HPE7-A01 Aruba Certified Campus Access Professional Exam Questions and Answers

CoS and DSCP are both methods of marking packets for quality of service (QoS) purposes. QoS is a mechanism that allows network devices to prioritize and differentiate traffic based on certain criteria, such as application type, source, destination, etc. CoS stands for Class of Service and is a 3-bit field in the 802.1Q VLAN tag header. CoS can only be used on Ethernet frames that have a VLAN tag, and it can only be preserved within a single VLAN domain. DSCP stands for Differentiated Services Code Point and is a 6-bit field in the IP header. DSCP can be used on any IP packet, regardless of the underlying layer 2 technology, and it can be preserved throughout the IP packet flow, unless it is modified by intermediate devices. References: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/qos/configuration/15-mt/qos-15-mt-book/qos-overview.html https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/lan-switching/8021q/17056-741-4.html https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/quality-of-service-qos/qos-packet-marking/10103-dscpvalues.html

a) A device with IP address 10.1.3.7 in a network wants to send the traffic stream to a device with IP address 10.13.4.2 in the other network -> Unicast 

b) One/more senders and one/more recipients participate in data transfer traffic -> Multicast 

c) Sent to all hosts on a remote network -> IP Directed Broadcast 

d) Sent to all NICs on the same network segment as the source NIC -> Broadcast

References: 1 https://www.thestudygenius.com/unicast-broadcast-multicast/

The terms broadcast, IP directed broadcast, multicast, and unicast are different types of communication or data transmission over a network. They differ in how many devices are involved in the communication and how they address the messages. The following table summarizes the characteristics of each term1:

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Wi-Fi 6 is an industry certification for products that support the new wireless standard 802.11ax, also known as “high-efficiency wireless”. Wi-Fi 6 offers increased capacities, improved resource utilization and higher throughput speeds than previous standards.

Option B: ClientMatch

This is because option B shows how to use ClientMatch to optimize the wireless performance of Wi-Fi 6 clients on a UniFi network. ClientMatch is a feature that uses machine learning to analyze the traffic patterns of each client and assign them to the best available AP based on their location, device type, and network conditions2.

Therefore, option B is the best technology to implement for your customer’s issue.

1: https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/221029967-UniFi-Network-Optimizing-Wireless-Connectivity  2: https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012947634-UniFi-Network-Optimizing-Wireless-Speeds

To configure an IP address for an interface in default state for interface 1/1/1 on Aruba CX 6300 switch, you need to disable switching on the interface first with the command no switching. Then you can assign an IP address with the command ip address. The other options are incorrect because they either do not disable switching or use invalid keywords such as switching or routing. References: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX_10_08/UG/bk01-ch01.html https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX_10_08/UG/bk01-ch02.html

The show arp command displays the ARP table for a specific VRF or all VRFs on the switch. The ARP table contains the IP address to MAC address mappings for hosts that are directly connected to the switch or reachable through a gateway. If the client device is connected to another switch by VSX LAG, the ARP entry for the client device will not be present on the primary switch unless it has communicated with it recently. Therefore, to find the IP address of the client device, the administrator should run the show arp command on the secondary switch in the VSX pair, specifying the VRF name that contains the client device’s subnet. References: https://techhub.hpe.com/eginfolib/Aruba/OS-CX_10.04/5200-6692/GUID-9B8F6E8F-9C7A-4F0D-AE7B-9D8E6C5B6A7F.html

The statements that are true regarding Aruba NAE agents are A and C.

A. A single NAE script can be used by multiple NAE agents. This means that you can create different instances of the same script with different parameters or settings. For example, you can use the same script to monitor different VLANs or interfaces on the switch1.

C. NAE agents will never consume more than 10% of switch processor resources. This is a built-in safeguard that prevents the agents from affecting the switch performance or stability. If an agent exceeds the 10% limit, it will be automatically disabled and an alert will be generated2.

The other options are incorrect because:

• B. NAE agents are not active at all times. They can be enabled or disabled by the user, either manually or based on a schedule. They can also be disabled automatically if they encounter an error or exceed the resource limit1.
• D. NAE scripts do not need to be reviewed and signed by Aruba before being used. You can create your own custom scripts using Python and upload them to the switch or Aruba Central. You can also use the scripts provided by Aruba or other sources, as long as they are compatible with the switch firmware version1.
• E. A single NAE agent cannot be used by multiple NAE scripts. An agent is an instance of a script that runs on the switch. Each agent can only run one script at a time1.

The reason is that AOS 10.x does not support clustering gateways with different versions in the same cluster profile. A cluster profile defines the configuration settings for a group of gateways that are managed by Aruba Central.

According to the Aruba documentation2, “You can combine 7200 Series and 7000 Series gateways in the same cluster with a maximum size of four devices with reduced AP client capacity on 7000 Series gateways.”

Authentication survivability is a feature that allows the device to remain operational when a remote link failure occurs between a Gateway cluster and a RADIUS server that is either in the cloud or a datacenter. Authentication survivability enables the Gateway cluster to cache successful authentication requests from the RADIUS server and use them to authenticate clients when the RADIUS server is unreachable. Authentication survivability also allows clients to use MAC caching or MAC authentication bypass (MAB) methods to access the network when the RADIUS server is down. References: https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/tg/TG_AuthSurvivability.pdf

This is the appropriate solution for this scenario where wireless 802.1X authentication will be against a RADIUS server in the cloud and the security team is concerned that the traffic between the AP and the RADIUS server will be exposed. RadSec, also known as RADIUS over TLS, is a protocol that provides encryption and authentication for RADIUS traffic over TCP and TLS. RadSec can be configured on both the AP and the RADIUS server to establish a secure tunnel for exchanging RADIUS packets. The other options are incorrect because they either do not provide encryption or authentication for RADIUS traffic or do not involve RadSec. References: https://www.securew2.com/blog/what-is-radsec/ https://www.cloudradius.com/radsec-vs-radius/

This is an Aruba-recommended best practice for hardening that only applies to Aruba CX 6300 series switches with dedicated management ports. A dedicated management port is a physical port that is used exclusively for out-of-band management access to the switch. A dedicated management VRF is a virtual routing and forwarding instance that isolates the management traffic from other traffic on the switch. By creating a dedicated management VRF and assigning the management port to it, the administrator can enhance the security and performance of the management access to the switch. The other options are incorrect because they either do not apply to switches with dedicated management ports or do not follow Aruba-recommended best practices. References: https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/ds/DS_AOS-CX.pdf https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/tg/TB_ArubaCX_Switching.pdf

According to the Aruba Documentation Portal1, PAPI (Port Aggregation Protocol) is a protocol that allows multiple physical ports to be aggregated into a single logical port for increased bandwidth and performance. PAPI can be used between AOS-CX switches and gateways, or between AOS-CX switches and other devices.

Option A: Implement an IPSec tunnel to protect PAPI between the AOS-CX switches and the gateway

This is because option A shows how to implement an IPSec tunnel between two devices using the interface command and the ipsec command. An IPSec tunnel can provide encryption and authentication for PAPI traffic between two devices, such as an AOS-CX switch and a gateway2.

Therefore, option A is a feasible option to protect this traffic.

I hope this helps you. If you need more information, please let me know. ?

1: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.06/HTML/5200-7727/Content/Chp_prev_traf_loss/Act_gtw_act_fwd/act-gat-ove-vsx-10.htm  2: https://community.arubanetworks.com/blogviewer?blogkey=989fc43a-e0df-42db-9c0b-f96d6565a1fa

Option A: MTU size must be increased beyond the default

This is because option A shows how to configure the MTU size for VXLAN tunnels on Aruba switches using the interface command and the vxlan command. The MTU size must be increased beyond the default value of 1500 bytes to accommodate the VXLAN header and payload2.

Therefore, option A is true regarding a VXLAN implementation on Aruba switches.

Option B: VNIs encapsulate and decapsulate VXLAN traffic

This is also true regarding a VXLAN implementation on Aruba switches. VNIs are used to encapsulate and decapsulate VXLAN traffic between two devices, such as a switch and a server. VNIs are also used to map VXLAN tunnels to overlay networks3.

Therefore, option B is also true regarding a VXLAN implementation on Aruba switches.

VXLAN is a Layer 2 encapsulation technology that substitutes the usage of VLAN numbers to label Ethernet broadcast domains with VXLAN numbers. VXLAN supports 224 Ethernet broadcast domains or VXLAN numbers. A VXLAN number ID is referred to as VNI. There is a one-to-one relationship between an Ethernet broadcast domain and a VNI. A single Ethernet broadcast domain can’t have more than one VNI.

This is the correct explanation of how roles can help keep consistent policy enforcement in a distributed overlay fabric. Roles are used to assign group based policy IDs (GBPs) to devices after they authenticate with ClearPass or a local database. GBPs are then used to tag the traffic from the devices and send them to the ingress VTEP, which applies the GBP on the VXLAN header. The egress VTEP then enforces the policy based on the GBP and the destination device. The other options are incorrect because they either do not describe the correct sequence of events or do not use the correct terms. References: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.04/HTML/5200-6728/bk01-ch03.html https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.04/HTML/5200-6728/bk01-ch05.html

To create a new OSPF configuration for a separate routing table, you need to create a new OSPF process ID with vrf name. This will create a new OSPF instance that is associated with the specified VRF and its routing table. The other options are incorrect because they either do not create a new OSPF instance or do not associate it with a VRF. References: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.04/HTML/5200-6728/bk01-ch02.html https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.04/HTML/5200-6728/bk01-ch03.html

The correct action to fix the issue is C. Change the SSID to WPA3-Enhanced Open.

WPA3-OWE is not a valid SSID type in Central. OWE stands for Opportunistic Wireless Encryption, and it is a feature that provides encryption for open networks without requiring authentication. OWE is also known as Enhanced Open, and it is one of the options for WPA3 SSIDs in Central1.

According to the Aruba document Configuring WLAN Settings for an SSID Profile, one of the steps to configure a WPA3 SSID is:

• Select the Security Level from the drop-down list. The following options are available:

The other options are incorrect because:

• A. WPA3-Enterprise (CNSA) is a valid SSID type, but it requires 802.1X authentication with a RADIUS server, which may not be suitable for the company’s use case.
• B. WPA3-Personal is a valid SSID type, but it requires a passphrase to join the network, which may not be suitable for the company’s use case.
• D. WPA3-Enterprise (CCM) is a valid SSID type, but it requires 802.1X authentication with a RADIUS server, which may not be suitable for the company’s use case.

This is because Best Effort traffic is all other kinds of non-detrimental traffic that are not sensitive to Quality of Service metrics (jitter, packet loss, latency). A typical example would be peer-to-peer and email applications2. Background traffic is a type of traffic that is used for system maintenance or backup purposes and does not affect the performance or availability of the network3.

Therefore, Best Effort traffic has a higher priority than Background traffic in terms of network resources allocation and management.

1: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaDocPortal/content/docportal.htm  2: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/33854306/best-effort-traffic-and-real-time-traffic-difference  3: https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=25315 &seqNum=4

The correct answer is B. An event log message is created.

The do-not-disable parameter is used to prevent the switch from disabling the port when a loop is detected by the loop-protect feature. Instead, the switch will generate an event log message that indicates the port number and the VLAN ID where the loop was detected. The switch will also send a trap to the SNMP manager, if configured1.

The other options are incorrect because:

• A. Port status will not be validated once status is cleared. The port will remain enabled even if a loop is detected, unless the loop-protect action is changed to tx-disable or tx-rx-disable1.
• C. The network analytics engine will not be triggered by a loop detection. The network analytics engine is a feature that allows users to monitor and troubleshoot network issues using scripts and agents2.
• D. Port status LED will not blink in amber with 100Hz. The port status LED will indicate the normal port status, such as link speed and activity, regardless of the loop detection3.

The show aaa authentication port-access interface all client-status command displays the status of all clients authenticated by port-based access control on all interfaces. The output includes the MAC address, user role, VLAN ID, and session timeout for each client. This command can be used to examine information on which role the guest user has been assigned by the AOS-CX switch. References: https://techhub.hpe.com/eginfolib/Aruba/OS-CX_10.04/5200-6692/GUID-9B8F6E8F-9C7A-4F0D-AE7B-9D8E6C5B6A7F.html

The correct answer is A. DMO is configured individually for each SSID in use in the network.

DMO is a feature that allows the AP to convert multicast streams into unicast streams over the wireless link. This enhances the quality and reliability of streaming video, while preserving the bandwidth available to the non-video clients. DMO is configured individually for each SSID in use in the network, as different SSIDs may have different multicast requirements.

According to the Aruba document Configuring WLAN Settings for an SSID Profile, one of the steps to configure DMO is:

• Dynamic multicast optimization: Select Enabled to allow IAP to convert multicast streams into unicast streams over the wireless link. Enabling Dynamic Multicast Optimization (DMO) enhances the quality and reliability of streaming video, while preserving the bandwidth available to the non-video clients.

The other options are incorrect because:

• B. The AP does not use QoS to provide equal air time for multicast traffic. QoS is a feature that prioritizes different types of traffic based on their importance and latency sensitivity. QoS does not affect how multicast streams are transmitted over the wireless link.
• C. DMO is not configured globally for each SSID in use in the network. DMO is configured individually for each SSID, as different SSIDs may have different multicast requirements.
• D. The controller does not convert multicast streams into unicast streams. The AP does the conversion, as it is closer to the wireless clients and can optimize the transmission based on the client capabilities and channel conditions.

The Aruba CX 6400 switch is a modular switch that supports high-performance and high-density Ethernet switching for campus and data center networks. One of the features that distinguishes the Aruba CX 6400 switch from most typical campus switches is virtual output queueing (VOQ). VOQ is a technique that implements large ingress packet buffers on each port to prevent head-of-line blocking and packet loss due to congestion2. VOQ allows each port to have multiple queues for different output ports and prioritize packets based on their destination and QoS class2. VOQ enables the Aruba CX 6400 switch to achieve high throughput and low latency for various traffic types and scenarios. References: 2 https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/ds/DS_CX6400Series.pdf

EVPN-VXLAN is a technology that allows layer-2 communication across layer-3 networks by using Ethernet VPN (EVPN) as a control plane and Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) as a data plane3. EVPN-VXLAN can be used to support legacy applications that communicate at layer-2 across different campuses or data centers that are connected via layer-3. EVPN-VXLAN minimizes flooding by using BGP to distribute MAC addresses and IP addresses of hosts across different VXLAN segments3. EVPN-VXLAN also provides benefits such as loop prevention, load balancing, mobility, and scalability3. References: 3 https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/tg/TG_EVPN_VXLAN.pdf

The correct answer is C. Create a new SVI and use attach command.

To create a new SVI for a separate routing table, you need to use the attach command to associate the SVI with a VRF (Virtual Routing and Forwarding) instance. A VRF is a logical entity that allows multiple routing tables to coexist on the same switch. Each VRF has its own set of interfaces, routing protocols, and routes that are isolated from other VRFs.

According to the AOS-CX Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) Guide1, one of the steps to configure VRF-aware VSF is:

• Configure the VRFs on each member switch and assign the SVIs to the respective VRFs using the attach command. For example:

switch(config)# vrf red

switch(config-vrf)# exit

switch(config)# interface vlan 10

switch(config-if-vlan)# ip address 10.1.1.1/24

switch(config-if-vlan)# attach vrf red

The above commands create a VRF named red and assign VLAN 10 SVI to it. The SVI has an IP address of 10.1.1.1/24.

The other options are incorrect because:

• A. You cannot attach a VRF to a VLAN directly. You need to create an SVI for the VLAN and then attach the VRF to the SVI.
• B. You cannot create a new routing table manually. You need to create a VRF and then use routing protocols or static routes to populate the routing table for the VRF.
• D. You cannot attach a routing table to a VLAN directly. You need to create an SVI for the VLAN and then attach a VRF that has a routing table associated with it.

The capability that enables plug-and-play provisioning of access points in an HPE Aruba network is the UCC Service. The UCC Service is a cloud-based service that allows the access points to automatically discover and connect to the Aruba Central management platform without any manual intervention. The UCC Service also provides zero-touch configuration, firmware updates, and monitoring for the access points1.

The other options are incorrect because:

• B. LLDP-MED: LLDP-MED is a protocol that enhances the interoperability between network devices and IP phones. It does not enable plug-and-play provisioning of access points2.
• C. SRTP: SRTP is a protocol that provides encryption and authentication for voice and video traffic. It does not enable plug-and-play provisioning of access points3.
• D. CSMA: CSMA is a protocol that regulates how devices share a common medium, such as a wireless channel. It does not enable plug-and-play provisioning of access points.

• Client IP address: This factor can be used to determine if the client is on the same VLAN as the AP or not. If the client IP address is on the same VLAN as the AP, then the client traffic is bridged locally. If the client IP address is on a different VLAN than the AP, then the client traffic is forwarded to the gateway cluster through a secure tunnel 12.
• Client VLAN: This factor can be used to determine if the client belongs to a specific VLAN or not. If the client belongs to a specific VLAN, then the client traffic is forwarded to that VLAN based on its IP address and security profile 12.

Option C is the correct configuration to ensure that APs will work properly. It uses the ap command to configure a port profile for APs with VLAN 100 as the native VLAN and VLAN 200 and 300 as tagged VLANs. It also enables LLDP on the ports to discover the APs and assign them to the port profile automatically. The other options are incorrect because they either do not use the ap command, do not enable LLDP, or do not configure the VLANs correctly. References: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX_10_08/UG/bk01-ch02.html https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX_10_08/UG/bk01-ch03.html

The primary benefit of BSS coloring is D. BSS color tags are applied to Wi-Fi channels and can reduce the threshold for interference.

BSS coloring is a mechanism that allows Wi-Fi 6 devices to mark each frame with a color code that identifies the BSS (Basic Service Set) it belongs to. This helps differentiate between frames from different BSSs that share the same channel and avoid unnecessary collisions and backoffs. BSS coloring also introduces an adaptive threshold for interference, which means that Wi-Fi 6 devices can adjust the signal strength value that determines whether a channel is busy or not based on the current network environment. This allows for more efficient use of spectrum and higher throughput in dense scenarios12.

According to the Aruba Documentation Portal1, the Aruba 6300 CX switches support various features to control the PoE devices on specific ports, such as device profiles and classifier policies. These features can help reduce the power consumption and improve the performance of the PoE devices.

1: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.10/HTML/monitoring_6300-6400/Content/Chp_LEDs/fro-pan-led-630.htm  2: https://www.arubanetworks.com/products/switches/6300-series/  3: https://docs.samsungknox.com/admin/knox-manage/configure/profile/configure-profile-policies/configure-profile-policies-by-device-platform/

The information that the Inter-Switch Link Protocol configuration uses in the configuration created is B. MAC tables.

The Inter-Switch Link Protocol (ISL) is a protocol that enables the synchronization of data and state information between two VSX peer switches. The ISL uses a version control mechanism and provides backward compatibility regarding VSX synchronization capabilities. The ISL can span long distances (transceiver dependent) and supports different speeds, such as 10G, 25G, 40G, or 100G1.

One of the data components that the ISL synchronizes is the MAC table, which is a database that stores the MAC addresses of the devices connected to the switch and the corresponding ports or VLANs. The ISL ensures that both VSX peers have the same MAC table entries and can forward traffic to the correct destination2. The ISL also synchronizes other data components, such as ARP table, LACP states for VSX LAGs, and MSTP states2.

To establish a keepalive connection between two Aruba CX 8325 switches for VSX configuration, you need to use a routed port in custom VRF. A routed port is a physical port that acts as a layer 3 interface and does not belong to any VLAN. A custom VRF is a virtual routing and forwarding instance that provides logical separation of routing tables. By using a routed port in custom VRF, you can isolate the keepalive traffic from other traffic and prevent routing loops or conflicts. The other options are incorrect because they either do not use a routed port or do not use a custom VRF. References: https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.04/HTML/5200-6728/bk01-ch07.html https://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/AOS-CX/10.04/HTML/5200-6728/bk01-ch02.html

Two parts of the solution for these requirements are Option C and Option E.

Option C is a part of the solution because it defines a policy-based routing action list named route_test, which specifies the next hop IP address as 10.1.1.253 for the matching traffic. This is the new default route that the user wants to use for the subnet 10.2.250.0/24. The interface null parameter indicates that the traffic will be routed to the next hop without using a specific interface1.

Option E is a part of the solution because it applies the policy-based routing action list route_test to the VLAN interface 250, which has an IP address of 10.2.250.1/24. This is the subnet that the user wants to test the new default route for. The apply policy command enables policy-based routing on the interface and associates it with the action list2.

Option A is not a part of the solution because it defines a policy-based routing action list named route_test, but does not specify the next hop IP address as 10.1.1.253, which is the new default route that the user wants to use. Instead, it specifies a next hop IP address of 10.1.1.254, which is different from the requirement.

Option B is not a part of the solution because it defines a policy-based routing action list named route_test, but does not specify any next hop IP address at all, which is necessary for policy-based routing to work. Instead, it specifies an interface null parameter without any IP address, which is invalid.

Option D is not a part of the solution because it applies the policy-based routing action list route_test to the VLAN interface 200, which has an IP address of 10.2.200.1/24. This is not the subnet that the user wants to test the new default route for, but a different subnet that should not be affected by this change.

QoS stands for Quality of Service and is a mechanism that allows network devices to prioritize and differentiate traffic based on certain criteria, such as application type, source, destination, etc3. QoS involves identifying specific traffic for special treatment and applying policies and actions to improve its performance or meet certain service level agreements (SLAs)3. QoS can help network devices to manage congestion, delay, jitter, packet loss, bandwidth allocation, etc., for different types of traffic3. QoS can be implemented at various layers of the network stack and across different network domains. References: 3 https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/qos/configuration/15-mt/qos-15-mt-book/qos-overview.html

BSS coloring is a mechanism that helps identify the BSS Basic Service Set. A BSS is a set of interconnected stations that can communicate with each other. BSS can be an independent BSS or infrastructure BSS. An independent BSS is an ad hoc network that does not include APs, whereas the infrastructure BSS consists of an AP and all its associated clients. on the same channel and differentiate them from other BSS on the same channel12. Each BSS is assigned a color code, which is a 6-bit value that is carried in the PHY header of the Wi-Fi frames12. By using BSS coloring, the APs and clients can reduce the threshold for interference detection and avoid unnecessary backoff or retransmissions when they detect frames from other BSS with different colors12. This can improve the spectral efficiency and throughput of the network12. The other options are incorrect because they do not describe the primary benefit of BSS coloring.