Aruba CX Switches

Why do you need next-generation switches?

Switching is the part of the IT infrastructure where one mistyped line quietly becomes an outage, and where the cost is never the port but the hour spent finding which port. Choosing a switch family is therefore a decision about whether its configuration can be produced and verified by a machine, or only by a person.

A network rarely stops because of hardware — more often because of a change somebody made by hand and never recorded. Traditional switches with 1990s CLI can’t keep up with automation, DevOps, and cloud requirements. Manual configuration of hundreds of devices is a recipe for errors and downtime.

Aruba CX Switches are a switch family with modern AOS-CX system, designed from the ground up for automation. REST API, built-in Network Analytics Engine, and cloud-native architecture are standard, not optional.

How does it work?

AOS-CX Operating System

Next-generation operating system:

• REST API for full automation (every function via API)
• Python scripting built into switch
• Database-driven architecture
• Hitless upgrade without downtime

Network Analytics Engine (NAE)

Built-in analytics and troubleshooting:

• Monitoring agents running on switch
• Proactive detection of problems before impact
• Root cause analysis without external tools
• Customizable scripts in Python

VSX (Virtual Switching Extension)

High availability without Spanning Tree:

• Active-active switching
• Sub-second failover
• Simplified network topology
• STP loop elimination

Main Features

Automation

• REST API for every function
• Ansible, Terraform, Python SDK
• Zero Touch Provisioning
• Configuration checkpoints and rollback

Security

• Dynamic Segmentation per user
• Layer 2 MACsec
• Policy Enforcement Firewall
• ClearPass integration

Performance

• Up to 25.6 Tbps switching capacity
• PoE++ (802.3bt) up to 90W per port
• EVPN-VXLAN for data center
• Smart Rate for Multi-Gig

Management

• Aruba Central cloud management
• AOS-CX Web UI
• SNMP, syslog, streaming telemetry
• Ansible collections

Product Series

CX 6000/6100: Access switches for SMB and branch

CX 6200/6300: Enterprise access with PoE++

CX 6400: Modular core/aggregation switches

CX 8100/8320/8325/8360: Data center fabric

CX 10000: Distributed services with DPU

Who is it for?

• Organizations building software-defined networks
• IT teams implementing automation and DevOps
• Data centers requiring EVPN-VXLAN fabric
• Campuses with Zero Trust and microsegmentation requirements

Benefits

For IT: API automation, faster deployments, proactive troubleshooting with NAE

For security: Microsegmentation, MACsec, Dynamic Segmentation without additional devices

For business: Lower OPEX through automation, less downtime, future-proof architecture

Specifications

Operating system	AOS-CX
Switching capacity	Up to 25.6 Tbps
PoE	PoE++, up to 90W/port
High Availability	VSX, ISSU

FAQ

How does AOS-CX differ from ArubaOS-Switch? AOS-CX is modern system with REST API and database-driven architecture. ArubaOS-Switch is legacy system for older models.

Can I manage via CLI? Yes. AOS-CX offers CLI, Web UI, REST API, and Aruba Central. CLI is available for those who prefer it.

How does Network Analytics Engine work? NAE is Python agents running on switch, monitoring metrics and detecting anomalies in real-time.

Does CX require Aruba Central? No, but Central provides cloud management and AIOps. Without Central, you manage locally via CLI/API.

How does migration from other platforms work? Aruba offers migration tools and professional services. nFlo as a partner supports migration process.

Does VSX require special cabling? Yes. VSX requires dedicated ISL (Inter-Switch Link) between switch pair.

What are PoE power options? From PoE (15.4W) through PoE+ (30W) to PoE++ (60W/90W) depending on model.

Do switches support EVPN-VXLAN? Yes. 8000 and 10000 series support full EVPN-VXLAN for data center fabric.

How does licensing work? AOS-CX software is included. Aruba Central requires separate subscription.

What about support? HPE Foundation Care. nFlo as a partner offers deployment, configuration, and training.