1 Primary and 2 HA-SKU

[mdshelton]

I like to know if you can configure the following setup.

1 Primary unit with 2 HA-SKU backup.  We have one Primary Base unit with a HA-SKU in 1 datacenter and one HA-SKU in another datacenter.

Can this layout work if so, how would you configure it?

Thanks in advance

Mike

[mohanak]

The option available as of now is :

1. In the N+1 HA redundancy model, one WLC serves as the backup controller for N primary controllers. When any of the primary WLCs fail, the APs connected to that controller fall back to the backup controller. The AP has to restart its CAPWAP state machine and go through a complete discovery phase before it joins the backup controller. The available AP count on the backup controller is reduced by the number of APs that fall back from the primary WLC to the backup WLC.

2. HA is for box-to-box redundancy. In other words, 1:1 where one WLC will be in an Active state and the second WLC will be in a Hot Standby state continuously monitoring the health of the Active WLC via a Redundant Port. Both the WLCs will share the same set of configurations including the IP address of the Management interface. The WLC in the Standby state does not need to be configured independently as the entire configuration (Bulk Configuration while boot up and Incremental Configuration in runtime) will be synced from the Active WLC to the Standby WLC via a Redundant Port. The AP's CAPWAP State (only APs which are in a run state) is also synced, and a mirror copy of the AP database is maintained on the Standby WLC. The APs do not go into the Discovery state when the Active WLC fails and the Standby WLC takes over the network's Active WLC

[mdshelton]

Ok, now that's how I understood it but Tac says that you can configure an N+2 or an N+1 and a separate AP SSO for the second one.  Here are the two links they sent me.

Please refer to the following links for HA and N+1:
HA Pair: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/7-5/High_Availability_DG.pdf
N+1: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/technology/hi_avail/N1_High_Availability_Deployment_Guide/N1_HA_Overview.html

After reviewing it I still don't see how this will work.

Any Idea?

Thanks

[Scott Fella]

If you have one licensed controller and an HA at the primary DC, you would set that up as high availability using SSO.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/7-5/High_Availability_DG.html

The other HA controller in the backup DC would be setup as an N+1.  This means you have to configure this controller exactly like the primary co triller in the primary DC.  

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/technology/hi_avail/N1_High_Availability_Deployment_Guide.pdf

You would then have to configure high availability on the access points to define which is the primary controller and the secondary controller

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless-mobility/wireless-lan-wlan/69639-wlc-failover.html

The links should help you understand better. This design is what I would use if I had one licensed and two HA controllers.

-Scott

*** Please rate helpful posts ***

[mdshelton]

Hi Scott

Thanks I click 5 star but only 4 came up.

Thanks again.

Mike

[Scott Fella]

Thanks... shows 5 on my side.  Glad to help.

-Scott

*** Please rate helpful posts ***

[mdshelton]

Hey Scott

When you say HA controllers you mean HA-SKU?

Just checking?

[Scott Fella]

Well.... you can use an HA sku for SSO and N+1, with a licensed controller, not an HA sku, you can use that as N+1 but you need to have the proper ap license on both.  You can use a non HA-sku in SSO as long as it has 50 ap license or more.

Makes sense?

-Scott

*** Please rate helpful posts ***

[mdshelton]

Just to make sure I'm clear on this........

You can have (1) License controller with a HA-SKU as standby.

And (1) HA-SKU setup as SSO pointing back to the same License controller that has the HA-SKU standby attach.

Right?

Mike

[Scott Fella]

HA sku doesn't require licenses so you would have one HA in SSO so that the pair looks like one controller. Then you have the other HA  unit in N+1 backing up the SSO pair. 

-Scott

*** Please rate useful posts ***

[mdshelton]

Oh ok, I configure the license controller with the HA-SKU for SSO and configure the

second HA-SKU (at the other datacenter) as N+1 point to the SSO pair.

Right?

[Scott Fella]

That is correct.

-Scott

*** Please rate useful posts ***

[mdshelton]

Outstanding!

I wish I can give you a 100 STARs!!!!!

Thanks

Scott

[Scott Fella]

haha... no problem.  Glad to help.

-Scott

*** Please rate useful posts ***