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Airwave integration mobility-manager vs mgmt-server?

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  • 1.  Airwave integration mobility-manager vs mgmt-server?

    Posted Nov 07, 2023 01:27 PM

    We principally use Airwave for MONITORING ONLY, but take advantage of it's ability to create & synchronize Guest Users, as well as the occasional User DeAuth.  I've stood up a new AMP 8.3.0.1 server and have started moving away from our older AMP 8.2.10.1 server. 

    What are the best practice regarding configuring WLAN Controllers (in AOS 6.5.x & AOS 8.x) to work with Airwave?  

    Besides the cmd input, what is the difference between configuring Airwave as a mobility-manager vs. mgmt-server?  

    mobility-manager = Use the command to allow a managed device to communicate with a mobility manager server (MMS).

    mgmt-server = Register a management server with the Mobility Conductor by specifying the IP address of an AirWave management server or ALE that should receive messages from the Mobility Conductor using the AMON protocol.

    The CLI documentation seems to imply that a mgmt-server should be configured on the Mobility Conductor, whereas mobility-manager should be configured on "managed devices".  Is that right, or does one simply configure either, or both, on all WLAN controllers regardless if they are a Mobility Conductor or Managed Device / Member Controller?  

    Are there any downsides in configuring Airwave as BOTH a mobility-manager AND mgmt-server? 

    Are there any downsides in configuring MULTIPLE Airwave servers in each config stanza? 

    Should a dedicated Airwave Failover server also be added to the controller configuration?

    Thanks, 

    --Raf

      



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    Rafael Hinojosa
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  • 2.  RE: Airwave integration mobility-manager vs mgmt-server?

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Nov 07, 2023 09:54 PM

    'mobility-manager' is a legacy configuration and was used to offload the WMS database to AirWave, useful when running AOS 6 and synchronizing the WMS information across multiple controllers was a challenge.  The WMS offload is handled by the Mobility Conductor at this point.

    'mgmt-server' configures the MCR and/or Mobility Controller (MC) to integrate with AirWave, sending relevant data to AirWave and allowing for more useful monitoring of the environment.

    https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/CLI-Bank/Content/aos8/mgmt-server.htm

    Multiple AirWave servers per device is not possible.  Failover is a function of AirWave and not the AOS device.



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    Carson Hulcher, ACEX#110
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  • 3.  RE: Airwave integration mobility-manager vs mgmt-server?

    Posted Nov 09, 2023 12:25 PM

    Thanks Carson, 

    Ok, so I understand that 'mobility-manager' is a legacy configuration...  Any plans on removing it from AOS 8.x anytime soon - since it's considered... legacy? 

    Does implementing a 'mobility-manager' config on the Mobility Conductor still offload WMS or does AOS 8.x ignore that configuration?  Isn't "Offload WMS Database" an option that's enabled in an Airwave > Group > Basic config?  If enabled & 'mobility-manager' is configured on the Mobility Conductor does it do anything at all?

    Is it recommend to simply remove any mobility-manager configurations and use mgmt-server only?    

    Regarding your response about "Multiple AirWave servers per device is not possible." ...  Well, it is clearly possible to define more than one Airwave server as a mgmt-server entry and mobility-manager... 

    I have TWO AirWave Servers defined as 'mgmt-servers' in BOTH my AOS 6.5.x & AOS 8.x configs.  However, if the controller sends data to both remains to be validated.  Are you saying that if you define more than one Airwave server as a mgmt-server entry, one of them gets ignored?  Is there any way to tell which one?  Or does one have to visit both Airwave Server to view which one's Clients & AP Counts (monitored data) are off - as if that isn't a normal issue. 

    Furthermore, in my AOS 6.5.x environment, I also have TWO Airwave Servers defined as 'mobility-managers'... Perhaps you mean to say that multiple Airwave servers isn't possible when defined as 'mobility-managers'?  I only assume that because when I have TWO defined Airwave IPs as mobility-mangers, one of them is clearly marked as ACTIVE.   

    This leads me to your second response, "Failover is a function of AirWave and not the AOS device."  & my follow up question... So, if an Airwave Failover condition were to be triggered, I'm assuming that as part of the recovery / failover process, the IP (of what was the primary) would be restored onto the Failover Server - is that correct? 

    If true, then no additional updates / changes to mgmt-server configs are needed since the Failover Airwave server would restore & reboot with the IP of the primary Airwave server.  In specific cases where network connectivity between the 2 Airwave servers was impacted & triggered a recover / failover process (but the primary wasn't technically down), there may be an instance of a duplicate IP Address Conflict.  

    If the IP Address of the primary Airwave server is NOT migrated as part of the recovery / failover process, then in addition to the loss of data during the restore, we would also be missing data from controllers, until the mgmt-server configs are updated – or, we could simply add the failover Airwave server IP as an additional mgmt-server.  I understand that this would only apply IFF the IP Address of the primary is not restored by the recovery / failover process.  

    Thanks again for replying.


    --Raf



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    Rafael Hinojosa
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  • 4.  RE: Airwave integration mobility-manager vs mgmt-server?

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Nov 09, 2023 05:27 PM

    No reason to remove the command, but with AOS 8 there should be no reason to use the command either. The better option for AOS 8 is to install a Mobility Conductor (MCR).

    The MCR should not offload the WMS to AirWave.  WMS under MCR management is either managed by the MCR or left local to the controller.

    If you want to get into the specifics of AirWave behaviors, I suggest you ask the questions in the Network Management discussion group.



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    Carson Hulcher, ACEX#110
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