Table Of Contents

Overview

Overview of the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution

Overview of WCS

WCS Versions

WCS Base

WCS Location

Relationship with Cisco Location Appliances

Comparison of WCS Base and WCS Location

WCS User Interface

WCS Features

Controller Autodiscovery

Alarm Email Notification

RF Calibration Tool

Overview

---

This chapter describes the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution and the Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS). It contains these sections:

•Overview of the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution

•Overview of WCS

•WCS Versions

•WCS User Interface

•WCS Features

Overview of the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution

The Cisco Wireless LAN solution is designed to provide 802.11 wireless networking solutions for enterprises and service providers. It simplifies the deployment and management of large-scale wireless LANs and enables a unique best-in-class security infrastructure. The operating system manages all data client, communications, and system administration functions, performs radio resource management (RRM) functions, manages system-wide mobility policies using the operating system security solution, and coordinates all security functions using the operating system security framework.

The Cisco Wireless LAN Solution consists of Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers (hereafter called controllers) and their associated lightweight access points controlled by the operating system, all concurrently managed by any or all of the operating system user interfaces:

•An HTTPS full-featured web user interface hosted by Cisco controllers can be used to configure and monitor individual controllers.

•A full-featured command line interface (CLI) can be used to configure and monitor individual controllers.

•The Cisco Wireless Control System
.;l (WCS) can be used to configure and monitor one or more controllers and associated access points. WCS has tools to facilitate large-system monitoring and control. It runs on Windows 2000, Windows 2003, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 3 servers.

•An industry-standard SNMP V1, V2c, and V3 interface can be used with any SNMP-compliant third-party network management system.

The Cisco Wireless LAN Solution supports client data services, client monitoring and control, and all rogue access point detection, monitoring, and containment functions. It uses lightweight access points, controllers, and the optional WCS to provide wireless services to enterprises and service providers.

---

Note This document refers to controllers throughout. Unless specified otherwise, the descriptions herein apply to all Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers, including but not limited to Cisco 2000 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, Cisco 4100 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, Cisco 4400 Series Wireless LAN Controllers, and controllers within the Cisco Wireless Services Module (WiSM) and Cisco 26/28/37/38xx Series Integrated Services Routers.

---

Figure 1-1 shows the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution components, which can be simultaneously deployed across multiple floors and buildings.

Figure 1-1 Cisco Wireless LAN Solution Components

Overview of WCS

The Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) is a Cisco Wireless LAN Solution network management tool that adds to the capabilities of the web user interface and command line interface (CLI), moving from individual controllers to a network of controllers. WCS includes the same configuration, performance monitoring, security, fault management, and accounting options used at the controller level and adds a graphical view of multiple controllers and managed access points.

WCS runs on Windows 2000, Windows 2003, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 3 servers. On both Windows and Linux, WCS can run as a normal application or as a service, which runs continuously and resumes running after a reboot.

The WCS user interface enables operators to control all permitted Cisco Wireless LAN Solution configuration, monitoring, and control functions through Internet Explorer 6.0 or later. Operator permissions are defined by the administrator using the WCS user interface Administration menu, which enables the administrator to manage user accounts and schedule periodic maintenance tasks.

WCS simplifies controller configuration and monitoring while reducing data entry errors with the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller autodiscovery algorithm. WCS uses the industry-standard SNMP protocol to communicate with the controllers.

WCS Versions

WCS is offered in two versions: WCS Base and WCS Location.

WCS Base

The WCS Base supports wireless client data access, rogue access point detection and containment functions (such as real-time location of rogue access points to the nearest Cisco access point and real-time and historical location of clients to the nearest Cisco access point), and Cisco Wireless LAN Solution monitoring and control. It also includes graphical views of the following:

•Autodiscovery of access points as they associate with controllers

•Autodiscovery and containment or notification of rogue access points

•Map-based organization of access point coverage areas, which is helpful when the enterprise spans more than one geographical area

•User-supplied campus, building, and floor plan graphics, which show the following:

–Locations and status of managed access points

–Locations of rogue access points based on the signal strength received by the nearest managed Cisco access points

–Coverage hole alarm information for access points based on the received signal strength from clients. This information appears in a tabular rather than map format.

–RF coverage maps

The WCS Base also provides system-wide control of the following:

–Streamlined network, controller, and managed access point configuration using customer-defined templates

–Network, controller, and managed access point status and alarm monitoring

–Automated and manual data client monitoring and control functions

–Automated monitoring of rogue access points, coverage holes, security violations, controllers, and access points

–Full event logs for data clients, rogue access points, coverage holes, security violations, controllers, and access points

–Automatic channel and power level assignment by radio resource management (RRM)

–User-defined automatic controller status audits, missed trap polling, configuration backups, and policy cleanups

WCS Location

The WCS Location includes all the features of the WCS Base as well as these enhancements:

•On-demand location of rogue access points to within 33 feet (10 meters)

•On-demand location of clients to within 33 feet (10 meters)

•Ability to use location appliances to collect and return historical location data viewable in the WCS Location user interface

Relationship with Cisco Location Appliances

When WCS Location is used, end users can also deploy Cisco 2700 Series Location Appliances. The location appliance enhances the high-accuracy built-in WCS Location capabilities by computing, collecting, and storing historical location data, which can be displayed in WCS. In this role, the location appliance acts as a server to a WCS server by collecting, storing, and passing on data from its associated controllers.

After a quick command line interface (CLI) configuration, the remaining location appliance configuration can be completed using the WCS user interface. After each location appliance is configured, it communicates directly with its associated controllers to collect operator-defined location data. The associated WCS server operators can then communicate with each location appliance to transfer and display selected data.

The location appliance can be backed up to any WCS server into an operator-defined FTP folder, and the location appliance can be restored from that server at any time and at defined intervals. Also, the location appliance database can be synchronized with the WCS server database at any time. Operators can use the location appliance features and download new application code to all associated appliances from any WCS server.

When WCS is enhanced with a location appliance, it can display historical location data for up to 1,500 laptop clients, palmtop clients, VoIP telephone clients, radio frequency identifier (RFID) asset tags, rogue access points, and rogue clients for each location appliance in the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution. Operators can configure location appliances to collect this data and statistics at defined intervals.

You can also use WCS to configure location appliance event notification parameters. Event notification is a feature that enables you to define conditions that cause the location appliance to send notifications to the listeners that you have specified in WCS.

In this way, WCS acts as a notification listener. It receives notifications from the location appliance in the form of the locationNotifyTrap trap as part of the bsnwras.my MIB file. WCS translates the traps into user interface alerts and displays the alerts in the following format:

Absence:

- Absence of Tag with MAC 00:0c:cc:5b:e4:1b, last seen at 16:19:45 13 Oct 2005. 

Containment: 

- Tag with MAC 00:0c:cc:5b:fa:44 is In the Area 'WNBU > WNBU > 4th Floor > wcsDevArea'

Distance:

- Tag with MAC 00:0c:cc:5b:fa:47 has moved beyond the distance configured for the marker 
'marker2'.

- Tag with MAC 00:0c:cc:5b:f9:b9 has moved beyond 46.0 ft. of marker 'marker2', located at 
a range of 136.74526528595058 ft.

---

Note Refer to the Location Application Configuration Guide for more detailed information about the location appliance and its use with WCS.

---

Comparison of WCS Base and WCS Location

Table 1-1 compares the WCS Base and WCS Location features.

Table 1-1 WCS Base and WCS Location Features  

Features	WCS Base	WCS Location
Location and tracking
Low-resolution client location	Yes	—
High-resolution client location	—	Yes
Integration with location appliance	—	Yes
Low-resolution rogue access point location	Yes	—
High-resolution rogue access point location	—	Yes
Client data services, security, and monitoring
Client access via access points	Yes	Yes
Multiple wireless LANs (individual SSIDs and policies)	Yes	Yes
Rogue access point detection and containment using access points	Yes	Yes
802.11a/b/g bands	Yes	Yes
Radio resource management
Real-time channel assignment and rogue access point detection and containment	Yes	Yes
Real-time interference detection and avoidance, transmit power control, channel assignment, client mobility management, client load distribution, and coverage hole detection	Yes	Yes
Automated software and configuration updates	Yes	Yes
Wireless intrusion protection	Yes	Yes
Global and individual AP security policies	Yes	Yes
Controls Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers	Yes	Yes
Supported workstations
Windows 2000 or Windows 2003	Yes	Yes
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 3 server	Yes	Yes

WCS User Interface

The WCS user interface enables the network operator to create and configure Cisco Wireless LAN Solution coverage area layouts, configure system operating parameters, monitor real-time Cisco Wireless LAN Solution operation, and perform troubleshooting tasks using an HTTPS web browser window. The WCS user interface also enables the WCS administrator to create, modify, and delete user accounts; change passwords; assign permissions; and schedule periodic maintenance tasks. The administrator creates new usernames and passwords and assigns them to predefined permissions groups.

---

Note Cisco recommends Internet Explorer 6.0 or later on a Windows workstation for full access to WCS functionality.

---

WCS Features

WCS includes these features: a controller autodiscovery function, alarm email notification, and RF calibration tool.

Controller Autodiscovery

Autodiscovery enables operators to search for a single controller by IP address and facilitates a multiple-controller search across a range of IP addresses. The controllers are added one at a time to WCS.

Controller autodiscovery is limited to the Cisco Wireless LAN Solution mobility group subnets that are defined by the operator.

As access points associate with a controller, the controller immediately transmits the access point information to WCS, which automatically adds the access point to the WCS database. After the access point information is in the database, operators can add the access point to the appropriate spot on a WCS user interface map.

---

Note Because of the large number of addresses in a Class A or Class B range, Cisco recommends that you do not attempt autodiscovery across Class A or Class B ranges.

---

Alarm Email Notification

WCS includes a built-in email notification function that can notify network operators when critical alarms occur. Refer to the WCS Monitor > All Alarms > Email Notification page to view the current alarm notification settings.

---

Note WCS email notification functionality does not generate email alerts or notifications for some of the minor events.

---

RF Calibration Tool

WCS uses prediction to generate the RF characteristics of the environment in which a Cisco Wireless LAN Solution is being deployed. If the user wants to fine-tune the RF characteristics to match the actual attentuation characteristics of that environment, WCS includes a calibration tool that enables operators to measure the actual signal strength and attenuation in RF coverage areas being surveyed. The tool can be used to create a calibration model customized to the actual environment and stored in the WCS database. This calibration model allows the user to fine-tune location measurements for more precise client and rogue access point location. To save effort, the calibration model can also be reused for areas with an identical access point layout and an identical wall layout.

The calibration tool is used much like a site survey tool. It enables a technician to take a WCS-equipped laptop to multiple locations on a floor or outdoor area and measure actual signal strength at selected locations on the floor or outdoor area map. The technician then uses the calibration tool in WCS to process the collected data points for the floor or outdoor area. Refer to the WCS Monitor > Maps > RF Calibration Models to view the current calibration models. See Creating and Applying Calibration Models for further documentation on RF Calibration.