Aruba Wireless Management System 7: Review

For my HP switch, AWMS displayed an assortment of information culled via SNMP. From the Adobe-Flash heavy AMP console, I could track switch memory and CPU utilisation (averages and maximums), as well as bandwidth utilisation (average and max kbps, in and out). By default, each graph shows only a few hours of activity, but I could easily adjust the time frame to show a year’s worth of data using the simple slider bar underneath the graphs.

I could view port status of each managed switch from within AMP, as well as the firmware revision on the device. AWMS collects CDP data from the network, which provides some insight into how devices are interconnected. Lastly, I was able to upload the switch configuration from a known good source as a baseline template, which allows AWMS to notify me if the switch configuration or firmware level changes from that mark.

Unlike with the HP switch, I found AWMS let me move Cisco Catalyst switches out of monitor-only mode to read/write mode, allowing me to upload templates from AWMS to the switch in order to adjust the running or startup-config files, with AWMS tracking all configuration files used over time. Unfortunately, I could not yet upload updated versions of IOS to the switches via AWMS, a disappointment since Airwave has included firmware management of Cisco access points for years.

HP could be a competitor

Although I have not tested HP’s H3C multiplatform-supporting Intelligent Management Center, the demonstrations I saw at Interop in April hint that a wider array of wired networking vendors will be manageable through their solution. As a trade-off, however, HP’s wireless and RF management capabilities likely can’t match that available through AWMS.

AWMS 7.0 also brings customisable administrative views to the table, allowing enterprises with large IT staffs to tailor access to AMP according the IT staffer’s responsibilities. AMP comes with two roles predefined: an auditing role with top-level, read-only access to the AP/Device Manager and VisualRF; and an Admin role with complete system access. I found I could add additional roles, with separate controls defining read and write access to the device tab, VisualRF and RAPIDS. If I organise my managed devices into folders within AMP (say one for New York and another for San Francisco), I could also restrict a role’s oversight to certain parts of my infrastructure.

Although it has been several years since I last reviewed AirWave, I was nonetheless impressed with the amount of improvement within the platform when it comes to wireless detections, particularly user tracking within the VisualRF module. I particularly liked the historical location feature, allowing me to play back and view a single Wi-Fi client device’s connections and movement over a period of time, providing historical and location context around any service problems reported after the fact.

Although I did not test it as part of this review, Aruba also now offers an optional Mobile Device Manager module for AWMS 7, extending the platform’s reach beyond the infrastructure and the connection to encompass the endpoint device itself. While the VisualRF module already tracks Wi-Fi client usage information such as IP and MAC addressing, associated users, plus connection and location tracking over time, the MDM module purports to add additional over-the-air management capabilities such as inventory tracking, remote control and reboot options, and software deployment for certain classes of in-the-field devices, including handhelds, kiosks and wireless printers.

Windows-based devices (running Windows Mobile, Windows CE, or Windows XP) are supported by the MDM module via the use of a lightweight client service on the endpoint, while O’Neal printers are supported without need for any agent.