N+1 hitless rolling AP upgrade and version skew
N+1 hitless rolling AP upgrade and version skew are network upgrade strategies that
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enable wireless network upgrades with minimal or no downtime
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allow software mismatches between wireless controllers and access points during upgrades, and
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support staged AP upgrades while maintaining service continuity.
Version skew : A compatibility feature that allows a controller to operate with APs running a different software version.
N+1 Hitless Rolling AP Upgrade : A controller-assisted method that migrates APs to a temporary controller during upgrade, avoiding service disruption.
Understanding N+1 Hitless Rolling AP Upgrade and Version Skew
Traditionally, all APs and the controller needed to be on the same software version to function properly, causing network downtime during upgrades. Version skew removes this limitation by allowing staged upgrades. Combined with the N+1 hitless rolling AP upgrade process, this strategy ensures continuous service by migrating APs to a temporary controller, upgrading the original controller, and then migrating APs back.
This method is especially beneficial in large-scale deployments where network availability is critical.
The following table contrasts the features of a traditional upgrade withvVersion skew + N+1 Upgrade:
Feature |
Traditional Upgrade |
Version Skew + N+1 Upgrade |
---|---|---|
Requires same version on all devices |
Yes |
No |
Causes downtime |
Yes |
No |
Supports staged AP upgrades |
No |
Yes |
Uses secondary controller |
No |
Yes (WLC2 as mobility member) |
Needs image pre-download |
Not applicable |
Yes, for ap image upgrade command |
Examples of N+1 Hitless Rolling AP Upgrade
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A network admin can upgrade the controller (WLC1) while APs continue to operate from a mobility member (WLC2).
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Using the ap image move command after predowloading images avoids downtime even without simultaneous AP upgrades.
Counter-examples for N+1 Hitless Rolling AP Upgrade
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Upgrading all APs simultaneously without version skew or N+1 support would cause network downtime.
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Using the ap image upgrade command without pre-downloading the image will fail.