Omada Controller User Guide_V6.0

About this Guide

This User Guide provides information for centrally managing Omada devices via the Omada SDN Controller. Please read this guide carefully before operation.

Intended Readers

This User Guide is intended for network managers familiar with IT concepts and network terminologies.

Conventions

When using this guide, notice that:

• Features available in the Omada SDN Controller may vary due to your region, controller type and version, and device model. All images, steps, and descriptions in this guide are only examples and may not reflect your actual experience.
• The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made in the preparation of this document to ensure accuracy of the contents, but all statements, information, and recommendations in this document do not constitute the warranty of any kind, express or implied. Users must take full responsibility for their application of any products.
• This guide uses the specific formats to highlight special messages. The following table lists the notice icons that are used throughout this guide.

In this guide, the following conventions are used:

More Resources

For technical support, the latest software, and management app, visit https://support.omadanetworks.com/.

Omada SDN Solution Overview

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Get Started with Omada Controller

This chapter guides you on how to get started with Omada Controller to configure the network. The controllers differ in forms, but they have almost the same browser–based management interface for network management. Therefore, they have almost the same initial setup steps, including building your network topology, deploying your controller, and logging in to the controller.

Set Up Your Software Controller

Omada Controller is designed for scalable networks. Deployments and configurations vary according to actual situations. Understanding your network requirements is the first step when planning to provision any project. After you have identified these requirements, follow the steps below to initially set up the Software Controller:

1. Determine the network topology.
2. Install the Software Controller.
3. Start and log in to the controller.

Determine the Network Topology

The network topology that you create for the controller varies depending on your business requirements. The following figure shows a typical topology for a high-availability use case.

Omada Software Controller is provided for both Windows and Linux operating systems. Determine your operating system and follow the introductions below to install the Software Controller.

Install the Software Controller on Windows Host

Omada Software Controller can be hosted on any computers with Windows systems on your network. Make sure your PC’s hardware and system meet the following requirements, then properly install the Software Controller.

• Hardware Requirements

  To guarantee operational stability, we recommend that you use the hardware which meets or exceeds the following specifications:

  CPU: Intel Core i3-8100, i5-6500, or i7-4700 with 2 or more cores and 4 or more threads.

  Memory: 16 GB RAM or more.

• System Requirements

  Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10/11/Server. (We recommend that you deploy the controller on a 64-bit operating system to guarantee the software stability.)

  Web Browser: Google Chrome 107 (or above), Mozilla Firefox 106 (or above), or Microsoft Edge 106 (or above). It is recommended to use the latest version.

• Install the Software Controller

  Download the installation file of Software Controller from https://support.omadanetworks.com/download/software/omada-controller/. Then follow the instructions to install the controller. After a successful installation, the controller shortcut icon will be created on your desktop.

Install the Software Controller on Linux Host

Two versions of installation package are provided: .tar.gz file and .deb file. Both of them can be used in multiple versions of Linux operating system, including Ubuntu and Debian.

Make sure your PC’s hardware and system meet the following requirements, then choose the proper installation files to install the Software Controller.

• Hardware Requirements

  To guarantee operational stability, we recommend that you use the hardware which meets or exceeds the following specifications:

  CPU: Intel Core i3-8100, i5-6500, or i7-4700 with 2 or more cores and 4 or more threads.

  Memory: 16 GB RAM or more.

• System Requirements

  Operating System: 64-bit Linux operating system, including Ubuntu 20.04/22.04/24.04, and Debian 11/12. Only support x64 version.

  Web Browser: Google Chrome 107 (or above), Mozilla Firefox 106 (or above), or Microsoft Edge 106 (or above). It is recommended to use the latest version.

• Install the Software Controller

  Download the installation file of Software Controller from https://support.omadanetworks.com/download/software/omada-controller/. Check the prerequisites and follow the steps based on your file version to install the controller.

  • Prerequisites for installing

    To successfully install the Software Controller, ensure that you have performed the following tasks before your installation:

    1. Ensure that the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) has been installed in your system. The controller requires that the system has Java 17 installed. Download the file according to your operating system from https://www.java.com/download/linux_manual.jsp and follow the instructions to install the JRE.

       For Ubuntu 20.04 or above, you can use the command: apt-get install openjdk-17-jre-headless to get the Java 17 installed.

    2. Ensure that MongoDB has been installed in your system. The controller works when the system runs MongoDB 3.6-8.0 LTS versions. Download the file according to your operating system from the https://www.mongodb.com/try/download and follow the instructions to install the MongoDB.
    3. Ensure that you have jsvc and curl installed in your system before installation, which is vital to the smooth running of the system. If your system does not have jsvc or curl installed, you can install it manually with the command: apt-get install or yum install. For example, you can use the command: apt-get install jsvc or yum install jsvc to get jsvc installed. And if dependencies are missing, you can use the command: apt-get -f install to fix the problem.
  • Install the .tar.gz file
    1. Make sure your PC is running in the root mode. You can use this command to enter root mode:
       sudo
    2. Extract the tar.gz file using the command: 
       tar zxvf Omada_Controller_vx.x.x_linux_x64_targz.tar.gz
    3. Install the Controller using the command: 
       sudo bash ./install.sh
  • Install the .deb file
    1. Make sure your PC is running in the root mode. You can use this command to enter root mode:
       sudo
    2. Extract the .deb file using the command: 
       dpkg -i Omada_Controller_vx.x.x_linux_x64.deb
       If dependencies are missing during the installation, you can use the command: apt-fix-broken install to fix the problem.
  • Check and change the status of the controller
    After installing the controller, use the following commands to check and change the status of the controller.
    • tpeap start — Start the controller.
    • tpeap stop — Stop running the Controller.
    • tpeap status — Show the status of Controller.

For more detailed information about the installation on Linux hosts, refer to How to install Omada Software Controller on Linux system.

Start and Log In to the Software Controller

Launch the Software Controller and follow the instructions to complete basic configurations, and then you can log in to the management interface.

Launch the Software Controller

Double-click the controller shortcut icon and the following window will pop up. After a while, your web browser will automatically open.

Complete Basic Configurations

In the web browser, you can see the configuration page. Follow the setup wizard to complete the basic settings for the Controller.

1. Click Let’s Get Started.

   

2. Set up controller access settings.

   

   1. Create an Administrator username and password for login to the controller. Specify the email address for resetting your password in case that you forget the password. After logging into the Controller, set a mail server so that you can receive emails and reset your password. For how to set a mail server, refer to 4. 5. 1 Mail Server.
   2. If you want to access the controller to manage networks remotely, enable Cloud Access, and bind your TP-Link ID to your Controller.
   3. Read and agree to the Terms of Use.
   4. Click Next.
3. Choose how would you like to set up your new controller. You can configure a new setup or restore from backup file.

   

4. Follow the setup wizard to set up the controller.

Log In to the Management Interface

Once the basic configurations are finished, the browser will be redirected to the following page. Log in to the management interface using the username and password you have set in the basic configurations.