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AP505 - Factory reset

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  • 1.  AP505 - Factory reset

    Posted Sep 08, 2023 02:30 PM

    Dear Experts, 

    I have 505 AP for my lab. I was trying to showcase the controller discovery process through DHCP in one of our PoC (setting it up in my home lab first) for which i factory reset the AP using the reset button. When it boots during dhcp process, its showing ArubaInstantAP in option 60 in my wireshark capture and also its not connecting to controller obviously. AFAIK, when we factory reset 5xx series AP they default to first finding the controller, once all methods are exhausted only then they turn into Instant. 

    Can someone advise why AP is booting up as instant after factory reset?



  • 2.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Sep 08, 2023 07:57 PM

    check this unified AP discovery process

    documented here



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    If my post was useful accept solution and/or give kudos.
    Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of HPE or Aruba.
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  • 3.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    Posted Sep 09, 2023 09:10 AM

    So in my case its factory default so why its not discovering the controller?




  • 4.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset
    Best Answer

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Sep 09, 2023 10:45 PM

    What discovery method are you using to direct the AP to convert to CAP operation?  UAP images based on AOS 8 will send the ArubaInstantAP attribute in option 60.  Note that even with a correct discovery and direction to controller operation, the AP will first boot to an IAP operation to complete the conversion to CAP.



    ------------------------------
    Carson Hulcher, ACEX#110
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  • 5.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    Posted Sep 10, 2023 07:50 AM

    Dear Carson, 

    I am using DHCP option 43 (tried with ascii and ip-address both, checked wireshark and can see both options in dhcp offer message) and option 60:ArubaAP. 

    But as far as i know, UAP or 5xx series first try to discover the controller, if they fail all the methods, then they convert into IAP. According to what you said, if they convert into IAP, then there is no way to discover the controller anyway since they will either join the instant cluster or become the master AP. So logically also, controller discovery should happen first.




  • 6.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Sep 10, 2023 09:48 AM

    The UAP will send ArubaInstantAP in option 60 but the DHCP server needs to return ArubaAP to instruct the AP to convert.

    What DHCP server are you using?

    You will not be successful with the controller discovery if there is an existing IAP Cluster on the same VLAN as the new AP.

    Like I said, the UAP will boot into IAP mode  to perform the conversion.  This is a part of the process, assuming that there isn't another IAP swarm on the VLAN.  If you see a swarm being formed from all new/defaulted APs that have been instructed to convert, this is also normal.  The conversion process will take a few minutes as the AP does the first boot, downloads the image from the controller, then reboots after upgrading the local image.



    ------------------------------
    Carson Hulcher, ACEX#110
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  • 7.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    Posted Sep 10, 2023 10:02 AM
    Dear Carlson, 
     
    You are ACEX so cant doubt your knowledge but can you provide any document that mentions that UAP first convert into IAP and then do controller discovery?
     
    Secondly Option 60 is used by client devices to notify Dhcp server, this information is used by DHCP server to send back option 43. I confirmed this information from other sources also. 



  • 8.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Sep 10, 2023 10:16 AM

    There isn't a document that I know of but you can watch the AP do the whole thing, just connect a console cable.

    Option 60 is used both ways, and the DHCP server can return a different option 60 based on policy.  Policy is written based on what the client sends in option 60, and then the server returns the appropriate option 60 value.  When you configure option 60 at the scope level, rather than through a policy, that value should always be returned.

    But, for assurances sake when running ISC DHCP I use:

    subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
        pool {
            range 192.168.1.101 192.168.1.239;
            }
        switch (option vendor-class-identifier) {
            # Aruba - Normal Campus AP
            case  "ArubaAP":
                option vendor-class-identifier "ArubaAP";
                option masterip 192.168.1.1;
                break;
            # Aruba - Unified AP
            case "ArubaInstantAP":
                option vendor-class-identifier "ArubaAP";
                option masterip 192.168.1.1;
                break;

    And when running Windows DHCP I configure the policy similar to what Florian describes on his blog: https://www.flomain.de/2019/05/dhcp-vendor-class-identifier-dhcp-option-60/.



    ------------------------------
    Carson Hulcher, ACEX#110
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    Posted Sep 10, 2023 10:32 AM

    Dear Carson, 

    As per the blog entry on mentioned aruba link, below is the process which clearly mentions controller discovery first then instant. But let me also check if i can return arubaAP if AP returns ArubaInstantAP. By any chance do you know how to do it via HPE VSR router, currently i am using it in my lab instead of using windows or linux based dhcp.

    link: https://blogs.arubanetworks.com/solutions/aruba-unified-access-points-simplify-the-purchase-process/

    1. AP boots up with manufacturing image installed at the factory
    2. AP obtains an IP address from a DHCP server on the LAN
    3. AP reaches out to Activate. If there is a newer image available, upgrade and start the process over.
      • Does an AirWave rule exist?
      • Does a Central rule exist?
      • Does a controller rule exist?
    4. AP starts AirWave discovery
    5. AP starts Controller discovery
      • Is a static Controller IP assigned?
      • Does DHCP option 43 return a Conductor IP address?
      • Aruba Discovery Protocol (ADP)
        • UDP discovery frames (broadcast and multicast)
      • DNS based discovery
    6. AP starts Instant Virtual Controller discovery
    7. Broadcast a provisioning SSID for manual image/provisioning of UAP




  • 10.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Sep 10, 2023 10:41 AM

    Assuming there isn't a VC on the L2 network (which there shouldn't be), the discovery of a local VC shouldn't be a worry.  But if discovery is broken, a VC will go operational with the AP in IAP mode.

    No idea on the HPE router, never touched one of them.



    ------------------------------
    Carson Hulcher, ACEX#110
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  • 11.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    Posted Sep 10, 2023 11:27 AM
    In my case this is the only ap. Secondly i am sending option 60 with ArubaAP anyway but still ap is converting into iap and starts broadcasting setmeup ssid





  • 12.  RE: AP505 - Factory reset

    Posted Sep 10, 2023 03:04 PM

    Sir let me bow to you !!!

    Ofcourse what you said was correct. I simply waited after it converted into IAP, and then it discovered the controller. Strange as the process is different then what is documented but it worked. First IAP and then Controller discovery. Strange lol

    Thanks again Sir