Which deployment is characterized by the WLC being embedded within a stack of switching hardware?

Which deployment is characterized by the WLC being embedded within a stack of switching hardware?

• A. embedded AP deployment
• B. lightweight AP deployment
• C. cloud-based AP deployment
• D. autonomous AP deployment

Answer: (D)

The question tests how controller functionality can be delivered without a separate appliance. When the Wireless LAN Controller features are built into the switching hardware itself (a switch stack that runs the WLC functions), the APs are managed by that embedded controller rather than by a stand‑alone WLC or by cloud control. This matches the embedded AP deployment: the WLC is part of the on‑prem switch infrastructure, so there’s no separate central controller appliance. The other models don’t fit this description: lightweight deployments rely on an external WLC to manage the APs; cloud-based deployments use a cloud controller; autonomous deployments have each AP operate independently with no centralized controller at all.

The question tests how controller functionality can be delivered without a separate appliance. When the Wireless LAN Controller features are built into the switching hardware itself (a switch stack that runs the WLC functions), the APs are managed by that embedded controller rather than by a stand‑alone WLC or by cloud control.

This matches the embedded AP deployment: the WLC is part of the on‑prem switch infrastructure, so there’s no separate central controller appliance. The other models don’t fit this description: lightweight deployments rely on an external WLC to manage the APs; cloud-based deployments use a cloud controller; autonomous deployments have each AP operate independently with no centralized controller at all.