Migration from Legacy Aruba Mobility Controllers to Aruba Central
A healthcare organization with 50 hospitals and clinics is migrating from legacy Aruba Mobility Controllers (running AOS 8) to Aruba Central, a cloud-based management platform. The current network has 2,000 APs and 50 controllers (one per site). The controllers are end-of-support in 12 months. The organization wants to move to a cloud-managed model to reduce hardware footprint and simplify management. However, they have concerns about data privacy (patient data) and regulatory compliance (HIPAA). They also have a mix of AP models: some older 802.11n APs that are not supported by Central, and newer 802.11ac/ax APs. The migration must be done with minimal disruption to clinical workflows. The IT team is small and lacks cloud expertise. The organization also has a requirement for local survivability: if the WAN link to the cloud goes down, wireless authentication and authorization must continue. The current controllers provide local authentication via RADIUS and caching. The organization uses Aruba ClearPass for NAC. The WAN links are MPLS with varying bandwidth (10-100 Mbps per site). The organization is also considering a hybrid approach with on-premises Aruba Gateways for local survivability.
1. Evaluate the migration options (full cloud vs. hybrid) and recommend an approach that addresses data privacy, compliance, and local survivability.
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Full cloud management with Aruba Central may raise data privacy concerns because management data (including client information) is sent to the cloud. However, Central does not carry patient data; it only manages network devices. For HIPAA, ensure a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Aruba and enable appropriate security controls (encryption, access controls). Local survivability is critical: if WAN fails, authentication must continue. A hybrid approach with on-premises Aruba Gateways (or controllers) at each site provides local survivability. The gateways can run in a cluster and synchronize with Central for management. Recommended approach: 1) Replace end-of-support controllers with Aruba Gateways (or use existing controllers if they can be upgraded to AOS 10) at each site for local survivability and authentication caching. 2) Manage the gateways and APs via Central for unified visibility and orchestration. 3) For older 802.11n APs, either replace them with supported models or keep them on controllers if they cannot be migrated; but since controllers are EoS, replace them. 4) Use ClearPass for NAC; integrate with Central for policy enforcement. 5) For data privacy, enable Central's data privacy settings and ensure only necessary data is sent. 6) Phase the migration: start with non-critical sites, then critical. 7) Provide training for the IT team on Central. This hybrid model balances cloud benefits with local resiliency and compliance.
2. Outline a migration plan that minimizes disruption to clinical workflows, including steps for AP replacement and controller decommissioning.
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Migration plan: 1) Assessment: inventory all APs and controllers, identify unsupported APs, and plan replacements. 2) Design: architect the new topology with Aruba Gateways at each site for local survivability, and Central for management. 3) Pilot: select one non-critical site (e.g., clinic) to deploy gateways and migrate APs to Central. Test authentication, roaming, and survivability. 4) Rollout: phase by site, starting with low-impact areas. For each site: a) Install new gateways and configure them in Central (or use existing controllers upgraded to AOS 10 if supported). b) Migrate APs in batches: during off-peak hours, factory-reset APs and onboard them to Central, or use Central's migration tool to move APs from controller to Central. c) Monitor for issues and have rollback plan (revert APs to controller if needed). d) Once all APs migrated, decommission controllers. 5) Replace unsupported APs with supported models during the process. 6) Update ClearPass policies to integrate with Central. 7) Provide training and documentation. 8) Ensure clinical workflows are not disrupted by scheduling during low-activity periods and communicating with staff. 9) Validate HIPAA compliance throughout. 10) After migration, monitor via Central and optimize.