CX 10000 Architecture and Hardware Platform
The Aruba CX 10000 is a top-of-rack data center switch that pairs a conventional switching ASIC with an embedded AMD Pensando DPU (a programmable packet processor) sitting in the traffic path. Candidates should be able to explain the split of responsibilities: the main ASIC handles high-speed L2/L3 forwarding, buffering, and fabric encapsulation, while the DPU provides stateful services - distributed firewall, NAT, encryption, and telemetry - at line rate, distributed to every leaf rather than hairpinned to a central appliance.
Know the physical story: fixed-form-factor 1U, high-density 25/100G Ethernet ports with breakout support, redundant hot-swap power supplies and fans, and management/console connectivity. Understand that the DPU is not an off-box service node; it is an inline, per-switch enforcement point whose policy is centrally authored but locally applied.
Traps to watch for:
- Questions implying services are centralized or tunneled to a separate firewall appliance - on CX 10000 they are distributed and enforced locally.
- Confusing the DPU's role (stateful services, telemetry) with the ASIC's role (forwarding, VXLAN encap/decap).
- Assuming all traffic automatically traverses the DPU; policy and redirection determine what is steered to it.
Rule of thumb: if the question is about how a packet moves fast, think ASIC; if it is about what the packet is allowed to do or what we learn about it, think DPU. A useful worked example: a three-tier app where web, app, and DB tiers each live behind different leaf switches - with CX 10000, each leaf enforces the tier-to-tier stateful policy locally, so east-west flows never leave the rack to reach a firewall.
Also review licensing and software dependencies, since service availability can hinge on them.