What happens to control and management traffic in local switched mode of Cisco FlexConnect?

In local switched mode of Cisco FlexConnect, control and management traffic is still sent over CAPWAP (Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points) to the Wireless LAN Controller (WLC). This connectivity ensures that the access point maintains a management relationship with the controller, allowing centralized control and configuration. This means that while client data traffic may be switched locally to reduce latency and optimize performance, the management functions, such as AP management, monitoring, and configuration, continue to be reliant on the CAPWAP tunnel to the WLC.

The architecture is designed this way to ensure that administrative capabilities and control functions remain intact, even when client data traffic is routed locally. This is crucial for maintaining network integrity, security policies, and overall management of the wireless network.