Wireless Access

last person joined: yesterday 

Access network design for branch, remote, outdoor, and campus locations with HPE Aruba Networking access points and mobility controllers.
Back to discussions
Expand all | Collapse all

Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

This thread has been viewed 0 times

  • 1.  Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    Posted Mar 13, 2017 02:57 PM

    Hello,

    The pre-configuration setup in the user guide for centralized licensing in a multi-master deployment states:

     

    1. Ensure that the switches using this feature are associated with the same AirWave server.

     

    What is AirWave's involvment in this process?

     

    My envrionment contains a cluster of eight AirWave servers.  Can I only perform centralized licensing for the controllers assoicated with a single AirWave server, or can I setup a single master licensing server for any/all controllers associated within the AirWave cluster?

     

    What is the resource load of being a licensing server for say 200 controllers?  Should the licensing server(s) be dedicated to this function exclusively?

     

    Thank you,

    David Johnson



  • 2.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Mar 13, 2017 03:19 PM

    Can you link to or give specific rev/doc and page that states that? I would need the entire context. 

     

    As far as number of locals, As long as you are following the sizing guidelines in terms of numbers or APs and users are under the locals.



  • 3.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    Posted Mar 13, 2017 03:36 PM

    Hello,

     

    Please see section "Configuring Centralized Licensing in:

     

    Document: ArubaOS_6.4_UG.pdf (page 124)

     

     https://community.arubanetworks.com/aruba/attachments/aruba/aaa-nac-guest-access-byod/14158/2/ArubaOS_6.4_UG.pdf

     

    or

     

    http://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_64x_WebHelp/Web_Help_Index.htm#ArubaFrameStyles/New_Licenses/Multi__Network.htm%3FTocPath%3DLicences%7C_____3

     

    Exact text:

    Pre-configuration Setup in an All-Master Deployment

    Follow the steps described below to configure the centralized licensing feature in a network with all master controllers:

     1.Ensure that the controllers using this feature are associated with the same AirWave server.
     2.Identify a controller you want to designate as the primary licensing server. If that controller already has a redundant backup controller, that backup controller will automatically become the backup license server.
     3.(Optional) If your primary licensing server does not yet have a dedicated, redundant backup controller and you want to use a backup server with the centralized licensing feature, you must identify a second controller to use as the backup licensing server, and create a virtual router on the primary licensing server.
     4.(Optional) Establish secure IPsec tunnels between the primary licensing server controller and the licensing client controllers by enabling control plane security on that cluster of master controllers or by creating site-to-site VPN tunnels between the licensing server and client controllers. This step is not required, but if you do not create secure tunnels between the controllers, the controllers will exchange clear, unencrypted licensing information. This step is not required for a master-local topology.


  • 4.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Mar 13, 2017 03:57 PM

    I think that the same AIrwave server is required for only making sure that licensing reporting works, Airwave shouldn't be *required* to enable and support centralized licensing, but I will ask.

     

    As far as locals, then we can call them other masters, but the size of each controller, number of APs they are managing, etc matter. if your licensing master is a 7010 and all your other masters are 7240s with 2000 APs each, then that's not going to work. With 200 controllers underneath it, I think so long as your master licensing controller is a 7210 or larger and your total AP count is below 5k, you should be fine. If you're above, then let us know what your config is (what is the licensing master, how many other masters, what are all the other masters, and what is the total number of APs). 




  • 5.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    Posted Mar 15, 2017 02:21 PM

    Thanks, Jerrod.

     

    Did you get a confirmation regarding the AirWave requirement?

     

    The actual topology I was considering:

    3600 as dedicated master licensing server w/same for backup in VRRP arrangement (no APs attached)

    180 master controllers (135=3600, 18=3400, 16=7210, 11=3200, currently slowly phasing out 3600s for 7210s)

    14,800 total APs

     

    Will this work?

     

    Thank you,

    David Johnson 



  • 6.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Mar 17, 2017 09:08 AM

    Sorry for the delay, had to check with engineering. So long as that controller is serving as the license master only, you should be fine.



  • 7.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    Posted Mar 17, 2017 09:17 AM

    Thanks.  One additional question if I may:

     

    Can a license server with an older OS serve licenses to a controller with a newer OS?  For example, can a license server running 6.4.x serve licenses to a client running 6.5.x?

     

    Thanks again,

    David Johnson



  • 8.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Mar 17, 2017 10:53 AM

    Not recommended no.



  • 9.  RE: Centralized Licensing in Multi-Master Environment / AirWave

    Posted Mar 13, 2017 03:39 PM

    I do not understand your reply:

    As far as number of locals, As long as you are following the sizing guidelines in terms of numbers or APs and users are under the locals.

     

    There are no locals in this scenario.  This is a multi-master envrionment.  The licensing clients are not locals of the master license server.  My question is what is the load on a controller providing licensing for 200 masters?

     

    David Johnson