How Do You Manager Access Points Using DNA Center

[b.angel]

I'm in the process of upgrading my wireless network from Prime Infrastructure with WLC5508s to DNA Center with WLC9800s. Being able to manager my wireless infrastructure using Prime has been great, trying to do the same with DNA Center has been very nonexistent. From what I learned so far is that you can create command line templates to push to the 9800 WLC but as far as access point template they seem not to exist non like the Prime Infrastructure. Has anyone be successful or know of a way to manage access points from DNA similar to what you can do with Prime?

[Scott Fella]

Don’t expect that DNAc will do everything that PI has done, DNAC is still pretty new and many folks still have Prime up and running while DNAc has been also put into production. I use Ansible to do most of the changes and templates for changes. I tend not to use Prime as much anymore for these unless its simple and the template stays consistent. You should continue to have Prime until there is 100% parity between Prime and DNAc which will not be for a while.

[b.angel]

Scott, that what I was assuming, I know DNAC is new and working with Prime and the 5500 WLC spoiled me using template with big group of access point. Working on the 9800 WLC all of the AP configurations is done one AP at time which is makes it very difficult as are AP deployment increases. 

Thanks for your response 

[Scott Fella]

I think what will happen is the you will have to rely on the automation that they will build on DNAc, which I don’t know if they will keep the templates like how PI has.

[Leo Laohoo]

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@Scott Fella wrote:
Don’t expect that DNAc will do everything that PI has done, DNAC is still pretty new and many folks still have Prime up and running while DNAc has been also put into production

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I agree @Scott Fella.  We have PI and DNAc running side-by-side.  

One major improvement with DNAc is updating the firmware and the application.  Other than that, DNAc is not yet ready -- and when the BU is asking for feedback (aka pain points) from DNAc operators that says a lot.

[Scott Fella]

Don’t depend on one thing... Prime. You should be able to create scripts or use other types of automation to configure access points. It’s the same way with AireOS, you can push out cli commands to make any changes that a template can provide and is the same with IOS-XE.

[usaf_27]

Look into using the AP filters. You can control what tags are assigned to an AP based upon its name. That should help you dynamically manage your AP deployment.