Wired Intelligent Edge

Hi, I'm a newbie to modular switches, but have quite a lot of experience with non-modular. I've been handed a 5400R zl2 with management module J9827A and 2 J9990A modules.

When I boot the switch I get faults on both J9990A modules and the management interface does not get an IP from DHCP. If I configure the IP manually on the management interface, it does not connect, I cannot ping it and it can't ping my other network devices from it.

I'm guessing it's defective in some way, but wanted to ask here how I can determine that or if there are some things I am not aware of with modular switches.

Since you should be able to connect via Console what's about providing some details like: software version, modules status, flash status and so on...related commands can be easily found on HPE 5400R zl2 Switch Series documentation (typically you shoudl start with HPE ArubaOS-Switch Basic Operation Guide for 16.03 and HPE ArubaOS-Switch Management and Configuration Guide for KA/KB.16.03 which were both published this month...most of CLI commands I'm referring here - see below -  are valid even if your Switch is running a differnet Software Version of other Development Branch like 15.18, 16.01 or 16.02...it doesn't reallu matter for the basic).

A very brief list of helpful commands:

• show console, show management, show running, show running-config and show config files (then copy and paste once sanitized from private data like MAC Addresses, names, etc. you want to hide).
• show version, show flash, show ip and show modules or show modules details.
• show power-over-ethernet (since you have PoE Modules)

What is the Power Supply (or Power Supplies) configuration of your Aruba 5400R zl2 chassis?

Hi Parnassus,

thanks for attending to my issue! Below is the output of the commands:

HP-5406Rzl2# show console

 Console/Serial Link

  Active Console : Serial

  USB Console Input Enabled [Yes] : Yes
  Inbound Telnet Enabled [Yes] : Yes
  Web Agent Enabled [Yes] : Yes

  Terminal Type [VT100] : VT100   
  Screen Refresh Interval (sec) [3] : 3 
  Displayed Events [All] : All     
  Baud Rate [speed-sense] : speed-sense
  Flow Control [XON/XOFF] : XON/XOFF
  Global Session Idle Timeout (sec) [0] : 0   
  Serial/USB Console Idle Timeout (sec) [not set] : not set
  Current Session Idle Timeout (sec) : 0   

*****************************************************************

 HP-5406Rzl2# show management

 Status and Counters - Management Address Information

  Time Server Address : Disabled                  

  SNTP Servers : none configured

  Default Gateway     :                

  VLAN Name    MAC Address         | IP Address         
  ------------ ------------------- + -------------------
  DEFAULT_VLAN aabbcc-ddeeff       |                    
 


 Internet (IPv6) Service

  Interface Name  : DEFAULT_VLAN        
  IPv6 Status     : Disabled 
  
*****************************************************************

HP-5406Rzl2# show running-config 

Running configuration:

; J9850A Configuration Editor; Created on release #KB.15.15.0008
; Ver #05:18.7f.ff.3f.ef:4d
hostname "HP-5406Rzl2"
snmp-server community "public" unrestricted
oobm
   ip address dhcp-bootp
   exit
vlan 1
   name "DEFAULT_VLAN"
   ip address dhcp-bootp
   exit
password manager

*****************************************************************

HP-5406Rzl2# show config files

Configuration files:

 id | act pri sec | name
 ---+-------------+------------------------------------------------
  1 |  *   *   *  | config1
  2 |             | 
  3 |             | 
*****************************************************************

HP-5406Rzl2# show version
Management Module 1: Active
Image stamp:   
 /ws/swbuildm/rel_nashville_qaoff/code/build/bom(swbuildm_rel_nashville_qaoff_re
l_nashville)
                Sep 11 2014 20:01:13
                KB.15.15.0008
                609
Boot Image:     Primary

*****************************************************************

HP-5406Rzl2# show flash
Image             Size (bytes) Date     Version 
----------------- ------------ -------- --------------
Primary Image    :    12521077 09/11/14 KB.15.15.0008        
Secondary Image  :    12521077 09/11/14 KB.15.15.0008       

Boot ROM Version : KB.15.01.0001
Default Boot     : Primary

*****************************************************************

HP-5406Rzl2# show ip

 Internet (IP) Service

  IP Routing : Disabled

  Default Gateway :                
  Default TTL     : 64   
  Arp Age         : 20  
  Domain Suffix   :                               
  DNS server      :                                         

                       |                                            Proxy ARP 
  VLAN                 | IP Config  IP Address      Subnet Mask     Std  Local
  -------------------- + ---------- --------------- --------------- ----------
  DEFAULT_VLAN         | DHCP/Bootp
 
*****************************************************************

HP-5406Rzl2# show modules details 

 Status and Counters - Module Information

  Chassis: 5406Rzl2 J9850A         Serial Number:   XXXXXXXXXX

                                                                      Core  Mod
  Slot Module Description                     Serial Number  Status   Dump  Ver
  ---- -------------------------------------- -------------- -------- ----- ---
  MM1  HP J9827A Management Module 5400Rzl2   XXXXXXXXXX     Active   YES   1  

  Slot Module Description                     Serial Number 
  ---- -------------------------------------- --------------

                                                                      Core  Mod
  Slot Module Description                     Serial Number  Status   Dump  Ver
  ---- -------------------------------------- -------------- -------- ----- ---
  
*****************************************************************

HP-5406Rzl2# show power-over-ethernet 

 Status and Counters - System Power Status

  System Power Status    : No redundancy  
  PoE Power Status       : No redundancy  
  Operational Power Status     : No redundancy


 Chassis power-over-ethernet:

  Total Available Power  :  900 W  
  Total Failover Power   :    0 W
  Total Redundancy Power :    0 W
  Total Used Power       :    0 W +/- 6W       
  Total Remaining Power  :  900 W              

 Internal Power

        Total Power   Aux Power                           
  PS    (Watts)       (Watts)        Status               
  ----- ------------- -------------- ---------------------
  1     900           Not Supported  POE+ Connected       
  2     0             Not Supported  Connected - Faulted  
  
  
*****************************************************************

There are 2 J9829A Power Supplies, but only one is connected for my test.

The ethernet port on the management module is connected to a network cable which is providing DHCP (double-checked it again:-)

Upgrade ASAP.

The KB.15.15.0008 software version is quite old (15 September 2014!).

J9990A Module requires AT MINIMUM the KB.15.17.0003 software version (23 March 2015!) to work.

Please READ relevant KB.xx.yy.zzzz Release Notes!

The KB.16.03.0003 software version (which is the initial release of KB.16.03 software branch) was released just few days ago...and it is based on KB.16.02.0008.

Select the Software Branch - among those actually developed - you want to use (as example: KB.15.18, KB.16.02 or KB.16.03...If I were you I will go with KB.16.03) and perform the upgrade.

Then check if issues persist.

Hi Parnassus,

thanks for your swift reply!

Upgrading was my first thought, but I am halted because I have no connectivity to the management interface! As mentioned, the management interface does not draw an IP drom DHCP and a manual IP configuration does not work either:-( That is why I suspect the management module to be defective.

Is there a way to upgrade that does not require IP connectivity?

Ok, so reading the configuration guide I was able to upgrade the switch via USB to v16.0.3 and now the 2 J9990A modules are online and I can get IP connectivity through their ports.

But still, I am not getting any IP on the management ethernet port on the management card!? Is it not supposed to work on the management port as well?

I'm a little bit puzzled...are you sure your DHCP Server receives (and so answers) about DHCP IP Address request from the Switch MM (In Band Management or Out of Band Management is used?)?

If your DHCP Server is connected to an Access Modules' data port...the MM Management port will not be able to reach that DHCP Server...since the DHCP Server is on the In-Band side of the network while the Management port is on the Out-of-Band side of the network (it requires a separated network, as per OoBM implementation diagram you will see on the Management and Configuration Guide, on which a dedicated DHCP Server will run).

If you are connecting to MM through its Management dedicated port, this one is for OoBM (Out of Band Management)...OoBM port is separately networked (that's the Out-of-Band) from Access Modules' data ports (which are networked and permit In Band Management).

If you have planned to use OoBM dedicated port then check the OOBM Configuration chapter (Appendix E) of the Management and Configuration Guide.

You, clearly, are connected to MM via its Console (Serial) port now...

Ok, after reading Appendix E about the OOBM it's all clear now, and everything is working as expected.

So it's a case of ID10T!RTFM

Thanks for your help!