Aruba CX Switching Platforms and AOS-CX Fundamentals
Platform families
Aruba CX is one operating system (AOS-CX) across many boxes. Match family to role: the 6300 fixed stackable access/leaf, the 6400 compact modular aggregation, the 8320/8325/8360 high-density leaf/ToR, the 8400 modular chassis, and the 9300/10000 spine and data-center core platforms. High availability comes in two flavours: VSF (stacking - one control plane, one management IP) and VSX (two independent control planes with an inter-switch link, a keepalive path, and multi-chassis LAGs). VSX is the data-center norm because a device restart stays local. Confirm in the release notes which families support which.
AOS-CX fundamentals
AOS-CX is a Linux-based, database-driven NOS. Understand the CLI hierarchy (global context, then interface, VLAN, router bgp and similar sub-contexts), that changes take effect as entered (no commit step, so a mistake is live immediately), and that checkpoints are your rollback mechanism. Know named vs unnamed interfaces, the management VRF, RBAC roles (administrator, operator, auditor), and the management paths: console, SSH, REST API, SNMP, NAE.
Traps
- Assuming every VSX feature syncs automatically - syncing is opt-in per feature.
- Confusing VSF member IDs with VSX primary/secondary roles, or thinking a VSX pair shares one control plane.
- Building a VSX LAG while the two peers have different VLAN, VRF or ACL configuration.
- Treating a save step from another NOS as required to apply config; here a checkpoint is for safety, not activation.
Rule of thumb
Two boxes, one logical switch for hosts, but two control planes = VSX. Two boxes, one control plane and one management address = VSF. If the question requires upgrading without dropping the pair, VSX is the answer.