Lifecycle Management

For detailed information about all licensing options, see HPE Aruba Networking Central Licensing Guide or the HPE Aruba Networking Central Ordering Guide.

Subscription options: Foundation vs Advanced

APs, Switches, and Gateways all have both Foundation and Advanced subscription levels available. In all cases, Advanced subscription is required to use NetConductor functionality. Foundation subscriptions provide an extensive range of functionality as detailed in the Licensing Guide that can be extended using Advanced subscriptions when needed. The following table summarizes the differences between Foundation and Advanced subscriptions for all device types.

Table 1: Foundation vs Advanced Subscription

Device type	Foundation Subscription notes	Advanced Subscription additional features	Advanced or Foundation Subscription plus Security
AP	For more information on the feature list, see HPE Aruba Networking Central Licensing Guide.	Adds NetConductor features, additional AI Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. AI reduces trouble tickets by identifying the network entity that is facing problems through event correlation and root cause analysis. insights, AI assist, streaming API Application Programming Interface. Refers to a set of functions, procedures, protocols, and tools that enable users to build application software., Air Slice, and live upgrades.	Only available for HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-Branch, N/A
Switch	For more information on the feature list, see HPE Aruba Networking Central Licensing Guide.	Adds NetConductor features and any features enabled by the Advanced license available for some models.	Only available for HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-Branch, NA
HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-Branch Gateway	For more information on the feature list, see HPE Aruba Networking Central Licensing Guide.	Adds NetConductor fabric wizard, AI Insights, firewall Firewall is a network security system used for preventing unauthorized access to or from a private network. logging, and SAAS express.	Adds IDS Intrusion Detection System. IDS monitors a network or systems for malicious activity or policy violations and reports its findings to the management system deployed in the network. and IPS Intrusion Prevention System. The IPS monitors a network for malicious activities such as security threats or policy violations. The main function of an IPS is to identify suspicious activity, log the information, attempt to block the activity, and report it. , anti-malware, and security dashboard
Wireless Gateway	No Foundation option available, Advanced only.	All wireless gateway features.	Only available for HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-Branch, N/A
Virtual Gateway (VGW)	No Foundation option available, Advanced only.	VPNC only.	Only available for HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-Branch, N/A

Lower capacity campus gateways are also offered with a Foundation Base subscription option which is identical in functionality to the Foundation subscription but is limited to 75 connected devices.

Validity Period

What are the available license or subscription terms for HPE Aruba Networking Central?

• HPE Aruba Networking Central offers a uniform software subscription licensing model that provides 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 year fixed-term licenses to all products under the HPE Aruba Networking Central-managed portfolio. For more information, see HPE Aruba Networking Central Licensing Guide.

• For more information on subscription options, see the Ordering Guide.

What happens to a device on HPE Aruba Networking Central when its subscription expires?

When the subscription assigned to a device on HPE Aruba Networking Central expires and auto-subscribe is not enabled, the expiration date is the final date during which the device continues to operate within the HPE Aruba Networking Central application instance. The expiry date for each license includes an extra month from the time of the device's activation. If no new subscription is assigned to the device, it will be disconnected from HPE Aruba Networking Central and no longer under HPE Aruba Networking Central management after the expiry date.

Hardware and Software Support on HPE Aruba Networking Central

Which HPE Aruba NetworkingHardware devices are supported by HPE Aruba Networking Central?

For a list of HPE Aruba Networking devices (Access Points, AOS-S and AOS-CX Switches, Gateways) supported by HPE Aruba Networking Central, see Supported Devices.

What are the minimum hardware and/or firmware versions required for an HPE Aruba Networking device to be supported by HPE Aruba Networking Central?

The supported devices page for each device type lists the minimum firmware version required for each device type. For more information, see Supported Devices. For HPE Aruba Networking access points, the following table lists the supported versions:

Table 2: Supported versions for Access Points

AP Model	Installation Mode	Minimum Supported Aruba Instant Software Release	Last Supported Aruba Instant Software Release
AP-655	Indoor	Aruba Instant 8.10.0.0	N/A
AP-203H	Indoor	Aruba Instant 6.5.2.0	Aruba Instant 8.10.0.x

Similarly, for AOS-CX, see Supported Devices. For AOS-CX, the following table lists the supported versions:

Table 3: Supported versions for AOS-CX

Switch Platform	Supported Software Versions	Latest Software Version	Supported Configuration Group Type (UI/Template)
AOS-CX 4100i Switch Series	10.10.1000 and later	10.13.xxxx	UI and Template
AOS-CX 6300 Switch Series	10.06.0200, 10.10.1010 and later	10.13.xxxx	UI and Template

What are the minimum hardware requirements for an Access Point to support AOS-10 on HPE Aruba Networking Central?

At a minimum, 300 series access points are required for AOS-10. For the full list, see Supported Devices for AOS-10.

End of Life support for Hardware

Where can I find End of Life information on devices managed by HPE Aruba Networking Central?

For more information, see End of Life Policy.

How long will a device be supported on HPE Aruba Networking Central after EOL?

Discontinued products can connect to Central or Central On-Premises for the entire useful life of the product.

For more information, see End of Life Policy.

Device Replacement

Can I replace a device in the MSP mode?

Device replacement is not available in the MSP Managed Service Provider. The Managed Service Provider (MSP) mode is a multi-tenant operational mode that Aruba Central accounts can be converted into, provided these accounts have subscribed to the Aruba Central app. mode. This applies to both admin and tenant accounts.

Can I initiate device replacement from the Web UI if I have view-only permission?

If you only have view permission, you cannot initiate device replacement from the Web UI.

Can I replace multiple AOS-S switches simultaneously using bulk replacement?

Bulk replacement is not available for AOS-S switches. You can only replace one AOS-S switch at a time.

Can I replace multiple IAPs or gateways simultaneously using bulk replacement?

You can select and replace up to 30 IAPs or gateways at a time.

If a device encounters an issue during the replacement process, what should I do to resolve it?

If a device encounters an issue during the replacement process, you can resolve it by using the following API:

You can add &clear_history=true to the URL Uniform Resource Locator. URL is a global address used for locating web resources on the Internet. to clear the replacement history for the devices SERIAL_1 and SERIAL_2.

If I replace a faulty member IAP with a new standalone IAP, will the new IAP automatically come up in the cluster mode and join the same swarm as the faulty device?

When replacing a faulty member IAP with a new standalone IAP, the new device will not automatically join the same swarm as the faulty device. The new IAP should be manually rebooted to enter the cluster mode and join the swarm.

However, it is recommended to replace a standalone IAP with another standalone IAP, and a cluster mode IAP with another cluster mode IAP. This is because standalone and cluster mode IAPs have different deployment modes and replacing one with the other may result in issues such as a split swarm. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the replacement IAP has the same deployment mode as the faulty device to avoid any operational issues.

Do I need to connect devices to HPE Aruba Networking Central for device replacement?

No, all devices in the device inventory will appear for replacement in the device list in HPE Aruba Networking Central, even if they are unlicensed or not connected to HPE Aruba Networking Central before.