Deploy and Configure Mobility Controllers and Access Points
Controller and AP deployment
Aruba deployments use Mobility Master (MM) and managed Mobility Controllers (MC) in larger networks, or a standalone controller in smaller ones. Know the boot and discovery path: an AP gets an IP address, then finds a controller through ADP, DHCP option 43, DNS resolution of aruba-master, or a static controller IP. The controller must have available AP licenses and the AP must be permitted by whitelist or auto-discovery policy.
Configuration is organized into AP groups, virtual APs (VAPs), SSID profiles, RF profiles, and regulatory profiles. A VAP binds an SSID to a VLAN and AAA profile; the AP group determines which VAPs and RF settings an AP receives. Trunk the controller-to-switch link with the required VLANs, and keep management, AP, and user VLANs distinct. For tunneled traffic, the AP builds a GRE tunnel to the controller; for bridge mode, user traffic is locally switched. Match the regulatory domain to the country; a mismatch can disable radios.
Traps: assuming an AP is licensed because it appears in the database; assigning an AP to the wrong AP group; forgetting the native VLAN on a trunk; using DHCP option 43 with a hostname instead of an IP; and expecting an SSID to work before it is mapped to a VAP and AP group.
Worked example
For a branch with one controller at 10.10.10.10, set DHCP option 43 to the controller IP or create DNS aruba-master. Then place the AP in the branch AP group, map the corporate VAP to VLAN 20, and verify the AP is up and the VAP is active.