Aruba Wireless devices aren't recognized by WSM

[raf2]

I'm adding devices to a new build of 7.4.1 standard. I have the Wireless Services Module added.  Whenever I add one of our Aruba IA225 AP's it gets added as a generic device using one of my regular device licenses and WSM doesn't recognize it. SSH connectivity is working but I am getting a strange SNMP error I only see with AP's. Attached a doc showing the error. I've confirmed strings numerous times.

Do AP's use both a regular device license and a WSM license when everything is working correctly?

Any pointers on correctly setting up WSM are appreciated.

Thanks

Ron

[raf2]

added as a PDF.

[LindsayHill]

You need to add the Aruba Controller to IMC, as a regular device. WSM will realise that it's a controller, and it will automatically add all the APs. 

Note that the APs are managed via the controller, not directly. My understanding is that the APs don't support SNMP directly (e.g. see here: http://community.arubanetworks.com/t5/Unified-Wired-Wireless-Access/SNMP-data-from-individual-AP-s/td-p/18874). That's why you get that error when you try and add the APs to IMC. IMC is saying that it tried to poll them using SNMP, but got no response - which is what you would expect.

Adding the controller to IMC will consume a regular device license. The APs detected via the controller will then consume WSM licenses, not regular device licenses.

[raf2]

As usual you rock Lindsey, thanks for taking the time to reply.

I'll check it out. The wireless stuff is one of the few things I don't spend much time with.

I would assume the Aruba acqusition might add a good feature set in the future.

This product is by far the best HP software product I've worked with in 20 years of working with HP gear. Kudo's to the HP team producing it, keep up the good work! I love the HTML 5 interface.. may java and flash die!

Ron Fisher

[LindsayHill]

Happy to help however I can.

I haven't personally worked with Aruba gear, only HP MSM with IMC. Only just scratched the surface of it. 

There's a few limitations to the Aruba support right now - check the docs for a table showing some of them - but you're right, I expect that this will change now they've closed the acquisition. They need to make some hard calls to start killing off some of the product lines though. Will be interesting times.

And yes, I like the HTML5 too - there was too much Java a couple of years ago, but the thing I like most about IMC is that they've got a pretty rapid pace of development. It changes quite quickly. Earlier this week I was looking at a 7.0 installation, and was surprised at how 'old' it felt compared to 7.1 E0303P10.

[raf2]

We apparently only have virtual controllers which is a designated AP that acts in that fashion. I assume you're speaking of a physical Aruba box that performs the controller functions whatever they may be. We are going to check with Aruba to see if they are aware of what we need to make this work. Not holding my breath that they will have a clue about iMC.

[LindsayHill]

It shouldn't matter if it's a physical box or not - I would have thought that a 'virtual' controller would still expose the same information, in the same way. But I don't know enough about Aruba to say for sure.

They might not be able to tell you about IMC specifically, but they might know something about how to integrate that virtual controller with other management toolsets. They will all be using the same interfaces, so the process should be similar.

[raf2]

The virtual controller is simply an AP that we designate as a vcontroller. It still doesn't speak SNMP. We have a case open with Aruba but my hopes are fading that we'll be able to set this up in iMC without purchasing a physical controller.

[LindsayHill]

Interesting - my skim read of the docs seems to imply that the virtual controllers do support SNMP http://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/InstantMobile/Advanced/Content/Instant%20User%20Guide%20-%20volumes/SNMP_Parameters_for_.htm

But I couldn't say for sure how IMC will handle the virtual controller.

[NeilR]

I have just deployed some Auba IAP-205's at a remote site with the virtual controller on one of the APs.

It does speak SNMP.

Devices all show as Aruba Networks Generic, including the virtual controller, and reports the OS version, physical interfaces, and other basic info about the device.

It can send traps to imc server. But the virtual controller is not recognized by IMC WSM as a wireless controller, and the managed APs are not discovered except by IMC autodiscovery as a node.

I suspect its too early in the Aruba/HP link up for there to be any Aruba wifi functionality in IMC, for either h/w or virtual controller.

So best you can do now is basic node management unless adding in the MIB files allows for more functionality