Cloud Managed Networks

This month is feature packed with brand new configuration workflows for Central, now generally available for all. Configuration has been rearchitected to be more modular to help simplify and reduce configuration drift. It evolves from a group-based model to a unified workflow, reducing configuration steps by up to 80% in some cases. This update significantly streamlines operations across all wired, wireless and gateway devices.

Previously, admins had to switch between groups for configuration and sites for monitoring—adding extra clicks and complexity. While the group-based configuration model continues to be available, new workflows introduce a more consistent experience across AOS-10, AOS-CX and AOS-S devices, with configuration and monitoring now aligned under a common templatized framework. For example, creating a user role with one policy and 10 ACLs used to take 50 clicks, and now it’s a single streamlined process.

Central's brand new configuration interface is accessible from the gear icon on the upper right corner of most screens.

Key improvements with this release:

1. A new multi-level configuration hierarchy providing consistency and flexibility across deployments.
   • Global - Defines organization-wide settings such as SSIDs and security policies.
   • Site collections - Group sites by region or function to apply shared VLANs or templates.
   • Sites - Represent physical locations with localized settings like IP pools or RF parameters.
   • Device groups - Target subsets of devices for specialized configurations.
   • Library - Stores reusable profiles and services for easy application.
     Configurations inherit top-down from Global to Site Collections, Sites, Devices and Device Groups. Lower scopes take precedence, allowing granular overrides. For example, a global IP scheme can apply to all sites, but an individual device can override it with its own static IP address.
     
     
     
2. Library is the centralized repository for shared, reusable configurations that enable consistent network management. Profiles stored in the Library such as WLAN, VLAN, DNS, or AAA are explicitly assigned to scopes like Global, Site Collection, or Site giving admins greater control over where and how configurations are applied. Updates to a Library profile automatically propagate to all assigned scopes, simplifying change management and ensuring consistency across deployments. The library supports the entire configuration lifecycle from pre-staging and initial setup to ongoing maintenance, making it essential for managing configurations across distributed, multi-site environments.
   
   
   
3. New Element Profiles provide granular control over specific components like WLAN settings, VLANs, or access roles. They are reusable and can be assigned across scopes for consistent, fine-tuned configurations. For example, an Element Profile might be used to fine-tune RF parameters with three profile types designed to support varying configuration complexity while ensuring consistency across deployments. 
   
   
   
4. A new configuration audit accessible from the Menu from the configuration overview page replaces the limited push-status checks to a device. Instead of surface-level messages such as “GCS partial config” or “Pushing full | partial config”, Central offers full visibility into every configuration action (CRUD operations). Each change, whether to Profiles, Aliases, Services, Roles, Policies, and Scopes are logged under the “Configuration” category, showing who made the change, what was changed, and when. The audit trail also includes the Impact Radius, identifying which part of the network was affected: Global, Site Collection, Site, Device Group, or Device, giving teams precise operational insight and supporting compliance and governance.
   
   
   
5. A configuration health card¹ provides a network-wide view of switch configuration status, showing which devices are synchronized, out of sync, or updating. Elevated to Central’s NOC dashboard, operators can drill down to identify devices with configuration issues and pinpoint root causes such as validation, distribution, or import error.
   
   
   
6. New refactored APIs enables intent-based configuration at scale. With over 90 new APIs introduced, teams can now programmatically define and manage configuration hierarchies across global, site, and device scopes. This includes full support for onboarding, rollback, and validation workflows, all accessible via RESTful endpoints or SDKs like PyCentral v2. These APIs are not only consistent across AOS 10, AOS-CX, and AOS-S, but also designed to integrate with tools like Ansible, ServiceNow, and Splunk making Central a true DevOps-ready platform. For support teams, this means faster troubleshooting with API-level diagnostics and rollback capabilities; for developers, it’s a launchpad for scalable, repeatable deployments.
   

These significant improvements are not just upgrades but a major shift towards automation, consistency, and full operational visibility. They eliminate repetitive tasks, reduce error risk, and give you granular control. Classic Central configuration remains available if you need it, but the advantages of the new model are clear. Dive into the online help and Validated Solution Guide now to understand the architecture, migration steps, and best practices, then start leveraging the new workflows to simplify operations and scale with confidence.

¹ Configuration health card is currently available for switches only, not for APs or gateways.