The Aruba switching portfolio includes a wide range of series tailored to address the needs of enterprise campus, branch, and data center environments. Here’s an overview of the most important Aruba switch families with their primary characteristics:

• Aruba CX 6400 Series (Modular Chassis): Ideal for core and aggregation layers, the CX 6400 series features a modular, high-availability chassis design with redundant power and fans. It supports high-speed 1/10/25/40/100 GbE connectivity and advanced Layer 2/3 services for versatile deployments.
• Aruba CX 6300 Series (Stackable Access & Aggregation): Designed for flexible stackable deployment at the enterprise edge or aggregation, the 6300 offers 1/10/25 GbE uplinks, Power over Ethernet (PoE), robust security, cloud-based management, and supports Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) stacking.
• Aruba CX 6200 Series (Access Switch): Cost-effective stackable switches for edge and branch deployments, featuring VSF stacking, enterprise PoE support, intuitive web-based management, and seamless integration into Aruba’s cloud-managed environment.
• Aruba CX 6100 Series (Entry-Level Access): Simplifies reliable network access for small office, branch, or entry-level campus deployments. It’s optimized for low complexity, with robust PoE and Layer 2 switching.
• Aruba CX 8320/8325/8360 Series (Campus & Data Center): These fixed-form-factor switches provide high-performance 10/25/40/100 GbE connectivity and are designed for campus core, aggregation, and top-of-rack data center use cases with cloud-centric OS (AOS-CX).
• Aruba CX 8400/9300 Series (Core & Data Center Fabric): Purpose-built for core and data center fabrics, with high density, carrier-class resiliency, and massive bandwidth scaling—these offer flexible, modular architectures and advanced automation capabilities.
• Aruba 5400R Series (Modular): A classic modular Layer 2/3 chassis, great for aggregation or core roles in traditional enterprise networks needing flexibility and investment protection.
• Aruba 2930F/2930M Series (Access Layer): Stackable Layer 2/3 access switches designed specifically for digital workplaces and integrated wired/wireless deployments. They feature robust management, PoE+, and Zero Touch Provisioning for rapid deployment.

These series are built for modern network automation, cloud management, advanced security, and scale for future growth. Choosing the right series depends on your environment’s performance, redundancy, and management requirements.

Aruba switches are designed with a unified set of features that enhance operational efficiency, improve network resiliency, and support scalable, secure edge-to-core deployments. The following features are commonly found across Aruba switch series:

• AOS-CX Operating System: Aruba’s modern, Linux-based OS powers the CX switch families, supporting advanced programmability, microservices, and telemetry natively.
• Intelligent Automation & APIs: REST APIs and centralized automation frameworks allow seamless orchestration with third-party systems, reducing manual configuration and minimizing deployment time.
• Advanced Layer 2/3 Switching: All Aruba switches support rich L2/L3 capabilities including OSPF, BGP, VRF, and static routing—ideal for enterprise campus and data center designs.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Simplify security by assigning granular roles to users and devices—regardless of IP or VLAN—to enforce identity-based network segmentation.
• Dynamic Segmentation: Integrates with Aruba ClearPass to enable context-aware policies that dynamically segment traffic without complex VLAN sprawl.
• High Availability & Redundancy: Features like VSF (Virtual Switching Framework), stacking, redundant power supplies, and hitless updates offer enterprise-grade resiliency.
• Network Analytics & Telemetry: Real-time analytics and monitoring help proactively identify performance issues using NetEdit, Network Analytics Engine (NAE), and streaming telemetry.
• Cloud-Based & On-Prem Management: Aruba Central simplifies provisioning, visibility, and policy enforcement with cloud-based dashboards or on-prem options for secure operations.
• Secure PoE and Access Control: Support for 802.3af/at/bt PoE standards with built-in DHCP fingerprinting, MAC authentication, and protection features to secure access-footprint.

These key features make Aruba switches suitable for modern IT environments seeking automation, visibility, security, and scale within one switching fabric.

This section highlights typical technical specifications found in popular Aruba switch series, showcasing form factor, port density, PoE support, and switching performance. Specifications may vary by exact model but represent common configurations deployed in enterprise and campus environments.

• Aruba CX 6400 Series (Modular Campus/Core Switch):
  • Form Factor: Modular 5-slot (7U) or 10-slot (12U) chassis
  • Max Port Density: Up to 480 1GbE/2.5GbE/5GbE/10GbE or 240 10GBASE-T, 100G/40G/25G uplinks
  • PoE: IEEE 802.3af/at/bt, up to 60W per port
  • Switching Capacity: Up to 28 Tbps
  • Stacking/Resiliency: Redundant power, fan trays, and management modules; VSX high availability
  • Management Ports: USB-C, RJ45, Out-of-Band (OOBM), Bluetooth dongle support
• Aruba CX 6300 Series (Stackable Access & Aggregation Switch):
  • Form Factor: 1U fixed (24/48 port)
  • Ports: 24/48 1G, multi-gig (1/2.5/5/10G) ports, up to 4 × SFP56 (1/10/25/50G) uplinks
  • PoE: IEEE 802.3af/at/bt with up to 90W per port; high total PoE budget
  • Switching Capacity: Up to 1760 Gbps, throughput up to 1310 Mpps
  • Stacking: Up to 10-member VSF stacking, 400 Gbps stacking bandwidth
  • Redundancy: Dual hot-swappable power supplies and fans
  • Management: USB-A, USB-C, RJ45 console, OOBM
• Aruba CX 6100 Series (Entry-Level Access Switch):
  • Form Factor: 1U fixed, 24 or 48 ports
  • Ports: 24/48 × 1GBase-T, 4 × 1G/10G SFP+ uplinks
  • PoE: Up to 370W PoE budget (802.3af/at)
  • Switching Capacity: Up to 176 Gbps
  • MAC Table Size: 8,192 entries
  • Operating Temp: 32°F to 113°F (0°C to 45°C)
  • Management: USB-C, USB-A
• Aruba 2930F Series (Layer 3 Access Switch):
  • Form Factor: 1U fixed, stackable (VSF up to 8 switches)
  • Ports: 24/48 × 10/100/1000 plus up to 4 × 1/10G SFP+ uplinks
  • PoE: PoE+ (up to 30W/port), high aggregate power with select models
  • Switching Performance: Up to 176 Gbps, up to 32,768 MAC entries
  • Routing Table Size: 2,000 IPv4, 1,000 IPv6
  • Power: Hot-swappable power options

This specification snapshot helps in comparing Aruba switches for deployment decisions involving access, aggregation, and core network roles.

Aruba switches empower organizations to rapidly deploy, scale, and manage networks with streamlined workflows, cloud-native management, and advanced automation capabilities. These highlights showcase how Aruba simplifies both initial rollouts and ongoing operations:

• Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP): Easily bring switches online—out of the box—using zero-touch workflows. Devices connect to the network, automatically retrieve configurations from central platforms, and become operational with minimal manual intervention.
• Aruba Central Unified Management: Administer wired, wireless, and WAN infrastructure through a single cloud or on-prem interface. Centralized dashboards facilitate plug-and-play deployment, group-based configuration, and at-scale monitoring for distributed environments.
• REST APIs and Automation Toolkits: Automate routine tasks and configuration management using fully supported RESTful APIs. Aruba integrates with industry-standard automation platforms (such as Ansible, Python, and others) to orchestrate provisioning, audit, and change operations across large switch fleets.
• AI-Powered Ops and Troubleshooting: Utilize built-in AIOps to proactively identify, diagnose, and resolve connectivity or performance issues. Integrate AI-driven insights to optimize deployments, minimize downtime, and reduce time-to-resolution for network events.
• Flexible Deployment Models: Deploy campus, branch, data center, and microbranch networks through cloud-managed, on-premises, or sovereign (air-gapped) options to suit any security or regulatory requirement.
• Configuration Templates and Hierarchies: Apply reusable configuration templates to groups of switches, ensuring consistency and accelerating large-scale rollouts. Hierarchical policy models support easy updates and inheritance for global or site-specific changes.
• Automated Firmware and Patch Management: Schedule and automate software updates and patches across the network, reducing operational risk and minimizing manual intervention.

These powerful deployment and automation features enable IT teams to cut configuration time, ensure consistent policy enforcement, and drive next-level operational efficiency throughout the switch lifecycle.

Aruba switches are versatile and optimized for a wide range of deployment scenarios, making them a strong choice for enterprises, education, healthcare, retail, service providers, and government networks. Below are key use cases highlighting their capabilities:

• Enterprise Campus Networks: Aruba switches serve as the foundation of scalable Layer 2/3 campus networks, offering PoE for wireless access points, role-based segmentation, and granular security controls for user and device access.
• Data Center Core and Aggregation: With high bandwidth, low latency, and non-blocking fabrics, Aruba CX switches are fit for top-of-rack aggregation and data center core roles. Features like Virtual Switching Extension (VSX) add high availability and fault tolerance.
• Branch and Remote Office Connectivity: Compact form factor switches with flexible PoE and cloud provisioning make them ideal for remote branches, reducing the need for on-site configurations and enabling centralized IT control.
• High-Density PoE Deployments: Aruba switches support full 802.3af/at/bt PoE standards, powering dense deployments of access points, IP phones, surveillance cameras, and collaboration devices—ideal for smart buildings and digital workspaces.
• Secure IoT Edge Environments: Integrated ClearPass support, MAC authentication, and downloadable user roles help secure IoT endpoints without compromising scalability or performance at the edge.
• Multi-Tenant Segmentation in Education or Healthcare: Enforce traffic separation and policy control across user groups like students, faculty, guests, or clinical staff using dynamic segmentation and centralized access policy enforcement.
• Retail Network Fabric: Aruba’s stacking capabilities, high uptime, and zero-touch provisioning offer rapid setup and consistent management for distributed retail stores and large-scale customer engagement deployments.

From core to edge, Aruba switches are engineered to deliver secure, scalable, and intelligent connectivity in nearly any environment.

Aruba switches offer a modern, robust command-line interface (CLI) that enables network engineers to efficiently configure, monitor, and manage devices. The CLI provides granular access to operational states, detailed diagnostics, and complete control of configuration—making it a preferred tool for advanced users and automation workflows. Here’s how CLI operations and configuration management are typically handled:

• Intuitive CLI Structure: The CLI is organized by hierarchical command contexts and operational levels. Users can access configuration mode using commands like enable, configure, and navigate between contexts (interface, vlan, etc.) to apply precise changes.
• Configuration Management: Save and load switch configurations, perform incremental changes, and leverage commands like show running-config and write memory to display or persist settings. Full and partial backups can be performed to external servers for disaster recovery.
• Role-Based Access Control: Access to CLI operations can be restricted based on predefined roles (administrator, operator, auditor), ensuring secure multi-user management.
• Bulk and Automated Provisioning: Configuration templates and scripting capabilities allow repeatable deployments across multiple switches—templates can be applied through the CLI or integrated with tools for large-scale automation.
• Troubleshooting and Monitoring: Real-time diagnostics, system logs, and command output filtering (using pipes and modifiers) assist rapid issue resolution. Popular diagnostic commands include show interface, show logging, and ping.
• Remote and Secure Access: The CLI is accessible locally via console or remotely via SSH (secured by strong authentication and encryption), allowing flexible and secure operations.
• Integration with Automated Tools: Aruba switches support remote configuration and management through third-party platforms by exposing full CLI accessibility. This is particularly useful for backups, compliance checks, and automated remediation tasks.
• Configuration Change Tracking: Track and log all configuration changes, supporting audit trails and rollback capability to prior states. This helps maintain network stability and accountability.

With its powerful CLI and comprehensive configuration management features, Aruba enables automation-driven operations, secure multi-user access, and rapid troubleshooting for both small deployments and enterprise-scale networks.