Aruba On-premises Powerful Network Management System User Guide

aruba On-Premises Powerful Network Management System

Aruba Central On-Premises is a powerful network management system designed to simplify the deployment and maintenance of wireless and wired networks at scale. By unifying network operations under a single pane of glass, Aruba Central On-Premises delivers a cloud-like management experience for organizations that need to improve IT agility and efficiency while also satisfying regulatory or compliance requirements.

The solution is comprised of two primary components:

1. Physical server-based appliances that run in a customer’s data center environment.
2. Software subscriptions that enable management features for supported Aruba devices.

SUPPORTED SERVER APPLIANCES

The server appliances are designed and tested to run Aruba Central On-Premises software, ensuring it runs free from hardware compatibility problems or insufficient performance. Server appliances that are compatible with Aruba Central On-Premises are available in two options:

1. A Central-ready appliance (R1Q04A) ships with AirWave software for existing customers who are planning to migrate to Aruba Central On-Premises in the future.
   Whenever the customer is ready to migrate, they can wipe the AirWave software and use the same appliance to run Aruba Central On-Premises by installing the appropriate software image, providing better investment protection.
2. Dedicated server appliances for customers who are ready to deploy Aruba Central On-Premises are also available (R1Q05A).

KEY FEATURES

• Unified management for Aruba wireless access points and switches at campuses and branches
• Zero touch provisioning to simplify device onboarding and configuration
• Network-wide health monitoring (view at global, site, and client levels)
• Application-level visibility to assure user experience and SLA targets
• Reporting wizard to generate scheduled or ondemand assessments
• Tight policy and compliance controls to ensure network security
• APIs and webhooks for extensibility with other leading IT platforms

Table 1: Server Appliance Specifications

To address needs for enterprise scale and resiliency, deployment options include three-, five-, and sevennode server clusters. A single cluster of dedicated server appliances provides built-in redundancy – if an appliance goes offline, the cluster continues to monitor network devices without any service interruption.

For smaller networks that consist of 2,000 devices or fewer, a one-node server deployment is also available that enables all primary network management capabilities.

Five- or seven-node clusters are required for more advanced management features, such as AI Insights for wireless connectivity

Table 2: Server Deployment Options

DEVICE SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS

Aruba Central On-Premises software subscriptions are required to enable all the primary management capabilities for Aruba wireless access points, mobility controllers, and switches. See table 3 for a list of supported devices and operating systems.

Separate subscriptions are required for every network device that customers wish to manage with Aruba Central OnPremises, and are available in 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year terms for consumption and budgetary flexibility.

Each device subscription includes embedded software support that provides access to software updates, 24×7 troubleshooting and deployment assistance, and more. By embedding software support into the device subscription, customers will have instant access to new software features once they install the latest firmware update.

The purchase of a separate, perpetual software license is required to configure and monitor APs from Aruba mobility controllers on a per-device basis. Optional add-ons include Policy Enforcement Firewall (PEF) and RFprotect (RFP) capabilities. Subscriptions for Aruba Central On-Premises only cover the software support portion of AP/PEF/RFP/Mobility Conductor/Controller licenses.

For Aruba switches, please note that a separate device subscription is required for every switch that is managed in a stack.

Aruba Central On-Premises device subscriptions do not include hardware support. Hardware support for server appliances and all managed network devices require a Foundation Care for Aruba contract. To view Aruba Central hardware-only support options, please refer to the Support Services Central SKU lookup tool.

Table 3: Supported Network Devices for Aruba Central On-Premises

Table 4: Aruba Central On-Premises SKUs and Descriptions

INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS FOR CENTRAL ON-PREMISES

Intelligent Operations for Central On-Premises is available for customers seeking additional operational and financial flexibility. This service provides subscription-based usage of the hardware and software that power Aruba Central OnPremises and is configured, managed, and continuously optimized by Aruba technology experts.

Intelligent Operations for Central On-Premises delivers cloud-like flexibility and significantly reduces overhead for in-house IT personnel. The result is an end-to-end solution that enhances IT efficiency, maximizes budgets, and ensures frictionless service delivery for optimal network performance. The offering can be included with GreenLake for Aruba service offerings, or as a standalone Professional Service with support.

ARUBA WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS AND MOBILITY CONTROLLERS

For wireless connectivity, order access points and/or mobility controllers that meet your scale, performance, and capacity needs, including the appropriate accessories such as antennas, power supplies, and mounting kits. Please refer to the respective wireless ordering guides for more details.

ARUBA SWITCHES

For wired connectivity, order switches that meet your scale, performance, and port density needs, including the appropriate accessories such as transceivers, power supplies, direct attach cables, and mounting kits. Please refer to the respective switching data sheets for more details.

FOUNDATION CARE FOR ARUBA HARDWARE-ONLY SUPPORT

Device subscriptions for Central On-Premises include software support and 24×7 TAC support. For immediate and timely hardware replacement, order Foundation Care for Aruba Hardware-Only Support. Options are available for next business day (NBD) or 4-Hour Onsite Support. For more information, enter the hardware SKU (refer to http://ssc.hpe.com/portal/site/ssc/) to look up the Foundation Care Hardware-Only Support SKU.

EXAMPLE BILL OF MATERIALS

The following section illustrates the components required to enable Aruba Central On-Premises. New customers can refer to tables 5 and 6 for an example bill of materials. For existing AirWave customers, please refer to tables 7 and 8 to see a comparison of one-time and recurring costs between AirWave and Aruba Central On-Premises.

Table 5: Example Network Deployment

Table 6: Example Bill of Materials for a 5-Year Investment

Table 7: One-time Costs of AirWave vs. Aruba Central On-Premises

Table 8: Recurring Costs of AirWave vs. Aruba Central On-Premises

© Copyright 2021 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for Hewlett Packard Enterprise products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. Hewlett Packard Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

OG_ArubaCentralOnPremises_RVK_102321 a00111266enw

Contact us at www.arubanetworks.com/contact

References

• Contact Aruba | Aruba
• Access Points | Aruba
• Gateways and Controllers | Aruba
• Network Switches for Enterprise | Aruba