How does Aruba VSX translate to Cisco StackWise?

VSX configurations are analyzed and translated to Cisco StackWise Virtual or vPC equivalents where applicable, with recommendations for topology-specific adjustments.

Can Aruba CX ACLs convert to Cisco IOS-XE ACLs?

Yes. Aruba CX ACLs are translated to IOS-XE extended ACLs with proper syntax for source/destination matching, protocol specifications, and interface application.

What about Aruba CX REST API configurations?

REST API and management plane configurations are mapped to equivalent IOS-XE management settings including SSH, SNMP, and HTTP server configurations.

Aruba CX to Cisco IOS Switch Migration

Migrating from Aruba CX to Cisco IOS? NetConverter's comprehensive multi-step pipeline automates the conversion of VLANs, spanning tree, port configurations, and ACLs with 95%+ accuracy and confidence scoring.

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Why Aruba CX → Cisco IOS-XE Switch Migrations Reverse a Few Specific Pains

Migrating Aruba CX (AOS-CX 10.10+) switches to Cisco Catalyst (IOS-XE 17.x) is the inverse problem of Cisco-to-Aruba. The semantic flip is in spanning-tree: Aruba's MSTP (mandatory) becomes Cisco's RPVST+ (optional but common) or MSTP. NetConverter defaults to RPVST+ output when the Aruba MSTP configuration has fewer than 4 instances and the VLAN-to-instance mapping doesn't preserve significant grouping; otherwise it preserves MSTP. The choice is overridable via YAML preset.

The other meaningful flip: Aruba CX VSF clusters (Virtual Switching Framework) translate to Cisco StackWise logical stacks. The translation is at the configuration level — physical cabling changes are required because VSF and StackWise use different cable types. NetConverter flags every VSF cluster as a Manual Step with cabling requirements clearly listed. ACL semantics (Aruba's class-based ACL vs Cisco's standard/extended ACL) translate cleanly because the IR pipeline normalizes both into the same checkpoint format before serialization.

The Switch Migration Challenge

Interface Naming

Aruba CX interface naming (1/1/1) must be translated to Cisco's GigabitEthernet format.

VLAN Syntax

Aruba's "vlan access" and "vlan trunk" commands differ from Cisco's switchport syntax.

Feature Mapping

Aruba-specific features need translation to equivalent Cisco IOS functionality.

How NetConverter Solves It

Vendor-Neutral Translation

Our comprehensive multi-step pipeline normalizes configurations to a unified format, enabling accurate translation between any vendor pair.

Intelligent Interface Mapping

Aruba interface names are automatically converted to proper Cisco interface notation.

Complete VLAN Translation

VLANs, trunk ports, and access ports are translated with proper Cisco switchport commands.

Feature Equivalence

Aruba features are mapped to equivalent Cisco configurations where possible.

4-Tier Validation System

Every translation undergoes comprehensive validation: syntax correctness, semantic accuracy, vendor best practices compliance, and AI-assisted review.

Confidence Scoring

Each conversion includes a confidence score indicating translation quality, helping you prioritize review efforts and ensuring production readiness.

See Quick Convert Output in Action

Representative Quick Convert run for this migration path, showing the live NetConverter interface and the converted output preview engineers review before deployment.

NetConverter Quick Convert interface with source and converted output panels

Aruba CX (Source)Start Free Migration

! VLAN Configuration vlan 100 name PRODUCTION vlan 200 name DEVELOPMENT vlan 999 name NATIVE-VLAN ! ! LAG Configuration interface lag 10 description MLAG-to-Core no shutdown no routing vlan trunk native 999 vlan trunk allowed 100,200 lacp mode active ! ! Physical Interface in LAG interface 1/1/49 no shutdown lag 10 interface 1/1/50 no shutdown lag 10 ! ! Access Port with ACL interface 1/1/10 description Secure-Server no shutdown no routing vlan access 100 apply access-list ip RESTRICT-ACCESS in

Cisco IOS (Target)Start Free Migration

! VLAN Configuration vlan 100 name PRODUCTION vlan 200 name DEVELOPMENT vlan 999 name NATIVE-VLAN ! ! Port-Channel Configuration interface Port-channel10 description MLAG-to-Core switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q switchport mode trunk switchport trunk native vlan 999 switchport trunk allowed vlan 100,200 no shutdown ! ! Physical Interfaces in Port-Channel interface GigabitEthernet1/0/49 channel-group 10 mode active no shutdown interface GigabitEthernet1/0/50 channel-group 10 mode active no shutdown ! ! Access Port with ACL interface GigabitEthernet1/0/10 description Secure-Server switchport mode access switchport access vlan 100 ip access-group RESTRICT-ACCESS in no shutdown

Migration Results

95%+

Accuracy

40x

Faster

<2min

Per Config

For Most

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does Aruba MSTP translate to Cisco — RPVST+ or MSTP?

NetConverter defaults to Cisco RPVST+ (per-VLAN spanning-tree) when the Aruba MSTP has fewer than 4 instances and VLAN-to-instance grouping looks ad-hoc. When the MSTP design has clear instance roles (e.g., 4+ MST instances each with intentional VLAN groups for traffic engineering), NetConverter preserves MSTP on the Cisco side. The default is overridable via the YAML preset's stp_mode setting.

Will Aruba VSF translate to Cisco StackWise?

Yes — at the configuration level. NetConverter generates Cisco StackWise stack configuration matching the Aruba VSF commander/standby/member role assignments. Physical cabling changes are required (VSF cables differ from StackWise cables) and flagged in Manual Steps. The configuration translation preserves switch numbering and port-channel hash assignments.

Does NetConverter handle Aruba MAD (Multi-Active Detection) for VSF?

MAD link configuration (used by VSF for split-brain detection) translates to Cisco StackWise's stack-discover protocol — but the configuration commands are different and the link-detection is operationally different. NetConverter generates the StackWise configuration without MAD-equivalent extras (Cisco StackWise handles split-brain via the stack-master election protocol). MAD-link reconfiguration is a Manual Step if specifically required.

How does Aruba CX class-based ACL translate to Cisco extended ACL?

Aruba's class-based ACL syntax (class ip cls_name, policy cls_name) translates to Cisco extended ACL (ip access-list extended ACL_NAME). Match conditions (source/dest/protocol/port) map directly. Aruba policy actions (permit/deny/log) translate to Cisco access-list permit/deny with logging where applicable.

Can NetConverter migrate Aruba's OSPF/BGP configurations to Cisco?

Yes. Aruba CX OSPF (process ID, area, network statements, interface configuration) translates 1:1 to Cisco OSPF. BGP (router BGP, neighbors, route-maps, prefix-lists, communities) translates with appropriate Cisco syntax. Route-map sequence numbers are assigned in increments of 10. The translation is validated by BC2 behavior validation.