Aruba Mobility Expert (Written) key terms

A management-only appliance that runs the ArubaOS configuration and image repository for one or more managed Mobility Controllers, pushing configurations and software down to them while forwarding no client traffic itself.

An ArubaOS device that terminates access points, enforces policy, and bridges or routes client traffic between the wireless and wired networks. It may be standalone or managed by a Mobility Master.

A deployment model where a master controller holds global configuration and local controllers inherit and extend it, allowing per-site settings without duplicating shared policy across every device.

The tree of configuration nodes in ArubaOS where settings made at a higher node are inherited by lower nodes, and lower nodes can override inherited values for their scope.

A group of controllers that share client state and act as one logical device, enabling hitless failover, centralized licensing, and seamless roaming across cluster members.

The controller elected to coordinate a cluster: it distributes configuration, manages membership, and serves as the anchor point for cluster-wide decisions and licensing.

A controller in a cluster held ready to take over the active role of another member, keeping synchronized state so client sessions survive the failure of the active device.

A redundancy behavior in which a standby takes over for a failed controller without dropping established client sessions, because AP and client state is continuously synchronized between them.

Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol; Aruba controllers can share a virtual IP so that if the active device fails, a backup assumes the address and clients keep a consistent gateway.

A named collection of access points that share a common set of wireless settings, such as virtual APs and radio profiles, so configuration is applied to many APs at once.

A logical wireless network defined on the controller that combines an SSID profile, a security profile, and a VLAN or forwarding role, and is pushed to APs in an AP group.

The configuration object holding the network name and related beacon and hide-SSID settings that a virtual AP advertises to wireless clients.

The choice of how client traffic reaches the wired network: tunnel mode sends it to the controller, while bridge or local mode sends it out the AP's own uplink.

A forwarding mode in which AP client traffic is encapsulated and sent to the controller over a GRE tunnel, letting the controller apply policy and centralize traffic inspection.

A forwarding mode where the AP locally bridges client traffic onto its wired uplink VLAN, avoiding a controller round trip and reducing WAN usage at remote sites.

Generic Routing Encapsulation tunnel used between APs and controllers to carry encapsulated client traffic and control traffic across an IP network.

Adaptive Radio Management; the Aruba feature that continuously monitors RF conditions and adjusts channel and transmit power on APs to reduce interference and balance coverage.

A configuration object that sets radio behavior for an AP group, including mode, channel, transmit power, and ARM settings applied to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios.

The process of assigning non-overlapping channels across APs so adjacent cells do not interfere, typically automated by ARM but adjustable through static channel assignments.

Signal degradation that occurs when multiple APs or clients use the same channel in overlapping areas, forcing them to contend for airtime and lowering throughput.

An area where signal strength falls below the level needed for reliable association or roaming, often caused by obstruction, insufficient AP density, or excessive power reduction.

The process of a client moving its association from one AP to another while keeping its IP address and session, ideally with minimal interruption to traffic.

Techniques such as 802.11r or opportunistic key caching that shorten the authentication exchange during a roam so voice and real-time traffic do not stall.

An IEEE standard for port-based network access control in which a supplicant authenticates through an authenticator to a RADIUS server before being granted network access.

Extensible Authentication Protocol; a framework carried inside 802.1X that defines how credentials are exchanged, with methods such as EAP-TLS or PEAP determining the actual authentication mechanism.

A protocol used by controllers to send user credentials and authorization requests to an external authentication server and receive accept, reject, or attribute-based responses.

An ArubaOS model where a user is assigned a role after authentication, and that role determines the VLAN, firewall policies, and services the user may use.

A named set of permissions and network parameters applied to a client session, derived from authentication, server attributes, or rules, and enforced by the controller.

A controller-enforced rule set that permits or denies traffic between roles and destinations, tracking session state so return traffic is allowed automatically.

An authentication method in which the client or server proves identity with a digital certificate, commonly used with EAP-TLS to avoid password-based credential exposure.

Open Shortest Path First; a link-state interior gateway protocol that controllers and switches can run to exchange routes dynamically within an enterprise routing domain.

The controller's list of known destinations and next hops, populated by connected, static, and dynamic routing sources, and consulted when forwarding client traffic.

An ArubaOS feature that assigns clients to one of several VLANs in a pool, spreading users across subnets to reduce broadcast domain size and address exhaustion.

The process of assigning an AP to a controller, AP group, and configuration so it can join the network and receive its wireless settings automatically.

A list of approved AP serial numbers or MAC addresses that a controller accepts during join, blocking unauthorized devices from registering on the network.

An unauthorized access point detected on the wireless network, which may be a security threat or a neighboring network, identified through scanning and classified by policy.

An AP mode in which the radio dedicates itself to scanning the spectrum for rogue devices, interference, and client behavior rather than serving user traffic.

A monitoring function that visualizes RF energy across frequencies to locate non-Wi-Fi interferers such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, or Bluetooth devices.

An ArubaOS capability that upgrades controller software while the network stays in service, using cluster or standby mechanisms to keep client sessions available during the process.