Given the number of access points that IT organizations are now being asked to manage, it only makes sense that there be a more centralized approach to managing wireless networks.
To address that specific issue, Aruba Networks today rolled out Aruba Instant Enterprise, a new software release that allows IT organizations to manage a network of access points without requiring a controller to be physically or virtually present in each device. Instead, Gerry Festa, director of industry solutions marketing for Aruba Networks, says Aruba Instant Enterprise allows one master access point to centrally manage all the other access points on the network.
Festa says each local access point uses local memory to cache end-user credentials in a way that doesn’t require continuous connectivity back to the central access point, which allows IT organizations to guarantee continuous availability of services.
This approach ultimately reduces the total cost of ownership by both reducing the number of controllers required, in addition to allowing network managers to more easily manage a far-flung network of wireless access points.
Aruba is also introducing Aruba Activate, a zero-touch provisioning service that automatically configures access points shipped from an Aruba factory to any location in the world.
The good news is that wireless networks are becoming more intelligent with each passing day. The bad news is that most IT organizations are spending a lot more time than necessary managing wireless access points that, unfortunately, still require a lot of manual intervention on the part of IT to consistently work.
