Aruba SD-WAN (ACSDP) study plan

Aruba SD-WAN (ACSDP) · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

SD-WAN Architecture and Deployment Planning

Diagram the SD-WAN control plane, data plane, and management plane and label each component's role
Compare controller-based SD-WAN design against traditional hub-and-spoke WAN topologies in writing
Identify the prerequisites for a deployment (licensing, onboarding, underlay readiness) and list them as a checklist
Define site types (hub, branch, data center) and map which fabric roles apply to each

A one-page architecture diagram with a legend and a written deployment-prerequisite checklist of at least 15 items

Week 2

Size an overlay topology for a given site count and justify hub placement decisions
Describe how tunnels are established between fabric nodes and sequence the bring-up order
Configure underlay connectivity assumptions (addressing, routing reachability, NAT awareness) in a lab scenario
Produce a deployment plan template covering phases, dependencies, and rollback points

A completed deployment plan document for a 1-hub, 4-branch scenario including topology diagram and phase sequencing

Week 3

Build a lab fabric with at least one hub and two branches and verify tunnel state end to end
Configure and validate overlay interface addressing and fabric membership
Test underlay failure by disabling a link and record how the overlay reacts
Document the exact configuration steps in a repeatable runbook

A working lab fabric with captured verification output and a step-by-step build runbook

Week 4

Explain how routing information is exchanged across the overlay and identify the protocols involved
Configure route propagation between fabric sites and verify the learned routes
Compare static versus dynamic path selection and describe when each applies
Trace a packet from branch to data center and annotate each decision point

A routing table comparison (before and after overlay convergence) plus an annotated packet-walk document

Week 5

Define traffic-steering policies by application or prefix and apply them in the lab
Configure path-selection criteria (latency, loss, jitter, preference) and observe failover behavior
Simulate a degraded path and confirm traffic moves to the preferred alternate
Build a policy matrix mapping business applications to intended paths

A traffic-steering policy matrix with lab screenshots or logs proving at least two failover events

Week 6

Describe segmentation constructs and how segments isolate traffic across the fabric
Apply a security policy that permits one segment and denies another, then verify enforcement
Configure an internet-breakout security posture and explain the tradeoffs
Map a compliance requirement to a specific segmentation or policy control

A segment-and-policy design document with lab evidence of a permitted and a denied flow

Week 7

Use the orchestration layer to push a configuration change to multiple sites and verify consistency
Automate a repetitive task (template or scripted change) and confirm idempotent results
Set up monitoring views for tunnel health, path quality, and device status
Practice a troubleshooting workflow on an intentionally broken lab fabric and document the diagnosis path

A troubleshooting runbook plus a log of one automated change applied across three sites with before/after verification

Week 8

A scored practice-assessment report with a remediation list and a consolidated study binder

Week 2: Deployment plan for the hub-and-four-branch scenario is complete and internally consistent

Week 4: Lab fabric is operational and routing convergence is verified with captured output

Week 6: Segmentation and policy enforcement demonstrated with both permitted and denied flows

Week 8: Practice assessment completed with per-domain scores and a written remediation plan