Flexible group configuration helps you to manage multiple devices: You apply a carefully selected range of configuration parameters to a group of devices, in one go. This is far more convenient than manually setting the parameters in each individual device, e.g. identical SSID settings in WLAN access points. This helps you to avoid transferring complete configuration files from other devices, in which case device-specific parameters such as the IP address are also included. Group configuration with LANconfig enables the simultaneous setting of shared group-configuration parameters, thus facilitating the simultaneous administration of multiple devices.
By collecting multiple devices into a group configuration, these devices can be a co-managed as a group. The group configuration files with the common parameters for a group of devices are, just like the full configuration files, stored on hard disk or on a server. To aid the configuration of entire groups of devices, links to the group configuration files are created under LANconfig. These links provide a convenient connection between these group-configuration files and the device entries in LANconfig.
LANconfig provides generalized group templates as an aid to creating group configurations. You define which parameters are to be used for a group according to your individual needs. Use this feature to add additional configuration parameters to the group parameters, or to remove the suggested group parameters. You can store the configurations you created either as group configurations or as a customized template for the generation of further group configurations.
The following templates for group configurations are available in LANconfig:
- Group Template WLAN: Includes the parameters that are co-managed on WLAN devices.
- Group Template WLC: Useful when operating WLCs in a cluster, this template includes the full range of parameters that minimize the need for individual device configuration.
- Group Template Empty: Contains no pre-selected group parameters, and so serves as a basis for creating your own group templates which exceed the scope of the WLAN and WLC group templates. Here, the total amount of all available configuration parameters in all device types is available for you to choose those which you want to use for your group configuration.
If you enable the option Use alternative basic settings instead, LANconfig offers a list of group templates for devices of a specific type. The Group Templates give you the option of including the common parameters for different device types into the group template. However, some parameters overlap between different device types (e.g. DSL and DSLoL). Thus the group templates are always a compromise in which some parameters may be missing. For homogeneous groups containing just one type of device, it makes sense to select a specific device configuration with a specific firmware version as a template for the group. These basic settings thus allow you to chose from precisely those configuration parameters that are required for this type of device.
