This course teaches you the fundamental skills necessary to configure and manage modern, open standards-based networking solutions using Aruba's OS-CX routing and switching technologies. This course consists of approximately 60% lecture and 40% hands-on lab exercises to help you learn how to implement and validate small to medium enterprise network solutions. This 5-day course prepares candidates for the Aruba Certified Switching Associate exam.

In this course, participants learn about ArubaOS-CX switch technologies including multi-layer switches. You will also learn about broadcast domains and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs); secure management protocols such as AAA, SSH, HTTPS, and Dynamic Segmentation using Aruba's Role-Based Access Control (RBAC); availability technologies such as Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP); link aggregation techniques including Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) and switch virtualization with Aruba’s Virtual Switching Framework (VSF). Static and dynamic IP routing protocols such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) are also covered.

Ideal candidate for this course

Ideal candidates are IT Professionals who deploy small-to-medium scale enterprise network solutions based on Aruba products and technologies.

Certification

Aruba Certified Switching Associate (ACSA)

Upon Completion

After you successfully complete this course, expect to be able to:

• Explain Networking Fundamentals
• Describe and review the Aruba Switching portfolio with customers
• Install and configure devices running the ArubaOS-CX Network Operating System
• Describe and configure VLANs
• Explain, describe and configure Spanning Tree Protocol
• Understand when to use VRRP and how to configure it
• Explain and configure Link Aggregation
• Understand and configure IP Routing
• Explain IP Subnetting
• Understand and configure OSPFv2 – Single Area
• Describe and configure Switch Stacking using VSF
• Configuration of Aruba solutions using Secure Management and Maintenance methodologies
• Manage, monitor, administer and operate Aruba solutions using Aruba's NetEdit tool

Topics

Network Fundamentals

• What is a network?
• What is a Protocol?
• OSI Reference Model
• Encapsulation, frames, packets, segments
• Layer 2 to Layer 7 headers
• Media, cabling, Ethernet/wifi headers
• Binary/Hex/Decimal theory and conversion
• TCP/IP Stack (IP addressing & Transport Protocols TCP/UDP)
• Types of traffic: Unicast, Broadcast, Multicast

TCP/IP Stack

• Overview
• Ethernet frames
• IPv4 Header
• TCP Header – Three-way Handshake
• TCP Header – Sequence Numbers
• TCP Header – Port Numbers
• TCP Header
• UPD Header

Basic Networking with Aruba Solutions

• Networking devices: Switches, Routers, Multilayer Switches, APs, Mobility Controllers, Firewalls, Servers (HTTP, DHCP, DNS, Telnet, FTP)
• 2-Tier vs 3-Tier hierarchy
• Switching Portfolio (AOS switches & AOS-CX switches) is this introducing both portfolio on a couple of slide and few slides on AOS-CX hardware architecture, software architecture and intro to NAE high level.   
• Introduction to AOS-CX and feature set
• Port numbering
• Accessing Aruba OS-CX CLI
• Prompt modes/levels and navigation
• Context sensitive help
• Show logs, configuration, interfaces, transceivers, flash, version
• Hostname/interface name, enabling interfaces
• Link Layer Discovery Protocol
• ICMP and reachability testing tools: Ping and Traceroute
• PoE (standards one slide and what we support and one or two slide on configuration and verifications.)

VLANs

• Broadcast/collision domains
• VLAN benefits
• VLAN creation
• DHCP server configuration in switches (optional)
• 802.1Q tagging
• Switchports vs. Routed ports
• MAC address table
• ARP table
• Packet Delivery part 1

Spanning Tree Protocol

• Redundant network
• L2 loops
• 802.1D
• Common Spanning Tree
• 802.1s
• 802.1w overview
• 802.1w load balancing
• 802.1w region configuration

Link Aggregation

• Static Aggregation
• LACP
• Load Balancing

IP Routing - Part 1

• Default Gateway
• DHCP IP Helper Address
• IP Routing Service
• Inter-VLAN routing
• Packet Delivery Part 2
• Need for layer 3 redundancy
• Introduction to VRF

VRRP

• VRRP overview
• VRRP basic operation
• VRRP failover and preempt
• VRRP and MSTP coordination

IP Routing - Part 2

• Subnetting
• CIDR
• Static routes
• Administrative Distance
• Floating routes
• Scalability issues

IP Routing - Part 3

• IGP vs EGP
• Distance Vector vs Link State
• OSPF Router-ID and Hello Messages
• Passive interfaces
• States
• DR and BDR
• LSDB: LSA 1 and 2
• Path selection and convergence
• Using cost to manipulate routes

Stacking

• Control Plane, Management Plane, and Data Plane
• Introduction to Stacking technologies
• Stacking Benefits
• Centralized control and management plane
• Distributed Data Plane and Distributed Link Aggregation
• VSF
• VSF requirements
• VSF Link and member roles
• VSF member IDs and port numbers
• VSF Configuration
• VSF Provisioning use cases
• Tracing Layer 2 traffic: Unicast
• Tracing Layer 2 traffic: Broadcast, Multicast, and Unknown Unicast
• VSF Failover and OSFP Graceful-Restart
• VSF Link failure without MAD
• MAD
• VSX Introduction

Secure Management and Maintenance

• OOBM port
• Management VRF
• Secure Management Protocols: AAA, SSH, HTTPS, RBAC
• Radius-based management auth (VSA)
• SNMP
• Web interface
• Configuration file management (Backup, restore, checkpoint and roll back)
• Operating System image management (backup and restore)
• Factory default/password recovery

AOS-CX Management tools

• Intro to NetEdit
• NetEdit installation
• Basic monitoring with NetEdit
• AOS-CX Mobile App