Specifications

Chapter 9 IOS® Software and Network Management
9-22
CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine
CiscoWorks Wireless LAN Solution Engine
CiscoWorks WLSE is a centralized systems-level solution for managing the entire Cisco
Aironet® WLAN infrastructure. Advanced air/radio frequency (RF) and device
management tools eliminate complexity and give administrators visibility into the WLAN.
By quickly and easily detecting, locating, and disabling unauthorized (rogue) access points,
CiscoWorks WLSE helps ensure security, while ensuring that policies are consistently
applied throughout the network. This advanced capability can benefit any organization,
including those that have not deployed WLANs but still want to guard against intruders.
New in 2.7 is self-healing WLANs, an advanced radio management feature that enables a
Cisco Aironet Series access point to adjust its cell coverage area automatically to
compensate for an adjacent disabled or failed access point. CiscoWorks WLSE further
optimizes performance by detecting and locating RF interference, while proactively
monitoring utilization and faults.
CiscoWorks WLSE automates a range of previously time-consuming and repetitive tasks,
such as bulk firmware updates and mass configuration of access points and bridges.
CiscoWorks WLSE may be transparently integrated with other network management
systems (NMSs), operations support systems, and CiscoWorks applications. CiscoWorks
WLSE runs on the CiscoWorks 1130 for Wireless LAN Solution Engine hardware platform,
which is one rack unit high.
When to Sell
Key Features
• Self-healing WLANs—If it detects that an access point has failed, it compensates by
automatically increasing the power and cell coverage of nearby access points
• Additional device support—RF management support has been added for Cisco Aironet
1200 Series and Cisco Aironet 1100 Series access points with IEEE 802.11a and 802.11g
radios, including Cisco Aironet 1200 Series dual mode radios (802.11a/802.11b and
802.11a/802.11g), and Cisco Aironet 1400 Series Wireless Bridge.
• Security and Wireless LAN Intrusion Detection System (IDS)—Protects organizations’
RF environments and WLAN networks from unauthorized access
– Integrated IDS—Standard Cisco Aironet access points are deployed with the radio
(802.11a, b, or g) placed in multifunction mode to service client devices and to provide
WLAN intrusion monitoring
– Dedicated IDS—A dedicated access-point-only WLAN is deployed with the access point
radio (802.11a, b, or g) placed in radio scan mode to support only WLAN intrusion
monitoring
• Assisted site surveys and automated resite surveys—Automates the process of
determining optimal access point radio transmit power and channel selection.
• Open Extensible Markup Language (XML) API—RF management data, in addition to
network management data, may be accessed by third-party management systems using
XML
• Real-time client tracking and reporting—A variety of reports, including real-time client
tracking, present a powerful set of tools for troubleshooting and capacity planning
Sell This Product When a Customer Needs These Features
CiscoWorks Wireless LAN
Solution Engine
The CiscoWorks WLSE is ideal for enterprise customers:
• Implementing large-scale Cisco Aironet WLAN infrastructures
• Template-based configuration tool which can include a large number of uniform policies for Cisco access
points and bridges
• Access point and bridge mis-configuration alerts to minimize security vulnerabilities
• Proactive fault and performance monitoring of Cisco access points, bridges, LEAP authentication server, and
switches connected to the access points