Cisco Flex 7500 Series Quick reference guide

Cisco Systems, Inc.
www.cisco.com
Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller
Deployment Guide
Last Updated: August, 2016
Introduction
This document describes how to deploy a Cisco Flex 7500 wireless branch controller. The purpose of
this document is to:
•Explain various network elements of the Cisco FlexConnect solution, along with their
communication flow.
•Provide general deployment guidelines for designing the Cisco FlexConnect wireless branch
solution.
Note Prior to release 7.2, FlexConnect was called Hybrid REAP (HREAP). Now it is called
FlexConnect.
Prerequisites
Requirements
There are no specific requirements for this document.
Components Used
This document is not restricted to specific software and hardware versions.

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
Product Overview
Conventions
Refer to Cisco Technical Tips Conventions for more information on document conventions.
Product Overview
Figure 1 Cisco Flex 7500
The Cisco Flex 7500 Series Cloud Controller is a highly scalable branch controller for multi-site
wireless deployments. Deployed in the private cloud, the Cisco Flex 7500 series controller extends
wireless services to distributed branch offices with centralized control that lowers total cost of
operations.
The Cisco Flex 7500 series (Figure 1) can manage wireless access points in up to 2000 branch locations
and allows IT managers to configure, manage, and troubleshoot up to 6000 access points (APs) and
64,000 clients from the data center. The Cisco Flex 7500 series controller supports secure guest access,
rogue detection for Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance, and in-branch (locally switched) Wi-Fi
voice and video.
The following table highlights the scalability differences between the Flex 7500, 8500, WiSM2 and
WLC 5500 controller:
Note Flex 7500 only operates in FlexConnect mode. Additional modes are supported in WiSM2, 5500,
and 8500 series controllers.
Note DTLS license is required for Office Extend AP support.
Scalability Flex 7500/8500 WiSM2 WLC 5500
Total Access Points 6,000 1000 500
Total Clients 64,000 15,000 7,000
Max FlexConnect
Groups
2000 100 100
Max APs per
FlexConnect Group
100 25 25
Max AP Groups 6000 1000 500

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
Product Specifications
Product Specifications
Data Sheet
Refer to Cisco Flex 7500 Series Cloud Controller Data Sheet:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps6302/ps8322/
ps11635/data_sheet_c78-650053.html
Platform Feature
Figure 2 Flex 7500 Rear View
Network Interface Ports
Note • LAG support for 2x10G interfaces allows active-active link operation with fast failover link
redundancy. An additional active 10G link with LAG does not change the controller wireless
throughput.
•2x10G interfaces.
•2x10G interfaces support optic cable with SFP product # SFP-10G-SR and SFP-10G-LR.
•Switch side SFP or X2 product should be of the same type SR or LR.
Interface Ports Usage
Fast Ethernet Integrated Management Module (IMM)
Port 1: 1G WLC Service Port
Port 2: 1G WLC Redundant Port (RP)
Port 1: 10G WLC Management Interface
Port 2: 10G WLC Backup Management Interface Port (Port
Failure)

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
Flex 7500 Boot Up
System MAC Addresses
Serial Console Redirect
The WLC 7500 enables console redirect by default at the baud rate of 9600, simulating Vt100 terminal
with no flow control.
Inventory Information
The following is the WLC 7500 Console:
(Cisco Controller) >show inventory
Burned-in MAC Address............................ E4:1F:13:65:DB:6C
Maximum number of APs supported.................. 2000
NAME: "Chassis" , DESCR: "Cisco Wireless Controller"
PID: AIR-CT7510-K9, VID: V01, SN: KQZZXWL
The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) table contains server hardware and BIOS information. The
WLC 7500 displays BIOS version, PID/VID and Serial Number as part of inventory.
Note Flex 7500 is currently shipped with VID=V02.
Flex 7500 Boot Up
Cisco boot loader options for software maintenance are identical to Cisco's existing controller platforms.
Port 1: 10G (Management Interface) System/Base MAC address
Port 2: 10G (Backup Management
Interface)
Base MAC address+5
Port 1: 1G (Service Port) Base MAC address+1
Port 2: 1G (Redundant Port) Base MAC address+3

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
Flex 7500 Boot Up
Figure 3 Boot-Up Order

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
Flex 7500 Boot Up
Figure 4 WLC Configuration Wizard
Note The Flex 7500 boot up sequence is equivalent and consistent with existing controller platforms.
Initial boot up requires WLC configuration using the Wizard.

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
Flex 7500 Licensing
Flex 7500 Licensing
AP Base Count Licensing
AP Upgrade Licensing
Except for the base and upgrade counts, the entire licensing procedure that covers ordering, installation,
and viewing is similar to Cisco's existing WLC 5508.
Refer to the WLC 7.3 configuration guide, which covers the entire licensing procedure.
Software Release Support
The Flex 7500 supports WLC code version 7.0.116.x and later only.
Supported Access Points
Access Points 3600, 3500, 2600, 1600, 1550, 1260, 1240, 1140, 1130,1040, 700, and 600 series, Cisco
891 Series Integrated Services Router and Cisco 881 Series Integrated Services Router.
.
AP Base Count SKUs
300
500
1000
2000
3000
6000
AP Upgrade SKUs
100
250
500
1000

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
FlexConnect Architecture
FlexConnect Architecture
Figure 5 Typical Wireless Branch Topology
FlexConnect is a wireless solution for branch office and remote office deployments.
The FlexConnect solution enables the customer to:
•Centralize control and manage traffic of APs from the Data Center.
– Control traffic is marked by red dashes in Figure 5.
•Distribute the client data traffic at each Branch Office.
– Data traffic is marked by blue, green, and purple dashes in Figure 5.
– Each traffic flow is going to its final destination in the most efficient manner.
Advantages of Centralizing Access Point Control Traffic
•Single pane of monitoring and troubleshooting.
•Ease of management.
•Secured and seamless mobile access to Data Center resources.
•Reduction in branch footprint.
•Increase in operational savings.

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
FlexConnect Architecture
Advantages of Distributing Client Data Traffic
•No operational downtime (survivability) against complete WAN link failures or controller
unavailability.
•Mobility resiliency within branch during WAN link failures.
•Increase in branch scalability. Supports branch size that can scale up to 100 APs and 250,000 square
feet (5000 sq. feet per AP).
The Cisco FlexConnect solution also supports Central Client Data Traffic, but it is limited to Guest data
traffic only. This next table describes the restrictions on WLAN L2 security types only for non-guest
clients whose data traffic is also switched centrally at the Data Center.
Note These authentication restrictions do not apply to clients whose data traffic is distributed at the
branch.
Table 1 L2 Security Support for Centrally Switched Non-Guest Users
WLAN L2 Security Type Result
None N/A Allowed
WPA + WPA2 802.1x Allowed
CCKM Allowed
802.1x + CCKM Allowed
PSK Allowed
802.1x WEP Allowed
Static WEP WEP Allowed
WEP + 802.1x WEP Allowed
CKIP - Allowed
Table 2 L3 Security Support for Centrally and Locally Switched Users
WLAN L3 Security Type Result
Web Authentication Internal Allowed
External Allowed
Customized Allowed
Web Pass-Through Internal Allowed
External Allowed
Customized Allowed
Conditional Web
Redirect
External Allowed
Splash Page Web
Redirect
External Allowed

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Flex 7500 Wireless Branch Controller Deployment Guide
FlexConnect Architecture
For more information on Flexconnect external webauth deployment, please refer to Flexconnect External
WebAuth Deployment Guide
For more information on HREAP/FlexConnect AP states and data traffic switching options, refer to
Configuring FlexConnect.
FlexConnect Modes of Operation
For more information on FlexConnect Theory of Operations, refer to the H-Reap/FlexConnect Design
and Deployment Guide.
WAN Requirements
FlexConnect APs are deployed at the Branch site and managed from the Data Center over a WAN link.
The maximum transmission unit (MTU) must be at least 500 bytes.
FlexConnect Mode Description
Connected A FlexConnect is said to be in Connected Mode
when its CAPWAP control plane back to the
controller is up and operational, meaning the
WAN link is not down.
Standalone Standalone mode is specified as the operational
state the FlexConnect enters when it no longer has
the connectivity back to the controller.
FlexConnect APs in Standalone mode will
continue to function with last known
configuration, even in the event of power failure
and WLC or WAN failure.
Deployment
Type
WAN
Bandwidth
(Min)
WAN RTT
Latency
(Max)
Max APs per
Branch
Max Clients
per Branch
Data 64 Kbps 300 ms 5 25
Data 640 Kbps 300 ms 50 1000
Data 1.44Mbps 1 sec 50 1000
Data + Voice 128 Kbps 100 ms 5 25
Data + Voice 1.44Mbps 100 ms 50 1000
Monitor 64 Kbps 2 sec 5 N/A
Monitor 640 Kbps 2 sec 50 N/A