There are specific workflows for wireless operations within the Cisco Catalyst Center that can lead to the rebooting of Access Points (APs) and a restart of the CAPWAP process. The key distinction between an AP reload and a CAPWAP restart is that during a CAPWAP restart, the CAPWAP process is terminated and then initiated again, akin to a process restart. On the other hand, a reload is comparable to powering down the device and then powering it up again. Presently, when provisioning APs through DNAC, a general message is provided that APs may reload, without specifying which AP might undergo a reload. This document aims to shed light on the scenarios that could potentially lead to AP reload and CAPWAP restarts when executing tasks within the Cisco Catalyst Center.
Within DNAC, there are workflows to alter the mode of the AP, such as switching between local mode, and bridge mode. Any modifications related to changing the AP mode may cause the AP to reboot to apply the chosen mode.
In the context of Mesh support on Software-Defined Access (SDA), an administrator may encounter a reboot when transitioning the AP mode from local to bridge mode. Additionally, roles assigned to the AP, such as Mesh Access Point(MAP) or Root Access Point (RAP), can also trigger an AP reboot. Adjustments to mesh parameters like the range and backhaul client access will result in an AP reload.
On the C9800 platforms, a tagging architecture is used, the tag defines a standardized configuration that applies to a group of APs. Presently, Cisco Catalyst Center attaches the following tags to the AP:
- Policy Tag: This tag links a WLAN Profile to a Policy Profile, defining the SSID that the AP should advertise.
- Site Tag: The Site Tag designates whether the APs are in Local Mode or Flexconnect mode. Other AP modes like Sniffer, Sensor, Monitor, and Bridge can also be configured directly on the AP.
- RF Tag: Within an RF tag, you can select an RF profile or opt to use the Global RF configuration.
In SDA fabric, Cisco's Catalyst Center orchestrates the creation of a site tag for a building within the site hierarchy and a policy tag for each floor within that site. The assignment of an RF tag to an Access Point (AP) is dependent on the RF profile associated with the AP. Within the Cisco Catalyst Center, there is the capability to customize the site tag and policy tag within the wireless profile, which is mapped to a specific floor, buildings, or designated areas in the site hierarchy.
During the initial provisioning of an AP, should no customizations to the tags be made, it is provisioned with the tags provisioned by the Cisco Catalyst Center. However, any subsequent modifications to these tags through customization after the APs have been provisioned will supersede the tags created by the Cisco Catalyst center. When provisioning an AP within the Cisco Catalyst Center at a later stage, the Cisco Catalyst Center will perform an indirect provisioning of all the APs that were mapped with the previous tags, prompting a CAPWAP restart.
In addition, making changes such as adjusting the country code of the AP (Access Point) may potentially trigger a CAPWAP restart. When dealing with a ROW AP, the process of assigning a country code involves creating an AP profile and linking it to a specific wireless network profile, which becomes applicable during the AP provisioning. Another approach is utilizing location details within the site hierarchy.
On the other hand, for non-ROW APs, the sole method to allocate the country code to the AP is by crafting a custom AP profile and associating it with the respective wireless network profile.
