Benefit of HA WLC 9800

[robo764]

We currently have a (single) WLC 9800-L that's handling our APs and we're in the midst of a wireless infrastructure refresh.  All of our APs are local switch/local auth.  As I understand it, the only real impact we would see if we lost our WLC (power, hw failures, etc.) is that we would not have visibility/metrics and we would (obviously) not be able to make any changes to our overall wireless network.  

Is there any other expected impact?  As far as I understand it, current clients will continue their sessions and new clients can join, since everything is local/local (as long as it's configured to fall into standalone mode), and it will go back to the WLC once it's reachable, again.  Am I missing something? Are there any gotchas with just having one WLC supporting your APs, instead of having a second one?

[marce1000]

  - If everything is local and the WLC dies then your wireless network is dead , because for capwap local APs all traffic goes through the controller. Only in flexconnect mode can the clients keep using wireless.  For a standard intranet environment consider HA a must , 

 M.

[robo764]

Sorry I wasn't clear about that.  All of our APs are in FlexConnect mode, with local switching and local authentication.  They're not in "local mode" in the sense that traffic and/or authentication goes through the WLC.

[MHM Cisco World]

Well if this case all AP flex (switching and auth locallay) then I dont see need for WLC HA.

MHM

[marce1000]

 - There are a number of items to be considered  listed in https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/8-1/Enterprise-Mobility-8-1-Design-Guide/Enterprise_Mobility_8-1_Deployment_Guide/ch7_HREA.html

 M.

[robo764]

Yes, this is much of what I have read previously.  There does not appear to be any benefit to HA, outside of the two things I mentioned above: "we would not have visibility/metrics and we would (obviously) not be able to make any changes to our overall wireless network."

[Rich R]

But remember that if an AP crashes or gets reset for any reason while the WLC is down then it is out of service until it can join the WLC again.

[robo764]

Thanks!  That's actually a point I wasn't tracking.