom Option Definition, click New. The Add DHCP Custom Deployment Option page opens.
Under General, define the custom option:
Option Code—select the DHCP option code number.
Name—type a descriptive name for the custom option.
Type—select a type from the drop-down list:
IPv4 Address
Text
Unsigned Integer 8bit
Signed Integer 8bit
Unsigned Integer 16bit
Signed Integer 16bit
Unsigned Integer 32bit
Signed Integer 32bit
Unsigned Integer 64bit (Windows)
Boolean
IPv4 mask
String
Binary (Windows)
Encapsulated (Windows)
Allow Multiple—this check box is available for all option types except String, Binary, and Encapsulated. This check box is available for the Text option type but is only deployable for Windows servers.