Managing the Network

Setting the Management Access Interface

The Management Access Interface is the default interface for in-band management of the controller and connectivity to enterprise services. It is also used for communication between the controller and access points (APs). The management interface has the only consistently pingable in-band interface IP address on the controller. You can access the web interface of the controller by entering the management interface IP address of the controller in your browser's address bar.

For APs, the controller requires one management interface to control all inter-controller communications and one AP manager interface to control all controller-to-access point communications, regardless of the number of ports.

To enable or disable the different types of management access to the controller:

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Management > Access.

The Management Access window is displayed. The number of enabled management types are displayed at the top of the window.

Step 2

You can enable or disable the following types of management access to the controller, by choosing the appropriate option from the drop-down list:

  • HTTP Access—To enable HTTP access mode, which allows you to access the controller GUI using http://<ip-address> through a web browser, choose Enabled from the HTTP Access drop-down list. Otherwise, choose Disabled.

    The default value is Disabled.
    Note 
    HTTP access mode is not a secure connection.

  • HTTPs Access—To enable HTTPS access mode, which allows you to access the controller GUI using http://ip-address through a web browser, choose Enabled from the HTTPS Access drop-down list. Otherwise, choose Disabled.

    The default value is Enabled.
    Note 
    HTTPs access mode is a secure connection.

  • Telnet Access—To enable Telnet access mode, which allows remote access to the controller’s CLI using your laptop’s command prompt, choose Enabled from the Telnet Access drop-down list. Otherwise, choose Disabled.

    The default value is Disabled.
    Note 
    Telnet access mode is not a secure connection.

  • SSHv2 Access—To enable Secure Shell Version 2 (SSHv2) access mode, which is a more secure version of Telnet that uses data encryption and a secure channel for data transfer, choose Enabled from the SSHv2 Access drop-down list. Otherwise, choose Disabled.

    The default value is Enabled.
    Note 
    The SSHv2 access mode is a secure connection.
Step 3

Click Apply to save your changes.

Managing Admin Accounts

You can manage the Cisco Mobility Express network through the Cisco Mobility Express controller GUI based on the privileges assigned to your user account. This prevents unauthorized users from accessing or configuring the controller.

You can log in to the Cisco Mobility Express GUI using an admin account having one of the following access types:

  • Read/Write—This administrative account has complete access to view and modify the controller configuration.

  • Read Only—This limited access administrative account allows the user to only view the controller configuration. This user is restricted from making any changes to the configuration.

  • Lobby Ambassador—This restricted administrative account allows the user to only create and manage guest user accounts. The lobby ambassador can also print or email the guest user account credentials.

    For information about creating guest user accounts, see Creating a Guest User Account.

Adding an Admin Account

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Management > Admin Accounts.

The total count of admin accounts on the Cisco Mobility Express controller is displayed at the top of this window while the table provides a detailed listing of all the available admin accounts.

The Admin Accounts window is displayed.
Step 2

Click Add New User to add a new admin user.

A new editable row entry appears in the table.
Step 3

Set the following parameters as required:

  • Account name—The login user name used by the administrative user. Admin account names must be unique.

  • Access—Set one of the following access privileges for the administrator:

    • Read Only

    • Read/Write

    • Lobby Ambassador

  • Password—The password is case sensitive and should be created based on the following guidelines:

    • It should have at least eight characters using a combination of numbers, special characters, as well as upper and lower case letters.

    • It should neither contain the word Cisco or a management username nor be a variant of these words obtained by:

      • Reversing the letters of these words

      • Changing the capitalization of the letters

      • Substituting the following:

        • 1, |, or ! for i

        • 0 for o

        • $ for s

    • No character can be repeated more than three times consecutively in the password.

Step 4

Click Apply to save your changes.

Editing an Admin Account

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Management > Admin Accounts.

The Admin Accounts page is displayed, along with the list of all the admin accounts present on the Cisco Mobility Express controller. The total count of admin accounts on the controller is displayed at the top of the page.

Step 2

Click the Edit icon adjacent to the account you want to edit.

Step 3

Modify the admin account parameters, as required. For descriptions of these parameters, see Adding an Admin Account.

Step 4

Click Apply.

Deleting an Admin Account

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Management > Admin Accounts.

The Admin Accounts window is displayed, along with the list of all the admin accounts present on the Cisco Mobility Express controller. The total count of admin accounts on the controller is displayed at the top of the page.

Step 2

Click the Delete icon adjacent to the account you want to delete.

Step 3

Click Ok in the confirmation dialog box.

Managing Guest Users using the Lobby Admin account

Guest user accounts are created to allow temporary access to the network. This network access is granted after successful authentication of the guest account credentials.

You can create and manage guest user accounts using the lobby ambassador admin account. To know more about lobby ambassador accounts, see Managing Admin Accounts.

Creating a Guest User Account

Before you begin

You need to have at least one lobby ambassador user account before you can create a guest user account. For information about creating a lobby ambassador account, see Adding an Admin Account.

Procedure

Step 1

In your browser, navigate to the Cisco Mobility Express GUI.

Step 2

Login using valid Lobby Ambassador credentials.

The Lobby Ambassador Guest Management window appears.

Step 3

Click Add Guest User.

The Add Guest User dialog box appears.

Step 4

Enter the following details for the guest user account:

  • User Name

  • Wireless Network—Select the desired guest WLANs that have already been configured for guest access to the network. If no guest WLANs have been cofigured or no guest WLAN is selected, then All Guest WLANs is selected by default.

    Note 

    To know more about creating a guest WLAN, see Adding a WLAN.

  • Permanent User—Select this check box to allow this guest user account access to the network without any time restriction.

  • Expiry Date & Time—Specify the date and time by clicking the calendar and clock icons respectively. The guest user account gets disabled at the specified date and time preventing access to the guest network.

    Note 

    If the Permanent User check box is selected, then this field disappears from the dialog box.

  • Generate Password—Click this radio button to automatically generate a password for the guest user account being created.

    If you prefer to manually specify a password for the guest user account, enter it in the Password and Confirm Password fields.

  • Password
    Note 

    If you have clicked the Generate Password radio button, then this field disappears from the dialog box.

  • Confirm Password—Ensure that this entry matches what you have typed in the Password field.
  • Description
Step 5

Click Update.

You can choose to share the account credentials with the guest user either via email or by printing it out.

The Guest User Credentials pop-up appears while the Guest Users List table refreshes to include this new guest user account entry.

Setting Date and Time

The date and time on the Cisco Mobility Express controller is first set when running the initial configuration setup wizard of the controller. You can either enter the date and time manually or you can specify a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server that sets the time and date.

Using NTP Servers to Automatically Set the Date and Time

You can have up to three Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers, to which the controller can automatically sync to set the date and time.

By default three NTP servers are automatically created. The default fully qualified domain names (FQDN) of the NTP servers are:

  • 0.ciscome.pool.ntp.org, with NTP Index value 1.

  • 1.ciscome.pool.ntp.org, with NTP Index value 2.

  • 2.ciscome.pool.ntp.org, with NTP Index value 3.

You can specify the IPv4 address or the FQDN name of an NTP server during the initial configuration wizard. This will be applied to the server having NTP Index 1, thereby overwriting its default FQDN, 0.ciscome.pool.ntp.org .

For adding and editing NTP server details, go to Management > Time. This opens the Time Settings page.

Adding and Editing NTP Servers

You can have up to three Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers, using which the controller can automatically set the date and time.

Procedure
Step 1

Choose Management > Time.

The Time Settings window is displayed, with the set time zone shown at the top of the page. The current date and time are displayed in the Set Time Manually field. Existing NTP servers, if any, are listed in the order of their NTP Index values.

Step 2

In the NTP Polling Interval field, specify the polling interval, in seconds.

Step 3

To edit an existing NTP server, click its adjacent Edit icon. To add a new NTP server, click Add NTP Server.

Step 4

You can add or edit the following values for an NTP server:

  1. In the NTP Index box, specify an NTP Index value to set the priority of the NTP server. NTP Index values can be set from 1 to 3, in the order of decreasing priority. The controller will try and sync with the NTP server with the highest priority first, until the specified polling interval time runs out. If the sync is successful, the controller does not continue trying to sync with any remaining NTP servers. If the sync is unsuccessful, then the controller will try to sync with the next NTP server.

  2. In the NTP Server box, specify the IP address or the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the NTP server. When you specify an FQDN, a DNS lookup is done. If the lookup fails, an error will be logged in the Syslog server. The controller will continue to resolve this FQDN and errors will be logged until you change the NTP configuration or specify a valid FQDN.

Step 5

Click Apply.

Refreshing NTP Server Status

The NTP server table on the Time Settings page, displays the status of the connection to each NTP server in the NTP Status column. The status maybe one of the following:

  • Not Tried—A sync has not been attempted yet.

  • In Sync—The controller time is in sync with the NTP server.

  • Not Synched—The controller time is not in sync with the NTP server.

  • In Progress—A sync is being attempted.

Click Refresh at any time to see the updated NTP statuses.

Deleting and Disabling NTP Servers

To delete an NTP server, choose Management > Time. In the Time Settings page that is displayed, click the Delete icon adjacent the NTP server you want to delete. Click OK in the confirmation dialog, and then click Apply.

To disable setting the date and time using NTP servers, you will need to delete all configured NTP servers by following the above process.

Configuring Date and Time Manually

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Management > Time.

The Time Settings window is displayed, with the set time zone shown at the top of the page. The current date and time are displayed in the Set Time Manually field.
Note 
These fields cannot be edited if the NTP State is set to Enable.
Step 2

From the NTP State drop-down list, choose Disable.

Step 3

From the Time Zone drop-down list, choose your local time zone.

When you choose a time zone that uses Daylight Saving Time (DST), the controller automatically sets its system clock to reflect the time change when DST occurs. In the U.S., DST starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Step 4

Select the Set Time Automatically from Current Location check box to set the time based on the time zone specified.

Step 5

In the Set Time Manually field:

  • Click the calendar icon and choose the month, day, and year.

  • Click the clock icon and specify the time, in hour and minutes.

Step 6

Click Apply.

Updating the Cisco Mobility Express Software

To view the current software version of your Cisco Mobility Express controller:

  • Click the gear icon at the top-right corner of the web interface, and then click System Information.

  • Choose Management > Software Update.

    This displays the Software Update window, with the current software version number displayed at the top.

You can update the Cisco Mobility Express controller software using the controller's web interface. Current configurations on the Cisco Mobility Express controller will not be deleted.

The following table shows the software update methods available.

Method

Link to Method

Updating the software using HTTP

Note 
This method is possible only if your network consists of only Cisco Aironet 1830, 1850, 2800, and 3800 access points (which support ap1g4 and ap3g3 images).

See Updating the Software using HTTP.

Updating the software using TFTP

See Updating the Software using TFTP.

Updating the software directly from Cisco.com

See Updating the Software Directly from Cisco.com.

A software update ensures that both the internal controller software and the AP software on all the associated APs are updated. APs that have older Cisco Mobility Express AP software, on joining the primary AP after the software upgrade are automatically upgraded to the latest Cisco Mobility Express AP software. This is because, during the software update process, the latest Cisco Mobility Express software for all Cisco Mobility Express-supported APs that are associated with the controller is also downloaded. An AP joining the controller compares its Cisco Mobility Express software version with that on the primary AP and if a mismatch is detected, the new AP requests for a software upgrade. The primary AP facilitates the transfer of the new software from the TFTP server or the HTTP path, to the new AP.

The software download happens in the background, without impacting the network. The upgrades are automatically sequenced to ensure that the network performance is not impacted by software update.


Note

The software of up to five access points can be concurrently updated.

Updating the Software using HTTP

Before you begin

You can perform the software update via HTTP only if your network consists of only Cisco Aironet 1830, 1850, 2800, and 3800 access points (which support ap1g4 and ap3g3 images). If you have other supported AP models in your network, then use TFTP or update directly from Cisco.com.

Procedure

Step 1

Get the controller software image by following these steps:

  1. Using a computer, browse to the Cisco Download Software page at: http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html.

  2. Browse to your AP model and click Mobility Express Software to view the list of currently available software, with the latest release at the top.

  3. Choose a software release number.

  4. Click Download corresponding to the ZIP file.

  5. Read Cisco’s End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree.

  6. Save the ZIP file to your computer's hard drive, and then extract the contents to a directory on your computer.

Step 2

From the Cisco Mobility Express controller web interface, choose Management > Software Update.

The Software Update window, with the current software version number, is displayed.

Step 3

In the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose HTTP.

Step 4

Click the Browse button adjacent the File field, browse to the folder having the unpacked ZIP file contents, and choose the software file as indicated in the following table.

Cisco AP Series of the Mobility Express Controller

Software File to be Chosen

1830, 1850

ap1g4

2800, 3800

ap3g3

Note 

The file explorer that opens here is an operating system-specific explorer depending on the OS of your computer.

Step 5

To set the controller to automatically reboot after the image pre-download is complete, check the Auto Restart check box.

You can also manually reboot the controller, after the upgrade, by choosing Advanced > Controller Tools, and clicking Restart Controller.

Step 6

Click Apply to save the parameters that you have specified.

These parameters will remain saved unless you specifically change them in future. You do not have to enter these parameters afresh for the next software update.

Step 7

Click Update Now, and then click Ok in the confirmation dialog.

The top section of the page indicates the status of the download. Do not manually power down or reset the controller or any AP during this process; otherwise, you might corrupt the software image.

The Image Pre-Download Status section of the page shows the status of the pre-image download to the APs in the network.

You can cancel a software update that is in progress, at anytime before the controller completes rebooting, by clicking Abort.

Step 8

After the image pre-download is complete, the controller must restart (or reboot) to complete the software upgrade. If you have not checked the Auto Restart check box, you can manually reboot the controller, after the upgrade, by choosing Advanced > Controller Tools, and clicking Restart Controller.

For more information on the image pre-download feature, see Predownloading an Image to an Access Point.

You can cancel a software update that is in progress, at anytime before the controller completes rebooting, by clicking Abort.

Step 9

Log in to the controller and verify the controller software version in the Software Update window.

Updating the Software using TFTP

Before you begin

  • Prepare a TFTP server, following these guidelines, for hosting the Cisco Mobility Express software file:

    • Ensure that the TFTP server supports extended TFTP for file sizes greater than 32 MB. Some TFTP servers that support files of this size are tftpd32 and the TFTP server within the Cisco Prime Infrastructure.

    • If you attempt to download the controller software and your TFTP server does not support files of this size, this error message appears: TFTP failure while storing in flash

    • If you are upgrading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP server can be on the same subnet or a different subnet because the distribution system port is routable.

  • A computer that can access Cisco.com and the TFTP server, should be available.


Note

Ensure that the TFTP server always has the same Cisco Mobility Express software bundle as that on the Cisco Mobility Express controller, or the latest software bundle.

Procedure

Step 1

Get the controller software image by following these steps:

  1. Using a computer, browse to the Cisco Download Software page at: http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html.

  2. Browse to your AP model and click Mobility Express Software to view the list of currently available software, with the latest release at the top.

  3. Choose a software release number.

  4. Click the filename.

  5. Click Download corresponding to the ZIP file.

  6. Read Cisco’s End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree.

  7. Save the file to your computer's hard drive.

  8. Copy the file from your computer's hard drive, and then unzip and extract the entire contents to the default directory on your TFTP server.

Step 2

From the Cisco Mobility Express controller web interface, choose Management > Software Update.

The Software Update window, with the current software version number, is displayed.

Step 3

In the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose TFTP.

Step 4

In the IP Address (IPv4) field, enter the IP address of the TFTP server.

Step 5

In the File Path field, enter the TFTP server directory path of the software file, along with the name of the file.

Step 6

To set the controller to automatically reboot after the image pre-download is complete, check the Auto Restart check box.

You can also manually reboot the controller, after the upgrade, by choosing Advanced > Controller Tools, and clicking Restart Controller.

Step 7

Click Apply to save the parameters that you have specified.

These parameters will remain saved unless you specifically change them in future. You do not have to enter these parameters afresh for the next software update.

Step 8

You can perform the update right away or schedule it for a later time.

  • To proceed with the update right away, click Update Now, and then click Ok in the confirmation dialog.

  • To perform the update at a later time, up to a maximum of 5 days from the current date, specify the later date and time in the Set Update Time field, and then click Schedule Update.

The top section of the page indicates the status of the download. Do not manually power down or reset the controller or any AP during this process; otherwise, you might corrupt the software image.

The Image Pre-Download Status section of the page shows the status of the pre-image download to the APs in the network.

You can cancel a software update that is in progress, at anytime before the controller completes rebooting, by clicking Abort.

Step 9

After the image pre-download is complete, the controller must restart (or reboot) to complete the software upgrade. If you have not checked the Auto Restart check box, you can manually reboot the controller, after the upgrade, by choosing Advanced > Controller Tools, and clicking Restart Controller.

For more information on the image pre-download feature, see Predownloading an Image to an Access Point.

You can cancel a software update that is in progress, at anytime before the controller completes rebooting, by clicking Abort.

Step 10

Log in to the controller and verify the controller software version in the Software Update window.

Updating the Software using SFTP

Software Update through SFTP Transfer Mode works for all Access Points supported in a Cisco Mobility Express Deployment. You would need a SFTP server which can communicate with the Primary Access Point to use this upgrade method. This update method is supported from controller WebUI as well as CLI.

Procedure

Step 1

Get the controller software image by following these steps:

  1. Using a computer, browse to the Cisco Download Software page.

  2. Navigate to the desired AP model and click Mobility Express Software to view the list of currently available software, with the latest release at the top.

  3. Choose the desired software release number.

  4. Click the filename.

  5. Click Download corresponding to the ZIP file.

  6. Read Cisco’s End User Software License Agreement and then click Agree.

  7. Save the file to your computer's hard drive.

  8. Copy the file from your computer's hard drive, and then unzip and extract the entire contents to the default directory on your SFTP server.

Step 2

From the Cisco Mobility Express controller web interface, choose Management > Software Update.

The Software Update window, with the current software version number, is displayed.

Step 3

In the Transfer Mode drop-down list, choose SFTP.

Step 4

In the Port Number field, enter the port number. The default is 22.

Step 5

In the File Path field, enter the SFTP server directory path of the software file.

Step 6

Enter the username and password to log in to the SFTP server.
Step 7

You can perform the update right away or schedule it for a later time.

  • To proceed with the update right away, click Update, and then click Ok in the confirmation dialog.

  • To perform the update at a later time, up to a maximum of 5 days from the current date, click the Schedule Update toggle button and specify the later date and time in the Set Update Time field.
Step 8

To set the controller to automatically reboot after the image pre-download is complete, check the Auto Restart check box.

You can also manually reboot the controller, after the upgrade, by choosing Advanced > Controller Tools, and clicking Restart Controller.

Step 9

Click Apply to save the parameters that you have specified.

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These parameters will remain saved unless you specifically change them in future. You do not have to enter these parameters afresh for the next software update.

Step 10

After the image pre-download is complete, the controller must restart (or reboot) to complete the software upgrade. If you have not checked the Auto Restart check box, you can manually reboot the controller, after the upgrade, by choosing Advanced > Controller Tools, and clicking Restart Controller.

For more information on the image pre-download feature, see Predownloading an Image to an Access Point.

You can cancel a software update that is in progress, at anytime before the controller completes rebooting, by clicking Abort.

Step 11

Log in to the controller and verify the controller software version in the Software Update window.

Updating the Software Directly from Cisco.com

Before you begin

  • The primary AP's serial number must be present in the service contract. This cannot be done through the Cisco.com site. You need to contact Cisco customer service to have the serial number added to your service contract.

    However, if you have done a Return to Manufacturer Authorization (RMA), the serial number gets added to the service contract by the team that replaces the device. Certain Cisco partners having access to the Cisco Services Contract Center database can also get the serial number added in the service contract.

  • You should have valid Cisco.com user credentials.

  • The Mobility Express controller should be able to reach Cisco.com.

Procedure

Step 1

From the Software Update Mode drop-down list, choose Cisco.com.

Step 2

Enter the Cisco.com username and password of your Cisco.com account.

To clear any existing and previously used credentials, click Clear Credentials, before entering new credentials .

Step 3

To set the controller to automatically check for software updates, choose Enabled in the Automatically Check for Updates drop-down list. This is enabled by default.

When a software check is done and if a newer latest or recommended software update is available on Cisco.com, then:

  • the Software Update Alert icon at the top right corner of the GUI will be Green in color (Grey otherwise). Clicking the icon will bring you to the Software Update page.

  • the Update button at the bottom of the Software Update page is enabled.

Step 4

Click Apply.

This saves the entries or changes you have made in the Software Update Mode, Cisco.com credentials, and Automatically Check For Updates fields.

The controller runs the automatic check every 30 days to check for the latest software and the recommended software versions that are available for download on Cisco.com. This information is then displayed in the Latest Software Release and Recommended Software Release fields. You can view the release notes of displayed releases by clicking the "?" icon next to it.

The Last Software Check field displays the time stamp of the last automatic or manual software check.

If your Cisco.com username, password, or both, are not valid, then the software check will fail and you will not be able to a perform the software update.

Step 5

Manually run a software check by clicking Check Now.

You can manually run a software check at any time by clicking Check Now.

Step 6

To proceed with the software update, click Update.

The Software Update Wizard appears. The wizard takes you through the following three tabs in sequence:

  • Release tab—Specify whether you want to update to the recommended software release or the latest software release

  • Update tab—Specify when the APs should be reset. You can opt to have it done right away or schedule it for a later time.

    To set the controller to automatically reboot after the image pre-download is complete, check the Auto Restart check box.

  • Confirm tab—Confirm your selections.

Follow the instructions in the wizard. You can go back to any tab at anytime before you click Confirm. After you click Confirm, the Cisco Software EULA is displayed.

Step 7

Click Agree to accept the EULA and start the update. The update will cancel displaying an error if you do not accept the EULA.

You can cancel a software update that is in progress, at anytime before the controller completes rebooting, by clicking Abort.

What to do next

You can monitor the status and progress of the update on the Software Update page. The following data is displayed as the update progresses:

  • Total number of APs in the network.

  • Number of APs that:

    • Are currently being updated.

    • Are waiting to be updated.

    • Are being rebooted.

    • Failed to update.

Additionally for each AP, the progress of the update is also shown using the following data:

  • AP Name

  • State - Waiting to be updated, Pre-downloading software, Rebooting, or Failed

  • Download Percentage with color

  • Update Attempts

  • Last Update Error

You can cancel a software update that is in progress, at anytime before the controller completes rebooting, by clicking Abort.