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

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Cisco C9800 Series

Chapter 2 Hardware and Software Architecture of the C9800

Chapter 3 C9800 Configuration Model

Chapter 4 C9800 Deployment and Installation

Chapter 5 Security

Chapter 6 Mobility and Client Roaming

Chapter 7 RF Deployment and Guidelines

Chapter 8 Multicast and Multicast Domain Name System (mDNS)

Chapter 9 Quality of Service (QoS)

Chapter 10 C9800 High Availability

Chapter 11 Cisco DNA Spaces Integration and IoT

Chapter 12 Network Programmability

Chapter 13 Model-Driven Telemetry

Chapter 14 Cisco DNA Center/Assurance Integration

Chapter 15 Backing Up, Restoring, and Upgrading Your C9800

Chapter 16 Troubleshooting

Appendix A Setting Up a Development Environment

Who should read this book?

This book is for all readers who are passionate about wireless and want to learn how to design, deploy, and manage a Cisco Catalyst wireless network. The book has been written with three groups of readers in mind:

• Technical Decision Makers (TDM): The book familiarizes TDMs with a deep technical view of the Catalyst 9800 wireless controller and helps you in addressing your specific business needs.

• Network architects: The book provides technical details on the software and hardware architecture of the Catalyst wireless solution so that you can better understand how to design your own network and implement the features and functionalities you need.

• Network operators and IT professionals: The book provides useful tools and tips for setting up, configuring, and monitoring and troubleshooting the network, making your work as a network operator easier.

About the Authors

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.