How to configure HA with cisco virtual controller (vWLC)

[AlexandreOppermann]

I need to know how we can configure HA between two virtual controllers. What are the physical connections? And settings needed to work?

[balaji.bandi]

this thead may help you :

https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless-and-mobility/virtual-wlc-high-availability-ha/td-p/3390420

[Sandeep Choudhary]

In HA there areb two options:

1. HA AP/Client SSO

2. N+1 

vWLC support only N+1.

and here is the guide: https://rscciew.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/n1-high-availability-configuration-on-cisco-2504wlc/

Regards

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[AlexandreOppermann]

But this docummnet is to physical controller.

What's the member ip address ? Is the same ip from the management controller ?

[Sandeep Choudhary]

Above guide also applies to VWLC.

Both WLCs must have diff. mgmt IP address.

Both WLCs must  be installed and configurured sepertaely. You can have two vWLC doing redundancy with high availability configured on the AP.

Regards

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[AlexandreOppermann]

What's the member ip address is the same that management ip address?

Should aps be manually configured something?
Or should I put them on the network, they already look for the controller automatically.

[pieterh]

in N+1 setup both controllers function separately, but are member of the same "mobility domain" for easy client-roaming between access points.
But each is independant and has its own configuration! You must synchronize WLAN config etc manually
or us central management like Cisco Prime infrastructure to apply config-templates to both controllers.

the AP's associates a controller at startup and when this goes down they search for an other controller
it uses several mechanisms to do this broadcast, DNS, DHCP, preconfigured then selects one of the controllers available

[Alexandre11]

About the aps, how does it work to find the controller, is it automatic, or should I configure something in the ap for him to find the controller?

Because in the client's structure he already has two physical controllers running in HA, and he will replace them with the virtual controller, he wants to test the virtual controllers but with the physical controllers running on the network, my doubt if there may be any problem in placing the virtual controller for run, and in the same vlan as the physical controllers or if I should create another vlan for the virtual controllers?

[Sandeep Choudhary]

Hi,

As @pieterh mentioned, AP's associates a controller at startup and when this goes down they search for an other controller
it uses several mechanisms to do this broadcast, DNS, DHCP, preconfigured then selects one of the controllers available.

Info: When an AP is fully joined to a controller, the AP learns of all the controllers configured in that mobility group.

I would suggest to keep the new WLCs in same subnet as old WLC with diff Mgmt IP address. Then configure the AP High availability  with new WLC IP and name.

How AP failover will work: https://mrncciew.com/2013/04/07/ap-failover/

Regards

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[Alexandre11]

And could there be a problem with the associated aps on the old physical controllers registering with the new virtual controllers?

Because the idea is to test for now with ap only, when the test is successful, and the settings have been made on the new controllers, then we will migrate the other aps on the network to the virtual controllers.

[Scott Fella]

There always can be issues when you bring up a new controller. What is your experience with Cisco wireless and comfort level making these changes?

[Alexandre11]

My idea is to configure the same vlan for the new controllers.
therefore, what should I do so that there is no problem when we put virtual controllers on the network, because the idea is to leave the physical controllers running for now and after the old ones. And we do a test with an ap to register with the new virtual controller, my question is how should I do this test so that the ap will register with the new virtual controller, it will not register with the old controller?
and the rest of the network's aps should remain on the old controller?

[Scott Fella]

You really need to fully understand what is expected and the results of what you plan to do. If you don’t and you bring other controllers, “you can run into issues”.
What is your comfort level and experience with this platform?
For basic info, you need to configure mobility between the new and old, make sure the image are the same, unless you know how you plan to test, configure the ap high availability to move aps to the new and make sure the existing is set at a lower priority in case you have issues.

[Alexandre11]

The scenario is as follows: there are already two physical controllers on the network working in HA with several after associates. What will be done is to put another pair of virtual controllers in production, and make an ap associated with the primary controller. And in the sequence when the test was validated we will migrate the others after.
I already explained the scenario and I am wanting to see if there will be any problems in placing another pair of virtual controllers on the network in the same vlan.
Did I not understand configuring the mobility between the old and the new? I didn't understand, wouldn't it just be in the new one? Because in the old they are already associated and we don't need to change anything.
Do you say about the priorities where I set them in the controller or in the ap?

[patoberli]

Ok, setup the two new vWLC as N+1 controllers (basically two identically configured standalone controllers, where everything but the hostname and IP addresses are the same). Now you can either add them via DHCP option 43 (wouldn't do that until after testing), or configure them in the HA tab of each AP as two additional WLC. If you put them in place 1 and 2, then the AP will switch automatically (or after a reboot) to the new vWLC.

Just make sure that the mobility group is UP between the old and new controllers, or the roaming will be broken.