Provisioning Pre-Configured AOS-S Switches

Unlike factory default switches, locally managed switches and the switches with custom configuration require one touch provisioning. These switches do not automatically identify HPE Aruba Networking Central as their management platform, therefore you must manually enable the HPE Aruba Networking Central management service on these switches to allow them to connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central.

HPE Aruba Networking Central does not support adding pre-configured switches to a UI group. Pre-configured switches that have pre-assigned UI switch groups are added to the Unassigned Devices group. To provision a pre-configured switch to a UI group or move a switch from a template group to a UI group, complete the following steps:

  1. Clear the switch configuration.
  2. Delete the device from HPE Aruba Networking Central.
  3. Provision the switch as a new device in a UI group.

To onboard a locally-managed or a pre-configured switch to HPE Aruba Networking Central, follow one of the following options:

HPE Aruba Networking Central supports provisioning switches using one of the following methods:

The following figure illustrates provisioning procedure for a pre-configured switch.

Figure 1  Provisioning Workflow for Pre-Configured Switches

Workflow 1—Pre-Provisioning an AOS-S Switch

The pre-provisioning workflow includes the following steps:

Step 1: Onboard the AOS-S Switch to HPE Aruba Networking Central

To onboard switches to the device inventory in HPE Aruba Networking Central, complete the following steps:

Step 2: Assign the AOS-S Switch to a Group

Before assigning a group, determine if the switch must be provisioned in a UI or template group. If you want to preserve the existing configuration on the switch, HPE Aruba Networking recommends that you create a new group for the switch.

For more information on creating a group, see Creating Groups for Switches.

To assign a device to a group from the WebUI:

  1. In the WebUI, set the filter to Global.

    The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

  2. Under Maintain, click OrganizationGroups.

    The Groups page is displayed.

  3. From the devices table on the right, select the device that you want to assign to a new group.
  4. Drag and drop the device to the group to which you want to assign the device.

Step 3: Enable HPE Aruba Networking Central Management Service on the AOS-S Switch

A locally-managed or pre-configured switch cannot connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central, unless it is configured to identify HPE Aruba Networking Central as its management entity. To manage such a device from HPE Aruba Networking Central, you must manually enable the provisioning and management service on the switch.

  1. Verify if the Activate provisioning service is enabled by executing the following command at the switch CLI:
    switch)# show activate provision
    configuration and Status - Activate Provision Service
    Activate Provision Service : Enabled
    Activate Server Address : device.arubanetworks.com
    If the Activate provision service is not enabled, execute the following command at the switch CLI:
    (switch)# activate provision enable
    To enable switches to automatically connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central, enforce ZTP on the switch:
    (switch)# activate provision force
    The switch establishes connection with Activate and is directed to HPE Aruba Networking Central. If the switch is already added to the device inventory and is assigned a subscription, HPE Aruba Networking Central assigns it to a pre-assigned group.

Step 4: Provision the AOS-S Switch to a Group

When the switch connects to HPE Aruba Networking Central, HPE Aruba Networking Central automatically assigns it to the pre-assigned group. The following figure illustrates the provisioning steps for each group type.

Figure 2  Switch Provisioning Steps Per Group Type

If the switch is assigned to a new UI group, you can modify the configuration of switches in a group using the UI menu options under the WebUI > Manage > Devices > Switches. For more information, see Configuring or Viewing AOS-S Properties in UI Groups.

If you have assigned the switch to a template group, you can import the existing configuration to a new configuration template and apply this template to other devices in the group. To create a configuration template using the existing configuration on the switch:

  1. In the WebUI, set the filter to a template group.

    The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

  2. Under Manage, click Devices > Switches.
  3. Click the Config icon.

    The tabs to configure switches using templates is displayed.

  4. Click the Templates tab. The Templates page is displayed.
  5. Click + to add a new template. The Add Template window is displayed.
  6. In the Basic Info tab, enter a name for the template in the Template Name field.
  7. In the Device Type drop-down, select Aruba Switch.
  8. Select the switch model and software version. You can specify any of the following combinations:
    • ALL for both Model and Version—To apply the template to all switch models and all supported switch software versions.
    • ALL for Model and a software version for Version—To apply the template to all switch models running the selected software version.
    • ALL for Version and a switch model for Model—To apply the template to a switch model and all software versions supported by the selected switch model.
    • A switch model and a software version—To apply the template to a specific switch model and the software version. The template created for a switch model and a software version takes precedence over the template that is created for all platforms and versions.
  9. Select the manufacturing part number of the switch in the Part Number drop-down.
    • The Part Number drop-down is displayed only if you select a switch model in the Model drop-down.
    • If you select a specific switch model and part number, you can apply the template to a standalone switch and not to a stack.
    • If you select All in the Model drop-down, or if you select a switch model and All in the Part Number drop-down, you can apply a template to both a standalone switch and stack.
  10. Click Next. The Template tab is displayed.
  11. Build a new template or import configuration information from a switch that is already provisioned in the template group.
    • To build a new template, add the switch command information in the Template text box. Ensure that the template text adheres to the guidelines listed in Configuring AOS-S Switches using Template Groups.
    • To import configuration text from a switch that is already provisioned in the template group:
      1. Click Import Configuration As Template.
      2. From the search box, select the switch from which you want to import the configuration. The imported configuration is displayed in the Template text box.
      3. If required, modify the configuration parameters. Ensure that the template text adheres to the guidelines listed in Configuring AOS-S Switches using Template Groups.
        • Importing configuration from the switch allows you to quickly create a basic configuration template that you can apply only to the switch from which the template was created. To apply the template to multiple switches in the group without overwriting the switch configurations, customize the template by adding variables. For more information on configuration templates and variable definitions, see Configuring AOS-S Switches using Template Groups and Variable Files.
        • All switch templates must include a password command to set a password for the device. The template cannot be saved without adding a password command. If the configuration that is pushed from HPE Aruba Networking Central to the device does not contain a password command, the configuration push is aborted for the device and a log is added to the audit trail. For example, if you add the password command in a condition block and the condition evaluates to false, the configuration that is pushed will not contain the password command. For more information, see Managing Password in Configuration Templates.
          For more information about using password commands, see the Configuring Username and Password Security chapter in the AOS-S Switch Access Security Guide.
      4. To view the variables present in the imported configuration template, click Show Variables List. The Variables in Template column is displayed.

        For more information on variables, see Variable Files.

      5. To download the variables as a CSV Comma-Separated Values. A file format that stores tabular data in the plain text format separated by commas. or plain text file, click the download icon and select one of the following options:
        • Download .CSV
        • Download plain text (.txt)
  12. Click Save. After you apply the configuration template, switches reboot and reconnect to HPE Aruba Networking Central with the new configuration.

Step 5: Verify the configuration Status

To verify the configuration status:

  1. In the WebUI, set the filter to a template group.

    The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

  2. Under Manage, click Devices > Switches.
  3. Click the Config icon.

    The tabs to configure switches using templates is displayed.

    • To verify the configuration status for the template group, click Configuration Audit. The Configuration Audit dashboard displays the number of devices with template and configuration synchronization errors.
    • To view configuration errors for a specific device, select a switch from the filter bar. The Configuration Audit dashboard displays the number of template and configuration synchronization errors for the device.
  4. To view template errors, click View Template Errors.
  5. To view configuration synchronization errors, click View Details under Configuration Status.
  6. To compare running configuration and pending changes, click View under Config Comparsion Tool.

Workflow 2—Provisioning an AOS-S Switch On-Demand

To dynamically provision switches on-demand, complete the following steps:

Step 1: Enable HPE Aruba Networking Central Management Service on the AOS-S Switch

A locally-managed or pre-configured switch cannot connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central, unless it is configured to identify HPE Aruba Networking Central as its management entity. To manage such a device from HPE Aruba Networking Central, you must manually enable the provisioning and management service on the switch.

  1. Verify if the Activate provisioning service is enabled by executing the following command at the switch CLI:
    switch)# show activate provision
    configuration and Status - Activate Provision Service
    Activate Provision Service : Enabled
    Activate Server Address : device.arubanetworks.com
  2. If the Activate provision service is not enabled, execute the following command at the switch CLI:
    (switch)# activate provision enable
  3. To enable switches to automatically connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central, enforce ZTP on the switch:
    (switch)# activate provision force

The switch establishes connection with Activate. Activate directs the switch to HPE Aruba Networking Central.

Step 2: Add the AOS-S Switch to HPE Aruba Networking Central

Add the switch to the HPE Aruba Networking Central device inventory. You can add a switch using the Devices option in the HPE GreenLake platform.

For more information, see the Devices section in the HPE GreenLake Edge to Cloud Platform User Guide.

Step 3: Assign a Subscription

To allow HPE Aruba Networking Central to manage the switch, ensure that a valid subscription is assigned to the switch using the HPE GreenLake portal.

For more information, see the Devices section in the HPE GreenLake Edge to Cloud Platform User Guide.

Step 4: Provision the AOS-S Switch to a Group

If the switch has a valid subscription assigned, HPE Aruba Networking Central marks the switch as unprovisioned. To preserve the switch configuration, move it to a new group.

To move the device to a template group

  1. Create a template group.
  2. On the Groups page, select the switch.
  3. Drag and drop the switch to the new template group that you just created. HPE Aruba Networking Central adds the switch to the new template group.
  4. To import switch configuration to a new configuration template:
    1. In the WebUI, set the filter to a template group.

      The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

    2. Under Manage, click Devices > Switches.
    3. Click the Config icon.

      The tabs to configure switches using templates is displayed.

    4. Click the Templates tab. The Templates page is displayed.
    5. Click + to add a new template. The Add Template window is displayed.
    6. In the Basic Info tab, enter a name for the template in the Template Name field.
    7. In the Device Type drop-down, select Aruba Switch.
    8. Select the switch model and the software version to which you want to apply the new template. You can specify any of the following combinations:
      • ALL for both Model and Version—To apply the template to all switch models and all supported switch software versions.
      • ALL for Model and a software version for Version—To apply the template to all switch models running the selected software version.
      • ALL for Version and a switch model for Model—To apply the template to a switch model and all software versions supported by the selected switch model.
      • A switch model and a software version—To apply the template to a specific switch model and the software version. The template created for a switch model and a software version takes precedence over the template that is created for all platforms and versions.
    9. Select the manufacturing part number of the switch in the Part Number drop-down.
      • The Part Number drop-down is displayed only if you select a switch model in the Model drop-down.
      • If you select a specific switch model and part number, you can apply the template to a standalone switch and not to a stack.
      • If you select All in the Model drop-down, or if you select a switch model and All in the Part Number drop-down, you can apply a template to both a standalone switch and stack.
    10. Click Next. The Template tab is displayed.
    11. Build a new template or import configuration information from a switch that is already provisioned in the template group. See step 11.
      • Importing configuration from the switch allows you to quickly create a basic configuration template that you can apply only to the switch from which the template was created. To apply the template to multiple switches in the group without overwriting the switch configurations, customize the template by adding variables. For more information on configuration templates and variable definitions, see Configuring AOS-S Switches using Template Groups and Variable Files.
      • All switch templates must include a password command to set a password for the device. The template cannot be saved without adding a password command. If the configuration that is pushed from HPE Aruba Networking Central to the device does not contain a password command, the configuration push is aborted for the device and a log is added to the audit trail. For example, if you add the password command in a condition block and the condition evaluates to false, the configuration that is pushed will not contain the password command. For more information, see Managing Password in Configuration Templates.
        For more information about using password commands, see the Configuring Username and Password Security chapter in the AOS-S Switch Access Security Guide.
    12. To view the variables present in the imported configuration template, click Show Variables List. The Variables in Template column is displayed.

      For more information on variables, see Variable Files.

    13. To download the variables as a CSV or plain text file, click the download icon and select one of the following options:
      • Download .CSV
      • Download plain text (.txt)
    14. Click Save. After you apply the configuration template, switches reboot and reconnect to HPE Aruba Networking Central with the new configuration.

Step 5: Verify the configuration Status

To verify the configuration status:

  1. In the WebUI, set the filter to a template group.

    The dashboard context for the group is displayed.

  2. Under Manage, click Devices > Switches.
  3. Click the Config icon.

    The tabs to configure switches using templates is displayed.

    • To verify the configuration status for the template group, click Configuration Audit. The Configuration Audit dashboard displays the number of devices with template and configuration synchronization errors.
    • To view configuration errors for a specific device, select a switch from the filter bar. The Configuration Audit dashboard displays the number of template and configuration synchronization errors for the device.
  4. To view template errors, click View Template Errors.
  5. To view configuration synchronization errors, click View Details under Configuration Status.
  6. To compare running configuration and pending changes, click View under Config Comparison Tool.