Aruba Wireless Architecture and Product Portfolio
Planes and product roles
Aruba wireless separates management, control, and data planes. In ArubaOS 8.x the Mobility Master (MM) is the management/configuration node in a master–local hierarchy: it pushes configuration to Mobility Controllers (MCs) but does not forward client traffic. MCs terminate AP tunnels, enforce firewall policies, and anchor client VLANs. APs can be controller-managed or Instant APs (IAPs). An Instant cluster elects one AP as the virtual controller (VC); the VC distributes configuration, but client traffic is usually bridged locally at each AP, so there is no dedicated hardware controller. Aruba Central is the cloud management platform for Instant, AOS 10, and switches/gateways, offering monitoring, configuration, and firmware management. Aruba gateways (7000/7200/9000 series) are branch/headend devices; in AOS 10 they take the controller role for tunneled traffic, policy enforcement, and VPN, while Central provides management.
Traps
Do not say the MM forwards client data; do not call the Instant VC a hardware controller; do not confuse Central (management) with a data-plane gateway. In AOS 10 the classic MM/MC pair is replaced by Central plus gateways; an exam question may describe both generations.
Rule of thumb
Ask: does this device move client packets or only configuration? MM and Central are management; MC/gateway and Instant AP data paths move traffic. A design with many branches and no local IT usually fits Instant plus Central; a campus needing centralized tunneled policy fits MCs or gateways.