Overview

This article describes the steps required to reset and migrate multiple Access Point Beacons (APBs) from one Meridian location to another.  This process would not be recommended if you only have a handful of APBs to reset and migrate.  For just a few APBs, it may be better to perform a manual hard reset.   

In Meridian testing environments, sometimes it may be necessary to migrate all the APBs from one test environment to another.  Often, the APBs may have been configured for a specific location with settings that are not compatible with a new test location.  When this happens the APBs may show up in the beacons app as not configurable or in the worse case, it will not show up in Meridian Editor at all. 

Meridian APB Auto-Deploy

Meridian supports configuring access point beacons remotely, via APB auto-deploy, which will automatically configure all new APBs in the infrastructure to the Meridian location.  After the APBs have been auto-deployed the APBs will be available in the user's location in Meridian Editor so the user can place the APBs on the Meridian map without having to do a site visit.  

Bulk APB Migration Workflow

WARNING: Completing the procedure in this article will reset all the APBs that are affected by IoT profile. 

The APB auto-deploy settings are persistent, so if the APBs were moved to a new location without a hard reset, the APBs will not show up in the new location.  Deleting the APB from the map using Editor or Beacons mobile app without a reset will only result in the beacon showing up in the same location as an Unconfigured beacon.  

To illustrate a bulk APB migration workflow, three APBs will be moved from one location to another using an IoT profile.  To begin, use the CLI:

show ap ble-ibeacon-info

ArubaOS 8.5.0.x was used to generate the example CLI commands.  The commands may be slightly different on other versions of AOS or Instant.  

The sample below shows that the APBs have already been deployed.  This is indicated by the fact that it has values in the fields for UUID/Major/Minor.

(host) *[mynode] #show ap ble-ibeacon-info

AP's BLE radio iBeacon parameter
--------------------------------
AP Eth MAC        BLE MAC           Major Minor UUID                                 TX Power
----------        -------           ----- ----- ----                                 --------
70:3a:0e:c2:8a:be 04:a3:16:99:de:59 1000  1177  E339EDE5-FDDA-49FB-A2FD-88962FDA568D 15
70:3a:0e:c2:8c:20 5c:f8:21:e6:bc:e8 1000  1178  E339EDE5-FDDA-49FB-A2FD-88962FDA568D 15
70:3a:0e:c2:8c:94 5c:f8:21:e6:c4:bf 1000  1176  E339EDE5-FDDA-49FB-A2FD-88962FDA568D 15

Total AP BLE devices reported:3

Complete the following steps to reset the auto-deployed APBs and migrate them to a new Meridian location:

Step 1: Configure the IoT Profile to Reset APB Settings

If you have already created an IoT profile for the new location, then modify the serverURL to:

https://edit.meridianapps.com/api/beacons/manage/reset/hard

See  BLE Management config docs on where to adjust BLE URL for your version of ArubaOS.  Configuring the IoT profile can done using the GUI or the CLI.

If you have not created an IoT profile, then create an IoT profile using similar syntax:

(host) [mynode] #configure terminal 
Enter Configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z

(host) [mynode] (config) #iot transportProfile "Beacons Management"
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #serverType Meridian-Beacon-Management
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #serverURL https://edit.meridianapps.com/api/beacons/manage/reset/hard
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #reportingInterval 600
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #include-ap-group default
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #exit
(host) [mynode] (config) #iot useTransportProfile "Beacons Management"
(host) [mynode] (config) #write memory

Step 2: Verify That the IoT Profile is Working

The reset process will begin by changing the Major/Minor values of the APB to "0".  

(host) [mynode] #show ap ble-ibeacon-info

AP's BLE radio iBeacon parameter
--------------------------------
AP Eth MAC         BLE MAC            Major  Minor  UUID                                  TX Power
----------         -------            -----  -----  ----                                  --------
70:3a:0e:c2:8a:be  04:a3:16:99:de:59  1000   1177   4152554E-F99B-4A3B-86D0-947070693A78  14
70:3a:0e:c2:8c:20  5c:f8:21:e6:bc:e8  0      0      4152554E-F99B-4A3B-86D0-947070693A78  14
70:3a:0e:c2:8c:94  5c:f8:21:e6:c4:bf  0      0      4152554E-F99B-4A3B-86D0-947070693A78  14

Total AP BLE devices reported:3

This process may take up to an hour to complete if you have more than 100 APBs. When it is complete, all the Major/Minor values of the APBs will be changed to "0", except for the UUID field.  This is expected. 

Step 3: Configure the IoT Profile For the New Location

After your AP Beacons have been reset, you will need to configure the proper ap system-profile or IoT TransportProfile to migrate them to the new location.

(host) [mynode] (config) #iot transportProfile "Beacons Management"
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #serverType Meridian-Beacon-Management
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #serverURL https://edit.meridianapps.com/api/beacons/manage
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #accessToken <access token>
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #reportingInterval 600
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #include-ap-group default
(host) [mynode] (IoT Data Profile "Beacons Management") #exit
(host) [mynode] (config) #iot useTransportProfile "Beacons Management"
(host) [mynode] (config) #write memory
Saving Configuration...
Configuration Saved.

Step 4.  Update the APB with New IoT Profile

If you're on AOS/Instant 8.3.x+ code and using an IoT TransportProfile for beacons management, you can force an APB update in CLI by executing the following:

• AOS: ap ble-init-action ap-name <ap-name> send-update <IoT Profile Name>
• Instant: ble-init-action send-update <IoT Profile Name>

Here is a CLI example using ArubaOS 8.5.0.x:

(host) [mynode] #ap ble-init-action ap-name 315A send-update "Beacons Management"

Step 5.  Verify That the IoT Profile Update Was Successful

After the new IoT profile is updated, new Major/Minor numbers will be assigned to the APBs.  

(host) [mynode] #show ap ble-ibeacon-info 

AP's BLE radio iBeacon parameter
--------------------------------
AP Eth MAC         BLE MAC            Major  Minor  UUID                                  TX Power
----------         -------            -----  -----  ----                                  --------
70:3a:0e:c2:8a:be  04:a3:16:99:de:59  1000   1008   A0EC46DA-06D9-41BA-B492-E031120C0213  15
70:3a:0e:c2:8c:20  5c:f8:21:e6:bc:e8  1000   1010   A0EC46DA-06D9-41BA-B492-E031120C0213  15
70:3a:0e:c2:8c:94  5c:f8:21:e6:c4:bf  1000   1009   A0EC46DA-06D9-41BA-B492-E031120C0213  15

Total AP BLE devices reported:3

The UUID may or may not change depending on the migration scenario:

• If APBs migrated from Location A to Location B under the same Organization, UUID will not change.
• If APBs migrated from Organization A to Organization B, the UUID will change to the new location's UUID.

Step 6. Show the Auto-Deployed APBs in Editor

To view a list of the auto-deployed APBs, launch Meridian Editor and navigate to Beacons > Beacons Management.

Check that the Aruba Network is connected to Meridian Editor.   Then, compare the Location Beacon UUID in Editor to the value configured to the APB.  They should be the same.

To show the list of auto-deployed APBs, do the following:

1. In Editor, navigate to Beacons menu
2. Click Filter
3. Click the box to check Access Point Beacons
4. The auto-deployed beacons will be displayed in the window at the bottom of the page.

Step 7.  Place Auto-Deployed APB on Meridian Map

Clicking on the APB will launch the Edit Beacon Settings page.  Auto-deployed APBs are automatically configured as Location beacons by default.  It can be changed to Proximity beacons using the Beacons mobile app or in the Edit Beacon Setting page.  If APBs are to be used with Mapless locations, then there is nothing more to be done.

To place the auto-deployed APB on the Meridian map, click on the auto-deployed APB, then do the following:

1. Select the target floor from the drop down menu.
2. Click on the beacon icon.
3. Click the location on the Meridian map where the AP was placed.
4. Click Save.

Summary

This article covers the workflow for resetting bulk auto-deployed APBs, migrating them to a new location using the IoT profile and placing the auto-deployed APB on the Meridian map.  Migrating multiple APBs from one location to another is not a common operation.  It has only been performed in a few scenarios, after it was deemed necessary.  This procedure should only be considered for bulk migration scenarios.  For more information, you may contact https://asp.arubanetworks.com/