In a Mobility Express deployment, how are control/authentication traffic and data forwarding handled?

In a Cisco Mobility Express deployment, the integrated controller (running on a master AP) centralizes control plane functions and client authentication. This means all management, configuration, and security policy enforcement for the WLANs are handled by this central entity. However, the data plane is distributed, with client data traffic being switched locally at the access point where the client is associated. This local data switching (often called "local mode") reduces latency and offloads the controller, improving performance and scalability, especially for high-bandwidth applications. Incorrect options: If data were switched centrally by the controller, it would create a bottleneck and increase latency. If control traffic and authentication were handled locally on each AP, it would negate the benefits of a centralized controller, making management and policy enforcement complex and inconsistent.