How to Create and Apply AP Templates

The RoamAbout Wireless Manager AP Templates tool lets you create your own library of customized AP configurations that you can then easily apply to your AP4102 network devices. A template is like a ready-made configuration that can be used over and over again for multiple devices. With templates, you can quickly configure APs that have the same configuration requirements. For example, let's say devices A, B, and C all use the same RADIUS server settings. Using the AP Templates tool, you can create one template with those RADIUS server settings and apply it to all three devices. This saves you from having to do three individual device configurations. In addition, you can use the template whenever you add a new device.

Instructions on:

Creating a Template

There are two ways to create a template. You can either create a new template or you can create a template from an existing device configuration by saving that configuration as a template.

Creating a New Template:

  1. From the RoamAbout Wireless Manager menu bar, select Tools > AP Templates, or select the AP Templates button  in the RoamAbout Wireless Manager toolbar. The Wireless Templates window opens.
  2. Click the New button. The Template Configuration window opens.
  3. Enter the Template Name and Description.
  4. In the left-panel tree, you will see listed all the configurable components of a template. Enable the node or nodes that you want to configure. Select each node and configure the settings as desired.
    NOTE:When you create a template, you can pick and choose which components you want that template to configure by enabling or disabling individual components (nodes) in the left-panel tree. Only enabled nodes will be set on devices when you apply the template to devices. This allows you to create templates for different uses. For example, you could have one template for RADIUS server settings, and another template for security settings. A disabled node has a red X () on it. Use the toolbar buttons to enable or disable an individual node , a node group , or all nodes .
  5. When you have completed configuring the template, click Save. The template will be listed in the Wireless Templates window.
  6.  Use the AP Template wizard to compare selected devices to the template, and apply the template to those devices.

Saving a Device Configuration as a Template:

  1. In the RoamAbout Wireless Manager device tree, right-click on an AP4102 device and select Configure Device. The Element Configuration window opens. You can use the enable/disable node functionality (see Note above) to specify which components you want that template to configure. Only enabled nodes will be set on devices when you apply the template to devices.
  2. Click Save As Template and enter a template name. Click OK. The template will now be listed in the Wireless Templates window (Tools > AP Templates).
    NOTE:When you save a configuration as a template, the password fields in the template will not have the actual value of the password, but rather "*****". If you want the template to configure the passwords, you will need to edit the template so that the password fields have the actual values.

Editing a Template

Use the following steps to make changes to an existing template.

  1. From the RoamAbout Wireless Manager menu bar, select Tools > AP Templates, or select the AP Templates button  in the RoamAbout Wireless Manager toolbar. The Wireless Templates window opens.
  2. Select the desired template and click Edit. The Template Configuration window opens.
  3. Make any desired changes to the template and click Save.
  4. Use the AP Template wizard to compare selected devices to the template, and apply the template to those devices.

Deleting a Template

Use the following steps to delete a template.

  1. From the RoamAbout Wireless Manager menu bar, select Tools > AP Templates, or select the AP Templates button  in the RoamAbout Wireless Manager toolbar. The Wireless Templates window opens.
  2. Select the desired template and click Delete.
  3. Click Ok.

Applying a Template to Devices

Use the AP Template Wizard to compare the current configuration settings on selected devices to a template and then apply the template settings to those devices.

  1. In the RoamAbout Wireless Manager left-panel device tree, right-click on one or more devices or a device group, and select Compare to Template.
  2. The AP Template Wizard opens, and displays the devices you have selected. Configurable devices (AP4102) are displayed in the left panel, and non-configurable devices (AP3000, RoamAbout R2, and devices without read-write access) are displayed in the right panel. Click Next.
  3. Select the template you want to compare the devices to. Click Next.
  4. The wizard displays the differences between the current settings on each device and the template settings. (Only configuration values for enabled nodes on the template will be compared.) Double-click an entry to open a Details window that lists each setting, and the old (current) value on the device and the new value that will be applied with the template. Click Next.
  5. The wizard displays the devices that the template will be applied to. Click the Finish button to apply the template to those devices.

Related Information

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