Wireless Access

Hi all,

I'm completely new to Aruba Networks and controller based wifi. I hope you can help me to deploy a little setup for a Office.

What's on my desk:

2x Aruba 7010 Controller
9x APs

I would like to use the controllers in a high redundancy cluster but I'm not sure which Deployment Mode to choose. Also I'm not sure which OS Version I can use.

I would like to install the Controllers in our Datacenter an the APs can connect via a VLAN. The local Internet breakout is also in the Datacenter.

Can you help me with this? 

Where can I find some beginner friendly informations / tutorials.

Best Regards,

Manuel

What model number(s) are your APs? That will help identify the firmware versions that you can use, and potentially also the deployment models available to you.

Hi,

the APs are IAP-315 (RW).

Thanks in advance :-)

The AP-315s support AOS 6.5.0.0 as well as 8.2 and 8.3, so you have flexibility in that regard.

AOS 8 provides the most value when running with a Mobility Manager (MM). The Mobility Manager can be either a hardware or virtual appliance, and there are HA options for the MM as well, but since you did not mention that component, is it correct that you only have the two 7010 controllers and the APs?

Without the MM, AOS 6.5.4.x is likely your best scenario. You can run the two controllers as either master/local, or as redundant masters. The primary difference will be whether you want active/standby failover with a single IP address shared by both controllers (redundant masters), or would rather do active/active redundancy with APs split across both controllers at once.

Are all 9 AP-315s being deployed at the same site, or are there multiple locations all connected back to the single central data center?

Dear Charlie,

yes we only have the 2x 7010 Controller and the IAPs 315 without the Mobilty Manager.

The APs are in multiple location, but all location have connection to the datacenter and for all location there is also the Internet Breakout.

Does this mean we can use the AOS8 only with Mobility Manager?

Best Regards,

Manuel

Yes, you can use ArubaOS8 without a Mobility Master. You just don't get all the options.

How fast (bandwidth & latency) is the link between the sites?

Per default Aruba tunnels all user traffic back to the controller, so if your controller resides in a central site, all APs will tunnel user trafic back to that site. It is possible to change this behaviour if needed though.

If you do not have any experience with the product I would start your journey on youtube. Configure This NOW! has some video's going over the basics.

The Dutch Aruba guys also maintain a channel butI believe they 'only' explain an 8.2 setup with Mobility Master (ArubaOS 8.2 Series. Probably still worth your time though. Keep in mind Mobility Master deployements will be the way of the future.

EDIT: the VRD's are also very helpfull in getting a grasp on things: Campus Wireless Networks (6.x)

Or, .. even better but not free... follow an official course: Aruba Training.

Dear koen,

thank you for the links, I think the configuration is clear now. But I also have some questions about the licensing.

For now I've got a "Aruba Cntrlr Per AP Ent Lic Bundle E-LTU" and ClearPass License, if I want to use centraliced licensing I only need to put all those licenses in my master controler (master redundancy) and everything is fine?

Thanks in advance

Manuel

Yep, that is correct.

Apply those* licenses on either controller, activate centralized licenses and you're good to go no matter where the APs terminate.

* there are exceptions like the PEFV license which is a single license that would apply to a specific controller, but such licenses are not in your enterprise license bundle.