How to flat your WLAN controller?

How to flat your WLAN controller?

Although we often regard WLAN as the main method of mobile data, it still has two other key features.

The first feature is management, which is reflected in the Management Console of a specific product. The console provides configuration, visibility, alarm and warning, troubleshooting, high-performance, and many other functions, however, most of the current management policies are based on the creation and execution, service categories, and service quality (the key to traffic limitation) security of a given user group, and many other policies related to execution (from radio resource management to BYOD to visitor access to others.

The second feature is more practical-the WLAN controller, or the more appropriate WLAN control function. Imagine a situation where a layer of control function is located between the management function (reset policy) and system data exchange based on these policies. In fact, the first layer is a very appropriate metaphor. We generally portray the features of a WLAN system as three platforms: management, control, and data.

I like to describe the control platform as an operating system of the WLAN system. It knows and optimizes the functions of the Data Platform to execute and vigorously implement the management platform policy. How a supplier processes a control platform often determines the performance of its WLAN system. Today, this is more important than wireless devices and antennas in determining whether the WLAN is successful.

Deploy a WLAN Controller

There is a lot of controversy about how to deploy the Control Platform in enterprise-level WLAN. There are two main representative views. The first is the implementation of central control, usually through a dedicated physical controller device, usually based on the single board computer operation to achieve control functions (sometimes management functions) of the software. The second is distributed control, also known as "controllerless". Of course, the control function is still in progress and will not disappear. In this architecture, there is no controller device, and Access Points Replace the control information exchange.

Which one is better? Supporters of the centralized mode believe that the WLAN controller makes the entire wireless network visible, so resource allocation and traffic optimization decisions are more efficient. The supporter of the support for distribution mode pointed out that canceling the controller can save costs without damaging the function, and it is likely to be a large part of the cost, because in the centralized mode, redundant controllers are required to ensure business continuity when the WLAN controller fails or is offline.

What's more complicated is the virtualization of the WLAN Controller, in other words, locating it in the cloud. Some vendors even use cloud-based control as a service. However, it is not easy to select WLAN vendors and their systems. IT managers should actively understand a solution that can handle specific scaling, performance, and management needs. Once the Controller or control function starts and runs, there are few other major changes except occasional software upgrades.