MSM7xx Controllers Configuration Guide v6.4.0

14 Controller teaming
This chapter describes how to combine multiple controllers into a team. Controller teaming provides
the following key benefits: centralized management and monitoring, service scalability, and
redundancy in case of controller failure.
Teaming overview
Teaming operates slightly differently depending on the controller model you use to create a team.
Teaming on the MSM760, MSM765 zl, and MSM775 zl
Up to five MSM760/MSM765 zl/MSM775 zl controllers can be combined into a team, enabling
support for up to 800 APs (four controllers x 200 APs per controller plus one additional controller
for backup/redundancy). For example:
Controller team
Router
Controlled APs deployed
across a layer 3 network
Team
manager
1
2
3
4
5
Teaming on the MSM720
On the MSM720, controller teaming operates in a slightly different manner than on the other
controllers. The MSM720 can only form a controller team with one other MSM720. This is intended
to provide resiliency of service for smaller locations that require fail-over support to ensure that
wireless services continue to function if a controller becomes inoperative. It does not provide for
scalability of the number of users or managed APs.
Teaming does not increase the number of APs, active users, or local accounts that are supported.
This means that the maximum number of APs supported by a stand-alone MSM720 (40) is the
same as for a pair of teamed MSM720s.
Key concepts
Centralized configuration management
Each controller that is part of a team is called a team member. To centralize management and
control of the team, one controller is designated as the team manager. Configuration and monitoring
of team members and their APs is performed on the team manager using its management tool. For
more information, see “Team configuration” (page 267).
Team management IP address
The team management IP address is a virtual IP address that provides access to the management
tool on the currently active team manager, and all other management interfaces: CLI, SNMP, and
SOAP. (It can also be used by services such as wireless mobility, location tracking, and Aeroscout).
Because this is a virtual address, if the current team manager becomes inoperative and is replaced
by another team member, the virtual address is automatically transferred to the new manager,
ensuring that the team can continue to be managed at the same IP address. The team management
IP address cannot be used for discovery of controlled APs.
246 Controller teaming