Understand Catalyst Center with C9800 Onboarded Vs Provisioned Feature Matrix

Introduction

This document describes the functionalities available in Cisco Catalyst Centers depending on the status of your C9800 wireless controller, Onboarded vs Provisioned.

Background Information

The goal of Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center), is to facilitate the daily tasks of the network operators through automation. However, it can be a daunting task for network administrators to try to keep up with all the different features and capabilities the Cisco Software Defined Network solution brings with every release.

Problem

Considering the specifics of each environment in terms of scale, security, and compatibility, it is sometimes not easy/possible to fully adopt the most advanced features available in Catalyst Center such as Software Defined Access (SDA), LAN Automation, Wide Area Bonjour, Application Policy, and so on. The main reason behind that, whether you look at a green field or brownfield, is that some features are only available for the network devices that are Provisioned using Catalyst Center as a main point for configuration, operation, and visibility.

On the other side, many features are available by having your network devices onboarded only. The matrix has the answer to which options are those.

Note: An Onboarded wireless controller is the one that is discovered in the inventory and was assigned to a building or floor, hence, the device has some level of visibility in Assurance for monitoring purposes. However, the wireless configuration (SSIDs, RF Profiles, and so on) is done out of band directly on the device, whereas, a Provisioned controller is a device that has been onboarded and deployed based on intent through Wireless Settings, Network Profiles, CLI Templates, and so on.

Solution

The goal of this article is to increase your confidence level to implement as many features as possible in Catalyst Center in order to gain better insights and control over your network.

Catalyst Center Capability Map

This matrix aims to provide a clear view into which features and capabilities are available at different stages of the device management lifecycle, that is Onboarded or Provisioned. This is contrasted against versions of Catalyst Center starting from 2.3.5. If not stated otherwise, Cisco IOS® XE 17.9.x running on C9800 is the minimum version.

Note: This matrix only includes information for Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controllers.

Note: Certain features require a specific version (later than 17.9.x) by the Wireless Controllers. For more details, refer to the 9800 Feature Matrix per Release.

Note: Some capabilities (for example Network Service monitoring for AAA, DHCP, and so on) are dependent also on the actual configuration (for example, Local Mode SSID). Therefore, the configuration guide where such prerequisites/limitations are listed is referenced.

Note: Certain features (for example, Data Packet Capture, Spectrum Analysis, and so on) are dependent on the Access Point model. Consult the referenced configuration guide for details.

Related Information

• Cisco DNA Center 2.3.5 Assurance User Guide
• Cisco DNA Center 2.3.7 Assurance User Guide
• Configure Syslog, SNMP Traps, NetFlow Collector Servers, and Wired Client Data Collection Using Telemetry.
• Cisco DNA Center Compatibility Matrix
• Feature Matrix for Access Points
• Bonjour Deployment Guide
• CiscoLive session ID:
  • BRKEWN-2667
  • BRKOPS-2402
• Cisco Technical Support & Downloads