Aruba Switching Expert (Written) study plan

Diagram a three-tier campus topology from scratch, labeling access, distribution, and core layers and the failure domains at each tier

Explain and contrast store-and-forward, cut-through, and fragment-free forwarding and state which use cases favor each

Build a VLAN plan for a multi-building network that assigns VLAN IDs, subnets, and gateway placement for at least six segments

Configure 802.1Q trunk links and an access port profile on a lab switch, then verify tagging with show commands

Differentiate native VLAN behavior, voice VLANs, and VLAN pruning and describe the risk each introduces

Compare RSTP, MSTP, and PVST+ interoperability and predict which topology results when they are mixed

Configure MSTP regions with multiple instances and verify that instance-to-VLAN mappings match across all member switches

Trace a spanning-tree topology change and list the sequence of port state transitions for edge, root, and alternate ports

Configure root guard, BPDU guard, and loop guard on appropriate ports and explain the failure each prevents

Design a two-switch LACP bundle and explain the hashing inputs that determine which member link a flow uses

Diagnose and resolve a simulated Layer 2 loop using storm-control, BPDU analysis, and MAC table inspection

Configure UDLD and describe how it interacts with spanning tree and link aggregation during unidirectional failures

Implement dynamic VLAN assignment concepts and compare VLAN-based segmentation against private VLAN and port isolation approaches

Write the exact verification command sequence you would run to prove a trunk is passing only the intended VLANs

Explain how a single misconfigured native VLAN can cause a cross-VLAN leak and describe the mitigation

Compare stacking, chassis virtualization, and standalone designs on convergence, management plane, and failure behavior

Explain how a virtual switching framework elects a commander and what happens during a commander failover

Plan an upgrade procedure for a stacked switch pair and identify the steps that minimize data-plane interruption

Describe split-brain risk in stacking and the safeguards that detect and contain it

Map a redundancy design decision (stack vs. MLAG-style peer link) to the business continuity requirement it satisfies

Configure inter-VLAN routing with SVIs and verify forwarding between segments with a routing table walkthrough

Contrast routed ports against SVIs and state when each is preferred in a distribution layer

Configure and verify a first-hop redundancy protocol and explain failover timing and preemption behavior

Explain ARP behavior in a routed and switched environment and identify proxy ARP and gratuitous ARP implications

Configure DHCP relay and describe the packet path from client to a remote server

Configure 802.1X port-based authentication with a RADIUS server concept and describe the supplicant, authenticator, and server roles

Compare MAC authentication, captive portal, and 802.1X and choose the right method for wired IoT and guest scenarios

Apply DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, and IP source guard together and explain the dependency order between them

Configure port security and describe the violation modes and their effect on the port

Explain management-plane hardening: SSH-only access, AAA, role-based accounts, and control-plane policing

Explain IGMP snooping and querier election and describe how multicast group membership is pruned on a switched network

Design a QoS classification and marking scheme for voice, video, and bulk data and map it to queue scheduling

Describe how trust boundaries are set at the access edge and what happens to markings from an untrusted device

Build a monitoring plan covering syslog severity, SNMP polling, and sFlow or NetFlow sampling for a campus

Interpret interface counters and error statistics to distinguish physical, duplex, and congestion problems

Complete a timed mixed-domain practice set and score each domain to identify weak areas

Re-derive the top ten facts you most often miss and write them as one-line recall triggers

Walk through two end-to-end troubleshooting scenarios that combine spanning tree, link aggregation, and routing

Review the design and security deliverables from earlier weeks and correct any gaps you find

Build a final one-page cheat sheet of commands and decision rules organized by exam domain