Wireless Access

Hi guys,

I am new in Instant technology. I have to implement a cluster of 15 IAPs in customer site. I am testing in a demo lab, where I have a cluster of 2 IAPs. The master IAP has IP 192.168.1.95 and I realized the VC IP is 0.0.0.0.

What's that mean? Do I have to configure an IP for the VC? If the master IAP has the role of VC, the VC IP is not the same as the master IAP IP? What are the advantages? I should know this before installing the IAPs at customer site, which will be in a couple of days. Many thanks in advance.

Regards,

Julián

Yes, you do need to configure a Virtual Controller IP to use a single IP for management. The "Master AP" is simply the AP in the cluster which has elected itself to "hold" the Virtual Controllers IP address. If the current master AP is disconnected or powered down, another AP will elect its self as the master AP and the Virtual Controller IP will move to the latest elected master AP.

Hi zailon0,

Thanks for your fast reply. But what are the advantages? Because in my lab the VC IP  is 0.0.0.0, so I think the VC has no IP address, but the cluster is working properly. And if the master IAP goes down, another IAP will be elected as the master and hold the VC with no IP address and will work properly as well.

Regards,

Julián

It gives you a single IP address for management of the IAP cluster. For example, if you have 200 AP's and are using a RADIUS server, do you want to add each of the 200 AP's as a network devices or just the single IP address of the virtual controller? Or if you have an account used by receptionist to create guest accounts, are you going to ask them to logon to each AP to work out the master AP, then log in to the master AP and create a guest account? Just give them the Virtual Controller IP and they will always logon to the elected AP.

In short it provides a single IP address for management functions :)

Hi zailon0,

Imagine I configure IP 192.168.1.100 for the VC and the master IAP goes down, a new master IAP will be elected and will hold the new VC, this new VC will maintain IP 192.168.1.100?

On the other hand, I have tried to log in to a slave IAP in my cluster by https, 192.168.1.139 in my case, and the browser is redirected to the master IAP, 192.168.1.95. When you said before "to logon to each AP", did you mean by https?

Regards,

Julián 

Correct, the Virtual Controller IP will move between AP's in the event of a failure. 

Yes, that was an example. Imagine if .95 goes down, this will re-direct to the next elected IAP and so on. Say for example you have a DNS record to make it easier to https to the master to create a guest account. The DNS record is pointing to .95 and .95 goes down. You would need to change your DNS record everytime a different AP is elected as master.

You could just use a Virtual Controller and point the DNS record at this.It is easier and simplier to have a single IP address (Virtual Controller) for management. 

Now it is clear :)

What about the other question?

On the other hand, I have tried to log in to a slave IAP in my cluster by https, 192.168.1.139 in my case, and the browser is redirected to the master IAP, 192.168.1.95. When you said before "to logon to each AP", did you mean by https? Because in my case is always redirected to the master IAP.

Regards,

Julián

Or via SSH :) There will be no re-direct there unless you use the Virtual Controllers IP address.

Hi zailon0,

I have just tested the SSH option and re-direction with VC IP and you are right. Then I will configure VC IP in a couple of days when I implement the cluster in customer site. Thanks very much!

Regards,

Julián

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@fjulianom@hotmail.com wrote:

Hi zailon0,

 

I have just tested the SSH option and re-direction with VC IP and you are right. Then I will configure VC IP in a couple of days when I implement the cluster in customer site. Thanks very much!

 

Regards,

Julián

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Also, you are configuring all of the access points with static ip addresses which is a big pain.  The real strategy is to allow all access points to have DHCP, but configure a VC IP that can always be reached, so that you can always manage your cluster as long as they always are on the same subnet.  This could simplify deployment in the long run as MOST people, even in large deployments do not use static ip addresses...

Many thanks Colin!

Best regards,

Julián

Friends,

I know this is not the forum, however, I need help setting up snmp in the IAP / Virtual Controller, and then monitoring this IAP in some management * Nagius, Cacti, ZABBIX ....), do you have experience to help me?

Or:
How do I query an IAP 103 managed by Aruba Central (virtual WLC - in the cloud) by ZABBIX? Even with SNMP enabled in the settings, I try to call the snmpwalk through zabbix: snmpwalk -v 2c -c hp-aruba <community name> <AP IP addr> and I have no answers, does anyone know how to consult?
Our WLC is managed in the cloud, how do I configure the IP address?