Controllerless Networks

Hi there,

 

I am looking for some help regarding a design document and how Aruba Central will work. I am quite new with Wireless and need all the help I can get. I have been tasked with a wifi solution for 30 stores Nationwide and Aruba cloud solution has been accepted. So, can someone here please tell me what is needed from start to finish;

Eg, Can they all (instant APs) be configured on the cloud and provisioned then just rolled out to each site? What is needed on each site for AP to have access to internet etc. 

 

I have been tasked to provide a high level design document and need all the help I can get.

 

Kind regards

 

I fully encourage you to watch the youtube channel Central Content here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL37Y-XxK6oanTV3821XpKHFVo3hGPW-56 to get you started..

Many thanks for your reply. I will endevour to look through those videos so thanks for that. My main concern is how they will get access to the internet to authenticate to Cloud Central. Is it just you first provision them on Cloud central, then roll them out on a customer site, connect it to a open port an then that is fine?

 

Kind regards

Patrick

First you will need to assign a device management subscription key to the IAP (So you can manage the device via Central) , you can add the IAP manually by using the IAP Cloud Activation Key/ Mac Address or you can sync your central account with Aruba Activate(Aruba Cloud Inventory/Provisioning) to pull all devices that the company has purchased .

By default if the IAP will use HTTPs to reach the Aruba central cloud site:
app2.central.arubanetworks.com

Then you start configuring the IAP once it builds a connection with Aruba central

Hi,

 

The following points should help :

 

1. Subscription key should be added on your Central Account.

2. Adding devices to Central:

 

Adding Devices to Central After you successfully log in to Central, a welcome message is displayed in the Central UI.

a)To bind devices to your subscription, click Manage Your Devices. The Device Provisioning page is displayed. To view the subscription key details before binding devices, click Subscription Keys under Global Settings > Devices & Subscriptions.

b) Central supports zero touch provisioning of the devices. It automatically retrieves the devices associated with your subscription and Central subscription. To synchronize the devices from the inventory, click Sync Now.

c) If the retrieval of devices is not complete or successful due to process errors, you can manually add the devices.

d) Central allows you to import devices using your Aruba Activate user credentials, the MAC address and cloud activation key of a device, or the MAC address and Serial Number of a device. You can specify the method for importing devices when adding a device. For users with the evaluation subscription, the devices are not automatically synchronized. Therefore, the users must manually add the devices

 

3. IAP side:

 

a) Make sure the clock on IAP is correct.

b) They are assigned a DNS server which will help in resolving the different URl's which the IAP tries to communicate with.

 

I have attached the Central UG which clearly outlines the steps needed for adding IAP's on Central.

In addition to all the useful info provided above, i would say from a workflow perspective.

1. register into central

2. put in the license key that you have bought

3. This will kick in ZTP, and central should automatically learn about all devices you have bought.

4. If the above does not work, you  have other options to add devices. e.g. activate creds, manual addition of device mac.

5. You create groups, which are containers of configurations for switch & IAP. You do not need to have a separate group for each site. You can have multiple sites with in a group. The general rule of thumb is unless, you need a different configuration, stick to keeping the devices in same group.

6. Once groups are created, you can pre provision devices to the groups.

7. Assign license to the devices.

8. Plug devices in, they will come up in respective groups and learn their configurations.

 

Thanks.