27
Cisco Aironet 1520, 1130, 1240 Series Wireless Mesh Access Points, Design and Deployment Guide, Release 6.0
OL-20213-01
Mesh Network Components
With Cisco WCS, network administrators have a solution for RF prediction, policy provisioning,
network optimization, troubleshooting, user tracking, security monitoring, and wireless LAN systems
management. Graphical interfaces make wireless LAN deployment and operations simple and
cost-effective. Detailed trending and analysis reports make Cisco WCS vital to ongoing network
operations.
Cisco WCS runs on a server platform with an embedded database. This provides scalability necessary to
manage to allow hundreds of controllers and thousands of Cisco mesh access points to be managed.
Controllers can be located on the same LAN as Cisco WCS, on separate routed subnets, or across a
wide-area connection.
Multiple, geographically dispersed Cisco WCS management platforms can be cost-effectively and easily
managed by the Cisco WCS Navigator. Cisco WCS Navigator supports up to 20 Cisco WCS management
platforms with manageability of up to 30,000 mesh access points from a single management console.
Together, Cisco WCS and Cisco WCS Navigator provide a wireless LAN management solution for even
the largest enterprise environments and outdoor deployments.
shows the interconnections between the controllers, Cisco WCS, and AP1520s.
Figure 14
Interconnections to the Solution
Mesh Deployment Modes
Mesh access points support multiple deployment modes, including the following:
•
Wireless mesh
•
WLAN backhaul
Wireless Mesh Network
In a Cisco wireless outdoor mesh network, multiple mesh access points comprise a network that provides
secure, scalable outdoor wireless LANs.
shows an example of a simple mesh network
deployment composed of mesh access point (MAPs and RAPs), controllers and Cisco WCS.
4400 Controller
S
witch
RAP
8
02.1q Trunk
MAP
2056
8
1