Provisioning Factory Default AOS-CX Switches

Switches that run default configuration either after shipped from a factory or a factory reset are referred to as factory default switches. This topic describes the steps for provisioning factory default AOS-CX switches in HPE Aruba Networking Central.

Step 1: Onboard the AOS-CX Switch to HPE Aruba Networking Central

To onboard switches to the device inventory in HPE Aruba Networking Central, complete the following steps:

Step 2: Assign the AOS-CX Switch to a Group

Before assigning a group, determine if the switch must be provisioned in a UI or template group. By default, HPE Aruba Networking Central assigns the factory default switches to the default group. You can also create a new group and assign switch to the new group.

For more information on creating a group, see Creating Groups for Switches.

To assign a device to a group from the WebUI:

  1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.

    The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

  2. Under Maintain, click Organization > Groups. The Groups page is displayed.
  3. From the devices table on the right, select the device that you want to assign to a new group.
  4. Drag and drop the device to the group to which you want to assign the device.

Step 3: Connect the AOS-CX Switch to HPE Aruba Networking Central

Switches with factory default configuration have very basic configuration for all ports in VLAN-1 that is required for obtaining an IP address and automatic provisioning (ZTP Zero Touch Provisioning. ZTP is a device provisioning mechanism that allows automatic and quick provisioning of devices with a minimal or at times no manual intervention.). For ZTP, switches must have a valid IP address, DNS Domain Name System. A DNS server functions as a phone book for the intranet and Internet users. It converts human-readable computer host names into IP addresses and IP addresses into host names. It stores several records for a domain name such as an address 'A' record, name server (NS), and mail exchanger (MX) records. The Address 'A' record is the most important record that is stored in a DNS server, because it provides the required IP address for a network peripheral or element., and NTP Network Time Protocol. NTP is a protocol for synchronizing the clocks of computers over a network. configuration.

When a factory default switch is powered on and connected to the Internet, it establishes connection with HPE Aruba Networking Activate and downloads the provisioning parameters. If the switch is already added and assigned a subscription, it connects to HPE Aruba Networking Central.

Step 4: Provision the AOS-CX Switch to a Group

When the switch connects to Central, if it is already added to the device inventory and is assigned a subscription in HPE Aruba Networking Central, HPE Aruba Networking Central assigns it to a pre-assigned group. If there is no pre-assigned group, HPE Aruba Networking Central moves the device to the default group. Based on the configuration requirements, a UI group or template group can be created and assigned to the switch.

The following figure illustrates the provisioning step required for each group type.

Figure 1  AOS-CX Switch Provisioning Steps Per Group Type

If the switch is assigned to a new UI group, you can modify the configuration of switches using the UI menu options under the HPE Aruba Networking Central app > Manage > Devices > Switches. For more information, see Configuring AOS-CX Switches in UI Groups.

Provisioning Switches in Template Groups

After assigning the switch to a template group, create a new configuration template. To create a configuration template:

  1. In the WebUI, set the filter to a template group.

    The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

  2. Under Manage, click Devices > Switches.
  3. Click the Config icon.

    The tabs to configure switches using templates is displayed.

  4. Click the Templates tab. The Templates page is displayed.
  5. Click + to add a new template. The Add Template window is displayed.
  6. In the Basic Info tab, enter a name for the template in the Template Name field.
  7. In the Device Type drop-down, select AOS-CX.
  8. Select the switch model and software version. You can specify any of the following combinations:
    • ALL for both Model and Version—To apply the template to all switch models and all supported switch software versions.
    • ALL for Model and a software version for Version—To apply the template to all switch models running the selected software version.
    • ALL for Version and a switch model for Model—To apply the template to a switch model and all software versions supported by the selected switch model.
    • A switch model and a software version—To apply the template to a specific switch model and the software version. The template created for a switch model and a software version takes precedence over the template that is created for all platforms and versions.
  9. Select the manufacturing part number of the switch in the Part Number drop-down.
    • The Part Number drop-down is displayed only if you select a switch model in the Model drop-down.
    • If you select a specific switch model and part number, you can apply the template to a standalone switch and not to a stack.
    • If you select All in the Model drop-down, or if you select a switch model and All in the Part Number drop-down, you can apply a template to both a standalone switch and stack.
  10. Click Next. The Template tab is displayed.
  11. Build a new template by adding the output of the show running-config from the switch CLI in the Template text box. Ensure that the template text adheres to the guidelines listed in AOS-CX Configuration Using Templates.
    • You must manually create the template for the AOS-CX switch in a group, along with the password in plaintext format. You can use the output of the show running-config command to create the template. You can also add variables to use the same template for onboarding multiple AOS-CX switches. For more information on variables, see Variable Files.
    • All switch templates must include a password command to set a password for the device. The template cannot be saved without adding a password command. If the configuration that is pushed from HPE Aruba Networking Central to the device does not contain a password command, the configuration push is aborted for the device and a log is added to the audit trail. For example, if you add the password command in a condition block and the condition evaluates to false, the configuration that is pushed will not contain the password command. For more information, see Managing Password in Configuration Templates.
    • For AOS-CX switches, you must configure the password only in plaintext. Also, the format of password must be user admin group administrators password plaintext <string>.
    • In the AOS-CX template configuration, the pound sign (#) is used for adding comments. When using the banner motd code in the template configuration, use a delimiter such as at (@) symbol or any other special character, than using the pound sign (#). Using the pound sign (#) with the banner motd code will cause the code to be dropped when processing the template.
  12. Click Save. After you apply the configuration template, switches reboot and reconnect to HPE Aruba Networking Central with the new configuration.

Step 5: Verify the Configuration Status

To verify the configuration status:

  1. In the WebUI, set the filter to a template group.

    The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

  2. Under Manage, click Devices > Switches.
  3. Click the Config icon.

    The tabs to configure switches using templates is displayed.

    • To verify the configuration status for the template group, click Configuration Audit. The Configuration Audit dashboard displays the number of devices with template and configuration synchronization errors.
    • To view configuration errors for a specific device, select a switch from the filter bar. The Configuration Audit dashboard displays the number of template and configuration synchronization errors for the device.
  4. To view template errors, click View Template Errors.
  5. To view configuration synchronization errors, click View Details under Configuration Status.
  6. To compare running configuration and pending changes, click View under Config Comparsion Tool.