AirGroup Solution
Aruba addresses this multicast DNS (mDNS) challenge with the introduction of patent-pending AirGroup technology. AirGroup leverages key elements of Aruba’s solution portfolio including operating system software for Aruba Instant and
AirGroup maintains seamless connectivity between clients and services across VLANs and SSIDs. The mDNS packet traffic is minimized thereby preserving valuable wired network bandwidth and WLAN airtime.
AirGroup also enables context awareness for services across the network:
| | AirGroup is aware of personal devices. For example, an Apple TV in a dorm room can be associated with the student who owns it. |
| | AirGroup is aware of shared resources. This might be an Apple TV in a meeting room or a printer in a supply room that is available to certain users, such as the marketing department. Or, in a classroom, teachers can use AirPlay to wirelessly project a laptop screen onto an HDTV monitor using an Apple TV. |
| | AirGroup is aware of the location of services through Aruba CPPM (ClearPass Policy Manager) support. For example, depending on proximity, an iPad would be presented with the closest printer instead of all the printers in the building. Another example is a user in a conference room who wants to use AirPlay to project a MacBook screen on an HDTV monitor using an Apple TV receiver. When that users’ device queries the network for a list of available Apple TVs, the location-aware IAP only shows the Apple TV closest to the user. |
All of these above filtering options require ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM).
| | In addition, the IAP supports Bonjour services’ filtering options based on VLANs and roles for which ClearPass Policy Manager is not required. |
The following table summarizes the filtering options which are described above.
Table 37 - AirGroup Features
|
Features |
Aruba Instant Deployment Models |
|
|
Integrated |
Integrated with CPPM |
|
|
Allow mDNS to propagate across subnets/VLANs |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Limit multicast mDNS traffic on the network |
Yes |
Yes |
|
VLAN based mDNS service policy enforcement |
Yes |
Yes |
|
User-role based mDNS service policy enforcement |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Portal to self register personal leaves |
No |
Yes |
|
Device owner based policy enforcement |
No |
Yes |
|
Location based policy enforcement |
No |
Yes |
|
Shared user list based policy enforcement |
No |
Yes |
|
Shared role list based policy enforcement |
No |
Yes |