This document describes the 'Access Point Refresh' workflow in Cisco Catalyst Center to replace older APs with latest-generation Access Points.
This workflow assists network administrators by automatically copying configuration and information from the old Access Point being replaced to the new Access Point. These details are transferred to the new AP after the refresh, so network administrators do not have to configure them manually, reducing downtime:
This workflow supports various deployment types, including Wireless Automation with Intent Provisioning, Assurance Only, Wireless Per-Device Configuration or Campus Automation, and SD-Access Wireless. A maximum of 250 APs can be refreshed per workflow. There is no limit on the number of workflows that can be created
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At a high level, the Access Point Refresh workflow has two main use cases: Automation and Assurance.
This table summarizes the functionality supported across the use cases
| Current scenario |
Migrating to |
Support |
| AireOS (Assurance) |
C9800 (Automation) |
Supported |
| AireOS (Assurance) |
C9800 (Assurance) |
Future Support |
| AireOS (Automation) |
C9800 (Automation) |
Supported |
| AireOS (Automation) |
C9800 (Assurance) |
Future Support |
| C9800 (Assurance) |
C9800 (Assurance) |
Supported * |
| C9800 (Automation) |
C9800 (Automation) |
Supported |
* Within same Wireless controller
Note: "Automation" in this context includes Intent-Based Networking (IBN) & Software-Defined Access (SDA).
High-Level Steps for AP Refresh: Successfully completing an AP refresh involves these 4 steps:
Note: The order of workflow creation and physical AP connection/disconnection is flexible. However, for successful completion, the old AP must be marked as unreachable in Catalyst Center Inventory, and the new AP must be reachable (either in inventory after joining a WLC or on the Plug and Play page, ready to be claimed). For Plug and Play, the new AP is already available and ready to be claimed, or it must arrive later, after the AP refresh workflow task has been created and submitted.
This option is suitable when the wireless network has been designed and configured from Catalyst Center using Intent Based Automation constructs such as network settings, wireless settings, network profiles, and managed AP locations. It can be used in these scenarios:
This option is suitable when the wireless network has been designed and configured either directly via the Wireless Controller WEBUI/CLI or using 'Per-Device Configuration' in Catalyst Center.
On a Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controller, APs can be configured with tags using sources such as Static, Location, Filter, or AP. When performing an AP refresh with the Assurance use case, tag settings are copied to the new APs. If the tag source is 'Location' or 'AP' Catalyst Center creates static tag mappings for the new APs on the wireless controller after the refresh.
AP Refresh with the Assurance Use Case does not support these:
Launch the workflow: From the Workflow Library (accessed via the Hamburger menu on the top left corner).


Caution: Do not use the 'Replace Device' workflow for AP refresh. This workflow is only for replacing devices through RMA, where the new AP must have the exact same Product ID (PID) as the old AP.
Review Prerequisites: Carefully read the 'Before You Begin' section to understand the prerequisites, deployment types, and how to select the correct option. Once reviewed, click 'Next'.
Serial Number: Mandatory unless using the 'same switch port' option.
Old AP Status: Must be managed by Catalyst Center or assigned to a floor.
New AP Status: Must be unassigned to any floor; it inherits the old AP location.
Connectivity: The old AP must be unreachable during the new AP onboarding and detection, unless the new AP is currently being added to the network.
Credentials: Verify CCO credentials are configured in Catalyst Center.
The details are sumarized in the workflow step in Cisco Catalyst Center




Assign AP Mappings: Map old APs to new APs and click 'Next'. New APs can be mapped to old APs in multiple ways:





Warning: Auto-detect does not work for APs onboarded via PnP.









Note: The time to complete the Access Point Refresh task depends on factors such as how quickly old APs are marked unreachable, how promptly new APs are discovered in Catalyst Center, the number of APs on a floor, and the total APs selected for the task. Once all conditions are met, the AP refresh completes within a few minutes.
After the AP Refresh task is completed, verify the following:







Before Refresh:

After Refresh:

Scenario: This error occurs if both the old and new APs are online and marked as 'Reachable' in Catalyst Center during workflow creation.

Scenario: This error occurs if both the old and new APs are online and marked as 'Reachable' in Catalyst Center when the workflow runs. The refresh cannot proceed.

Mitigation:
Scenario: This occurs if the new AP is already assigned to a floor before performing the refresh.
Mitigation: If the new AP is already assigned to a floor, navigate to the Floor map under Site hierarchy and remove the AP from that floor
Scenario: If the old AP is offline and the new AP shows as reachable in Catalyst Center, but the new AP is actually down

Mitigation: Verify the new Access Point status. If it is down, ensure it is up and reachable, then retry the AP refresh
| Revision | Publish Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|
1.0 |
10-Apr-2026
|
Initial Release |