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User Experience Insight Deploy

This section details the steps to deploy UXI for Orange Widget Logistics (OWL) described on the Reference Customer page. The IT department has a centralized helpdesk call center in the Roseville, CA, headquarters, with no IT presence in other branch and office locations. UXI sensors are deployed and configured to monitor network and application performance at the Seattle campus. The deployment process in this guide can be repeated for the rest of the locations. The deployed solution uses the following products:

  • Aruba UXI Cloud Dashboard
  • Aruba UXI Sensor UX-G5 and UX-G6 Series

Prepare for UXI Deployment

To ensure a successful deployment, complete the preparatory tasks below before installation and configuration of the UXI sensors.

URL Access

UXI sensors communicate with multiple systems to download configuration and upload test results. The list of the URLs below must be accessible by the sensors in order to function correctly. Additional services used for testing should also be allow-listed to enable proper testing.

Backend Systems

The URL https://device-gateway.capenetworks.io is essential for all communication between Aruba UXI sensors and their backend systems. It must be accessible by the sensors.

Caution: Do not use SSL decryption for the URL above.

Date and Time

The sensor uses one of the following methods to obtain the correct time:

  • NTP servers provided in DHCP option 42.
  • The publicly accessible 0.pool.ntp.org NTP server(s).

  • If NTP is unavailable, the sensor syncs time via HTTP from http://device-gateway.capenetworks.io/ on port 80.

  • If the URL http://device-gateway.capenetworks.io/ is not accessible on port 80, the sensor attempts to sync via HTTPS from https://device-gateway.capenetworks.io/ on port 443.

Captive Portal and Proxy Detection

Reachability to http://cdn.capenetworks.io/auth on port 80 serves as a critical test for detecting the presence of a captive portal and identifying potential proxy-related issues during the Capenetworks sensor’s test cycle. Depending on the test results, the sensor takes appropriate actions, such as continuing the regular test cycle, running the captive portal test, or reporting errors related to the captive portal and proxy configurations. More details can be found in the UXI Troubleshooting Guide

External Connectivity Detection

The sensor uses the following URLs to test for external connectivity. If the URLs cannot be accessed, the sensor reports a No connectivity issue on the dashboard.

http://cdn.capenetworks.io/auth

http://cdn.capenetworks.io/connectivity-check

http://35.241.22.134/auth.html

http://35.241.22.134/connectivity-check

http://captive.apple.com/hotspot-detect.html

http://connectivitycheck.gstatic.com/generate_204

Caution: If a network has a captive portal in place, it is advisable not to allowlist the above URLs, which may prevent the proper redirection of the sensor to the Captive Portal. Instead, these URLs should be accessible, but unauthenticated clients should receive a captive portal redirect response.

More information can be found in this UXI URL help article.

UXI Account Activation

To activate a new account, go to the Aruba UXI activation page and follow the steps below.

Step 1 Enter a name and email address, then click the Next button.

Step 2 A notification appears. An email containing a link to continue the activation process is sent to the email account provided.

Step 3 Open the email and click the Set up password button.

Step 4 When the web browser opens, type and verify a new password, then click the Set password button.

Step 5 Click the Login button.

Step 6 When redirected to the dashboard login page, bookmark it, enter the email address as the login, and click the Continue button. This page is used to access the dashboard going forward.

Step 7 Enter the newly created password and click the LOG IN button.

Step 8 If prompted, review the EULA, check the box acknowledging the terms, then click the Agree button to proceed to the subscription page.

Step 9 When prompted, enter the subscription key. If it has not yet been received, check the box next to Use a grace key to continue the activation process while the subscription key is sent.

Step 10 On the next page, provide a name for the account (e.g. company name) and specify if this user is the billing contact for this account. If it is not, deselect the button, provide the name and email address of the proper billing contact, and click the Next button.

Step 11 Activation is now complete. Click the Go to account button.

Step 12 When prompted to set up the first sensor, click the grey Skip onboarding link at the bottom of the page, then proceed to the next section.

Deploy UXI

With an active customer account, sensor deployment can begin, starting with sensor onboarding.

Onboard Sensors

To onboard the new UXI sensors, follow the steps below.

Step 1 Go to the UXI Dashboard and log in using your newly created credentials.

Step 2 On the Circles page, click the More Options icon (1) followed by Settings (2) in the image below.

Settings Menu

Step 3 On the Settings page, click Sensors & Agents on the left menu. Then click the + Add button on the upper right.

Add Sensor

Step 4 When prompted for the type of sensor to be added, select Sensor and click Proceed.

Select Sensor

Step 5 Select Add a single sensor and enter the serial number and MAC address of the sensor. Click **Submit.

Sensor Serial and MAC

Note: When onboarding a large number of sensors, the Add multiple sensors option can be used to onboard using a CSV file.

Step 1 After a few minutes, if the sensor is powered up and online, it appears in the Unconfigured section of the Sensors & Agents page with a status of Waiting for sensor config.

Sensor Onboarded

Step 2 Repeat steps 1 to 6 to onboard the remaining sensors.

Configure Dashboard

Create Groups

With sensors onboarded, the next step is to create the Roseville campus group.

Step 1 In the Settings page, select Groups on the left menu, then click the + Add Group button on the upper right. Add Group

Step 2 When prompted, enter the name and alias of the Roseville group and click Add.Add Group 2

Step 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 to create additional groups.

Note: Group hierarchy is now available to customers upon request. See the UXI Groups help page for features and instructions.

Configure Network Monitoring

With the new Roseville Campus group created, the next step is to configure the network and service tests. This guide uses the following network settings.

Network TypeSSID/AliasSecurityUsernamePassword/PassphraseAdvanced
WirelessOWLCorpPEAP/MSCHAPv2uxiserviceUx153rv1c3!Band = 5 GHz
WirelessOWLIoTPSKN/AUx153rv1c3!None
WiredGuestNoneN/AN/AVLAN = 2
WiredManagementNoneN/AN/ANone

Note: While there is no limit to the number of networks that can be created on the UXI dashboard, each sensor supports up to four networks in any combination of wired and wireless. For more information, visit the Testing Multiple Networks page.

Step 1 On the Settings page, select Wireless on the left menu and click the + Add Network button on the upper right of the page. Add Network

Step 2 In the Add SSID window, enter the following information for OWLCorp SSID:

  • SSID: OWLCorp

  • Alias: OWLCorp

  • Security: Enterprise

  • Auth Method: Password

  • EAP Type: PEAP

  • Phase 2 Auth: MS-CHAPv2

  • Username: uxiservice

  • Password: Ux153rv1c3!

Add SSID

Step 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 above to add the next wireless network in the table at the beginning of this section.

Step 4 To configure the wired Guest network on the table, select Wired on the left menu, then click the + Add Network button on the upper right. Add Wired Network

Step 5 In the Add Wired Network window, assign the following settings, then scroll to the bottom and click the Add button.

  • Alias: Guest
  • Specify VLAN: Enable
  • VLAN ID: 2

Add Wired Network

Step 6 Repeat steps 4 and 5 to add the last wired network in the table

Note: For guest networks with captive portals, follow the steps on the Aruba UXI Captive Portal Setup page.

Configure Services and App Tests

OWL hosts multiple large customers every week. Fast, reliable, and stable connectivity to both internal and external resources is crucial. To provide reliable connectivity, the following services are monitored:

Service TypeTemplateTitleTargetTestsFrequency
InternalCustom/WebserverWebserver172.16.23.36HTTP, ICMP PingFastest
ExternalPredefined/SalesforceN/Awww.salesforce.comHTTP, HTTPS, ICPM Ping30 Min
InternalCustom/Telnet ServerAS400as400.corp.owllogistics.comPort 2310 Min
Select Groups

To add a new test to sensors in a specific group or network, follow the steps below.

Caution: When creating a new test, the default selection includes all groups, sensors, and networks, leading to global application. Ensure that the correct groups, SSIDs, and ethernet networks are chosen in advance to avoid unintended application across all of them.

Step 1 On the Settings page, select Service & App Tests in the left pane, then click the Change Selection button on the upper right.Select Networks and Groups

Step 2 Ensure that the Roseville Campus group and the required wired and wireless networks are selected by checking the appropriate boxes, then click the Close Selection button on the upper right.Select Networks and Groups 2

Note: For more detail about network and group selection, go to the Selecting Groups and Networks While Configuring Tests page.

Add Internal Web Server Test

The first test added is for the internal web server. Aruba UXI tests a web server by checking the following:

  • Port availability
  • HTTP status codes

Follow the steps below to configure the first test in the service table above.

Step 1 On the Settings page, select Service & App Tests in the left pane and click the Add Test button on the upper right.

Add Test

Step 2 In the Add Test window, enter the following information and click the Add button.

  • Service Category: Internal
  • Template Type: Custom
  • Test Template: Webserver
  • Title: Webserver
  • Target: 172.16.23.36
  • Tests:
    • HTTP: enabled
    • HTTPS: disabled
    • ICMP ping: enabled
    • HTTP status codes: disabled
    • Validate SSL Certificate: disabled
  • Frequency: Fastest
  • Rate Limit: disabled

Add Tests

Note: User Experience Insight now provides customers with a deeper understanding of web application performance from the end-user perspective with the Web Application Testing (WAT) framework. For more details, visit the UXI Web Application Testing page.

Add External Predefined Test

With the proper groups selected as instructed in the Select Groups section above, proceed to configure the second test.

Step 1 On the Settings page, select Service & App Tests in the left pane and click the Add Test button on the upper right.

Add Test

Step 2 In the next Add Test window, enter the following information and click the Add button.

  • Service Category: External
  • Template Type: Predefined
  • Test Template: Salesforce
  • Target: 172.16.23.36
  • Tests:
    • HTTP: Port 80
    • HTTPS: Port 443
    • ICMP ping: enabled
  • Frequency: 30 Min
  • Rate Limit: disabled

Add Salesforce Test

Add Custom Test Template

Aruba UXI includes customizable tests that provide useful end-user experience data and analytics for applications and services. Use the following procedure to configure the custom test template listed as the last test in the Tests table above.

Step 1 With the proper groups selected as instructed in the Select Groups section above, proceed to configure the custom test(s).

Step 2 On the Settings page, select Service & App Tests in the left pane and click the Add Test button on the upper right

Add Test

Step 3 In the next Add Test window, enter the following information and click the Add button.

  • Service Category: Internal
  • Template Type: Custom
  • Test Template: Telnet Server
  • Target: as400.corp.owllogistics.com
  • Tests:
    • Search String: (leave blank)
    • Port: 23
  • Frequency: 30 Min
  • Rate Limit: disabled

Add Telnet Test

Configure Alerts

Aruba UXI alerts include dashboard notifications and emails. Follow the steps below to review and edit as needed.

Thresholds

Thresholds are calculated by taking a rolling mean over the last three measurements. Threshold breaches must last for a specified duration before they are reported.

Use the default settings for the initial deployment, then monitor for a few weeks to establish a baseline for the sites. If threshold changes are needed, modify and review them using the steps below.

Step 1 On the Settings page, select Thresholds under Alerts and review the Wi-Fi thresholds.

Step 2 Click the slider to the right of each line to enable or disable monitoring for the related issue.

Step 3 Click the pencil icon on the right of the enable/disable slider to modify the thresholds.

Step 4 Repeat steps 1 to 3 for Network, Internal, and External thresholds.

Notifications

To subscribe to notifications, follow the steps below.

Step 1 In the same Alerts section of the left pane, click Notifications and review or modify the configuration.

Step 2 Under the Subscribe to Alerts section, click the slider on the right of the notifications to be enabled.

Step 3 Click the pencil icon on the right of the alert email address to modify the email, notification hours, and/or time zone.

Configure Sensors

After configuring network testing, groups, and alerting, the sensors can be renamed and added to their designated groups. The steps below install the sensors according to OWL’s requirements.

Organize and Rename

Follow the steps below to rename sensors and assign them to their designated groups.

Step 1 On the Settings page, click Sensors & Agents in the left menu and type the serial number of the first sensor in the Filter box (1). Hover the mouse cursor over the sensor line item and click the Config Sensor icon (2) that appears.Sensors and Agents

Step 2 On the Add Configuration page, configure the sensor using the following settings and click the Add button:

  • Name: RSVCP-UXI1

  • Group: Roseville Campus

  • Wireless:

    • OWLCorp
    • OWLIoT

  • Wired:

    • Guest
    • Management

    Add Configuration

Step 3 Verify that the sensor moves to the Configured list. Configured Sensor

Step 4 Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the remaining sensors.

Mount and Connect

Because Aruba UXI sensors are intended to test user experience, they should be placed where users connect. They can be permanently fixed in certain areas or temporarily relocated for events that may require extra monitoring, such as company meetings or press conferences.

OWL’s requirements call for the permanent installation of three UXI Sensors.

Detailed installation steps and options can be found in the Aruba User Experience Insight (UXI) - Sensors tech brief.

Monitor

The time a sensor takes to be detected on the dashboard can vary depending on what process it needs to go through.

When the sensor is first powered, startup software is activated to facilitate faster onboarding: this is designated by a solid white LED. The software uploads an AP scan while the main software is still starting up. On Ethernet, the sensor should be detected on the dashboard within 30 seconds or about 40 seconds when using mobile only.

If the software onboarding does not succeed, wait for the main software to run (designated by the flashing white LED) before the sensor is detected. This will happen about 2 minutes after powering up the sensor.

The time for the sensor to start testing an SSID varies from this point onward. If the sensor must update to the latest release, testing starts approximately 5 minutes after powering up (if configured on the dashboard). On a bad mobile connection or if the software requires multiple updates, the time can be extended to 10-15 minutes.

Note: If the LED color is orange, the sensor has no external connectivity.

See the legend below for the meaning of the sensor LED status lights:

STATUS LIGHT

Status LEDs

When all three sensors are connected and mounted, log into the UXI dashboard to verify they are collecting performance data as designed.

This concludes the UXI deployment for example customer, OWL Corporation.

Additional Resources

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