So, now we have our AP connected and we also have our global configurations in
place.
So the question is what's next?
What do we have to do to get our wireless networks online because my access
point sitting
right here still isn't broadcasting any SSID's?
Well, this configuration that Cisco has put together for us on the 9800s via
iOSXE is
a little bit of a system that we have to study and understand how it all comes
together.
There's a lot of modular components that bring the configuration together in a WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
There's a lot of modular components that bring the configuration together in a
way that we
didn't have with the old iOS system.
And so we do need to document this out and diagram this because, again, there's
a lot
of modular components.
And if we have a good map that we can have as a reference, then we can very
easily get
into the configuration and start making changes because we might think, hey, I
just want to
create a WLAN, which is how Cisco is always defined as SSID's, and apply it to
a bunch
of access points.
And that sounds great.
It certainly would get us started on getting wireless networks advertised and WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
It certainly would get us started on getting wireless networks advertised and
broadcast
from our APs, but it's not going to be quite that simple.
But what we'll find just for consistency's sake is that what Cisco is really
focusing
in on is the AP configuration.
What we want to do is we want to bring in a bunch of information that lands on
the access
point and gives us the wireless network that we're looking for.
But in order to do that, rather than going around and individually configuring WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
But in order to do that, rather than going around and individually configuring
access
points or trying to manage groups of access points and apply policies here and
there,
instead, we're going to have this modular policy that scales a whole lot better
to enterprise
level networks.
So this AP configuration's at the heart of our new architecture that we're
building
out here.
But again, we're not just going to get onto APs and start configuring things.
Instead, we're going to find that there are three primary constructs that we're
going
to configure in order to bring the config together. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
to configure in order to bring the config together.
And these are known as tags.
So there's three different tags that are going to feed into our AP
configurations.
And those three tags are known as a site tag, an RF tag, and a policy tag.
So if we have any takeaway from this, it's to know that there's these three
tags.
And when we create these three tags and apply them to our access points, that WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
And when we create these three tags and apply them to our access points, that
it really
brings all of the configuration together.
And from there, it's just a matter of knowing which tag is responsible for
which configuration.
Let's start over here with the policy tag.
Policy tags are going to be where we apply our wireless lands or our W lands.
Once again, the W lands are how we configure our SSIDs and get those mapped
into the wireless
space.
So remember, an SSID is that network name.
When I go to a place of a place of work or a cafe or something, I want to log WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
When I go to a place of a place of work or a cafe or something, I want to log
in.
I see a wireless network.
That's an SSID that's being broadcast.
Cisco created the concept of the W land to include SSIDs plus all of the
configurations
that get associated with our SSIDs.
This is going to include security.
And so more or less, what we're saying here is it's not just a matter of
creating a network
name because even though that's important, if I could show up at CBT now gets WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
name because even though that's important, if I could show up at CBT now gets
headquarters,
maybe we have a wireless network that's called CBTN and we know what we're
associating ourselves
with.
So the name is important, but more importantly, it would be all the
configuration and security
settings.
And that is what all comes into the concept of the W land.
Now in iOS XC, we're actually going to find that these are known as W land
profiles when
we configure them.
And these W land profiles are going to get mapped inside of our policy tags. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
And these W land profiles are going to get mapped inside of our policy tags.
So I'm going to create a W land and I'm going to place it inside the policy tag
.
Now what if I want multiple W lands?
What if I have two or three SSIDs that I want to advertise?
Which one of those is going to require being mapped into the policy tag that
inevitably
gets placed onto our access points.
But we do start to see now how, yeah, I create all of this information to
create a network
name and an SSID and all of its configuration. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
name and an SSID and all of its configuration.
Well now I see modularly how I'm kind of applying these different W lands and
how those
ultimately end up on my access point as it gets there via the policy tag.
However, we're not quite done with the policy tag.
We also have to create a policy profile.
So we must we'll get used to the concept of tags and profiles.
Again the tags, the three tags are the ones that directly get referenced by our
configuration.
The profiles are going to be how we define configuration oftentimes within a WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
The profiles are going to be how we define configuration oftentimes within a
tag like
the W land profile.
Now like the policy profile.
That's how Cisco architected this.
Policy profiles are where we're going to perform the other side of our W land
configuration.
Specifically we need to map our SSIDs to a specific V land and that's going to
be part
of a policy profile.
And so we're also going to see that I can map quality of service configurations
here
as well as any kind of anchoring config. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
as well as any kind of anchoring config.
So this is going to go into a policy profile and then I get to map the policy
profile to
a W land here inside the policy tag.
So maybe I map policy profile one to W land one here and then policy profile
two to W
land two.
But the reason we're doing it this way is because maybe I just still want to
use policy
profile one to map to wireless land three. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
profile one to map to wireless land three.
And so we see that this is again a modular concept.
I can have multiple policy profiles that get mapped to different W lands and
potentially
in an overlapping fashion.
This is why Cisco's creating this the way they are.
So again as we apply this policy tag to access points what we're really
bringing is SSIDs
and all of their configurations and all of their security settings mapped to V
land and
quality of service and anchoring configurations as well. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
quality of service and anchoring configurations as well.
So all of that gets defined by the policy tag.
Now that is the vast majority of our configuration from a policy perspective.
That's why Cisco calls it that if we want to talk about how we should attach to
the
network and the names and all these things that would be all part of the policy
tag.
But we do still have two other tags to talk about.
Let's talk about the site tag next.
The site tag is going to hold configurations that should apply to the entire
site.
So when I bring an access point online it's going to belong to a site and it WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So when I bring an access point online it's going to belong to a site and it
will be given
the same site tag that all of the other access points at that location are
given.
There are two primary configurations specifically two primary profiles that get
mapped through
the site tag.
We have the AP join profile and if we're going to run a site in FlexConnect
then we also have
the flex profile. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
the flex profile.
As we've mentioned if we're going to run FlexConnect, FlexConnect should be
deployed
on a site basis.
Not just a few access points but all of the APs at a site should be running in
FlexConnect
if we're going to convert them.
And so that makes sense to include it as part of a site tag where all the APs
at a site
have the exact same tag.
Now the AP join profile is all about wireless land controller attachment.
And I know we just spent a bunch of time attaching our access point to this WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
And I know we just spent a bunch of time attaching our access point to this
wireless
land controller.
But there's more to it than simply attachment.
We also have to worry about the configuration of backup controllers.
Which controller should I fail over to if my primary goes down?
And as part of that how am I going to handle failback?
Because if we have two controllers and I have a bunch of access points
associated with
this controller and it goes down, well sure they could fail over but then if
this controller
comes back up, should I immediately fail back? WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
comes back up, should I immediately fail back?
Should I wait a while because maybe that controller isn't stable and it's going
to keep reloading.
Especially if there's a network related issue that's actually causing me to not
be able
to reach it.
And so these configurations are going to be part of the join profile again
anything that
has to do with how the access point handles its connections to wireless land
controllers.
Now as mentioned Flex Profile, this is going to be all about FlexConnect.
It's going to define for example how exactly we configure the access points to WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
It's going to define for example how exactly we configure the access points to
operate
in FlexConnect mode.
There's a whole lot to consider there.
And furthermore within the site tag down here, we're going to have a check box
that defines
whether or not it's a local site.
So it says enable local site.
And this is going to be enabled by default.
So it'll be checked.
So again remember local mode is the opposite of FlexConnect mode.
If it's a local site, then we're not running FlexConnect.
So if I want to run FlexConnect, I would need to make sure that I uncheck this WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So if I want to run FlexConnect, I would need to make sure that I uncheck this
box and then
my Flex Profile configuration will be applied such that all of my access points
at the site
are running in FlexConnect operation.
Now lastly we have the RF tag.
And as the name implies, this is going to be all about RF configuration.
Now I know we've got our wireless LAN controller configured with global
configurations for
radio resource management.
And this will be pushed automatically to access points that we don't do WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
And this will be pushed automatically to access points that we don't do
something otherwise
with.
But an RF tag actually allows us to override this.
And so what I can do with an RF profile, which by the way, yes we have RF
profiles
that associate to the RF tag, just like with all of these other tags, they have
profiles
behind them.
So this RF profile now is going to allow me to configure local R radio resource WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So this RF profile now is going to allow me to configure local R radio resource
management
RRM policies.
So I can change configurations on the RF profile.
And by the way, I can have one profile per band.
So I can have this be my 2.4 GHz profile.
I can create a 5 profile.
I can create a 6 GHz profile.
And I can set that to the RF tag.
So if for example, I have a bunch of access points and I don't want them to run
a specific
channel, well I'd want to create a specific dynamic channel assignment or DCA WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
channel, well I'd want to create a specific dynamic channel assignment or DCA
policy that
overrides the global policy.
So the global policy says that I can use channel 36 for whatever reason.
I don't want it to be at the site and so I disable channel 36 locally as part
of this
profile.
And then that profile gets mapped via the 5 GHz RF profile that's part of the
RF tag.
So this architecture again starts with just the goal of creating a WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So this architecture again starts with just the goal of creating a
configuration that
gets mapped to an access point.
We're going to create three different tags to do so and those tags all have
profiles
behind them.
For now, we just want to make sure that we understand this architecture and as
we continue
to dive further into configuration, we're going to see how we configure these
profiles,
associate them with tags and get those tags associated with our access points.