Aruba Networks Version 3.3 manual Mobility Controller High Availability

The Master is responsible for processing wireless intrusion detection system events, presenting the event and the corresponding wireless vulnerability and exploit (WVE) identifier. The Master is also responsible for handling location services correlation algorithms that compute the position of clients as well as rogue APs using signal strength measurements from APs in the network. All heat maps and location events will be handled through the Master Controller’s web interface without needing an additional location appliance. This is the strategy depicted in the VRD model, and is the recommended model when two or more controllers exist in the same network.

	In a large Campus WLAN with separate Management and Aggregation layers, Access Points and Air
	Monitors should never terminate on the Master Controller, they should only terminate on Local
N O T E	Controller.

N O T E

N O T E

If the Master becomes unreachable, the network will continue to operate as expected, but without the ability to perform operations such as configuration, heat map analysis or location services, until connection to the Master Controller is restored.

While the Master Controller is needed to perform configuration and reporting, it is not a single point

of failure in the network..

Local Controllers reside at the Aggregation layer of the Aruba Overlay Architecture. They handle AP termination, user authentication, and policy enforcement. When configuring any Local Controller, you will need to know the IP address of the Master as well as the Pre-Shared Key used to encrypt communication between the controllers. If the Master becomes unavailable and no standby Master has been configured, the wireless network will continue to operate, but some management functionality will be unavailable until the connection is re-established.

The control channel between all Mobility Controllers is protected by an IPSec connection. This applies to both a data plane contained within the Local Controller, and a distributed control plane with some components on the Local and some on the Master Controller.

The controllers have a pre-configured key at first boot; this key must be changed for secure

operation of the Master/Local cluster.

Mobility Controller High Availability

As Wi-Fi®networks move beyond conference rooms and become the primary network connection for users, the system must be robust enough to continue operation in the event of any network component failure. The Aruba system offers multiple configuration options to insure that the system operates in a highly available manner.

There are two different redundancies that must be considered: network management redundancy and network operations redundancy. Management redundancy is achieved by having redundant Master Controllers in the network at the Control layer; and operationally, by having two Local Controllers working together to share a load at the Aggregation layer, with each Local Controller acting as a backup for the other.

24 Mobility Controller and Access Point Deployment Campus Wireless Networks Validated Reference Design Version 3.3 Design Guide