Configure Controller Availability

Use this procedure to configure a standalone controller deployment or a high-availability controller deployment.
If you choose a high-availability deployment, you can configure these features:

  • A secure Inter-Controller Data Tunnel (ICDT) that uses IKE/IPSEC.

  • The load balancing method used for AP traffic destined for the availability pair.

  1. Go to Administration > System, then select the Availability tab.
  2. Under the Availability panel, configure the parameters as described in Controller Availability Parameters.
    Table 1. Controller Availability Parameters
    FieldDescription
    Standalone / PairedSelect a deployment mode:

    • Standalone (default) — The appliance does not have an availability partner in the event of a failover.

    • Paired — The appliance is paired with another appliance in the event of a failover.

    RoleSelect the role of the paired appliance. Options are:

    • Primary (default)

    • Backup

    Note: The configuration of the Primary appliance is copied to the Secondary appliance.
    Peer IP AddressPhysical VLAN address of the paired appliance. This is the IP address of the "Physical 1" interface (port esa0), which matches the VLAN definition under System > Interfaces.
    Auto AP BalancingSelect the load balancing configuration for the availability pair.
    In an availability pair, an AP establishes an active tunnel to one appliance and a backup tunnel to the other appliance. The active tunnel is used to pass the client data over tunneled topologies.
    • In an Active-Active configuration (default), approximately half of the APs establish an active tunnel to the primary appliance. The remaining APs establish an active tunnel to the backup appliance, spreading the load across the availability pair.
    • In an Active-Passive configuration, all APs establish an active tunnel to the primary appliance. The secondary appliance is used for failover only.
    Secure TunnelSelect to enable a secure ICDT tunnel that uses IKE/IPSEC. This option is disabled by default.
    MTU [Bytes]Use the spinner to set the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) to avoid data packet fragmentation. Set a value in the range 600–1800 bytes. The default value is 1500 bytes.
    Important: When MTU is 1800, ensure that Jumbo Frames is enabled on the Switch.
  3. Select Save.
  4. After the connection between controllers is established, check the Synchronization Status and the Availability Link Status indicators to ensure operations are normal.
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