Aruba AirWave

Why AirWave?

Not all organizations can or want to move network management to the cloud. Regulations, security policies, or existing infrastructure investments require an on-premises solution. In multi-vendor environments, the problem becomes more complex.

Aruba AirWave is an on-premises network infrastructure management platform that supports devices from multiple vendors in a single console. Solution for organizations requiring local deployment.

Note: HPE recommends Aruba Central for new deployments. AirWave is maintained for existing customers and specific on-premises requirements.

How does it work?

Multi-Vendor Support

Single console for different devices:

• Aruba, Cisco, HP access points
• Switches from various vendors
• Routers and WAN devices
• Unified view regardless of vendor

VisualRF

RF visualization and planning:

• Signal coverage maps
• Interference heatmaps
• AP placement planning
• Visual troubleshooting

Compliance

Policy compliance monitoring:

• Automatic configuration checking
• Non-compliance reporting
• Configuration backup and versioning
• Change audit trail

Main Features

Monitoring

• Real-time device status
• Performance metrics
• Client visibility
• Alert management

Configuration

• Template-based configuration
• Mass deployment
• Firmware management
• Scheduled maintenance

Reporting

• Compliance reports
• Capacity planning
• Trend analysis
• Custom dashboards

Security

• Rogue AP detection
• Configuration drift alerts
• Credential management
• Role-based access

Who is it for?

• Organizations with on-premises requirements for network management
• Multi-vendor environments requiring unified management
• Companies with existing AirWave deployments
• Regulated industries with cloud restrictions

Benefits

For IT: One tool for multi-vendor, on-premises control, proven system

For security: Data stays local, compliance reporting, audit trail

For business: Leverage existing investments, no cloud subscription costs

Specifications

Deployment	On-premises (VM or appliance)
Multi-vendor	Cisco, HP, Aruba, others
Visualization	VisualRF
License	Per device

FAQ

Is AirWave still supported? Yes. HPE continues support but recommends Aruba Central for new deployments.

What devices does AirWave support? APs and switches from Aruba, Cisco, HP, and other vendors. Compatibility list in HPE documentation.

Can I migrate from AirWave to Central? Yes. HPE offers migration path and tools for transferring configuration.

How does licensing work? Per managed device. Subscription or perpetual depending on model.

Does AirWave require special hardware? Runs as VM on Hyper-V or on dedicated HPE appliance.

How does integration with other systems work? SNMP, REST API, syslog for integration with SIEM and ITSM.

Does AirWave offer AI/ML? No. Advanced AIOps features are only available in Aruba Central.

How often are updates? Regular maintenance updates. New features mainly in Aruba Central.

What are the system requirements? Depends on number of devices. HPE documentation provides detailed specifications.

What about support? HPE Foundation Care. nFlo as a partner offers support for existing deployments and migration to Central.