Owners manual
287 | Aruba Instant 6.4.0.2-4.1 | User Guide
The Aruba Central user interface provides a standard Web-based interface that allows you to configure and monitor
multiple Aruba Instant networks from anywhere with a connection to the Internet. Central supports all the IAPs
running 6.2.1.0-3.3.0.0 or later versions.
Using Central, individual users can manage their own wireless network. This user interface is accessible through a
standard Web browser and can be launched using various browsers. Aruba Central uses a secure HTTPs
connection and provides a strong mutual authentication mechanism using certificates for all communication with
IAPs. These certificates ensure the highest level of protection.
Provisioning an IAP using Central
After you subscribe and register an IAP, log in to the Central dashboard to manage your IAP using the URL,
https://portal.central.arubanetworks.com.
The Central user interface is categorized into the following sections:
1. Monitoring
2. Configuration
3. Reporting
4. Maintenance
These sections are layered under groups. The configuration details of the IAPs are defined at a group level. Any IAP
joining a group inherits the configuration defined for the group. After you create a group, navigate to the Configuration
section and create a new SSID. Aruba Central supports zero touch provisioning, which allows the network
administrators to configure the IAPs even before the hardware arrives.
After you power on the IAP and connect to the uplink port, the IAP under the default group in the Aruba Central user
interface is displayed. You can choose to move the IAP to a different group that you created. The configuration
defined in this group is automatically applied to the IAP.
Maintaining the Subscription List
Aruba Central maintains a subscription list for the IAPs. If an IAP is not included in this list, Central identifies it as an
unauthorized IAP and prevents it from joining the network. The service providers use Aruba Central to track the
subscription of each IAP based on its serial number and MAC address.
The following types of subscription status are listed for the IAPs:
l Active – Central allows the IAP to join the network.
l Expired - Central denies the IAP from joining the network.
If the status of a master IAP changes from active to expired, the virtual controller is set to factory
defaults and reboots.
If the status of a slave IAP changes from active to expired, the virtual controller sets the slave IAP to
factory defaults and reboots the IAP.
l Unknown - Central does not allow the IAP to join the network. However, it gives an option to retry the connection.
The list maintained by Aruba Central is different from the list maintained by the end-users. So, Central can prevent
an IAP from joining the network when the subscription expires, even if the IAP is present in the subscription list
maintained by the end-user.
The subscription list is dynamic and gets updated each time an IAP is included in Central.