Each AP maintains its CAPWAP connection by issuing echo requests to the WLC at a specified interval. If an AP fails or its connection is interrupted, these requests will be lost. If the APs repeat the echo request and receive no response from the WLC, the CAPWAP connection is considered to be lost and the APs start the reconfiguration process described under Connectivity loss and reconfiguration.
For the infrastructure illustrated above, a failure of AP-01 would have the following impact, assuming that automatic topology management is enabled:
- AP-01 is defective.
- AP-02 and AP-03 repeat their echo-requests; all repeats fail.
- AP-02 and AP-03 start the standalone operation of their P2P link (if configured) and continue to try to reach the WLC (over wireless and LAN, assuming connectivity exists).
- AP-02 and AP-03 stop their autonomous operation of P2P connections.
- AP-02 and AP-03 count down the wait time until the start of the preconfigured integration.
- After the wait time expires, AP-02 and AP-03 switch into client mode and scan the WLAN for the last known AutoWDS base network.
- AP-02 and AP-03 find a new anchor AP (e.g. B. AP-05 or AP-06) and login as clients.
- AP-02 and AP-03 restore the CAPWAP connection via the WLC-TUNNEL-AUTOWDS and inform the WLC about the new anchor AP and the physical WLAN interfaces they are using.
- The WLC generates a P2P link for the corresponding physical WLAN interfaces and delivers the configuration to the APs by CAPWAP.
- The APs set up the new P2P link to the master APs assigned to them and stop communicating with the WLC via the WLC-TUNNEL-AUTOWDS; they are bridged to the LAN instead.
