Configuration

Groups

What are groups?

A group in HPE Aruba Networking Central is a primary configuration element that functions as a container for device management, monitoring, and maintenance. Groups enable administrators to combine devices with identical configuration requirements and manage these devices efficiently by using either a UI-based configuration workflow or CLI-based configuration template.

Device groups provide the following functions and benefits:

• Ability to provision multiple devices in a single group. For example, a group can consist of multiple Instant AP Virtual Controllers (VCs). These VCs can share common configuration settings and push the configuration updates to member Instant APs in their respective Instant AP clusters. For example, you can apply a common security policy for the devices deployed in a specific geographical location.
• Ability to provision different types of devices in a group. For example, a group can consist of Instant APs, Gateways, and Switches.
• Ability to create a configuration base and add devices as necessary. When you assign a new device to a group, it inherits the configuration that is currently applied to the group.
• Ability to create a clone of an existing group. If you want to build a new group based on an existing group, you can create a clone of the group and customize it as per your network requirements.

What is a Group Persona?

A persona of a device represents the role that the device plays in a network deployment. Creating persona for devices helps in customizing configuration workflows, automating parts of configurations, showing the default configuration, showing relevant settings for the device. Persona configuration also helps in customizing the monitoring screens and troubleshooting workflows appropriate for the device. For more information, see Group Persona.

What is a UI group?

UI groups refer to the device configuration constructs that allow you to customize and manage configuration parameters using UI workflows. For example, Instant APs in a UI group can be configured using the menu options under Organization > Network Structure > Groups.

What is a template group?

Template groups allow you to manage device configuration through CLI-based configuration templates. You can combine devices with the similar configuration requirements in a single template group and apply a common configuration template to these devices.

What is a default group?

The default group is a system-defined group that consists of devices running factory default configuration. When a new device with factory default configuration connects to HPE Aruba Networking Central, it is automatically added to the default group.

Why is my device marked as unprovisioned?

If a device has customized configuration and connects to HPE Aruba Networking Central, HPE Aruba Networking Central marks this device as Unprovisioned. If you want to preserve the device configuration, you can create a new group and assign this device to the newly created group. If you want to overwrite the configuration, you can move the unprovisioned device to an existing group.

How does group assignment work in HPE Aruba Networking Central?

HPE Aruba Networking Central allows you to assign devices to groups before they can connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central. If you have pre-provisioned your new devices to groups, the devices join the pre-assigned groups after they connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central.

If devices are not pre-provisioned, HPE Aruba Networking Central assigns devices to groups based on the group assignment criteria illustrated in the following figure:

How do I to create a UI group?

To create a group, complete the following steps:

1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.
2. Under Maintain, click Organization.

   By default, the Network Structure tab is displayed.

3. Click the Groups tile.

   The Groups page is displayed.

4. Click (+) Add Group on the Groups table.

   The Add Group page is displayed.

5. Enter a name for the group.

   To name a group, see the following guidelines:

   • The group name can be a maximum of 32 single byte ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. An ASCII code is a numerical representation of a character or an action. characters if you use the UI to create the names. However, if you are using an NB API Northbound Application Programming Interface. A northbound interface is an application programming interface (API) or protocol that allows a lower-level network component to communicate with a higher-level or more central component., the character limit increases to 128.
   • The group name supports alphanumeric characters and hyphen, underscore, and space as special characters.
   • System-defined group names such as default, unprovisioned, and global are not allowed in group names.

   By default, HPE Aruba Networking Central enables the UI-based configuration.

6. Select device types that will be part of this group. A group can contain following devices:
   • Access points
   • Gateways
   • Switches

   For detailed device combinations, refer to the Creating a Group Persona with AOS-8 Architecture table.

7. Click Next.
8. Select the Architecture (ArubaOS 8) and Network role for access points and gateways. For more information, see Group Persona.
9. Select the type of switches used in the group.
10. Select the check box for Make these the preferred group settings optionally to save the architecture and persona settings of the current group for subsequent group creations.
11. Click Add.

    An UI group with persona configuration is created.

How do I create a template group?

To create a template group, complete the following steps:

1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.
   The global dashboard is displayed.
2. Under Maintain, click Organization.

   By default, the Network Structure tab is displayed.

3. Click the Groups tile.

   The Groups page is displayed.

4. Click (+) Add Group on the Groups table.

   The Add Group page is displayed.

5. Enter the name of the group.

   The group name can be a maximum of 32 single byte ASCII characters if you use the UI to create the names. However, if you are using an NB API Application Programming Interface. Refers to a set of functions, procedures, protocols, and tools that enable users to build application software., the character limit increases to 128. A group name supports all special characters excluding the “>” character. System-defined group names such as “default”, “unprovisioned”, and “global” are not allowed in group names.

   By default, HPE Aruba Networking Central enables the UI-based configuration. The template-based configuration is displayed only when you select devices in the Add group page. Use the toggle button to enable the Configure using templates.

6. Select the device types for which you want to create a template group:
• IAP and Gateway
• Switch

For detailed device combinations, refer to the Creating a Group Persona with AOS-8 Architecture table.

7. Click Next.
8. Select the Architecture (AOS-8) and Network role for access points and gateways. For more information, see Group Persona.
9. Select the type of switches used in the group.
10. Select the check box for Make these the preferred group settings optionally to save the architecture and persona settings of the current group for subsequent group creations.
11. Click Add.

    A template group with persona configuration is created.

How do I assign a device to a group?

To assign a device to a group, complete the following steps:

1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.
   The global dashboard is displayed.
2. Under Maintain, click Organization.

   By default, the Network Structure tab is displayed.

3. Click the Groups tile.

   The Groups page is displayed.

4. Expand a group from which you want to move device to the selected group. For example, expand the Unprovisioned Devices group, select the device, and then click the Move devices icon.

   The Move Devices page is displayed.

   You can assign only particular devices for which the group is created. For example, if a group is created for Access Points only, then only Access Points can be assigned to that group. You cannot assign other devices to it.

5. Select the Destination Group from the drop-down list.
6. Click Move.

   The selected device is moved to the destination group. These devices will adopt the destination group configuration.

How do I import configuration from a device to a new group?

You can create a new group by importing configuration from a device. The import configuration is supported only for IAPs with AOS-8 architecture. You can create a new group for IAPs with AOS-8 architecture by importing configuration from an IAP. You can add more devices later by editing the group.

To import configuration from an existing IAP to a new group, complete the following steps:

1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.
2. Under Maintain, click Organization.

   By default, the Network Structure tab is displayed.

3. Click the Groups tile.

   The Groups page is displayed.

4. Expand a group which has IAP devices.
5. Select the IAP with ArubaOS 8 architecture.
6. Click the Import Group icon.

   The Import Configuration pop-up window is displayed.

7. Enter a name for the group.
8. Click Add.

   A group is created with the configuration imported from a device.

How do I clone a group?

Cloning a group will clone the same architecture and persona from the source group.

To clone a group, complete the following steps:

1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.
2. Under Maintain, click Organization.

   By default, the Network Structure tab is displayed.

3. Click the Groups tile.

   The Groups page is displayed.

4. To create a clone of an existing group, hover over the group in the groups table and click the Clone Group icon.

   The Clone Group page is displayed.

5. Enter a name for the cloned group.
6. Click Clone.

   A new group is created from the source group settings.

How do I move devices between groups?

You can move devices between groups. When devices are moved from one group to another group, the devices will adopt the destination group configuration.

To move a device from one group to another group, complete the following steps:

1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.
2. Under Maintain, click Organization.

   By default, the Network Structure tab is displayed.

3. Click the Groups tile.

   The Groups page is displayed.

4. Expand a group from which you want to move devices to the selected group. For example, expand the Unprovisioned Devices group, select the devices, and then click the Move devices icon.

   The Move Devices page is displayed.

5. Select the Destination Group from the drop-down list.
6. Click Move.

   The selected devices are moved to the destination group. These devices will adopt the destination group configuration.

How do I provision devices in groups?

For information provisioning devices in groups, see the following topics:

• Provisioning Devices Using UI-based Workflows
• Provision Devices Using Configuration Templates

How do I delete a group?

If you no longer required a group, you can delete it. The delete option is available only for the groups that have no devices.

To delete a group, complete the following steps:

1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.
2. Under Maintain, click Organization.

   By default, the Network Structure tab is displayed.

3. Click the Groups tile.

   The Groups page is displayed.

4. From the list of groups, hover over the group in the groups table and click the Delete Group icon.

   The Delete Group confirmation window is displayed.

5. Click Yes to confirm.

   The group is deleted.

How should I structure groups for my deployment?

To structure groups in HPE Aruba Networking Central, follow these best practices:

• Create few groups if necessary, as lesser groups facilitate easier operations.

• Avoid creating groups per building or site, as changes need to be duplicated across groups.

• Make groups for functionally related devices. For example: all access switches or all wireless devices.

• Create groups with the correct persona (for example: CX only, AOS-10, Central 3.x), as it influences the available configuration options and feature operations.

Sites and Labels

What is a site?

A site defines a location where a set of managed devices are physically installed. Sites can contain APs, Gateways, and Switches.

What is a label?

Labels are tags attached to a device provisioned in the network. Labels can be used to tag devices to indicate ownership, departments, or a particular area of deployment. You can also use labels for creating a logical set of devices and use these labels as filters when monitoring devices or generating reports.

The label strings can also be used for searching a devices.

How are sites different from labels?

Although labels can be used to tag the device deployed in a specific location, sites allow you to define the physical location at a higher level. For example, you can assign all your devices in particular geographical location to a site and use labels for further distinction; for example, floor or lobby. You can also use site as a primary navigation element for monitoring and reporting purposes.

When should I use sites?

If your setup requires you to filter devices based on a physical location, create sites and assign devices. HPE Aruba Networking Central allows you to use sites as primary navigation elements.

How should I structure sites for my deployment?

Sites are organized by a single building, co-located buildings, or a logical grouping of buildings. Sites can be used for monitoring and defining the scope of alerts, events, and AI Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. AI reduces trouble tickets by identifying the network entity that is facing problems through event correlation and root cause analysis. Insights.

What are the benefits of using sites?

Sites provide the following benefits:

• Allows the network administrator to narrow down the scope of resolution for network issues such as AI Insights.

• Enable efficient workflows such as auto-clustering, live upgrades, visualize critical dashboards, KPIs, and metrics such as Site Health, Topology View, AI Insights, and Reports.

What functionality will I lose by not implementing sites?

• If a tenant does not implement sites, it can lose the following functionalities:

  • Ability to view the topology diagram of the HPE Aruba Networking Central managed devices and third party network devices. For more information, see Topology Tab in Site Dashboard.

    

  • Ability to add floor plans and view RF Radio Frequency. RF refers to the electromagnetic wave frequencies within a range of 3 kHz to 300 GHz, including the frequencies used for communications or Radar signals. propagation for AP coverage. For more information, see About Floor plan.

    

  • Ability to accurately identify the scope of network issues as broken down by AI Insights as well as loss of context at a site level. For more information, see AI Insights in Global Dashboard.

    For example, if you have an AI Insight which says Clients with High 802.1X Authentication Failures, you will not be able to view a breakdown of the impacted sites and how each of them contribute to the failure.

    

    

  • Ability to use filters in various tables, such as Global Device, Client, Alerts, Audit-trail, Wi-Fi Wi-Fi is a technology that allows electronic devices to connect to a WLAN network, mainly using the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio bands. Wi-Fi can apply to products that use any 802.11 standard. Connectivity, AI Insights and so on.