Cloud Managed Networks

I have a customer that has purchased Aruba Central for their IAP and Switch management.  The client has over 50 switches already configured throughout multiple locations with a lot fo routing and vlans in place already. I am trying to get some of these switches into aruba central and have added them into Central and provisioned the license as well.  After struggling to get the switches to show up in Central I conntacted support.  They informed me that I would have to DEFAULT the switches to get them to pull into Central. I was shocked by this.  Is this accurate?

This is accurate as of today.

http://help.central.arubanetworks.com/latest/documentation/online_help/content/applications/network%20management/switch_configuration/provisioning%20switches.htm?Highlight=switch

"During Zero Touch Provisioning, the Aruba Switches can join Central only if they are running the factory default configuration, and have a valid IP address and DNS settings from a DHCP server."

However a workflow of onboarding switches on non default config is in works. No ETA yet with me.

Is there a procedure yet that allows pre configured switches to be implemented into Central? 

Do we still have to default switches to enroll them into Aruba Central or can we adopt pre-configured switches and maintain the config now?

Hi mannvishal and guys,

My case is the same, I have many switches already configured and I have to integrate them with Aruba Central. If I have to revert them to factory default will be a pain in the neck, but I can do it because the network is not in production yet. But the problem is I don't know how to integrate them to Aruba Central even with factory default config since they are connected like this way:

I have to configure the core switch at least with one IP to reach the Internet (and also with a non-default VLAN better), so it will not be factory default. Also, I have to make some configurations to the access switches to reach the Internet, then again they will not have the factory default configuration. How can I integrate these switches to Aruba Central then?

Regards,

Julián

This thread is a bit old but it's the #1 hit on Google for "aruba central manage switches" so I thought it would be useful to update.

I can confirm that you no longer need to reset switches to factory default in order to add them to Central.  Not sure which software version is required on the switches but I'm running 16.05 on some 2930Fs and was able to take an already-configured switch and put it in Central.  Key was setting up DNS servers so that the switch could find "device.arubanetworks.com".  Once I configured DNS servers, "show activate provision" started working, and then I was able to do "activate provision force" and that got the switch to talk to Activate.  After that, they showed up in my Central account and I was able to import.

I'm just a poor security guy so unfortunately can't provide much more detail - I am figuring this out as I go along. :)

Hi Jon,

That's a very good news and will save tons of work. I will try with my 2930F switches as well. When you say "I was able to import." do you mean you imported the switch configuration to Aruba Central? Because I have had some problems when adding some APs with existing configuration to Aruba Central.

Regards,

Julián

Hi Jon,

Is there any possibility to push a blank configuration to your switch if you try to add it to Central with existing configuration? Or is there any option to import the configuration?

Regards,

Julián 

i am about to find that... i am about to migrate two 2930F to 3810M...

i will import the configs from the first ones to the seconds...and after that, i´ll try to import to aruba central. 

i have concerns because this message

"CLI Snippets should be used to push configuration not available in UI. Configuration pushed via CLI Snippets will be overridden by values mentioned in UI"

i expect two things, UI settings are blank, and the switch will be blanked 

if this haapen, i will push the config via CLI snippets. if the switch will be blanked i will surrender with doing any management  with aruba central.

it will doesnt work for any complex config. only for a bulks configs for a bunch of same switches at access layer or remote sites.

i will keep you informed.

Hi man,

Good luck and let us know!

Regards,

Julián

I got mixed news

a good new....

i was able to add and view a non default configuration 3810 device, i could look out the vlan configuration and some advanced configs using the Troubleshotting tool.

a bad new....

if you want to add the swtich statics to a group... you are toasted... the group config will overwritten to the switch. You will loose all the vlan, ports etc stuff.

If you choose to do it by the CLI sniplet, these changes wil be not displayed in the vlan section

it is the way supposed to be working.

worst news...

if you choose do not put the new switch with no default configuration to any group Aruba central display an annioing message to import the config to a group. 

this message remains even after you unsuscribe the switch and put it on a diferent group (ie default). 

the only way to get rid of this message, is going to the reports secction, next go to the offline switch secction and delete the offending switch.

i was not whorty the effort to get the switches on aruba central if you have to do twice the config... vlan, ports and other stuff by using the Aruba Central UI and the rest using CLI Snipplet.

i am dissapointed... 

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@TcoloT-AdolfoZameza wrote:

I got mixed news

 

a good new....

 

i was able to add and view a non default configuration 3810 device, i could look out the vlan configuration and some advanced configs using the Troubleshotting tool.

 

a bad new....

 

if you want to add the swtich statics to a group... you are toasted... the group config will overwritten to the switch. You will loose all the vlan, ports etc stuff.

 

If you choose to do it by the CLI sniplet, these changes wil be not displayed in the vlan section

 

it is the way supposed to be working.

 

worst news...

 

if you choose do not put the new switch with no default configuration to any group Aruba central display an annioing message to import the config to a group. 

 

this message remains even after you unsuscribe the switch and put it on a diferent group (ie default). 

 

the only way to get rid of this message, is going to the reports secction, next go to the offline switch secction and delete the offending switch.

 

i was not whorty the effort to get the switches on aruba central if you have to do twice the config... vlan, ports and other stuff by using the Aruba Central UI and the rest using CLI Snipplet.

 

i am dissapointed... 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hello Team,

I had exactly the same experience i have some aruba 2540 that they already have configuration (port,vlan,static ip configured for managment etc) in order to make central to see the switch you have to subscribe the switch in the central  assigne it to customer if you are in msp mode and from the switch give "activate provision force"

and check with "show activate provision" version should be the latest 16.06.

The problem i have is that when is not assigned to any group everything look nice and fine but you have the alert message.

If you try to add it in a group(UI) you lose everything as mentioned above.If you put it in template group you keep the config but you lose the UI configuration.

What i have found as a workaround is to use import configuration in a group this makes your preconfigures switch working fine.

But i am wondering if you have 30 switches you need to create 30 Groups ?

Does anybody have any newer update ?

Thank you

today i have been recived a complain for the sales team, because the customer WANTS to see this switch in CENTRAL.

this is the news...  **bleep**.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Create a template group in your organization
   1. This creates a landing point for your existing device(s)
2.  Export the config from your existing / configured switch to a text file
3. Import that config to the template group as the 'template file' - the base configuration to be applied
4. If changes are needed to that config - you will use 'variable files' in the future to make the changes;  this involves:
   1. taking the variables contained in that earlier template file and exporting/downloading them as a 'variables file'
      1. you can download the variables file of one device by filtering to that single device before downloading
   2. Edit / add to that file any configuration changes required
      1. Export is JSON format
   3. Upload that edited variables file to the group template
5. As soon as you save it - the variables will be applied
   ** Note - it will apply to all devices in that group;  BACKUP ALL DEVICE CONFIGS (the variables file) BEFORE UPLOADING A NEW ONE
   1. Another benefit of exporting only a single device’s variables for editing: when you re-upload it, it will only implement the changes you submit for that single device

Workflow: 

[template group + variables file] --> Backup --> filter to single device --> download

       --> edit variables --> upload variables file --> ‘save’ --> changes to one device implemented

There's a guide that's pretty verbose which covers this as well.

http://help.central.arubanetworks.com/latest/documentation/online_help/content/pdfs/central/aruba_central_user_guide.pdf

Start on Page 63:

  "For information on configuration templates for Instant APs and switches, see the following topics:

• Configuring Instant APs Using Templates on page 240
• Provisioning Switches Using Configuration Templates on page 248 "

Hope it helps.

Cheers

a lot of efforts to put a single TXT file.

IT IS NOT PRACTICAL.

I'm not sure if you've already had the chance to test it, but Central now supports bringing a configured switch and importing its configuration into a template. This should definitely make things easier!!!

The process, as documented in the user guide, is as follows:

To import configuration text from a switch that is already provisioned in the template group:

a. Select the switch from which you want to import the configuration.

b. Click Import Template. The imported configuration is displayed in the Template text box.

c. If required, modify the configuration parameters. Ensure that the template text adheres to the guidelines listed in the Important Points to Note.

I hope this helps

i´ll definitive try this as soon as i can. 

it makes more sense... i will let you know, for the moment i have no switches avaliable. 

Hi,

If you have many preconfigured switches like 20 lets say it seems is not scalable you have to make 20 groups (one/per switch) to keep/import the config.

From my opinion generally central is not mature and for sure not ready yet for switches.

Nobody is suggesting that you import one template per switch, that would be a terrible design. The desired workflow is that you have a common template for similar and that you leverage variables to make device-specific overrides (hostname, ip, port configurations, etc).

Hey all,

Templates did not work when Aruba presented them to us, and I have slim confidence they will today. Make sure you do a significant investigation into how they work, and how feasible/scalable they are to your business. 

I'm still not sure how it's feasible to say "hey use one template, but go make specific and unique changes to every single device you have" (I have around 16,000 right now). It'd be easier to do that in a UI group, as then you wouldn't have to go manually edit a .json, re-import, and pray it works. 

Thankfully the UI groups have gained some intelligence over the years and now recognize that a MAS is not an Aruba Switch which is also not an IAP.  We're aiming to have a "site" worth of gear in one logical group within Central.

Be aware that Central currently has no way of indicating where device-specific or "local" overrides are present and I feel that's unmanagable and unrealistic in the long term?  Are we just supposed to remember?  And lets not get started on the "Filters" pane.

Central is still lagging behind quite a bit in terms of functional management options for non-uniform configurations and hardware. 

Currently your only option for templates is to write it yourself in the terrible javascript "editor" in Central.  Then you have to create a .json or .csv and import them to match up every variable to the template. Also you have to statically specify each/every serial and mac wihin the .json or .csv else it will never work. Then you have to hope there isn't anything wrong because last time I checked, it'd accept an invalid config and not say anything...it just wouldn't work. Does anyone know if this has been corrected?

If you want to UI manage your switches like we have to, be ready for some lengthy troubleshooting. If your configuration is 100% identical, use Templates.

Also watch out for Configuration Audit failing to push config changes or telling you there is a problem as it tries to remove unremovable syntax from a switch/AP.

@kbarret. There are customers with 1000s of switches managed by Central (using templates, of course). When a deployment becomes that large, we tend to recommend using APIs, as it allows for much better automation. Given the size of your depoyment, I would suggest you explore that possibility. If you work with your SE on this he should be able to help you find a good partner to help you build a framework.

This of course, won't work for customers with 20 switches. For those, I personally feel the best option is to use CSV files to manage variables. Considering how ArubaOS switch is configured, where you associate tagged/untagged ports to VLANS, and not the opposite. A handful of variables are generally enough.

In any case, I'll take the action item to start posting sample template/variables, as well as some template scripts to make things easier.

Regards

P.S. I completely agree with @kbarret on his comment on config snippets. This feature is just intended for testing/troubleshooting, not for permanent configurations. Please don't use it as a replacement for switch templates.

Noted Samuel, and thanks very much for the recommendation.  I'll chat with my SE about it.

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@fjulianom
 wrote:

Hi man,

 

Good luck and let us know!

 

Regards,

Julián

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Sorry Julian, Bad Luck No succsess! :(

Hi,

Definitely Aruba must make more efforts in improving Aruba Central. I have also worked with it and it falls short on some things.

Regards,

Julián

Hi everyone

Engineering is working on improving the GUI-based switch configuration section in Aruba Central, which as some of you have mentioned, does have some annoying limitations.

In the meantime, here's some clarification to one of the questions in this thread: When using UI groups, the config present in Central (in the UI section) will override anything sent via the CLI snippets (or configured locally by typing "aruba-central support-mode enable"). It will not, however, override configs that can't be done through the GUI.

Aruba Central also supports configuring switches by means of templates, which in my opinion are much more powerful. There is a certain learning curve to it, but once you get the hang of it, you can do anything you need. I'm attaching a document that explains very well how to manage switches using Template Groups.

I hope this helps.

Attachment(s)

Central_Kick_Start_-1_-_Templates_and_Standalone_AOS-Ss(1...pdf   2.17 MB 1 version

thank you Jon Green

i proceded to follow this steps and everithing goes as you said.

You save me a lot of time, but the results were dissaponting.

regardless i appreciate your help and if you get attention from the Aruba´s M&R Team about this behaviour, let us know.

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@jgreen wrote:

This thread is a bit old but it's the #1 hit on Google for "aruba central manage switches" so I thought it would be useful to update.

 

I can confirm that you no longer need to reset switches to factory default in order to add them to Central.  Not sure which software version is required on the switches but I'm running 16.05 on some 2930Fs and was able to take an already-configured switch and put it in Central.  Key was setting up DNS servers so that the switch could find "device.arubanetworks.com".  Once I configured DNS servers, "show activate provision" started working, and then I was able to do "activate provision force" and that got the switch to talk to Activate.  After that, they showed up in my Central account and I was able to import.

 

I'm just a poor security guy so unfortunately can't provide much more detail - I am figuring this out as I go along. :)

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