New and changed features in Catalyst Center

This table summarizes the new and changed features in Catalyst Center 3.1.3 and tells you where they are documented.

Table 1. New and changed features in Catalyst Center 3.1.3
Feature Description

Custom role for Cisco SD-Access fabric

Catalyst Center supports the creation of custom roles with the SD-Access capability that allows users to create and manage Cisco SD-Access fabric.

See Role-based access control for Cisco SD-Access.

Energy Management

Catalyst Center’s Energy Management offers insights into energy consumption patterns. This enables more strategic energy usage, significantly reduces operational costs, and reduces carbon footprint, that contributes to environmental sustainability.

See Manage energy on network devices, Use the Energy Management dashboard, View energy consumption of network devices, View energy savings, and Compare energy across sites.

Cloning the profiles across multiple wireless controllers

Catalyst Center supports cloning the existing profiles created for wireless controllers. This allows users to reuse the configurations across multiple controllers, reducing the time taken to manually recreate the settings.

See Clone a Per-Device Configuration from another Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller.

Access point (AP) priming for Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller

AP priming for Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller enables users to preconfigure an AP to join a specific wireless controller. This allows the AP to automatically join its preferred wireless controller upon bootup.

See Create an AP priming profile for a Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller.

Enhancements to Per-Device Configuration on Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller

The Per-Device Configuration feature on Catalyst Center is enhanced to customize more features and parameters for a Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller running Cisco IOS XE Release 17.12 or later.

See:

Enhancements to discovery dashboard

The discovery dashboard now has the option to monitor and manage all the scheduled network operations.

See Discovery Dashboard.

Enhancements to software image repository

The software image repository is now enhanced with more options to check the status of the image updates, schedule the image update at a specific date and time, and download readiness report for the updates.

See View software images, Import a software image, and Schedule Image Update.

Updates to the application of global device credentials

The application of global device credentials now supports these updates:

  • Support for Visibility and Control of Configurations: Preview the device configurations before deploying them to devices.

  • CLI credential configuration update: Choose to push or not push a CLI credential to affected devices for device management.

  • CLI credential verification update: Choose to verify or not verify that a CLI credential grants access to the affected devices.

Note

 

Catalyst Center doesn't support the application of HTTPS Read and HTTPS Write credentials to the devices in a site.

See Apply device credentials to site devices.

Enhancements to Layer 2 virtual network configurations in Cisco SD-Access fabric

Layer 2 virtual network supports configuration of these attributes:

  • Resource Guard: Option to block or unblock the SSDP traffic in the Cisco SD-Access fabric.

  • Flood Access Tunnel: Enable or disable flood access tunnel for a Layer 2 virtual network.

  • Flooding Address Assignment: Option to choose between a shared or custom flooding address and configure the custom flooding address.

See Create a Layer 2 virtual network and Create anycast gateways.

Enhancements to the AP configuration workflow

The Configure Access Points workflow includes these AP configurations to support the Per-Device Configuration feature:

  • VLAN tag

  • DNS configuration

  • LAN port parameters

  • BSS color configuration

See Configure APs and Configure APs using existing templates.

Enhancements to site hierarchy changes in Cisco SD-Access fabric

You can move a site under a new site if it is within the fabric. Movement of fabric sites to a new fabric or a site outside the fabric is not allowed.

See Add a fabric site.

Mapping transits to sites in Cisco SD-Access fabric network

Associating a transit (SDA transit and IP transit) to a geographical site such as an area, building, or floor allows site users to efficiently manage the transits.

See Create an SD-Access transit and Create an IP transit.

Role-based access control enhancements for wireless devices

Catalyst Center supports site-based, role-based access control (SRBAC), which limits a user's scope of access to certain network sites. You must ensure you have access to the sites and devices while using the wireless provisioning workflows.

See Plug and Play provisioning prerequisites, Role-based access control, Replace a faulty access point.

Security and industrial configurations

You can view and edit these device configurations in Catalyst Center inventory:

  • Security: Supported for Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series Switches and Cisco Catalyst IE switches.

  • Industrial configurations: Supported for Cisco Catalyst IE switches only.

See Display information about a device, View and edit security configuration of a device, and View and edit industrial configuration of a device.

Support for new APs for Wi-Fi 7 configuration

Catalyst Center supports these APs for Cisco IOS XE Release 17.17.1 or later:

  • Cisco Catalyst 9172H Series Access Points

  • Cisco Catalyst 9172I Series Access Points

See Configure APs, Schedule recurring events for APs, and Supported hardware platforms.

Support for site-based, role-based access control

You can create access groups that limits access to certain network sites. Access group is a combination of the role and site.

The behavior of Catalyst Center features depends on the user role and site specified in the access group.

See User profile roles and permissions.

Support for XOR parameters on Cisco Catalyst 9176D1 Series APs and Cisco Catalyst 9176I Series APs

Catalyst Center supports dual-band (XOR) between 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radio modes on slot 0 for these APs when they're running Cisco IOS XE Release 17.17.1 or later:

  • Cisco Catalyst 9176D1 Series Access Points

  • Cisco Catalyst 9176I Series Access Points

Note

 

If the APs are running Cisco IOS XE Release 17.15.2, slot 0 supports only the 2.4 GHz band.

See Configure APs and Schedule recurring events for APs.

Validation enhancements for assigning sites between different parent sites

In network hierarchy, you can move a site under a different parent site only when the new parent site shares the same network settings as the current parent site. The new parent site must have the same network profile as the site.

See Create, edit, and delete a site.

Support for New Country Codes

Catalyst Center supports new country codes for the Cisco Wireless Controllers and APs running Cisco IOS XE Release 17.17.1 or later.

The radios within the APs are assigned to a specific regulatory domain at the factory. A country code enables you to specify a particular country of operation within that regulatory domain. For a complete list of country codes supported per product, see https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/assets/prod/wireless/wireless-compliance-tool/index.html.

Enhancements to AFC integration with Standard Power Mode

Catalyst Center supports configuring AP Geolocation Parameters through the AP configuration workflow. You can view and edit geolocation parameters for eligible APs, which are utilized for Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC).

See Configure APs and Configure APs using existing templates.

VLAN support for trunk ports

Catalyst Center supports the configuration of the allowed and native VLAN values for each trunk port.​

See Configure ports within the fabric site and Configure a port channel.

Configure Parallel Redundancy Protocol

This workflow helps you set up and manage Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) channels, which are used to ensure high availability and zero packet loss in critical network systems.

See Configure Parallel Redundancy Protocol in fabric site