HPE7-A08 HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional – Switching Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

To capture packets on an HPE Aruba CX switch and view the output remotely in real-time, the best practice is to use a mirror session that forwards traffic to a remote device running a packet analyzer such as Wireshark. ERSPAN (Encapsulated Remote Switched Port Analyzer) allows the mirror traffic to be encapsulated in GRE and sent over an IP network to a remote monitoring station. This method ensures full packet capture with no local resource constraints and provides full visibility to the analyst.

Option B (using tcpdump on the switch) only provides summarized or limited capture locally.

Option C (mirroring to another switch port) only allows local monitoring and does not provide remote real-time viewing.

Option D (mirror to CPU and then use tshark) is less efficient and may be resource-intensive on the switch.

Therefore, configuring ERSPAN to a remote Wireshark host is the recommended and best way.

After enabling ARP protection, many users lose network access because ARP protection relies on DHCP snooping to build IP-to-MAC binding tables. Without DHCP snooping enabled and correctly configured, ARP inspection cannot verify ARP packets, causing legitimate traffic to be dropped.

Enabling DHCP snooping allows ARP inspection to validate ARP requests and responses.

Other options like dynamic IP lockdown, IGMP snooping, or DHCP reservations are unrelated or secondary.

In a hotel environment where a single subnet is used for wired guests, but guest devices in a conference room need to communicate with each other (and with the default gateway), while remaining isolated from other guests elsewhere, Community VLANs are appropriate.

Community VLANs allow hosts within the same VLAN community to communicate with each other and the default gateway but are isolated from hosts in other communities.

Isolated VLANs block communication between ports and only allow communication to the gateway.

Therefore, assigning conference room guests to a community VLAN and the gateway to a primary VLAN allows the desired communication model.

To monitor BGP neighbor state changes and automatically create a helpdesk ticket, the NAE (Network Analytics Engine) action to use is a REST API call. This allows integration with external ticketing or automation systems, enabling automated ticket creation when a monitored event occurs.

Executing shell commands, sending emails, or generating logs are limited to internal actions and do not integrate as seamlessly with helpdesk systems.

REST API calls allow custom integration and automation.

For a 1 Gbps link between two Aruba CX switches, the appropriate SFP port type is an SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable). SFP+ and SFP28 are used for higher speeds such as 10 Gbps and 25 Gbps, respectively. QSFP+ is for even higher speeds (40 Gbps).

SFP supports 1 Gbps (1000BASE-X)

SFP+ supports 10 Gbps

SFP28 supports 25 Gbps and above

QSFP+ supports 40 Gbps and above

Therefore, the correct port type for a 1 Gbps link is SFP.

The configuration involves connecting two buildings over fiber using OM4 cabling with a distance of 200 meters. The current optics in use are 25GR (25 Gigabit Rate) optics.

For multimode fiber such as OM4, SR (Short Reach) optics are suitable for distances up to 300 meters. In contrast, LR (Long Reach) optics are typically designed for single-mode fiber and longer distances.

Therefore, to properly support the 200m OM4 fiber link, 25SR optics should be used instead of 25GR (which are often long-reach optics).

10SR and 10LR refer to 10Gbps optics, which do not meet the 25Gbps requirement.

25LR optics are for single-mode fiber and longer distances, not multimode.

The error message "Invalid input: interface" typically appears if the switch is managed by HPE Aruba Central, which restricts CLI interface configuration to prevent configuration drift. When managed externally, certain commands are disabled or locked.

Password recovery mode or authorization enabled would not cause this error.

Manager context is not a concept in Aruba CX CLI.

To prevent the campus core from seeing the data center core as the root bridge in a spanning tree topology (which can cause suboptimal paths or loops), Root Guard should be applied on the campus-to-data center core link. Root Guard enforces root bridge placement by blocking any superior BPDU from a downstream switch, maintaining the intended root bridge location.

BPDU filter blocks BPDUs entirely, which can cause problems.

Admin edge and BPDU guard are related to edge port protection, not root placement control.

For BGP in a multi-homed configuration advertising public IP blocks, the AS number should be a valid public AS number allocated by the regional internet registry (RIR). Numbers in the private AS range (64512–65534) are not suitable for public Internet announcements.

63472 falls in the public AS range (16-bit AS numbers below 64512).

64813, 65535, and 65218 are in the private or reserved range.

Therefore, 63472 is an example of a suitable public AS number.

In VSX architecture, the Inter-Switch Link (ISL) is implemented as a Link Aggregation Group (LAG). To ensure proper forwarding and VLAN consistency, the ISL LAG must allow all configured VLANs. This allows VSX synchronization and data forwarding across all VLANs that span the two switches.

ISL traffic is not specifically tagged with EF QoS markings by default.

ISL traffic is not encapsulated in GRE tunnels.

The ISL LAG does not automatically include all VLANs; VLANs must be allowed on the LAG explicitly.

Hence, the LAG must be configured to allow all VLANs.

The LACP state event Actor state: ALFNCD, Partner state: ASFNCD indicates that the LACP negotiation between the local (actor) and peer (partner) is successful with all flags matching and no errors.

ALFNCD and ASFNCD are standard LACP states indicating Active, Long timeout, Aggregation capable, Not synchronized, Collecting, and Distributing flags set as expected.

Also, the log shows the LACP rate is set to slow, which is the default.

Thus, the output shows the LAG 253 has a matching LACP configuration with its peer.

When troubleshooting downloadable user roles (DUR) between Aruba CX switches and ClearPass, it is crucial to verify the Trust Anchor profile on the switch. The Trust Anchor profile contains the certificates and keys that allow secure communication and authentication with ClearPass, ensuring the switch can validate the RADIUS server and downloaded user role information.

SNMP community string (Option A) is unrelated to DUR.

User-role configuration (Option B) is important but verifying trust anchor ensures secure role downloads.

HTTPS client certificate (Option C) is not typically part of DUR authentication.

Therefore, the Trust Anchor profile must be verified.

The command erase all zeroize performs a secure erase on the switch, which deletes all customer data including startup-config and stored credentials. This process can take up to an hour depending on the hardware and storage media.

It does not retain running config (Option A).

It does not restore the factory AOS-CX image (Option B).

Admin credentials are deleted as part of the secure erase (Option C is incorrect).

Therefore, this command securely wipes all data and resets the device.

In a VSX cluster, certain configurations such as DHCP relay need to be synchronized between both nodes. To sync DHCP relay configuration from the primary to the secondary, the command:

vsx-sync dhcp-relay

must be added under the VSX configuration on the primary switch. This ensures that DHCP relay settings are pushed to the secondary member automatically.

Adding vsx-sync ip-helper relates to IP helper addresses, not DHCP relay specifically.

Adding the sync command on the secondary has no effect as synchronization originates from primary.

Backing up the switch configuration to a remote Linux SFTP server requires using the copy command with the correct protocol (SFTP in this case), username, server IP, filename, and optionally the VRF to route management traffic.

Option A uses SCP and vrf default but the question mentions SFTP server, so SFTP protocol should be used.

Option B is a server-side command (not the switch).

Option C correctly uses copy startup-config sftp://user@192.168.1.100/switch_config.cfg vrf mgmt which backs up the startup-config via SFTP using the management VRF.

Option D is also a server-side command.

Using vrf mgmt is required because the management IP is in a separate VRF on CX switches.

To receive a monthly report tracking available licenses and their expiration dates in Aruba Central, the Infra Inventory report should be scheduled. It provides detailed information about device inventories, including licenses and expiration.

Switch Capacity Planning focuses on resource utilization.

Resource Utilization monitors system performance.

Network report focuses on topology and health.

To make configuration changes using multi-edit in Aruba Central when encountering the shown condition, you must enable edit config mode using the gear icon. This unlocks the configuration for editing and allows you to make batch changes safely.

Selecting configuration status or device in multi-edit alone is not sufficient.

Overriding state is not a standard approach in Aruba Central for editing configs.

In HPE Aruba CX VSX, the hardware replacement of a single switch is non-disruptive for Layer 2 configurations because the system MAC address in the ServiceOS can be changed to the original system MAC address. This ensures consistent MAC address usage, avoiding disruptions in Layer 2 forwarding and preventing MAC flapping in the network.

Options involving VSX-sync or reserved system MAC ranges do not specifically address hardware replacement scenarios as effectively.

Changing the ServiceOS system MAC to match the original maintains Layer 2 stability during switch replacement.

When User-Based Tunneling (UBT) is configured and HTTPS-enabled websites fail to load, this often relates to issues with packet fragmentation. The solution is to enable IP fragmentation on the devices to allow large tunneled packets to be properly fragmented and reassembled.

Path MTU discovery is helpful but may be blocked in some networks.

Fragment reassembly is usually on the receiving end.

Jumbo frames may not resolve fragmentation across tunneled paths.

Therefore, enabling IP fragmentation is the most effective solution.