Aruba CX System Discovery

Discover HPE Aruba CX switch system information, firmware versions, and VSF (Virtual Switching Framework) topology through natural language. View switch inventory, software versions, and cluster membership.

When to Use

• Inventorying Aruba CX switches (hostname, model, serial number)
• Checking switch software versions and uptime
• Auditing firmware versions across the switching fabric
• Understanding VSF cluster topology and member roles
• Planning firmware upgrades (ISSU)
• Verifying VSF commander/standby/member assignments

MCP Server

• Server: aruba-cx-mcp (community MCP from slientnight)
• Command: python3 -u mcp-servers/aruba-cx-mcp/aruba_cx_mcp_server.py (stdio transport)
• Auth: REST API via ARUBA_CX_TARGETS (JSON array) or ARUBA_CX_CONFIG (file path)
• Timeout: ARUBA_CX_TIMEOUT (default: 30 seconds)

Available Tools

| Tool | Parameters | What It Does | |------|------------|--------------| | get_system_info | target | Get hostname, model, serial number, software version, uptime | | get_firmware_info | target | Get primary/secondary firmware versions, boot image, ISSU capability | | get_vsf_topology | target | Get VSF cluster members with roles, serial numbers, status |

Workflow Examples

System Information Discovery

bash
# Get system info for a switch
"Show me the system information for core-sw-1"

# Check switch details
"What model is core-sw-1?"

# View software version
"What software version is running on core-sw-1?"

# Check uptime
"How long has core-sw-1 been running?"

Firmware Audit

bash
# Get firmware versions
"Show the firmware versions for core-sw-1"

# Check primary and secondary images
"What firmware images are on core-sw-1?"

# Verify ISSU capability
"Is core-sw-1 capable of ISSU upgrades?"

# Plan upgrades
"Which switches need firmware upgrades?"

VSF Topology Discovery

bash
# View VSF cluster
"Show the VSF topology for core-sw-1"

# Check cluster membership
"What switches are in the VSF cluster with core-sw-1?"

# Identify commander
"Which switch is the VSF commander?"

# View member roles
"Show me the VSF member roles and serial numbers"

Integration with Other Skills

• aruba-cx-interfaces: After discovering systems, check interface status
• aruba-cx-switching: View VLANs configured on discovered switches
• aruba-cx-config: Review running configuration on discovered switches

Response Examples

System Info Response

json
{
  "hostname": "core-sw-1",
  "model": "Aruba 6300M",
  "serial_number": "SG1234567890",
  "software_version": "10.13.1000",
  "uptime": 8640000,
  "boot_time": "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"
}

Firmware Info Response

json
{
  "primary_version": "10.13.1000",
  "secondary_version": "10.12.0030",
  "boot_image": "primary",
  "issu_capable": true,
  "last_upgrade": "2026-03-01T00:00:00Z"
}

VSF Topology Response

json
{
  "enabled": true,
  "domain_id": 1,
  "members": [
    {
      "member_id": 1,
      "role": "commander",
      "serial_number": "SG1234567890",
      "model": "6300M",
      "status": "ready",
      "priority": 255
    },
    {
      "member_id": 2,
      "role": "standby",
      "serial_number": "SG0987654321",
      "model": "6300M",
      "status": "ready",
      "priority": 128
    }
  ]
}

Error Handling

| Error Code | Meaning | Resolution | |------------|---------|------------| | AUTH_FAILED | Invalid credentials | Verify username/password in ARUBA_CX_TARGETS | | CONN_TIMEOUT | Switch unreachable | Check network connectivity and ARUBA_CX_TIMEOUT | | TARGET_NOT_FOUND | Unknown switch name | Verify target name matches ARUBA_CX_TARGETS configuration | | VSF_NOT_CONFIGURED | VSF not enabled | Switch is standalone - VSF topology not applicable | | API_VERSION_MISMATCH | Unsupported API version | Update api_version in target config (default: v10.13) |

Notes

• Read-only operations - no ServiceNow CR gating required
• All operations logged to GAIT audit trail
• Switches must run AOS-CX 10.x or later with REST API enabled
• Default API version is v10.13 - adjust in target config if needed
• VSF topology returns "not configured" for standalone switches