Wi-Fi. Preliminary access point sheets

[kulikov_na]

Hi everyone.

I want to optimize process of deploy access points (about 1000 APs).

Can I create preliminary access point sheets (AP_name - S/N - MAC) and dowload to controller before I will connect APs to this controller?

It's actual for both AireOS and IOS-XE.

P.S.

of course, I can rename all APs by script after thay all will be connected to controller, but I need do it before.

[marce1000]

 - Basically you should just only  need to setup the DHCP provisioning with dhcp option 43 so that they can find the controller.  This will already include setting an intended ap-name and of course providing the MAC-address to the DHCP server.

 M.

[Scott Fella]

There is no way to do it before as the names are defined on the AP not the controller. You have a script, so that is the best way to deploy... get them up and push the script. When I use to stage AP’s, to me that wa the best way to make sure you don’t have any doa and or issues. Our process was scan the ap, label it, connect it to a staging switch with a controller (just management and image), let the sos join and push the script. Then once the AP’s have the new image, and are labeled and pre configured, they are boxed back up, box are labeled also and sent to the site. Makes it easy for the techs to find and mount the ap.

[Leo Laohoo]

My recommendation is to use DHCP Option 43 and then "clean up" by using Excel and some CLI.  

Let the APs "fall" where they are meant to go and then when everything is settled, get the list of APs via CLI and provision the names, location, controller details, etc via CLI.  

APIC-EM and DNAC have a very crude way of "provisioning" an AP.  It is very quaint because one needs to wait for the AP to appear (which can take between 5 to 15 minutes) and then assign the name, location (optional) and AP group (optional) on a per-AP basis. 

We had a few guys knock up a script in a week (and I showed it to Cisco WLBU Sujit Ghosh) and it works like this: 

1. Scan the Serial Number of the AP; 
2. Assign an Asset Number; &
3. Assign optional details, like Location, AP Group, power and channel of each radio (including micro-radio)
   • NOTE:  The above information can either be entered individually or bulk upload.

We enter the above details into an SQL DB and let the script do it's work 24 x 7.  The unprovisioned APs join any controller(s) and the script keep polling the controllers.  When the script sees the new APs, it will interrogate the serial numbers.  The script can support the provisioning APs from a size of 1 to 1000 in less than 2 minutes.  

The script integrates with instant messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram, Webex/Cisco Teams to confirm the AP(s) have been successfully provisioned.  

What is even good about this script is we can change any of the above-mentioned details and the provisioning system simply goes and does it.  With DNAC, for example, the AP will need to be deleted, wait for the AP to appear, Claim the AP, wait for the AP to appear, Provision.  Too time consuming.  

One last thing about our script:  Moving the APs from one AP Group to another does not require a reboot of the AP. 

[Rich R]

@Leo Laohoo how do you avoid the reboot when changing AP Group?

[Leo Laohoo]

The script uses SNMP to change the AP Group of the AP(s). This does not require a reboot.

[Rich R]

Ok thanks @Leo Laohoo