H3C WX5860X New Generation High Performance Multi-Service Access Controller

802.11ax AP management

In addition to 802.11a/b/g/n/ac APs, the WX5860X can work together with H3C 802.11ax APs to provide multiple times faster wireless access rate over larger area. This feature improves user experience and ensures the application of wireless multimedia technology that requires high transmission rate.

Cutting-edge operating system

The WX5860X runs H3C's state-of-the-art Comware 7 network operating system. This system significantly improves product performance and reliability, and supports the increasingly complicated network applications in the enterprise market. This system offers the following advantages:

Multi-core control—Comware 7 can adjust the ratio of the control cores to forwarding cores in the CPU to achieve an optimal balance as demanded, remarkably improving the CPU control capabilities and computing capabilities while providing strong concurrent computing capabilities.

User-mode multitasking—In Comware 7, most network applications are executed in user mode. When you start an application, the system creates a task for the application and provides the task with private resources. If a task error occurs, the error is limited to this task and does not affect other applications and the operating system.

User-mode task monitoring—Comware 7 monitors each task executed in user mode. When a task error occurs, the system will reload the task to ensure quick recovery of the application.

Independent application upgrade—Comware 7 can upgrade a single module independently instead of the whole system, which enhances upgrade security and network stability significantly.

Powerful wired and wireless processing capability

Equipped with robust hardware, the WX5860X delivers strong concurrent computing capabilities and industry-leading wireless packet processing capabilities:

Lately-developed high-performance multicore CPU, with 8 independent cores that can be virtualized to 32 logical cores

High-bandwidth switching chips

High-performance programmable FPGA card

High-density port access

The WX5860X offers multiple port types and high port density, significantly facilitating wired and wireless accesses and improving networking agility.

License synchronization

H3C license synchronization technology enhances availability of a network with multiple ACs and provides agility for network deployment.

The following two license synchronization modes are available:

Dual-link backup mode (two ACs)—The two ACs back up licenses for each other. When an AC fails, the other AC takes over the service and APs will be reassociated with the backup AC.

N+1 backup mode (N ≤ 4)—An AC backs up licenses for other ACs. When one or more of the other ACs fail, the backup AC will take over the service and APs will be reassociated with the backup AC.

Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF)

The H3C Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) technology can virtualize two WX5860X ACs into a logical device called an IRF fabric, which delivers the following benefits:

Simplified topology—To set up an IRF fabric, you can connect the ACs directly or through an switch. No dedicated cable or port is required.

Simplified configuration—The configurations on the IRF fabric (master AC) will be automatically synchronized to the member AC.

1+1 redundancy—Failure of one AC does not affect the operation of the IRF fabric.

Flexible license control—The ACs in the IRF fabric share their licenses. The number of APs that can be connected to the IRF fabric is the sum of licenses installed on the ACs. Licenses installed on an AC can be easily unloaded or migrated.

AC hierarchy architecture

AC hierarchy architecture is a brand new networking model engineered by H3C to cater for the need of hierarchy network construction in the market. An AC hierarchy network contains a central AC, local ACs, and APs. The central AC manages all local ACs, and local ACs provide network access to APs and process client traffic.

The central AC has a high processing capacity and is deployed at the distribution layer. It focuses on performing global services such as network management and control and centralized authentication. It can also provide network access to APs and process client traffic.

The local ACs can be standard ACs, all-in-one ACs (with routing and DPI features), or unified wired and wireless switches.

AC hierarchy architecture is well suited for large-scale wireless network deployment. It supports headquarter and branch networking applications. The link bandwidth at the core layer and forwarding capacity of the central AC are no longer the bottleneck. Through centralized management on the central AC, this architecture allows automatic and convenient version upgrade and configuration synchronization of local ACs and APs. The local ACs are responsible for AP switching, significantly improving roaming performance.

RRM

Radio Resource Management (RRM), the AP monitors air interface channel utilization, channel interference, and signal conflict in real time, and works with H3C Cloudnet to adjust RF parameters such as working channel, bandwidth, and power in a timely manner to maintain the optimal RF resource status.

New-generation Wireless Intelligent Application Aware

Wireless Intelligent Application Aware (wIAA) provides user role-based application-layer security, QoS, and forwarding policies for wired and wireless users. With wIAA, you can control user access and specify networks available for applications such as HTTP and FTP and the allowed bandwidth.

The last-generation wIAA identifies packets based on the fourth-layer port number (such as port number 80 for HTTP, 20/21 for FTP). Users can bypass access restrictions simply by setting up a proxy.

The new-generation wIAA integrates message depth analysis (DPI) and improves application identification and statistical functions. Based on the 7-layer model characteristics of Ethernet packets, as well as the typical packet signature, the new-generation wIAA implements a more precise recognition and complete restriction. With DPI, you can set up a rule to control access to certain types of websites, instead of denying each website individually. This feature simplifies network configuration and improves efficiency.

Flexible forwarding modes

Traditional ACs typically use the centralized forwarding mode. The AC performs centralized control and security monitoring and all user data is sent from APs to the AC for processing and forwarding. This might result in inefficient forwarding. The uplink bandwidth and the forwarding capability of the AC might become the bottleneck, especially when APs are deployed at branches, the AC is deployed at the headquarters, and APs and the AC are connected over a WAN.

The WX5860X supports centralized forwarding, distributed forwarding, and policy-based forwarding, and users can choose the forwarding mode flexibly according to service needs and network conditions.

The WX5860X also supports local forwarding in conjunction with centralized authentication. It can perform 802.1X and portal authentications for data streams that are forwarded locally.

Carrier-class wireless access control and management

The WX5860X supports the following access control methods:

User profile-based access control

A user profile is a configuration template that saves predefined configurations such as Committed Access Rate (CAR) and QoS policies for clients. When a client passes authentication, the authentication server sends the related user profile to the AC. The AC uses the configuration in the user profile to restrict the client's access. When the client goes offline, the AC disables the user profile. You can configure several user profiles for different clients to achieve user profile-based access control.

MAC authentication access control

MAC authentication allows you to configure and modify the access rights of a group of clients or a particular client on the AAA server. The refined access control method enhances the availability of WLANs and facilitates access right assignment.

MAC-based VLAN access control

The administrator can assign users (or MAC addresses) with the same attributes to the same VLAN and configure a VLAN-based security policy on the AC. This simplifies system configuration and refines user management to the per-user granularity.

AP-based access control.

The AC gets a list of permitted APs from the authentication server during client authentication, and then selects an optimal AP for the client. This allows you to control the APs that wireless clients can associate for security or accounting purposes.

Smart Roaming Features

Supports intra-AC roaming, cross-AC roaming, and cross-VLAN Layer 3 roaming

Portal roaming information synchronization function: AC and AP support Portal users' non-perceived roaming between ACs on a large-scale network, without the Portal mac-trigger server. The wireless controller can independently assume the mac-trigger server function. This reduces the pressure on the portal server and prevents the portal server from becoming a performance bottleneck. When the Portal server is done, the online terminal can still roam without authentication between no less than 10 wireless controllers.

802.1X roaming information synchronization function: AC and AP support 802.1X users for fast roaming between ACs on a large-scale network. Support dot1x authentication for fast roaming between ACs. Terminals do not need to do authentication again after roaming to a new AC. Alleviate server pressure and ensure fast access of terminals, and support fast roaming between more than 10 ACs.

Support 802.11k/v/r fast roaming protocols

Intelligent dynamic frequency selection (DFS)

In a WLAN, adjacent APs need to work in non-overlapping channels to avoid channel interference. However, the non-overlapping channels in a WLAN are limited. For example, the 2.4 GHz band has only three non-overlapping channels. Meanwhile, there are many possible interference sources such as radars and microwave ovens that can affect the operation of APs in a WLAN.

DFS can ensure that each AP operates in the optimal channel, thereby minimizing adjacent channel interference. In addition, the real-time interference detection function can help keep APs away from interference sources.

Intelligent AP load balancing

In a WLAN, clients prefer to associate with an AP that has a higher RSSI. As a result, a large number of clients might associate with the same AP because it has stronger signal strength. Because these clients share the wireless media, the throughput for each client will be reduced.

The WX5860X provides session-based load balancing and traffic-based load balancing during roaming. It analyzes AP loads, determines which APs can balance loads for each other, and dynamically adjusts loads among APs to ensure adequate bandwidth for clients.

Support SSID automatic hiding function based on radio resource utilization. When the radio resource reaches or exceeds the configured threshold, the SSID automatically hides to provide users with stable and reliable wireless services.

Wireless intrusion detection and prevention system (WIDS/WIPS)

The WX5860X provides the following WIDS/WIPS features: blacklist, whitelist, rogue detection, malformed packet detection, illegal client logoff, and MAC layer attack detection and countermeasures through predefined signatures. MAC layer attacks include DoS attacks, flood attacks, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

With the huge intelligent expert information base built in the wireless application center, the AC can visually track and monitor physical locations of attackers and shut down a physical port.

Cooperating with H3C professional core-layer firewall/IPS devices, the AC can achieve complete security protection from Layer 1 through Layer 7, fulfilling the end-to-end security requirements of both 802.11 and 802.3 standards.

802.1X, MAC, and portal authentications

The WX5860X supports the following authentication methods:

802.1X authentication—The WX5860X supports local and remote 802.1X authentication and multiple 802.1X authentication methods, such as TLS, PEAP, TTLS, MD5, and SIM card. In local authentication mode, the AC acts as the authentication server and no additional AAA server is required. The WX5860X also supports dynamic VLAN assignment and ACL through predefined user profiles.

MAC authentication—The WX5860X supports MAC address authentication to authenticate hand-held terminals such as Wi-Fi phones and hand-held mobile terminals. On the WX5860X or AAA server, you can specify MAC addresses allowed to access a WLAN. MAC addresses not specified are considered illegal and cannot access the WLAN. This function facilitates some wireless applications such as the wireless healthcare system where MAC authentication can ensure that only the PDAs of the hospital can access the dedicated WLAN but not those owned by patients.

Portal authentication—The WX5860X provides an embedded portal server. This authentication method allows users to initiate authentication through a Web browser without installing client software. After a client passes authentication, the AC redirects the client to the specified website and simultaneously starts authorization and accounting. Customized portal pages can also be pushed to the clients for advertisement and message delivery. This is widely used in various scenarios like wireless campus, wireless city, and guest access.

IPv4/IPv6 dual stack (native IPv6)

The WX5860X supports both IPv4 and IPv6 client accesses. When the AC is deployed on an IPv4 network, APs connected to the AC can identify IPv6 packets and map IPv6 priorities to the tunnel priority. After receiving packets sent from APs, the AC can also use ACLs to control and filter IPv6 packets. When the AC is deployed on an IPv6 network, it will automatically negotiate with APs and establish an IPv6 tunnel with each AP and can still correctly identify and process IPv4 packets from wireless clients.

Excellent IPv4/IPv6 adaptability enables the WX5860X to provide services to various complicated applications during migration from IPv4 to IPv6.

The WX5860X also supports IPv6 Source Address Validation (SAVI) to address emerging IPv6 forged packet attacks on campus networks. Through address allocation protocol snooping, the AC obtains clients' IP addresses and ensures that clients use the correct address when they come online, eradicating the possibility of IP address forging and guaranteeing the reliability of source IP addresses. IPv6 SAVI in conjunction with portal authentication further guarantees the integrity and security of network packets.

End-to-end QoS

Developed based on the H3C's cutting-edge Comware 7 operating system, the WX5860X supports the QoS Diff-Serv model perfectly. It also supports IPv6 QoS.

The QoS Diff-Serv model mainly includes traffic classification, traffic policing, queue management, and queue scheduling, completely supporting the six kinds of PHB services: EF, AF1 through AF4, and BE. This enables service providers to provide services with different qualities to clients, making the Internet a truly integrated network carrying data, voice and video services at the same time.

Fast Layer 2 and Layer 3 roaming

The WX5860X under H3C fit AP+AC architecture improves both Layer 2 and Layer 3 roaming performance significantly and enables inter-subnet roaming. This benefit greatly simplifies early wireless network planning and reduces network planning costs.

The WX5860X uses key caching to implement fast roaming of clients. The key caching function allows clients to fast roam from one AP to another without performing the complete 802.1X authentication process while ensuring user identification and the continuity of keys. With fast roaming, an intra-AC roaming will take no more than 50 ms, which ensures transmission of speed-demanding voice traffic.

Remote access for branches

The WX5860X can be deployed to implement the following features for remote branch access:

Performance improvement of services such as printer access and terminal communication in branch LANs by choosing centralized forwarding mode or local forwarding mode.

Client access to local resources in case of WAN or AC failure and the AC escape function.

Communication between an AC and APs in a private network through NAT.

Hardware specifications

Software specifications