Aruba Central Configuration Manual – ArubaOS 10.x

Introduction

This guide is specifically designed for the setup and configuration of Aruba Access Points (APs) managed in Aruba Central running ArubaOS 10.x or higher for integration with the Blyott platform.

Prerequisites:

• Aruba Central administrator access.

• APs running ArubaOS 10.x or higher.

• Blyott tenant code and access token (please contact helpdesk@blyott.com).

• AWS Trusted Root CA certificate installed (see step 4).

• Firewall/Router Requirements:

  • TCP/UDP 123 → NTP server access (e.g. pool.ntp.org).

  • TCP 443 → HTTPS access to:

    • https://api.blyott.com

    • https://portal.blyott.com

    • https://firmware.blyott.com

    • or https://*.blyott.com

  • TCP 8883 → MQTT over TLS to:

    • tcp://aroncdz10y0su-ats.iot.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com:8883

Step 1: Add a New Group

Groups allow you to manage configuration for multiple APs at once.

1. In Global → Organization → Network Structure → Groups, click the ➕ icon.

2. Enter a descriptive group name (e.g., Blyott_AOS10).

3. Select Access Points only to avoid mixing device types.

4. Click Next to continue.

Tip: Use a naming convention that reflects the project or customer site for easier management later.

Step 2: Define Group Architecture

Choosing the correct architecture ensures Aruba Central applies the right configuration options.

1. Set Architecture to ArubaOS 10.

2. Set Role to Campus/Branch.

3. Click Add to confirm.

4. Verify that your group appears in the list.

Warning: Selecting the wrong architecture may hide or disable certain AOS10-specific options needed for BLE and IoT.

Step 3: Assign Devices to the Group

Your APs must be in the correct group for the settings to apply.

1. Go to Devices and locate unassigned APs.

2. Select the device(s) to move.

3. Click Group Assignment.

4. Choose your AOS10 group.

5. Click Move.

Step 4: Manage Certificates

Blyott connections require a trusted CA certificate from AWS. Without it, the AP will reject the secure connection.

Install AWS Root CA:

1. Download the AWS Root CA certificate in DER format from https://www.amazontrust.com/repository/

2. In Aruba Central, go to Organization → Certificates.

3. Click ➕ Add and fill in:

   • Name: Amazon Root CA 1

   • Type: CA Certificate

   • Format: DER

   • File: Select your downloaded certificate file.

4. Click Add to upload.

Assign the Certificate:

1. Go to Global → Network Structure → [Your Group] → Devices → Config → Security.

2. Under Certificate Usage, scroll to IoT CA.

3. Select the uploaded certificate.

4. Click Save Settings.

Step 5: Add IoT Connector

The IoT connector defines where and how your BLE scan data is sent.

1. In Aruba Central, go to Applications → IoT Operations.

2. Click Add Connector.

3. Select the connection type as Telemetry-WebSocket.

4. Enter the Blyott connection details.

5. Save.

Step 6: Install the Blyott App

The Blyott application in Aruba Central allows APs to recognize and handle Blyott tag data.

1. In Aruba Central, navigate to the App Marketplace.

2. Find Blyott Devices.

3. Click Install.

Step 7: Create Transport Profile for Blyott

The transport profile is the link between your AP’s BLE scans and Blyott’s servers.

1. Go to Applications → IoT Operations → Manage Transport Profiles → IoT Transport

2. Click + Add Transport.

3. Fill in:

   • Name: Blyott

   • Stream Type: Data Frames

   • Subscription: Device Class = Blyott

   • Protocol Type: WSS

   • URL: wss://proxylocator.blyott.com/aruba10/{TENANTCODE}

   • Format: protobuf

   • Authentication: Token

   • Token: (Provided by Blyott)

4. Click Create and assign to your AP group.

Important: Replace {TENANTCODE} with your actual Blyott tenant code exactly as given — it is case-sensitive.

Step 8: Configure BLE on Access Points

Your Aruba APs must have BLE scanning enabled to detect Blyott tags. This process activates the AP’s internal Bluetooth radio and determines how it listens for advertisements.

Steps to Enable BLE Scanning:

1. In Devices → Config → IoT, locate BLE Radio Settings.

2. Set Radio Mode to Internal, BLE.

3. Set BLE Operation Mode to Scanning.

4. Adjust Tx Power according to your coverage needs (default is usually sufficient for indoor tracking).

5. Click Save changes.

Optional – Apply Company ID Filtering
You can limit BLE data collection to only devices broadcasting with Blyott’s assigned Company Identifier. This reduces network traffic and processing overhead while improving tag detection accuracy.

1. In the same BLE settings screen, find the Filter by Company ID option.

2. Enable Custom Filtering.

3. Enter 09CD as the Company ID.

4. Save and apply changes.

Tip: Filtering ensures your APs ignore unrelated BLE devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, or other beacons from neighboring systems.

Step 9: Add AP as Locator in Blyott Portal

You can also refer to our how to guide - How to add a locator

1. Log in to the Blyott Portal.

2. Go to Locators.

3. Click + New Locator.

4. Enter:

   • Locator Name 

   • Hardware Model: Aruba | BLE-enabled

   • ID (MAC): Ethernet MAC (uppercase, no colons)

   • Fixed Location: Select from predefined locations

5. Save.

Note: Always use the Ethernet MAC — using the Bluetooth MAC will prevent the locator from working.

Step 10: Post-Deployment Checks & Configuration Verification

After completing the configuration, perform these checks to ensure your Aruba APs are successfully detecting Blyott tags and communicating with the Blyott cloud.

Quick Checklist 

• BLE Tag Detection:
  Run show ap debug ble-table generic — confirm tags with Company ID 09CD are detected, with Last Updatetimes within a few seconds.

• IoT Transport Connection:
  Run show ap debug ble-relay iot-profile — confirm Server Connection State = "Connection Established".

• Blyott Dashboard Status:
  Verify each locator’s Last Seen value is ≤ 5 minutes.

• Certificate Health:
  Ensure AWS Trusted Root CA is still valid.

• After Firmware Updates:
  Re-check BLE scanning mode, IoT profile, and Company ID filter settings.

Support Note: If any check fails or you’re unsure about the output, email helpdesk@blyott.com with the relevant CLI outputs. Our team will assist in reviewing the logs and guiding you through following actions.

10.1. Aruba Instant Locator Status in Blyott Dashboard

To verify that the applied configuration is working correctly, check the Locator Status in the Blyott dashboard.
The Last Seen field should show 5 minutes or less.

1. Verify BLE Tag Detection on the AP

From the AP CLI, run:

Example Output:

Notes:

Last Update is in seconds since the last packet was received.

0x09CD is the Blyott Company Identifier.

If no Blyott devices appear:

• Ensure tags are powered on and within AP range.

• Verify IoT radio is enabled with the correct settings.

• Ensure Device Class = Blyott is set in IoT Transport.

• Confirm AWS Trusted Root CA is installed (see Step 4).

2. Verify IoT Transport Connection to Blyott Cloud

Run:

show ap debug ble-relay iot-profile

Look for:

If not established, run:

to check WebSocket logs and send them to helpdesk@blyott.com to review.

3. Check Message Processing

If connected but data is not flowing:

Confirm that counters for Incoming Tag messages and Tag messages processed are increasing, and that Tag messages dropped remain very low (ideally <0.5%).

10.2. Common Causes of Connection Errors

• Missing or incorrect Trusted Certificate Chain for the remote IoT server.

• Incorrect authentication credentials (token, username/password).

• DNS resolution issues.

• Firewall or network device blocking communication.

Note: In ArubaOS 10, IoT server connections are established even when no BLE devices are currently detected.

11. Additional Aruba Information

11.1 API Integration (AOS 10.x)

• Aruba provides a robust REST API for ArubaOS, supporting automation and third-party integrations.

  • ArubaOS 10.x API Developer Guide – available in the Aruba Developer Hub.

  • Aruba Developer Hub – https://developer.arubanetworks.com.

11.2 Aruba Support Portal

• Access the full range of user guides, firmware updates, technical articles, and support documentation via the Aruba Support Portal:

  • https://asp.arubanetworks.com

12. Blyott Support and Assistance