The HPE6-A73: Aruba Switching exam is an essential credential for those looking to prove their skills in managing and deploying Aruba switches in enterprise networks. Aruba’s switches are known for their scalability, high performance, and advanced security features, making them ideal for organizations looking to build secure, efficient, and reliable networks.

The HPE6-A73 exam and associated course cover the key aspects of Aruba switching, including installation, configuration, security, and troubleshooting. You will also learn about Aruba's management tools, such as Aruba Central and Aruba NetEdit, which simplify the management of large-scale networks.

Key Features and Topics Covered

1. Aruba Switching Architecture and Platforms:

   • Overview of Aruba’s switching portfolio, including their fixed and modular switches.

   • Understanding Aruba’s role in modern enterprise networks and its advantages in scalability, security, and performance.

2. Configuring Aruba Switches:

   • Basic switch setup, including initial configuration, VLAN configuration, and port assignments.

   • Configuring Layer 2 and Layer 3 features, such as Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Link Aggregation, and IP routing.

3. Advanced Switching Features:

   • Configuration of advanced network features like Quality of Service (QoS), Network Access Control (NAC), and Virtual LANs (VLANs).

   • Implementing and managing IP routing protocols like OSPF and RIP on Aruba switches.

4. Aruba Security Features:

   • Configuring and managing Aruba’s security features, including 802.1X authentication, MAC authentication, and dynamic VLAN assignment.

   • Implementing Aruba ClearPass for enhanced security policy enforcement.

5. Aruba Management Tools:

   • Using Aruba Central for cloud-based management, monitoring, and troubleshooting of Aruba networks.

   • Leveraging Aruba NetEdit for network configuration management, compliance checking, and troubleshooting.

6. Troubleshooting Aruba Networks:

   • Basic and advanced troubleshooting techniques using Aruba’s command-line interface (CLI) and Aruba tools.

   • Identifying network issues, diagnosing common problems, and resolving issues related to connectivity, performance, and security.

7. Aruba Switch Stacking and Redundancy:

   • Configuring switch stacking for high availability and simplified management.

   • Understanding Aruba's redundancy protocols and mechanisms to ensure network resilience.

8. Integrating Aruba Switches with Other Networking Solutions:

   • Integrating Aruba switches into larger, multi-vendor networks.

   • Configuring interoperability between Aruba switches and other network devices such as routers, firewalls, and wireless controllers.