Aruba ACDA key terms

A structured approach that divides a network into layers such as core, distribution, and access so that each layer performs a focused role, simplifying scaling, troubleshooting, and capacity planning.

A campus design model with distinct core, distribution, and access layers, where the core provides fast transport, distribution enforces policy, and access connects end devices.

A two-tier campus design in which the core and distribution functions are combined on the same switches, often used in smaller sites to reduce cost and hop count.

The lowest tier of a campus design, where end devices such as access points, phones, and PCs connect to switches that provide port density, PoE, and edge security features.

The middle tier that aggregates access switches, enforces routing and policy boundaries, and provides redundancy and path selection between access and core.

The high-speed backbone tier optimized for fast, resilient transport between distribution blocks, typically avoiding complex policy so it can forward traffic with minimal latency.

A Layer 2 protocol that prevents switching loops by electing a root bridge and blocking redundant paths, leaving a loop-free topology that can reconverge after a failure.

Combining multiple physical links into one logical channel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy, often configured with LACP so both ends negotiate the bundle consistently.

An aggregation technology that lets two separate switches present a single logical link to a downstream device, improving resiliency without relying solely on spanning tree.

A capability that delivers electrical power and data over the same Ethernet cable, letting access points, cameras, and phones operate without local power outlets.

The total power a switch can supply across its ports, which must be planned against the power draw of connected devices such as access points and cameras.

A set of protocols that give hosts a resilient default gateway by sharing a virtual IP and MAC address across multiple routers or switches.

A structured assessment of wireless coverage and interference at a location, used to determine access point placement, channel plans, and power settings before or after deployment.

A modeling exercise that estimates wireless coverage using floor plans and building material attenuation values, often performed before a physical site survey to guide AP placement.

The area served by one access point radio, whose size and shape depend on transmit power, antenna pattern, and obstacles, and which should overlap neighbors moderately for roaming.

Degradation that occurs when multiple access points on the same channel hear each other, forcing them to share airtime and reducing throughput for clients in overlapping areas.

The assignment of radio channels across access points so that nearby cells use different channels, minimizing co-channel interference while keeping coverage continuous.

The process by which a wireless client moves its association from one access point to another, ideally with minimal disruption, as it changes location.

A configured signal or rate value that influences when a client or infrastructure decides a roam is warranted, helping keep clients on the best available access point.

A centralized device that manages access points, coordinates configuration and roaming, and can tunnel or bridge client traffic depending on the deployment model.

The overall arrangement of controllers, access points, and switching that determines how wireless traffic is forwarded, managed, and secured across a campus.

Monitoring of the radio spectrum and wireless frames to identify rogue access points, unauthorized clients, and attack patterns, often using dedicated or background scanning radios.

An unauthorized access point connected to or operating near the network, which can expose the organization to security risk and is typically detected by wireless monitoring.

A WAN approach that centrally manages policy and steers traffic across multiple transports such as broadband and MPLS, improving cost, resilience, and application performance.

An encapsulated logical path carried over an underlay transport, used in SD-WAN and VPN designs to provide consistent policy, encryption, and topology independent of the physical links.

The device or function at a branch or site boundary that connects the local network to WAN transports and applies routing, security, and policy decisions.

The plan for a small or remote site covering local switching, wireless, WAN connectivity, and security, typically emphasizing simplicity, remote manageability, and resilience.

A standards-based suite that encrypts and authenticates IP traffic between sites or remote users, commonly used for secure WAN links and remote access.

A remote-access design choice in which only selected traffic goes through the corporate tunnel while other traffic goes directly to the internet, balancing security and performance.

A technique that forwards traffic based on configured policies such as source, application, or path preference rather than only destination address, often used in SD-WAN path selection.

A security model that grants permissions according to a user's or device's assigned role, simplifying policy management and limiting access to only what a role requires.

A framework that authenticates and profiles devices before or as they connect, then places them into appropriate network segments based on identity and compliance.

A port-based authentication standard in which a supplicant proves identity to an authenticator, which consults an authentication server before allowing network access.

A protocol used by network devices to send authentication, authorization, and accounting requests to a central server, common in enterprise wired and wireless access control.

A security principle that gives users and devices only the minimum access needed for their function, reducing the impact of compromise or misuse.

Dividing a network into isolated zones so that traffic between them must pass through controlled policy points, limiting lateral movement and containing security incidents.

A protocol for polling and receiving traps from network devices, widely used to collect health and performance metrics and to alert management systems about events.

A standard for sending event and log messages from network devices to a central collector, supporting troubleshooting and audit trails across many devices.

A flow-export technology that summarizes traffic conversations, letting administrators analyze usage patterns, top talkers, and capacity trends without full packet capture.

A platform that discovers, configures, monitors, and reports on network devices, providing a central view of health, alerts, and configuration state.

The practice of forecasting traffic and resource needs from historical and current data so that links, devices, and wireless coverage are sized before demand exceeds them.