Wireless Access

My customer has 8 x sites and each site at present is configured with a Master/Standby controller.

One site has been nominated to be a licensing server site to service all sites and 7 x sites are pointing to this site/controller for licensing.

Am I correct in assuming this won't work as all licenses in theory should be installed on a Master controler with centralised licensing enabled and all other 7 x sites should be local controllers and not master/standby to be part of the "same cluster"

Each site/controller has their own licenses installed on the master with the same number of licenses installed on each standby controller.

The customer "sees" that he has "ENOUGH" available licenses from his License Server table i.e. 279 aggregated licenses, 207 used licenses leaving 72 x "remaining" licenses.

In summary there are 105 x licenses installed across the masters and 102 x across the standby and my guess is the license server table "reports" this information accordingly when in fact the licenses aren't really available based on the current configuration.

Any help advice is appreciated to confirm my suspicions.

Please see "supported topologies" here:  https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_64x_WebHelp/Web_Help_Index.htm#ArubaFrameStyles/New_Licenses/Multi__Network.htm?Highlight=centralized%20licensing

If I understand what you are explaining, the answer is probably no.

You were confirming my suspicions until I read the following line which has now confused me all over: "or in a multi-master network where all the masters can communicate with each other (for example, if they are all connected to a single AirWave server)"

It is my understanding that all 8 x sites can in fact communicate i.e. I can ping the licensing server from any of the other 7 x master controllers and all controllers are visible via Airwave.

Given this is probably not best practice but I am trying to understand the logic here and see how best to change the configuration as customer is struggling at one site to bring up an AP and my response was it requires an additional AP/PEFNG license as there simply isn't enough licenses available on the site's controller and/or licensing server.

Correction.  If the customer is using 6.5.x and above, the chart here applies:  https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_6_5_4_X_Web_Help/Web_Help_Index.htm#ArubaFrameStyles/New_Licenses/Multi__Network.htm?Highlight=centralized%20licensing (I sent the 6.4.3.x supported topologies chart).

It seems like it should be supported.  The customer should open a TAC case if things are not working properly.

Hi Colin,

Just in summary and to check I understand this correctly.

All the licenses need to be installed on the licensing server regardless of setup. This will allow other master controllers to retrieve licensing info from the licensing server but if the client installed licenses for example on a controller that is NOT the licensing server, this will not/can not be shared/seen by other controllers since they are only pointed to the licensing server?

If my understanding is correct then I will open a TAC case and see if we can have the licenses moved from these master controllers to the licensing controller so ALL controllers have visibility/comms to licensing server.

Licenses installed on licensing clients should be available to all.

The link here: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_6_5_4_X_Web_Help/Web_Help_Index.htm#ArubaFrameStyles/New_Licenses/Monitoring_CL.htm%3FTocPath%3DArubaOS%2520User%2520Guide%2520Topics%7CLicenses%7C_____7 allows you to interpret what you are seeing in terms of licenses.  The Aggregate Licensing table should give you an idea of how many licenses are "sent" from licensing clients.