Wireless Access

1. Obtain the Aruba InstantOS code version for the AP you want to convert
2. Copy the code over to a FTP or TFTP server, or to the flash of the MD that the AP is connected
3. Open the CLI to your controller (who uses a GUI anyway…) and enter the following commands:
   • (aruba9004-lab) #ap convert add ap-name <ap name>
   • (aruba9004-lab) #ap convert active specific-aps server tftp <server address A.B.C.D> <code filename>
4. Once you enter this, the AP(s) will begin the conversion process and prompt you with a warning:

• WARNING: This command will permanently write a country code on the selected APs if they currently don’t have one. Once the country code is written, it cannot be modified. Do you want to proceed with the operation? [y/n]:

Also important to note is that the above command has several permutations to allow you to convert a number of ways. You can even build a list of APs to convert ahead of time, making it easier later to come back and kick off the process.

 

The following are some of the differences in the command structure:

• specific-aps can be replaced with all-aps on the controller
• server can be replaced with activate (convert CAP from activate) or local-flash (convert CAP from MD local flash)
• tftp can be replaced with ftp, http, https, or scp to use different file transfer methods

In order to track the status of the conversion process, here are some useful commands:

• show ap convert-status

• show ap convert-status-summary

• show ap convert-status-list

 

Hope that this helps you out if you need some extra IAP but only have APs laying around.

 

-Scott

Hello Scott, 

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE,

I was always thinking that this is a hardware matter.

 

Anyway, this will be a great addition as I have a couple of CAPs at the office and I prefer to convert them IAP, some question here, 

 

- Is it possible to FTP an InstantOS6 and then convert a CAP with, 

- once the CAP is converted to IAP, the AP won't revert back if we do reset it from boot prompt ?

Yes, you can ftp a v6 code and have it convert the AP that way per a colleague of mine that did so. It should not revert back on a reset as far as I know.

Keep in mind this feature is really only intended for AP 3xx series that were not IAP already.

the note you shared is important "feature is really only intended for AP 3xx series that were not IAP already"

 

TO understand more, is there a hardware requirement to run InstantOS that 3xx series meet? 

 

I think we can convert a 210 CAP that can connect to a ArubaOS8.6 and then load the InstantOS from there? is that right? or 200 CAP series won't support InstantOS code?

Please note that this command has been designed to convert an AP for test and lab use only. Aruba does not recommend using this command to convert APs for production deployment. A CAP converted to IAP using this command will not be supported by Aruba as such an AP will not be recognized as an IAP by Support. Also, such a converted AP will not be recognized as an IAP by Central and will not be manageable by Aruba Central. AOS 8.6 User Guide is being updated to highlight the above points.

@prince.samar

the only thing I can see in AOS8.6 user guide is this note 

can you please point me which page number I have to check-in user guide? 

 

regards,

thanks. 

Updating this topic as it has been referenced a few times. Starting in March 2021, we enabled support for converted APs with Central. As a result we updated the documentation to state the following:

Starting from ArubaOS 8.6.0.0, you can convert a Campus AP or a Remote AP to an Instant AP that is managed by Aruba Central, by using a new command-ap convert. However, Aruba does not support this feature for Instant AP deployments that are managed through AirWave or local WebUI, and recommends using this command only in lab or test environments for such deployments.

https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_8.9.0_Web_Help/Content/arubaos-solutions/access-points/conv-ap-iap.htm

------------------------------
Madani Adjali
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: May 07, 2020 09:23 PM
From: Prince Samar
Subject: AP Convert command in 8.6

Please note that this command has been designed to convert an AP for test and lab use only. Aruba does not recommend using this command to convert APs for production deployment. A CAP converted to IAP using this command will not be supported by Aruba as such an AP will not be recognized as an IAP by Support. Also, such a converted AP will not be recognized as an IAP by Central and will not be manageable by Aruba Central. AOS 8.6 User Guide is being updated to highlight the above points.

After we converted AP to IAP, can we convert it back to AP ( in order to get the normal support & services) ?

 

Many thanks,

This is a one-way command. The APs will be permanently changed to remember the regulatory domain. 

 

We are in the process of making the updated documentation available.

Hello Prince

 

Wanted to know if the new document is available? 

 

Thank you!

Hi, 

 

Thank you very much for the guide. Today i converted AP-305 to IAP-305 and there is one little thing i want to point out. If you use below version of the command

 

ap convert active all-aps server tftp <server address A.B.C.D> <code filename>

 

and leave it like this, any new CAP that you will connect and provision, it will be turned to IAP !. I did this today and waiting for the CAP to come up and it seemed like ages. Then i restarted it and waited again, then it occurred to me that second AP was already converted. Also why i selected all-aps, initially i tried with specific-aps and tftp server which didnt work for some reason. My TFTP was 100% fine and working (because few mintues earlier, i converted my 7010 to 8.6 from 6.5). So i tried changing specific APs to All-aps and didnt change it after converting the first AP. So when i plugged in the second 305 and after provisioning it from controller, it never came back as CAP  

have you tried to convert AP-200 serie by chance ? 

The AP-200 series cannot run InstantOS beyond version 6.5, so trying to convert them to v8 or higher is not possible.

Great, where can I find the Aruba InstantOS code?

I want to convert 2 AP-305 to IAP-305, can I use the usb to make this work?

Dear Jodygr,

No you dont need instantos code. You need controller (physical or virtual,
i have done it on 7030 controller). From there you can follow the process
to convert it to IAP.

Kindly note that i read somewhere this is not for production use and wont
be officially supported by Aruba

Jodygr,
you need to have the instantOS software loaded in a TFTP server or in controller flash,
so first connect the Campus ap to a AOS8.6 controller, and run the conversion CLI.

a don't think a USB method is available as of now,
but the current one is 100% valid, i converted successfully converted the 2x0 and 3x0 series weeks ago.

Thanks for the answer,

I got some Unified AP-303 working with the virtual controller only I can't get the AP-305 connect to it.

Can I get the AP-305 connect to the AP-303 in some of way and then convert is or do I need an IAP-305 first?

Hi,

You need to convert it to IAP first. There is no way AP can connect to IAP
cluster

ok I understand,

 

The only problem is that I don't have a controller or the software I purchased the wrong AP's normally I use the IAP's and I can't get them back to the supplier because the boxes are gone.

is there a way to get them connect by bluetooth ? using the app, what is the purpose of the usb connection?

Hi,

You can always get the demo version of VMC. You can try it out

For the app, its for InstantOn only product line.

USB is mainly for 4G uplinks i think

I request the VMC software but it take a while I guess.

what code do I need to convert a AP-305 to a IAP-305??

you will need the  ArubaInstant_Ursa 

for the code version you can go with 8.6 

ArubaInstant_Ursa_8.6.0.6_77124

jodygr, 

unfortunately, there is the only way to do conversion follow the below link, 

https://blog.theitrebel.com/2020/04/28/two-simple-words/

 

Looks you bought and shipped the wrong APs model, and I really understand this case, 

PM me directly in case you need any help with MC setup and APs conversion.