Cisco WCS is an advanced centralized WLAN solution for LWAPs. It provides configuration, firmware, radio management, and IDS for LWAP and their associated controllers. The same configuration, performance monitoring, security, fault management, and accounting options found on the individual controllers also exist on the WCS. It is designed to support 50 Cisco WLCs and 1500 APs.
Administrators can define operator permissions within the administration menu where accounts and maintenance tasks are located. Features like autodiscovery help simplify configuration and reduce data entry errors. WCS administration is accessible via HTTPS and supports SNMPv1, SNMPv2, and SNMPv3. Cisco WCS uses SNMP for controller communications.
WCS runs on both Microsoft Windows and Linux platforms. The WCS implementation can either be run as a normal application or as a service that is always running even after reboot.
Cisco WCS has three versions:
■ WCS Base
■ WCS Location
■ WCS Location + 2700 Series Wireless Location Appliance
WCS Location Tracking Options
The three WCS tracking options are increasingly enhanced with features. Tracking refers to the management of wireless assets and how each version can help improve on that task.
The simplest version of Cisco WCS, WCS Base, informs managers which AP a device is associated with. This allows managers to have an approximation of the device location. The optional version, called WCS Location, is the second level of WCS. It provides users with the RF fingerprinting technology and can provide location accuracy to within a few meters (less than 10 meters 90 percent of the time; less than 5 meters 50 percent of the time). The third and final option, the one with the most capabilities, is called WCS Location + 2700 Series Wireless Location Appliance. The WCS Location + 2700 Series Wireless Location Appliance provides the capability to track thousands of wireless clients in real time.
With these advanced location-tracking capabilities, the Cisco Unified Wireless Network is an ideal platform for helping to enable key business applications that take advantage of wireless mobility, such as asset tracking, inventory management, and enhanced 911 (e911) services for voice. By incorporating indoor location tracking into the wireless LAN infrastructure itself, Cisco reduces the complexities of wireless LAN deployment and minimizes total cost of ownership.
WCS Base Software Features
Cisco WCS Base is a full-featured software product for WLAN monitoring and control. Wireless client data access, rogue AP detection to the nearest Cisco AP, and containment are examples that are offered in Cisco WCS Base.
Cisco WCS graphical views provide the following:
■ Autodiscovery of APs as they associate with controllers
■ Autodiscovery and containment or notification of rogue APs
■ Map-based organization of AP coverage areas
■ User-supplied campus, building, and floor plan graphics that provide locations and status of managed APs, RF coverage maps as well as location to the nearest AP, and coverage hole alarms
Cisco WCS Base also provides system-wide control of the following:
■ Configuration for controllers and managed APs using customer-defined templates
■ Status and alarm monitoring of all managed devices with automated and manual client monitoring and control functions
■ Automated monitoring of rogue APs, coverage holes, security violations, controllers, and APs
■ Event log information for data clients, rogue APs, coverage holes, security violations, controllers, and APs
■ Automatic channel and power level assignment using radio resource management (RRM)
■ User-defined audit status, missed trap polling, configuration backups, and policy cleanups
WCS Location Software Features
Cisco WCS Location includes the WCS Base features with some enhancements. WCS Location has the ability to use the historical location data management of the location appliance. WCS Location also features the on-demand monitoring of any single device using RF fingerprinting technology, providing high location accuracy. Any rogue AP, client, or device tracking can be performed on-demand within 10 meters or 33 feet using RF fingerprinting.
WCS Location + 2700 Series Wireless Location Appliance Features
Cisco Wireless Location Appliance scales on-demand location tracking to a new level, significantly improving the functionality of Cisco WCS Location. Whereas WCS Location could track one on-demand device, the Cisco Wireless Location Appliance can track up to 1500 devices simultaneously. It can record historical information that can be used in capacity management and trending.
WCS System Features
The Cisco WCS operating system manages all data client, communications, and system administration functions and performs radio resource management (RRM) functions. Moreover, WCS manages systemwide mobility policies using the operating systems security solution and coordinates all security functions using the operating system security framework.
Cisco WCS User Interface
Three user interfaces exist for Cisco WCS. The first is a full featured CLI that can be used to configure and monitor individual controllers. The second interface is the industry standard SNMP. Cisco WCS supports SNMPv1, SNMP 2c, and SNMPv3. The third interface is a full featured HTTPS web browser interface. It is hosted by Cisco controllers and can be used to configure and monitor individual controllers and their associated access pointAPs.
The Cisco WCS user interface is where the administrator can create, modify, and delete user accounts; change passwords; assign permissions; and schedule periodic maintenance tasks. The administrator creates usernames and passwords, assigning them to predefined permissions groups.
In addition, the administrator can configure operating system parameters, monitor real-time operations, create and configure coverage area layouts, and perform troubleshooting tasks via HTTPS.
The user interface has four menus on each screen. A general description of each menu function follows:
■ Monitor—See a top-level description of all devices
■ Configure—Configure APs, controllers, and templates
■ Administration—Schedule tasks such as backups, device status, network audits, and location server synchronization
■ Location—Configure the Cisco Wireless Location Appliances
Cisco WCS System Requirements
Cisco WCS is supported under Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows 2003, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES v.3 servers as either a normal application or a service.
Minimum server requirements are as follows:
■ Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) or greater, Windows 2003 SP1 or greater, or Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES v.3
■ Up to 500 APs: 2.4-GHz Pentium with 1-GB RAM
■ More than 500 APs: dual processors (at least 2.4 GHz each) with minimum 2-GB RAM
■ 20-GB hard drive
NOTE The minimum client requirement is Internet Explorer 6.0 with SP1 or later.
WCS Summary Pages
The WCS Network Summary (Network Dashboard) page is displayed after logging in successfully. It is a top-level overview of the network with information about controllers, coverage areas, APs, and clients. Systems configuration and devices can be added from this page. Access the Network Summary page from other areas by choosing Monitor > Network Summary. Figure 10-2 shows a sample WCS Network Summary page.
Figure 10-2 WCS Network Summary Page
The Network Summary page is an at-a-glance view that is ideal for an operational monitoring environment. In the lower-left portion of the page is the Alarm Monitor, which shows the received alarms from all the controllers. The Alarm Monitor reflects the current state of alarms needing attention. They are usually generated by one or more events. Alarms can be cleared, but the event remains. The alarm color codes are given in Table 10-4.
Table 10-4 WCS Alarm Color Codes
|
Color Code |
Type of Alarm |
|
Clear |
No alarm |
|
Red |
Critical alarm |
|
Orange |
Major alarm |
|
Yellow |
Minor alarm |
The WCS Controller Summary page provides visibility for the supported 50 Cisco WLCs and 1500 APs. To access this page, select Monitor > Devices > Controllers. (The Monitor Controllers > Search Results page is the default.) The WCS Controller Summary page provides detailed information about the specific controller, such as the IP address, controller name, location, mobility group name, and reachability. Figure 10-3 shows a sample WCS Controller Summary page.
Figure 10-3 WCS Controller Summary Page
Wireless Location Appliance
The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance is part of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network using LAN Controllers and LWAPs that can track the location of devices to within a few meters. The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance solution uses an advanced technology called RF fingerprinting to track thousands of devices, increasing visibility and control of the airspace. The RF fingerprinting technology performs location computations using the site survey results and the RSSI information to improve the location accuracy over other location methods.
The appliance can provide location-based alerts for business policy enforcement as well as location trending, rapid problem resolution, and RF capacity management using its stored location data. Cisco Wireless Location Appliances are servers that compute, collect, and store historical location data for up to 1500 devices, including laptops, Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone clients, radio frequency identification (RFID) asset tags, rogue APs, and rogue clients.
The centralized management of WCS is extended via the capabilities and easy-to-use GUI of the Cisco Wireless Location Appliance, which makes setup fast and easy. This is after an initial configuration using the CLI console. After the Location Appliance configuration is complete, the location server communicates directly with the LAN Controllers.
The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance will collect the assigned operator-defined location data. The collected information is used for tracking up to 1500 devices for a 30-day period.
Wireless Location Appliance Architecture
The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance architecture is designed so it can interact with WCS as a client. This allows WCS to centrally control and provide visualization services. The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance utilizes the same LWAPs as wireless client and Wi-Fi tag location "readers." The readers or Cisco LWAPs collect the RSSI information and send it to the Cisco WLCs. The aggregate RSSI information is then sent to the associated Cisco Wireless Location Appliance via SNMP. The Cisco Wireless Location Appliance uses the aggregated RSSI information and performs location computations.
An RF prediction and heat map can be generated once the network maps and APs are added. The site floor plans can then graphically display all the wireless devices. The WCS visualization provides immediate asset location application for many administrators.
Wireless Location Appliance Applications
All enterprises could benefit from RF capacity planning and location-based security as well as maintaining asset visibility. The location information can be made available to third-party applications via SOAP XML APIs on the appliance. A multitude of specialized wireless applications can be created based on such features as these:
■ Visibility and tracking of mobile devices by using Wi-Fi tags—Anything you can put a Wi-Fi tag on is manageable, such as computer equipment, office furniture, business phones, and trade tools. Any asset can be quickly located within the WLAN.
■ Workflow automation and people tracking—This involves automating awareness of inbound or outbound deliveries or shoppers coming to the register. Police, firefighters, security personnel, and children can all be tracked at any time.
■ Telemetry—This involves delivering information in a serialized format containing variable information, such as car and truck mileage or inventory changes.
■ WLAN security and network control—This involves containing information and awareness by locating rogue APs, rogue clients, and secure network control.
■ RF capacity management and visibility—Integrating and reviewing location-based trend reports for RF traffic patterns allows for an improvement to capacity management.
