AP as a Gateway

Access Point as a BLE Gateway

Depending on the type of Cisco access points (AP), you can configure an AP as one of the following types of BLE gateways.

Base BLE Gateway: The Base BLE gateway is a type of AP that you can configure in one of two modes. Either the Transmit mode or the Scan mode.

In the Transmit mode, the AP can broadcast iBeacon, Eddystone URL, and Eddystone UID profiles.

In the Scan mode, the AP can scan the vicinity for other BLE devices. Using gRPC on the AP, the AP sends the scanned data to Cisco Spaces: Connector. The AP can also receive telemetry data from floor beacons. The IoT Services dashboard decodes and displays this information.
Advanced BLE Gateway: The Advanced BLE gateway is an AP that is installed with an IOX Application. Using the installed IOX application, you can configure floor beacons on the Cisco-partnered Device Manager website.

You can configure this AP in the Scan mode or Transmit mode. In the Transmit mode, the AP can broadcast iBeacon, Eddystone URL, and Eddystone UID profiles.

In the Scan mode, the AP can scan the vicinity for other BLE devices. Using gRPC on the AP, the AP sends the scanned data to Cisco Spaces: Connector. The AP can also receive telemetry data from floor beacons. The IoT Services dashboard decodes and displays this information.

Configure an AP as a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Gateway

This task enables an access point (AP) to act as a BLE gateway. For more information, see Access Point as a Gateway.

Procedure

Step 1	From the Cisco Spaces dashboard, navigate to IoT Services > IoT Gateways > AP Gateway.
Step 2	Click Add New Gateways. Figure 1. Adding a new Gateway: when you do not have added gateways Figure 2. Adding a new Gateway: when you have added gateways
Step 3	In the displayed Deploy Gateway page, choose BLE Gateway. Figure 3. Select a Gateway type
Step 4	In the displayed Deploy BLE Gateways page, select the APs that you want to deploy as a BLE gateway. IoT Services configures a compatible AP as an advanced gateway. Otherwise, IoT Services configures the AP as a base gateway. Figure 4. Select APs An AP enabled as an advanced gateway can scan for beacons using an installed IOx application, and can also configure these beacons. An AP enabled as a base gateway can scan for beacons using system software but cannot configure these beacons.
Step 5	In the displayed Deploy BLE Gateways page, you can review the requested changes. And click Deploy. Figure 5. Deploy BLE Gateways

Once the APs receive these change requests, the APs are queued to be deployed as BLE gateways.

You can also check the status of AP gateway deployment by clicking the Deployment status icon in the top-right corner of the dashboard (in the AP Gateways page). Here you can see the deployment status of a base or advanced gateway at a more detailed level. You can see whether the gateway is enabled, whether it is in the scan or transmit mode, whether configurations are being pushed on to the gateway, or if the gateway is capable, whether IOX is being installed. Unlike bulk history, here you can view the details of an individual AP gateway. If the gateway deployment fails, the reasons are listed here.

You can also observe the progress on the displayed page.

You can also check the status of deployment by clicking Bulk Request History.

Install, Uninstall, or Upgrade an IOx Application on an Advanced Gateway

You can install, uninstall, or upgrade IOx applications on advanced gateways. The Cisco Spaces: BLE Management is one some application.

Before you begin

Ensure that you have configured an access point (AP) as an advanced gateway.

Procedure

Step 1

From the Cisco Spaces dashboard, navigate to IoT Services > IoT Gateways > AP Gateways and click All APs.

Step 2

Click the MAC address of the AP to open the detailed AP page.

Step 3

In the App Management section, you can see the applications available for installation, uninsallation, or upgrade. Do one of the following:

To install, click the install icon near Cisco Spaces: BLE Management.
To uninstall, click the uninstall icon near Cisco Spaces: BLE Management.
To upgrade, check if a version is available for upgrade near the Cisco Spaces: BLE Management and click it.
To upload tech-support files to the Connector, click the gear icon.

Figure 10. Install Cisco Spaces: BLE Management

Figure 11. Uninstall Cisco Spaces: BLE Management

After you have installed the application, a gear icon appears that allows you to upload log files to Connector. You can also download these files to assist a technical support team.