Like to understand if Mobility Controller & Mobility Oracle is a

Sumit Bhargava · ‎01-25-2013

I understand that WiFi Clients (Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops) connect with Access Points & Access Points connect physically with WLAN Controller.
In order to have seamless roaming between different Access Points or WLAN Controllers, Mobility Controller functionality is required. Also, there is Mobility Oracle which acts as a core for multiple Mobility Controllers with in your Enterprise Wireless Network.

However, like to have clarity on the below points:

Q1. Like to understand if Mobility Controller & Mobility Oracle is a separate hardware device or a built in feature within WLAN Controller?

Q2. Can WLAN Controller can be configured to work as a Mobility Controller/Mobility Oracle?

Q3. However, if Mobility Controller and Mobility Oracle is a separate hardware device, please share the device name, model and version and if possible the part code name?

Q4. Also, like to understand if in the new upcoming release of Cisco Switch 3850 (can be used as either Access Switch or WLAN Controller), when used as a WLAN Controller, can it be also configured to work as either MA(Mobility Agent) or MC (Mobility Controller)?

Best Regards

Sumit

Leo Laohoo · ‎01-25-2013

Sumit,

You need to contact your Cisco SE on Wireless. Currently, the new wireless design has not yet been released/announced.

Leo Laohoo · ‎01-26-2013

Sumit,

There are things you need to consider if you want to implement the new Converged Wireless Access.

One of them is WAN/LAN link and the other is 802.11ac.

The main objective for this new architecture is to make-local-traffic-local.

Take 802.11ac, for example. The bandwidth required to service 802.11ac alone is huge. And that's for a single AP. Imagine if your current architecture is the WLC is on the top of the tree and your 802.11ac AP/Client are on the bottom. Traffic has to traverse up/down from your access switch and up to your core in order to reach the WLC. Let's also presume that all your uplink is 1 Gbps capable. That's fine. But when you have AP pushing 600 Mbps, it's game-over-man.

If you are going to implement 802.11ac, then the soon-to-be-announced Converged Wireless Access will be something to consider.

If you are not going 802.11ac, then I'd recommend you hold off on this because this is very expensive to implement when you need a minimum of one 3850 per 50 AP per cabinet/wiring closet.

Sumit Bhargava · ‎01-27-2013

Thanks for the quick revert Leolaohoo

Infact , I wanted to understand if Mobility Controller functionality would also be one of the addon features of 3850 switch like WLAN Controller functionality.

e.g; If I take 3850 Switch, it can be used as a WLAN Controller using as Mobility Agent which would cater to control and provisioning of AP's attached to it. , then what about Mobility Controller functionality (MC), is it also part of 3850 or a separate device is required?

Does it mean 3850 can be configured to work either as MA (mobility Agent)/ MC (Mobility Controller) ?

Leo Laohoo · ‎01-27-2013

Infact , I wanted to understand if Mobility Controller functionality would also be one of the addon features of 3850 switch like WLAN Controller functionality.

Mobility Controller is not a "function". It's a role. It's like Core, Distrubution and Access.

e.g; If I take 3850 Switch, it can be used as a WLAN Controller using as Mobility Agent which would cater to control and provisioning of AP's attached to it. , then what about Mobility Controller functionality (MC), is it also part of 3850 or a separate device is required?

You can collapse MC and MA together as one.

Any more question regarding the new Converged Wireless Access, talk to your Cisco SE in wireless. I am NOT a Cisco employee and I should NOT be answering these questions.

emtrhulj · ‎03-12-2013

Q1. Like to understand if Mobility Controller & Mobility Oracle is a separate hardware device or a built in feature within WLAN Controller?

MC and MO can co-exist. So 1 device.

Q2. Can WLAN Controller can be configured to work as a Mobility Controller/Mobility Oracle?

Y. MO is an optional part of the deploymet. Think of it how we use router reflectors in bgp. To avoid fully meshing them we point them to a router reflector. If I had lots of MC rather then fully meshing them you can point them to an MO.

Q3. However, if Mobility Controller and Mobility Oracle is a separate hardware device, please share the device name, model and version and if possible the part code name?

Not a speparate device.

Q4. Also, like to understand if in the new upcoming release of Cisco Switch 3850 (can be used as either Access Switch or WLAN Controller), when used as a WLAN Controller, can it be also configured to work as either MA(Mobility Agent) or MC (Mobility Controller)?

It can be just used as a switch. It can be used as a MC and MA. You separate the function of MC and MA to a discreate MC when you want scale.

Ravi Singh · ‎04-25-2013

Emtrhulj is already provided the answer. for more detail you can can download the below pdf.

http://www.cisco.com/web/offer/emear/27891/customer/austria/presentation/Under-the-hood-part-2.pdf