Wireless Access

Hi, All,

    We have two campus, each campus have two 7030 controllers with master-local configuration. Two site are using the centralized licences. We are also running HA between master and local. Our question is can we make the masters to synchronize the configuration, the database of each other and backup each other?

What option do we have to fulfil the requiement?

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

regards,

Wilson

 

If you have controllers in a master/local configuration, they both have a copy of the global configuration that is synchronized every time you click on "save configuration" or type "write mem" on the master.  You do not have to configure HA or centralized licensing for that configuration to be synchronized; when you create a master/local that already happens automatically.  You have the option of turning on centralized licensing or configuring HA on top of that.

Thank you for answering. We understand that each campus will have their configuration synchronized. But what if we want Campus A master to be back-up to Campus B Master and vice-versa?

 

What options do we have? Configure both masters in Cluster or do it in Master-Backup Master? To clear with the scenario:

 

Campus A: Master/Local controllers

 

Campus B: Master/Local controllers  

 

Two Campus have a 200M Metro Ethernet connection.

 

We want to achieve is APs on local controllers will have HA back to its own campus master and campus master can backup each other. If configure the campus in Master/Backup Master setting,  One of the local controllers will need to HA back to Master in other campus.

 

Are there any other better option?

 

How many sites?

How many access points on each controller?

What is the bandwidth between each site?

 

There are some scenarios where too much redundancy does not make sense.

We have two sites, each site will have around 30APs. All are controlled by local controller.

 

two sites have metro-Ethernet of 200M bandwidth.

 

 

Okay.  For that redundancy, in the AP-Group, there is an AP system profile.  In the AP system profile, there is a parameter called the LMS-IP and the Backup LMS-IP.  The LMS-IP should be the primary controller and the Backup LMS-IP would be the backup controller when access points cannot access the primary.

 

So the access points at the first site will have an AP group, that has an AP system profile that has the LMS-IP as the primary controller and the Backup LMS-IP as the backup controller.  The access points at the second site will have exactly the reverse.

 

Things to keep in mind:

 

Each WLAN determines what VLAN users will be put into, using the VLAN parameter in the Virtual AP profile:

 

A VLAN is a configuration that is local to each controller so that VLAN number must be defined on both controllers for your WLAN to come up.  In the example above, I need to make sure that a VLAN 1 is defined on both the primary and backup controllers for users to be able to pass traffic whether it is on the primary or backup.  If VLAN 1 only exists on the primary, when the access points fail over, it will not come up when it attaches to the backup controller.  If you configure Named VLANs, instead, and put that in the Virtual AP vlan profile, you can define the VLAN name as whatever VLAN you want on the primary and a completely different VLAN on the backup controller.

 

I hope it all makes sense...

 

Colin,

  Thank you for quick answer! Here is our current site setting

 

Site A:

Master A: 10.23.2.2, AP Group LMS: 10.23.2.3, backup LMS: 10.23.2.2

Local A: 10.23.2.3

 

Site B:

Master B: 10.23.3.4, AP Group LMS: 10.23.3.5, backup LMS: 10.23.3.4

Local B: 10.23.3.5

 

Currently, both site are independent and are working.

 

So our question is what is the best architecture to employ if we wish to have Master A backup the Master B and vice versa.

 

Will Master Cluster serve the purpose or we still need to emply master-backup master architecture?

 

Regards,

Wilson

.

 

 

 

Master/local is your only option if you want to terminate access points on both controllers at the same time.

If we employed Master/Local model, setting will become

 

Site A:

Master-Active: 10.23.2.2 VRR 10.23..2.6 APGroup A: LMS: 10.23.2.3, Backup LMS:10.23.2.6 APGroupB LMS 10.23.2.5 backup LMS:10.23.2.6

Local A - 10.23.2.3:

 

Site B:

Master-Standby: 10.23.2.4 VRR 10.23.2.6

Local B: 10.23.2.5

 

in this way, if APs lost contact to LocalB, it will need to contact Master-Active in SiteA. This will add traffic burden to the 200M inter-site metroE. Is there anyway that we can point backup LMS to SiteB Master instead?

 

 

I don't understand.  Do you have 2 or 4 controllers?

So, rereading your first post, you have two controllers at each site.  You can put a VRRP between each set of controllers and make the LMS-IP the single ip address of the VRRP.  So you can have master redundancy at each site and point the LMS-IP to the VRRP address, or you can have master/local where the master and local share the VRRP and you point the LMS-IP to that VRRP.  No backup LMS needed.  Only the active controller will service access points.

We have 4 7030 controllers. Each site has 2 controllers in Master/Local Mode respectively. And currently running independently.

 

We want to link the two site together, so the masters from each site can backup each other.

Back each other up in what capacity? You already have local redundancy at the site, so if one controller fails, the other on will be used.

Am I understanding your issue correctly?

Colin,

   You understand it perfectly.

   Actually, we want the both sites to be linked together, so that the captive portal user database can be synchronized.