Understanding and Troubleshooting Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers, 1st edition

Published by Cisco Press (July 25, 2022) © 2022

  • Simone Arena
  • Francisco Sedano Crippa
  • Nicolas Darchis
  • Sudha Katgeri

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The definitive professional's guide to the Cisco next-gen 9800 wireless controllers

As wireless networks, applications, and services rapidly evolve, they grow increasingly business critical, with steeper requirements for performance, latency, deployment density, and device support. The advanced Catalyst 9800 wireless controllers from Cisco meet these challenges, delivering exceptional adaptability, security, performance, scalability, and programmability. Based on the modern and secure Cisco IOS XE operating system, their support for Cisco intent-based networking will help you continually leverage new innovation. Now, four Cisco experts offer end-to-end guidance, practical tips, and proven recommendations for designing, deploying, and managing wireless networks with the Catalyst 9800.

For technical decision makers, this guide delivers a deep understanding of Catalyst 9800 hardware and software, tightly linked to business value. Architects will find essential details for both upfront network design and feature implementation. Network operators and other IT professionals will discover tested tools and methods for reliable and efficient setup, configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Whatever your role, this guide will help you maximize the value of any Catalyst 9800 network, and serve as your indispensable reference for years to come.

  • Understand Catalyst 9800 benefits, capabilities, roles, and architecture
  • Learn the new C9800 Configuration Model, with key design considerations and best practices
  • Deploy and configure the C9800 in private and public clouds
  • Systematically secure the C9800: from AAA and ACLs to rogue detection and wireless intrusion prevention (WIPS)
  • Establish and optimize seamless client roaming in enterprise environments
  • Learn how the C9800 implements key RF concepts
  • Plan and implement an end-to-end architecture for QoS, and design/ deploy for high availability and network services like multicast
  • Discover value-added wireless services available through Cisco DNA Spaces
  • Drive agility and value via network programmability with YANG, Python, RESTCONF, and NETCONF
  • Make the most out of the rich data models of Model-Driven Telemetry and Programmability using open-source tools
  • Walk through wireless network troubleshooting, backup/restore, and upgrades
  • For any student, regardless of previous Cisco-specific knowledge
  • Covers everything from Day 0 deployments to advanced troubleshooting
  • Shows how to configure controller interfaces, build WLANs, use AP groups and RF deployment guidelines, leverage DNA Spaces and DNA Center, and more
  • Guides students step-by-step through applying advanced 9800-specific functions
  • Includes thorough coverage of programmability and telemetry: topics new to many students
    Introduction xxvii

Chapter 1 Cisco C9800 Series 1

    Why Cisco C9800? 2

    The Role of the Wireless Controller in a Cloud Era 7

    Managing the Cisco C9800 10

    Cisco Next-Generation Wireless Stack 22

    Summary 23

    References 23

Chapter 2 Hardware and Software Architecture of the C9800 25

    General CAPWAP Split MAC Architecture 25

    The Controller Control Plane Architecture Elasticity 27

    Wireless Client State Machine 31

    One Dataplane to Rule Them All (or Three at the Maximum) 35

    Hardware Overview 38

    Summary 42

Chapter 3 C9800 Configuration Model 43

    C9800 New Configuration Model 43

    Cisco C9800 Series Profile and Tag Considerations 48

    Summary 64

    References 64

Chapter 4 C9800 Deployment and Installation 65

    C9800 Deployment Models 65

    Setting Up Your First Catalyst Wireless Network 79

    Summary 87

    References 87

Chapter 5 Security 89

    Network Security Fundamentals 89

    Wireless Security Fundamentals 116

    Securing the Air 128

    Securing Your Access Points 148

    Securing Your Wireless Controller 151

    Encrypted Traffic Analytics 154

    Cisco Umbrella 155

    Cisco Secure Development Lifecycle (CSDL) 157

    Summary 157

    References 157

Chapter 6 Mobility and Client Roaming 159

    802.11 Roaming 160

    Types of Client Roaming 181

    C9800 to AireOS Inter-Release Controller Mobility (IRCM) 191

    Summary 192

    References 193

Chapter 7 RF Deployment and Guidelines 195

    Radio Resources Management (RRM) Concepts and Components 195

    Challenging RF Environments 199

    Radio Resources Management (RRM) 203

    DCA 211

    RF Profiles 215

    Spectrum Intelligence and CleanAir 219

    Advanced RF Features 224

    Airtime Fairness (ATF) 228

    Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) 232

    Flexible Radio Assignment (FRA) 235

    Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS) and Rogue Detection 238

    Summary 246

    References 246

Chapter 8 Multicast and Multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) 247

    Wireless Multicast 250

    Media Stream Feature 263

    mDNS 272

    Summary 283

    References 283

Chapter 9 Quality of Service (QoS) 285

    Wi-Fi Quality of Service (QoS) 286

    Wi-Fi (802.11) QoS Fundamentals 287

    Implementing Wireless QoS on the C9800 300

    Designing and Deploying Catalyst C9800 QoS 304

    Best Practices 320

    Summary 322

    References 322

Chapter 10 C9800 High Availability 323

    SSO Redundancy 324

    HA Teardown 349

    SSO Deployment: Impact on Features 350

    N+1 Redundancy 352

    N+1 vs. SSO High Availability 357

    HA in EWC-AP Deployment 358

    HA in EWC-SW Deployment 359

    Summary 359

    References 360

Chapter 11 Cisco DNA Spaces Integration and IoT 361

    Value-Added Wireless Services 361

    Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) 372

    Cisco DNA Spaces 372

    Specific Service Examples 379

    Summary 392

    References 392

Chapter 12 Network Programmability 393

    What Is Network Programmability? 393

    Why Is Network Programmability Needed? 393

    Is Network Programmability a New Concept? 396

    Orchestration of the Entire Network 396

    Configuration Repeatability 396

    Idempotency 397

    Imperative vs. Declarative Models 397

    Infrastructure as Code (IaC) 400

    Network Programmability in the C9800 401

    Data Models 402

    YANG Data Models 403

    Encoding Formats 406

    Protocols 408

    Tools to Examine YANG Models 412

    How to Examine Data Using NETCONF and YANG Suite 419

    How to Examine Data Using RESTCONF and POSTMAN 421

    Python and Network Programmability 429

    Summary 436

    References 436

Chapter 13 Model-Driven Telemetry 437

    What Is Model-Driven Telemetry? 437

    How to Enable Model-Driven Telemetry 438

    Operational Data and KPIs 441

    Polling vs. Subscribing 447

    Telemetry Streams 448

    How to Identify Subtrees in YANG Models 449

    Dial-out vs. Dial-in 450

    Tools 460

    Summary 467

    References 467

Chapter 14 Cisco DNA Center/Assurance Integration 469

    Introduction 469

    Managing the C9800 with Cisco DNA Center 472

    Summary 492

    References 492

Chapter 15 Backing Up, Restoring, and Upgrading Your C9800 493

    Saving and Restoring the Configuration for Disaster Recovery 493

    Running IOS-XE in Install or Bundle Mode 500

    Upgrading (and Downgrading) the Controller Safely 501

    Summary 506

    References 506

Chapter 16 Troubleshooting 507

    Control Plane Tracing 509

    Embedded Packet Capture (EPC) 525

    Packet Tracer 531

    Troubleshooting Dashboard 536

    Other On-the-Box Tools on the C9800 GUI 540

    Offline Tools for the C9800 545

    Health and KPI Monitoring 548

    Summary 577

    References 578

Appendix A Setting Up a Development Environment 579



9780137492329, TOC, 5/27/2022


Simone Arena is a principal technical marketing engineer (TME) within the Cisco Enterprise Networking & Cloud group and is primarily focused on enterprise network architecture and on all things related to wireless and mobility. Simone is based in Italy and is a Cisco veteran, having joined Cisco in 1999. Throughout the years, Simone has covered multiple roles at Cisco, starting as a software engineer working with Catalyst switching platforms, to consulting system engineer in the field, to TME within different teams (Enterprise Solution Engineering, Wireless Business Unit, Enterprise Networking and Cloud, and now Networking Experiences Group). Today Simone is the lead TME architect for Catalyst Wireless, and his time is split between helping customers and partners design the best solution that fits their needs and engineering and product management, trying to evolve and improve the products and solutions. Simone is a Distinguished Speaker at Cisco Live and has spoken at Cisco Live events all over the world for several years. Besides wireless and networking, Simone has two passions: his family, with his two daughters Viola and Anita; and Fiorentina, the best soccer team in the world…no question. In his spare time, Simone enjoys listening to music, especially through his new tube amplifier (simply awesome!).

Francisco Sedano Crippa, CCIE No. 14859, joined Cisco in 2006. After some years at TAC supporting voice solutions and as a system engineer working with service providers, he moved to the development side, where he worked on routing, datacenter and, during the past 10 years, as a technical leader on the Wireless Controller development team, focused in serviceability, location services, programmability, and cloud. He's a Cisco Live speaker and is passionate about DevOps and automation, and he is now working on architecting next-generation cloud-based lab services. When not working, he spends his time building a full-size Boeing 737 simulator in his basement and enjoying his other passion: his daughter, Scarlett, and son, Marco, and his wife, Isabel.

Nicolas Darchis, CCIE Wireless No. 25344, joined the Wireless and AAA Cisco TAC team in Belgium in 2007, where his main focus was troubleshooting wireless networks, wireless management tools, and security products. Since 2016, Nicolas has been working as a technical leader for wireless at the same technical assistance center in Brussels; he has shifted a big part of his focus to improving product serviceability of new and upcoming products, as well as new software releases. He is also a major contributor to online documentation of Cisco wireless products and has participated in many of the wireless “Ask the Expert” sessions run by the Cisco support community. Nicolas has been a CCIE Wireless No. 25344 since 2009 and, more recently, he has achieved CWNE No. 208.

Sudha Katgeri, CCIE No. 45857, is a technical leader in services for Enterprise Wireless and has been with Cisco since 2006. Besides supporting customer escalations, Sudha collaborates with Customer Experience (CX), Enterprise Networking (ENB) Escalation, Engineering, and Product Management to improve product quality and serviceability in the next-generation Catalyst wireless stack. Sudha has a CCIE in Wireless (#45857) and is an author and contributor to Wireless TAC Innovation Tools like Wireless Config Converter, CLI Analyzer, and several documents on cisco.com. 

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