Wireless Access

Dear Experts, 

On page 17 of AOS 8 Fundamentals guide, below is the excerpt

"ArubaOS 8 also introduces the concept of Master Controller Mode (MCM) to enable a seamless transition ArubaOS 6 without requiring an x86-based appliance (HMM) or VMM. An MCM is capable of managing other MCs, however only a subset of MM features is available and APs cannot be terminated as they would be with an MM. Only the 7030 model or 72xx series controllers support MCM."

But APs cannot be terminated on MM right? so what this statement is implying?

Yep, that certainly needs rephrasing.

For your reference: Neither MCM nor MM can terminate APs. 

To re-emphasize and add to Koen's response. An ArubaOS 8 network can be managed in one of three ways.

Mobility Master (MM) managing one or more MCs

Mobility Controller Master (MCM) managing one or more MCs

Standalone

With an MM managed network, the MM "does not" communicate with any AP in any way, shape, or form.

With an MCM managed network, the MCM "does not" communicate with any AP in any way, shape, or form. This has confused people, because this is similar to ArubaOS 6 architecture where there was a Master controller and Local controllers. With ArubaOS 6, the Master could communicate with APs and even terminat them. That is not the case with ArubaOS 8. In an MCM configuration, the Master controller is purely a managment machine, in the same way that the MM is purely a managment machine. The function and architecture is different, but the MCM Master functions solely as a management machine.

With a Standalone, you have a single controller that is acting as the managment controller and terminating APs. Yes, you can have a VRRP backup to the Standalone controller, however since the backup architecture is Active/Standby, at any point in time you simply have a single controller functioning (the other is simply functioning as a brick, doing nothing but eating electricity, and getting updates from the Active, waiting for the active to fail so it can take over as the Active and someday shine in the spotlight).

I hope this helps,