Security

Hi,

 

We are investigating Aruba solutions(with around 200 APs, 7210 series controller, and IBM-brand ClearPass/AirWave servers ), assumes that we may have 5000 concurrent users and we will use portal(with sms self-service registration at the first time, later on with "quick login" button at the portal for better user experience ), could you kindly instruct the licenses we need to procure? Thanks a lot!

 

It's much appreciated if you could reply to my email address billsen.xu@cn.smprime.com! have a nice day :-)

 

Best Regards,

Billsen

#7210

Hello

Well forget about the concumment devices...

You should understand how clearpass licensing works...

 

IF you are just interest in Clearpass for Guest and nothing else( i mean no onboard, no onguard)

 

Then ill explian you how it works the licensing for the policy manager and for the Guest module(you need both licensing in order this to work)

 

Clearpass GUEST Licensing is per day which mean that if you buy a 100 licenses that means you can have 100 different guest connecting to your clearpass without any issue per day.

 

Now  lets go to policy manager

You can buy a CP policy manager of 500,  5000 and 25000

 

The policy manager license is calculated every 7 days

Which means that in the 7 days if you have a clearpass 5000 you can connect 5000 unique mac addresses to the clearpass during those 7 days.

I say mac addreses because if i come with a laptop and i connect throught he wired, thats a unique mac addrese so it will count as a policy manager licesne.  If i come with the same laptop but i connect through wireless it will count as ANOTHER license as thats another mac address!

 

Okay lets put toguther a example

 

If i got 200 different clients  coming to my shopt every day  this means that i would need 1400 policy manager license(200x7=1400)

 

Another example

If i got the same 200 clients(mac addreses) coming everyday then at the end of the week or of the 7 days i would just need 200... becasue they are the same mac addreses they are not different.

 

Now be carefull if you exceed license you will see an alert ont he console.

Now how do you exceed license in clearpass?

Well

For policy manager:  30 day average of 7 day total Greater than total count

For Guest: 30 day avergay of per day total Greater than total count.

 

So with this understanding you can then calculate what  clearpass you need!

Like i said its not as simple as knowing how manay concurrent devices are connecting it... you need to undrstand how licesnsing work so you can then order the correct licenses ammount

 

Cheers

Carlos

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Carlos, Thanks for your prompt response! Could you explain further of "For policy manager: 30 day average of 7 day total Greater than total count; For Guest: 30 day avergay of per day total Greater than total count."? Have a nice day! Best Regards, Billsen

https://afp.arubanetworks.com/afp/images/f/ff/ClearPass-6-0-Licensing-Tech-Note-72413.pdf

It needs an account to enter, could you kindly send the document to me(billsen.xu@cn.smprime.com)? Thanks Troy!

As far as i understand  it means that the clearpass see if you didnt pass your licenses for example a CP 500 which is 500 policy manager licenses.

one month got 4 weeks

Let see what happens in the first week

week 1  = 400 devices connected

week 2  = 550 devices connectd = it exceeded teh total

wekk 3= 200 devfices connected

week 4 = 300 devices connected

 

It does the average of that, and he take that number, if the average number that result its higher than 500 then it will send you a alert on the clearpass console.

If you got this alert 4 months out of 6 months then you will be locked out of the GUI of clearpass...  Your client will be able to still athenticate but you wont be able to do any other config until you fix this licensing issue.

 

Cheers

Carlos

 

 

Thanks Carlos! Could you also share the official licensing guide documents with me? billsen.xu@cn.smprime.com 

Not really, that document is confidential for partners and Aruba employees.

If Troy its okay with it, ill share it to you.

 

Cheers

Carlos