Autosync hotspot database

When HSG is used as an on-premise gateway, it stores the user profiles, user sessions, analytics data and captive portal page contents locally. The user data is dynamically changing/adding, especially when social media or self-registration sign-in options are used. So it's important to be able to sync user data to backup unit during failover scenario.

The hotspot autosync feature syncs below user data from one box to another, in real-time:

  • user account database (username, password, user info, access info, profile setting)
  • user sessions (historical sessions, sticky sessions)
  • access profiles

There're two common use cases for this feature:

  1. cloud deployment of user accounts. For example, you may have a cloud HSG to manage user accounts, while having multiple on-premise HSG to perform authentication locally (for better user experience etc). The user accounts are managed conveniently in central HSG and auto sync to each on-premise HSG. At the same time you can keep a consistent set of user database across all HSG deployment.
  2. High availability between HSGs. When you have multiple HSG running in HA mode, the active (primary) HSG collects user data locally and syncs to backup/standby unit in real-time. In case of failover, it's seamless to end users (user session data is already present in backup unit, no need to relogin again).

Hotspot autosync for cloud deployment

Hotspot database autosync for on-premise deployment

To configure auto sync between primary and backup (or remote) units, please make sure below requirements are met:

  1. Make sure primary and backup can connect to each other via tcp/80/443
  2. On primary unit, change mboxadmin account default password to something else (eg. securemboxpass), and permit backup unit IP to sync with it
  3. On backup unit, add CLI config "ip host mboxprimary.ransnet.com <primaryip>", and configure with authentication info (eg, mboxadmin/securemboxpass)

Primary mbox config - allow backup/remote IP to sync

Backup (remote) mbox config - sync data from primary