VSF Stack Builder Profile

The VSF Stack Builder profile allows administrators to streamline and standardize the configuration of multiple switch stacks by leveraging a common, reusable template. This template can be applied across both global and site scopes, reducing the manual effort required to create individual stack profiles when stacks share similar properties such as platform type, links, and SKUs.

Once the VSF Stack Builder profile is created, the installer only needs to make the physical connections. When the conductor serial is onboarded, the pre-provisioned template automatically creates the individual stack profile.

Benefits

• Provides a single source of configuration for multiple stacks.

• Ensures consistency across deployments.

• Reduces repetitive manual setup by reusing templates.

Supported Platforms

Switch Platform	Maximum Number of Stack Members
AOS-CX 4100i Switch Series	4
AOS-CX 6100 Switch Series	6
AOS-CX 6300 Switch Series	10
AOS-CX 6300L Switch Series	10

Important Points to Note

• VSF Stack Builder profile provisioning supports two categories:

  • Manual provisioning profile

  • Auto stack provisioning profile

• VSF Stack Builder profiles can be configured at both global and site scopes.

• VSF Stack Builder profiles created in the global scope are editable only at the global scope.

• VSF Stack Builder profiles inherited from the global scope are read-only at the site scope.

• The VSF Stack profile workflow at the site scope remains unchanged.

• Configurations apply only to devices with matching conductor serial numbers added to site, group, and device-function.

• A single template profile can create multiple individual stack profiles with similar physical properties.

• Each stack continues to be managed by its individual stack profile.

For more information, refer to the AOS-CX Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) Guide.

Creating a VSF Stack Builder Profile with Auto-Stacking

To create a VSF Stack Builder profile using the auto-stacking method, complete the following steps:

1. In the HPE Aruba Networking Central landing page, click the configurationicon.
   The Profiles tab is displayed.

2. In the left navigation menu, select one of the following options:

   • Global—To create profiles at the Global level, select the device type from the Device Function drop-down list. If you create profiles at the Global level, then the VSF Stack Builder profiles have Global scope assigned by default.

   • Sites—To create profiles at the Site level, select a site from which you want to create a profile and then select the device type from the Device Function drop-down list. If you create profiles at the Site level, then the profiles have site scope assigned by default.

3. In the Profiles Management, select the device type from the Device Function drop-down list.

4. On the High Availability card, click VSF Stack Builder.
   Alternatively, you can complete the following steps:

   1. On the High Availability card, click Manage.

   2. On the VSF Stack Builder card, click Manage.
      

   The VSF Stack Builder list view is displayed.

5. Click Create Profile.
   The Create Profile side panel is displayed.

6. Configure the following VSF Stack Builder profile parameters:

   • Name—Enter the name of the profile.

   • Description—Enter the description for the profile.

   • Switch Series—Select the switch series from the drop-down list. The supported switch series are 6200, 6300 and 6300L.
     

   • Auto Stack—Select the checkbox to create a stack through auto-stacking.

   • Detect Stack Split Using MGMT interface—Select the checkbox to enable VSF split detection. If this is enabled, during a split, the fragment that has the conductor becomes the active fragment and keeps its front plane (non-VSF) interfaces up and running. The other fragment becomes inactive and all non-VSF interfaces on the inactive fragment are brought down to avoid network disruption.

     Note:

     The VSF stack supports split detection utilizing the management interfaces, which requires users to connect the management interfaces of the conductor and standby to the same L2 network. You can also connect the management interfaces of conductor and standby directly to one another for split detection.

   • Conductor Serial Upload—Click Select File or drag and drop the conductor serial CSV file. You can use Download Sample CSV File to get a sample CSV file. The CSV file must include the conductor serial number in the Conductor Serial column.

7. Click Create.

   The new VSF Stack Builder profile is created. Once the profile is created, the Installer only needs to make the physical connections. When the conductor device is onboarded and online, the pre-provisioned template automatically creates individual stack profiles. When the conductor serial is offline, the stack profiles are created once the conductor device is onboarded.

Creating a VSF Stack Buider Profile Without Auto-Stacking (Manual Method)

To create a VSFStack Builder profile using the manual-stacking method, all switches in the VSF stack must be physically connected in the ring topology.

VSF manual stack formation requires the user to manually add each VSF member with its VSF link. The members must be connected in the direction of the higher denomination port to the lower denomination port. When configuring a VSF Stack Builder profile, ports must be assigned in the following manner:

• Conductor (Member 1):

  • Link 1: <mem_id>/1/<higher denomination> (Example: 1/1/52)

  • Link 2: <mem_id>/1/<lower denomination> (Example: 1/1/51)

• Member 2:

  • Link 1: <mem_id>/1/<lower denomination (Example: 2/1/49)

  • Link 2: <mem_id>/1/<higher denomination> (Example: 2/1/50)

To create a VSF Stack Builder profile without auto-stacking (manually), complete the following steps:

1. In the HPE Aruba Networking Central landing page, click the configurationicon.
   The Profiles tab is displayed.

2. In the left navigation menu, select one of the following options:

   • Global—To create profiles at the Global level, select the device type from the Device Function drop-down list. If you create profiles at the Global level, then the VSF Stack Builder profiles have Global scope assigned by default.

   • Sites—To create profiles at the Site level, select a site from which you want to create a profile and then select the device type from the Device Function drop-down list. If you create profiles at the Site level, then the profiles have site scope assigned by default.

3. In the Profiles Management, select the device type from the Device Function drop-down list.

4. On the High Availability card, click VSF Stack Builder.
   Alternatively, you can complete the following steps:

   1. On the High Availability card, click Manage.

   2. On the VSF Stack Builder card, click Manage.
      

   The VSF Stack Builder list view is displayed.

5. Click Create Profile.
   The Create Profile side panel is displayed.

6. Under Stack Members, configure the following VSF Stack Builder profile parameters:

   • Name—Enter the name of the profile.

   • Description—Enter the description for the profile.

   • Switch Series—Select the switch series from the drop-down list. The supported switch series are 6200, 6300 and 6300L.
     

   • Auto Stack—Keep the Auto Stack option disabled if you want to manually configure the stack.

   • Detect Stack Split Using MGMT interface—Select the checkbox to enable VSF split detection. If this is enabled, during a split, the fragment that has the conductor becomes the active fragment and keeps its front plane (non-VSF) interfaces up and running. The other fragment becomes inactive and all non-VSF interfaces on the inactive fragment are brought down to avoid network disruption.

     Note:

     The VSF stack supports split detection utilizing the management interfaces, which requires users to connect the management interfaces of the conductor and standby to the same L2 network. You can also connect the management interfaces of conductor and standby directly to one another for split detection.

   • Stack Size—Select the stack size from the drop-down list.

   • Conductor Serial Upload—Click Select File or drag and drop the conductor serial CSV file. You can use Download Sample CSV File to get a sample CSV file. The CSV file must include the conductor serial number in the Conductor Serial column.

7. Under Stack Members, click + to add the stack conductor and configure the following parameters:

   • Role—Defines the role of the switch in the stack
     

   • Member ID—Displays the unique identifier assigned to each switch within the stack.

   • Part number—Select the switch serial number from the drop-down list.
     

   • Link 1 Port— Specify one or more VSF capable port numbers for the first VSF link separated by commas.

   • Link 2 Port— Select one or more VSF capable port numbers for the second VSF link separated by commas.

   The Add Stack Conductor page displays the Role and Member ID by default.

8. Click + to add the standby and other stack members as required by configuring the parameters as described in the previous step.

9. Click Create.

   The new VSF Stack Builder profile is created. When a VSF Stack Builder profile is created:

   • Online devices (fully onboarded standalone switches)

     • Individual VSF stack profiles are created and pushed one at a time as part of the same flow.

   • Offline devices

     • Stack profiles are created automatically one at a time when the conductor device is onboarded and comes online.

Modifying the VSF Stack Builder Profile

The following table summarizes the configuration and modification capabilities of VSF StackBuilder profiles for both auto and manual provisioning methods.

Modification / Operation	Auto Provisioning (Auto‑Stack)	Manual Provisioning
Change Standby Switch	Not supported	Supported
Modify VSF Links (ports)	Not supported	Supported
Add Stack Members	Not supported Can be performed only at the individual VSF profile VSF Stack Builder profile association is retained	Not supported in Can be performed only at the individual VSF stack profile VSF Stack Builder profile association is lost
Delete Stack Members	Not supported in VSF Stack Builder Profile Can be performed only at the individual VSF profile VSF Stack Builder profile association is retained	Not supported in VSF Stack Builder Profile Can be performed only at the individual VSF stack profile VSF Stack Builder profile association is lost

Changing the Standby Switch

You can change the standby switch only when the VSF Stack Builder is created using the manual provisioning method. You cannot change the standby switch for a VSF Stack Builder profile that is created using the auto- stacking provisioning method.

To change the standby switch, complete the following steps:

1. Click anywhere on the row of the profile in the list view.
   The profile edit view is displayed in the side panel.

2. Select the Advanced Parameters checkbox.
   The option to change standby switch is displayed.

3. Select a switch that you want to become the standby from the Change Standby Switch drop-down list.

4. Click Update.

   Both the existing standby switch and the new standby switch are rebooted. After rebooting, the newly selected member joins the stack as the new standby switch. The earlier standby switch becomes a member of the stack.

Modifying VSF Links

You can modify the VSF links switch only when the VSF Stack Builder is created using the manual provisioning method. You cannot modify the VSF links for a VSF Stack Builder profile that is created using the auto‑provisioning method.

To modify VSF links, complete the following steps:

1. Click anywhere on the row of the VSF Stack Builder profile in the list view.
   The profile edit view is displayed in the side panel.

2. Under Stack Members, hover over the member row where you want to edit the VSF link and click the edit icon.

3. In the Edit Stack <Role> side panel, modify the VSF links as required.

   Note:

   You can remove the links only when they are shut down.

Adding or Deleting a Stack Member

You cannot add or delete stack members from the VSF Stack Builder profile. To add or delete a stack member, you must make the change from the individual VSF stack profile.

If a VSF stack profile is created using the manual provisioning method, the stack remains associated with the VSF Stack Builder profile only until a direct change is made to the individual VSF stack profile. If any add or delete operations are performed, the stack is no longer managed by the VSF Stack Builder profile. Any further configuration pushes will not be applied to this device.

If a VSF stack profile is created using the auto provisioning method, the association with the VSF Stack Builder profile is retained even when stack members are added or from the individual VSF profile.

Deleting the Stack

When a stack created using a Stack Builder profile is deleted, the behavior depends on whether the stack is associated with a site‑level or global‑level Stack Builder profile.

Stack Associated with a Site‑Level

If the conductor serial is not removed from the Stack Builder profile:

• Re‑onboarding the device in the same site automatically recreates the stack using the Stack Builder configuration.

• Re‑onboarding the device in a different site causes the device to onboard as a standalone switch.

Stack Associated with a Global‑Level

If the conductor serial is not removed from the Stack Builder profile, re‑onboarding the device automatically reapplies the VSF Stack Builder configuration and creates the stack.

Removing Conductor Serials Or Deleting a VSF Stack Builder Profile

When you remove conductor serials from a VSF Stack Builder profile or delete a VSF Stack Builder profile, the result depends on whether the VSF stack already exists.

Case 1: Stack already created for the conductor serial

• The VSF stack continues to operate independently at the site.

• Future configuration updates made to the VSF Stack Builder profile do not apply to this stack.

• The stack cannot be associated with another VSF Stack Builder profile.

Case 2: Stack not yet created for the serial

• If the device is not onboarded and the conductor serial is removed from the VSF Stack Builder profile, the device onboards as a standalone switch.

• You can associate the device with the same VSF Stack Builder profile or with a different VSF Stack Builder profile at a later time.

Unsupported Scenarios

The following scenarios are not supported when using the VSF Stack Builder profile:

• The VSF Stack Builder profile does not support existing stacks or stacks that onboard as preformed. In these cases, the existing stack configuration takes precedence, even if the configurations are identical. If the user wants to associate the stack with a template, the existing VSF profile at the site level must be deleted. After removing the stack profile, the devices should be re‑onboarded as standalone switches, after which the template can be applied successfully.

• If a stack or its conductor is removed from a site, configuration from the VSF Stack Builder profile is not applied when the device comes back online, and the VSFstack profile will be automatically removed.