Manually configuring Config Sync on a WLC cluster

Description:

This article describes how to set up Config Sync for synchronizing the configurations across a WLC cluster.

Requirements:

• LCOS as of version 10.50 (download latest version)
• LANtools as of version 10.50 (download latest version)
• Configured and functional WLC cluster.

Procedure:

1) Configuration steps on the first WLAN controller:

1.1) Create a certificate entry in the SCEP client on the first WLAN controller:

1.1.1) Open the configuration of the first WLAN controller in LANconfig and navigate to the menu Certificates → SCEP Client → Certificate table.

1.1.2) Click Add to create a new entry.

1.2.3) Modify the following parameters:

• Name: Enter a descriptive name (in this example CONFIG-SYNC).
• CA Distinguished Name: Enter the CA Distinguished Name that is stored under Certificates → Cert. authority (CA) (in this example /CN=LANCOM CA/O=LANCOM SYSTEMS/C=DE).
• Subject: Set the Subject to the string /CN=<IPADR> /O=LANCOM/C=EN, where <IPADR> must be replaced by the IP address of the first WLAN controller (in this example /CN=172.23.56.254/O=LANCOM/C=DE).
• Challenge password: Enter the General challenge password, to be found under Certificates → Certificate handling.
• Key length: Choose a key length of at least 2048 bits.
• Usage type: From the drop-down menu, select the option Configuration synchronization.

1.2) Setting up configuration synchronization:

1.2.1) Go to the menu Management → Synchronization and set a checkmark for Configuration synchronization active.

1.2.2) Go to the menu Cluster devices.

1.2.3) Enter the IP addresses of the two WLAN controllers.

1.2.4) Navigate to the menu Management → Synchronization → Menu nodes.

1.2.5) Create two new entries using the Add button.

• Select the option synchronized between all cluster devices and enter the command-line path /Setup/WLAN-Management.

• Select the option excluded from synchronization and enter the command-line path /Setup/WLAN-Management/Preference. This parameter defines the priority of the WLAN controllers in the WLC cluster to which the access points should preferentially connect.

1.2.6) The Menu nodes table should then look like this.

1.2.7) This concludes the configuration of the first WLAN controller. You can now write the configuration back to the device.

2) Configuration steps on the second WLAN controller:

1.1) Create a certificate entry in the SCEP client on the second WLAN controller:

2.1.1) Open the configuration of the second WLAN controller in LANconfig and navigate to the menu Certificates → SCEP Client → Certificate table.

2.1.2) Click Add to create a new entry.

2.2.3) Modify the following parameters:

• Name: Enter a descriptive name (in this example CONFIG-SYNC).
• CA Distinguished Name: Enter the CA Distinguished Name that is stored under Certificates → Cert. authority (CA) (in this example /CN=LANCOM CA/O=LANCOM SYSTEMS/C=DE).
• Subject: Set the Subject to the string /CN=<IPADR> /O=LANCOM/C=EN, where <IPADR> must be replaced by the IP address of the second WLAN controller (in this example /CN=172.23.56.253/O=LANCOM/C=DE).
• Challenge password: Enter the General challenge password to be found on the first WLAN controller under Certificates → Certificate handling (see step 1.2.3).
• Key length: Choose a key length of at least 2048 bits.
• Key length: From the drop-down menu, select the option Configuration synchronization.

2.2) Setting up configuration synchronization:

2.2.1) Go to the menu Management → Synchronization and set a checkmark for Configuration synchronization active.

2.2.2) Go to the menu Cluster devices.

2.2.3) Enter the IP addresses of the two WLAN controllers.

2.2.4) Navigate to the menu Management → Synchronization → Menu nodes.

2.2.5) Create two new entries using the Add button.

• Select the option synchronized between all cluster devices and enter the command-line path /Setup/WLAN-Management.

• Select the option excluded from synchronization and enter the command-line path /Setup/WLAN-Management/Preference. This parameter defines the priority of the WLAN controllers in the WLC cluster to which the access points should preferentially connect.

2.2.6) The Menu nodes table should then look like this.

2.2.7) This concludes the configuration of the second WLAN controller. You can now write the configuration back to the device.

3) Enabling Config Sync:

In LANconfig, select the WLAN controller with the configuration to be distributed to the other cluster members (in this example, the WLC-Master), right-click on the device and select the option Activate Configuration Synchronization Settings from the context menu.