Cloud Managed Networks

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?

The thing is we are looking for a NMS, not a replacement of management interface.

We have around 100 sites, 1 - 3 switches per site. Each site has vastly different config. So we would need close to 100 templates.

The ZTP and monitoring is very appealing, and we could just run it with support mode on and auto commit off. BUT, we are also hiring. I picture a new employee making small changes to a template, to then instinctively click "Commit" = DISASTER

My main issues is:

- Inflexible configuration management
- Danger of overwriting manual config accidentally (or otherwise)

- Lack of real config backup. Ive only found a way to back up templates, not actual config files.

Its a shame, as the ZTP and monitoring seems great. And i like the gui, But I am afraid we need to look for something else. We haven't fully decided to continue with Aruba to renew our switches as well, so maybe its time to look elsewhere,

------------------------------
Tore Valberg

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 03, 2021 10:00 AM
From: Herman Robers
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

Think it would be crazy if you have a management system that has the desired configuration, and you can do local config changes to get away from that desired configuration. The whole idea of Central is to make sure that all connected devices are matching the configuration.

As mentioned, for troubleshooting, you can temporarily get in disaster recovery mode and control the switch locally, and when you restore the connection to Central it will get again what is configured.

------------------------------
Herman Robers
------------------------
If you have urgent issues, always contact your Aruba partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact Aruba TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba Networks.

In case your problem is solved, please invest the time to post a follow-up with the information on how you solved it. Others can benefit from that.

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 03, 2021 06:16 AM
From: Tore Valberg
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

Ohh wow, that is crazy :(

------------------------------
Tore Valberg

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 02, 2021 08:31 PM
From: Ariya Parsamanesh
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

yes thats the case. once you enable configuration and mgmt from Aruba Central, then you need to use it rather than CLI.
this is basically to have one place to do your configuration.

------------------------------
Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba.

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 02, 2021 06:44 AM
From: Tore Valberg
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?

The thing is we are looking for a NMS, not a replacement of management interface.

We have around 100 sites, 1 - 3 switches per site. Each site has vastly different config. So we would need close to 100 templates.

The ZTP and monitoring is very appealing, and we could just run it with support mode on and auto commit off. BUT, we are also hiring. I picture a new employee making small changes to a template, to then instinctively click "Commit" = DISASTER

My main issues is:

- Inflexible configuration management
- Danger of overwriting manual config accidentally (or otherwise)

- Lack of real config backup. Ive only found a way to back up templates, not actual config files.

Its a shame, as the ZTP and monitoring seems great. And i like the gui, But I am afraid we need to look for something else. We haven't fully decided to continue with Aruba to renew our switches as well, so maybe its time to look elsewhere,

------------------------------
Tore Valberg

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 03, 2021 10:00 AM
From: Herman Robers
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

Think it would be crazy if you have a management system that has the desired configuration, and you can do local config changes to get away from that desired configuration. The whole idea of Central is to make sure that all connected devices are matching the configuration.

As mentioned, for troubleshooting, you can temporarily get in disaster recovery mode and control the switch locally, and when you restore the connection to Central it will get again what is configured.

------------------------------
Herman Robers
------------------------
If you have urgent issues, always contact your Aruba partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact Aruba TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba Networks.

In case your problem is solved, please invest the time to post a follow-up with the information on how you solved it. Others can benefit from that.

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 03, 2021 06:16 AM
From: Tore Valberg
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

Ohh wow, that is crazy :(

------------------------------
Tore Valberg

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 02, 2021 08:31 PM
From: Ariya Parsamanesh
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

yes thats the case. once you enable configuration and mgmt from Aruba Central, then you need to use it rather than CLI.
this is basically to have one place to do your configuration.

------------------------------
Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba.

Original Message:
Sent: Sep 02, 2021 06:44 AM
From: Tore Valberg
Subject: Evaluating Aruba Central

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?

Hi,

We are evaluating Aruba central and considering using it as we have primarily Aruba switches. I testing now with out test switch (2920) , and ive successfully added it and tested software upgrade. But I am a bit baffled that we seem to loose CLI control over the switch once provisioned. Is this really how its supposed to be? All setup has to be done via Aruba central once added? I pretty much only have basic commands left available in CLI. I cannot even enter vlan mode etc?