Cloud Managed Networks

This official HPE Aruba Networking video walks through how to Import AP Maps into Central using Floorplan Manager: https://arubanetworking.hpe.com/techdocs/videos/central/Floorplan_Manager.mp4

Overview

Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) placement on floormaps or heatmaps play an important role in Wi-Fi planning, design, and operations where visualization of RF signal coverage and accuracy of client location-based services are critical functions. Most IT organizations perform AP site-surveys and generate planned AP placement maps, and can now import these maps into Central where it can be integrated into a single management platform. 

Central offers the Floorplan Manager feature module that provides a wide range of Wi-Fi AP planning and placement options today such as Create Floor, Migrate Floors from Classic Central, Import Floors, and Assign Devices to Central.

Below are some more details on the benefits of importing floor maps into HPE Aruba Central.

• Preserve existing AP placement - Device locations, walls, and zones from the source application are retained after import.
• Automatic AP assignment - If an imported AP matches a device already present in the Central site (by name or MAC address), it is automatically assigned and deployed to the floorplan as a real-time AP at the correct location.
• Planned AP support - If an imported AP is not yet present in the Central site inventory, it is converted into a Planned AP, allowing pre-deployment planning to continue.

·       Third-party migration support - Floorplans can be migrated from HPE Classic Central, AirWave, Ekahau, and Hamina (which can exist in zip file type), reducing rework when transitioning platforms. Ekahau can be zip or esx file type.

·       Non-Aruba device handling - non-Aruba devices imported are automatically converted to Aruba devices, visible in the Audit Trail. 

• Planned AP conversion - When a real AP is later assigned to the site with the same name or MAC address as a planned AP, it is automatically promoted to a real-time AP.

For this demo, we will focus upon how to Import a Planned AP floormap generated by the Hamina tool, and have it automatically mapped to real-time APs which have been already on-boarded and deployed in Central.

Requirements

Before importing maps in Floorplan manager, ensure the following: 

• Import can only be performed at the site level.
• Devices to be assigned to the imported floor must be assigned to the site but NOT to any floor within that site.
• The floorplan file must first be exported from the source application before importing into New Central.
• For Ekahau imports, a building must be configured in Ekahau before export, and the building name should match the site name in Central.
• One decimal floor numbers are supported as well (e.g., 1.2, 2.1, 4.2).

Procedure

Step 1. From the HPE Aruba Networking Central landing page, select a site (Oakmead Lab) from the Sites menu. Then click on the Access Point devices for this Site and note the 3 AP names & types already deployed at this site which should match the names of the APs on the imported map.

Step 2. Next toggle to Location from the main menu bar to access Floorplan manager. And on this page select Import Floors from the Actions drop-down list.

Step 3. Click Select File and browse your system to upload the floorplan import file.

Step 4. Note the 4 different floorplan file types in this folder - Airwave, Central, Ekahau, Hamina – all of which are supported for import today. For this demo we will select the Hamina.zip file and click Next. 

The file will start importing next and the process time depends on the size of the uploaded file (up to 250MB is recommended). After import is complete, all attributes of the imported floorplan are displayed in a table format click Next to accept the import details or edit the field attributes as necessary.

Step 5. After the import is complete the Hamina site bldg. with its 2 floors will show on the map.

Step 6. Next view the APs and their attributes on each floor by highlighting the floor and clicking on View Floor Plan button. Note that all 3 APs on the floorplan is mapped as a Real-time AP since they match the name of the APs already deployed at the site.

Step 7. Add a Planned AP from the Actions drop down menu bar by selecting Plan Access Point Deployment option and placement method Manual and AP type can be dragged from the Models listed and placed on map as shown below for the 2^nd floormap of the Hamina site. The AP will initially have a system generated Name and show up as a Planned AP (white-colored icon), and once the AP has been onboarded and deployed at the Site it will be converted to a Realtime AP (green-colored icon).

Step 8. Quick validation of the results and errors (if any) can also be performed by navigating to the Audit Trail card from the main menu where all the events for the Imported floormaps are logged for the Hamina office bldg., its 2 floors and names, AP placement on floors and auto conversion to real-time APs including 1 planned AP added on the 2^nd floor, all the walls and AP ceiling height data imported, and floorplan scale imported.

Step 9. (Optional) Further modification of the imported floor properties can be performed in Central:

• Click the Building Name drop-down and select Create Building to change the building name and type.
• Enter a new floor number, floor name, and ceiling height.
• Click Finish.

Validation

By clicking on the Site floorplan, the below data can be checked for accuracy of the floorplan data imported -

Further validation can be performed by going to the Audit Trail from the Main menu (as mentioned above in Procedure section). 

Reference Links

https://arubanetworking.hpe.com/techdocs/CNX-CNXOP-NewHelp/HPE%20Aruba%20Networking%20Central/GUID-EB07D4A1-BBEF-44B9-B2EB-21D20C5C0D4E.html