Cisco WLC 5760 Load Balancing and Licensing

[m1xed0s]

Hi,

I am trying to figure out following as we are close to upgrade the current WLC 5508 pair.

1. Can Cisco WLC 5760 do load balancing? For example, I bought two 5760 to manage 700 APs. Can I configure to have 400 APs registered with 5760#1 and 300 APs registered with 5760#2?

2. With WLC 5508, I have to buy 500-AP license in order to configure HA to manage up to 250 APs. Will the WLC5760 require the same licensing setup? I am looking for two WLC5760 with 700 APs. Does this mean, I need to buy 700-AP license for each WLC?

3. Do I need the HA/Redundancy license?

Thanks,

/S                  

[Sandeep Choudhary]

Yes, 2 X AIR-CT5760-1K-K9 load balance

If you need to configure HA then you need

1 X normal 1000 AP licence

1 X HA SKU (Means zero Licence)

Regards

Dont forget to rate helpful posts

[m1xed0s]

I think this should be the correct link for the license questions on WLC 5760

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/5700/software/release/ios_xe_33/5760_HA_DG_iosXE33.html#wp43547

[Sandeep Choudhary]

The same I link posted above in

HA AP SSO deployment:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/controller/technotes/5700/software/release/ios_xe_33/5760_HA_DG_iosXE33.pdf

Rregards

Dont forget to arte helpful post and mark this question as answered, it may help others

[Sandeep Choudhary]

HI,

Information:

5760 does not support HA AP SSO with 3.2.2 version.

You can do the traditional two controller setup. Where you can have a 1:1 redundancy or split the APs across the two controllers.

.....

With IOS XE 3.3.0SE AP SSO is supported when using the controller stack cable. So the 5760 and 5760-HA is in a stack and HA is enabled by default when stacked.

regards

[Rasika Nayanajith]

I dont have much experience with 5760 WLC(This is pretty new), so I can tell you exactly about this point 
May be other experts can,,,

Yes, I am more towards 5760/3850 (Converege Access)  compare to 5508 (Unified Access) . This is based on bandwidth demand due to 802.11ac & having requirement of consistent QoS & Security policy for wired & wireless in our campus environment.

Feature wise you cannot compare 5760 to 5508 as CA still behind & trying to catch up. So do not try to match 1:1 what you are able to do with 5508 & what 5760 can do.

I am  doing testing with 5760/3850 at the moment & it will take time to absorb this new CA concepts & design (not many good documentation available to public)

for me, 5760 is the platform to go with in the given scenario (8500 is more for service providers & 5508 is what he currently got). But you need to understand the paradigm shift from CUWN to CA when deploying that product.

HTH

Rasika

****Pls rate all useful responses ****

[m1xed0s]

I actually was reading your blog post regarding the 5760/3850...

do u have any link that you can share about the CUWN vs CA?

[Rasika Nayanajith]

I will do  a  post on that   (in coming weeks)

Regards

Rasika

[Sandeep Choudhary]

Thanks rasika

I am totally dedicated to you...following ur footsteps---> CCIEW

Regards

[Rasika Nayanajith]

Hi Sandeep,

Hope you will get it soon... You are on right track

KIT

Rasika

[m1xed0s]

Hey, Rasika

Do you know if WLC 5760 pair with stackwise cables can do Active/Active HA/LB?

[Rasika Nayanajith · Accepted solution]

Hi

If you are using 5760 as a central controller  without  3850/3650 to terminate CAPWAP, then pretty much 5760 is doing the function of 5508 & HA would be active/standby (not active/active)

If you are using 5760 as MC & 3850/3650 as MA, then all your CAPWAP terminates on your MAs. Even MC fails it does not matter as no CAPWAP terminate on 5760 itself.(there is a impact for certain things like inter-SPG roaming, RRM,etc)

Here is the reference document I have on this CA architecture which may help you to understand these concepts (it is dated 2013 June & may not be upto date with latest code enhancements)

CONVERGED ACCESS – WIRED / WIRELESS SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN, AND OPERATION

HTH

Rasika

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[m1xed0s]

Cool, I now have something to read after dinner tonight...

Part of the reason I kept asking about fully redundancy with Load balancing, aruba controllers provide the active-active redundancy with load balancing without charging extra... Just wonder why cisco can not do Active-Active...

[Sandeep Choudhary]

HI,

Can u mark this question as answered, it may help others.

Please rate helpful posts accordingly.

Regards

[Rasika Nayanajith]

I have posted few more references for CA under below thread

https://supportforums.cisco.com/thread/2249117

Feel free to go through it if you are going for 5760 & this CA architecture sometime in future.

Also pls rate our responses accordingly if that is useful to you.

HTH

Rasika

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