How are Cisco VLANs migrated to Aruba CX?

VLAN definitions, names, and interface assignments are translated from IOS-XE syntax to Aruba CX VLAN configuration including access and trunk port modes with proper tagging.

Can Spanning Tree settings transfer between platforms?

Yes. RPVST+ and MST configurations including priority, port costs, and guard features are mapped to equivalent Aruba CX STP settings maintaining loop prevention behavior.

What about EtherChannel to Aruba LAG conversion?

Cisco port-channel interfaces with LACP are converted to Aruba CX LAG interfaces with equivalent LACP parameters, member port assignments, and trunk configurations.

Cisco IOS to Aruba CX Switch Migration

Migrating from Cisco IOS to Aruba CX? 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 Cisco IOS-XE → Aruba CX Switch Migrations Are Mostly Mechanical

Switch migrations are simpler than firewall or router migrations — VLANs, STP, LAG, and basic L2/L3 features translate cleanly across vendors. Cisco Catalyst (IOS-XE 17.x) to Aruba CX (AOS-CX 10.10+) is a workhorse migration NetConverter handles deterministically. The most common migration: access-layer Catalyst 9300/9200 → Aruba CX 6300/6200. VLAN definitions, switchport access/trunk modes, port-channel (LACP) groups, and STP/RPVST+ all map 1:1.

The semantic gotcha: Cisco's RPVST+ (per-VLAN spanning-tree) doesn't have a direct equivalent in Aruba's MSTP-only model. NetConverter generates an MSTP region configuration grouping VLANs into MST instances based on the Cisco RPVST+ priority pattern. Engineers should review the MSTP instance grouping before deploy — it's the one place where 1:1 translation isn't possible. Catalyst features like StackWise (logical stack) translate to Aruba's VSF (Virtual Switching Framework) with the same uplink redundancy semantics but different physical cabling requirements.

The Switch Migration Challenge

VLAN Configuration

Cisco VLAN database and trunking syntax differs significantly from Aruba CX VLAN commands.

Spanning Tree

Per-VLAN spanning tree (PVST+) must be mapped to Aruba's MSTP or RPVST implementation.

Port Security

Cisco port-security and switchport commands require translation to Aruba's security model.

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.

Complete VLAN Translation

VLANs, trunk ports, and access ports are translated with proper Aruba CX syntax.

STP Conversion

Spanning tree configurations are mapped to equivalent Aruba implementations with proper priorities.

Security Policy Migration

Port security, ACLs, and authentication settings are properly translated.

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

Cisco IOS (Source)Start Free Migration

! VLAN Configuration vlan 10 name MGMT vlan 20 name DATA vlan 30 name VOICE ! ! Access Port with Voice VLAN interface GigabitEthernet1/0/5 description User-Workstation switchport mode access switchport access vlan 20 switchport voice vlan 30 spanning-tree portfast spanning-tree bpduguard enable ! ! Trunk Port with Native VLAN interface GigabitEthernet1/0/48 description Core-Uplink switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q switchport mode trunk switchport trunk native vlan 10 switchport trunk allowed vlan 10,20,30 channel-group 1 mode active

Aruba CX (Target)Start Free Migration

! VLAN Configuration vlan 10 name MGMT vlan 20 name DATA vlan 30 name VOICE ! ! Access Port with Voice VLAN interface 1/1/5 description User-Workstation no shutdown no routing vlan access 20 vlan trunk native 20 tag vlan trunk allowed 30 spanning-tree port-type admin-edge spanning-tree bpdu-guard ! ! LAG Trunk Port interface lag 1 description Core-Uplink no shutdown no routing vlan trunk native 10 vlan trunk allowed 10,20,30 lacp mode active interface 1/1/48 lag 1

Migration Results

95%+

Accuracy

40x

Faster

<2min

Per Config

For Most

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does Cisco RPVST+ translate to Aruba MSTP?

Aruba CX runs MSTP only — there's no per-VLAN spanning-tree. NetConverter analyzes the Cisco RPVST+ priority configuration and groups VLANs into MST instances based on shared root bridge assignments. VLANs sharing the same bridge priority go into the same MST instance. The MSTP region name + revision + instance-to-VLAN mapping is generated in the Aruba output and flagged for review in the Evidence Report.

Will Cisco StackWise translate to Aruba VSF?

Cisco StackWise (logical stack of multiple Catalyst switches) and Aruba VSF (Virtual Switching Framework) provide similar redundancy but use different cabling. NetConverter generates the VSF configuration matching the StackWise role assignments (commander, standby, members), but flags the physical cabling change as a Manual Step — VSF requires dedicated VSF cables between switches, different from StackWise's stacking cables.

Does NetConverter handle Cisco LACP port-channels and EtherChannel?

Yes. Cisco port-channel groups (LACP active or passive) map to Aruba CX LAG (Link Aggregation Group) configurations. Active mode and PAgP (Cisco-proprietary) are converted to LACP active. Per-channel load-balancing algorithms have Aruba equivalents; NetConverter selects the closest match and reports any non-equivalent configurations in Manual Steps.

Can NetConverter migrate Cisco VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol) to Aruba?

Aruba CX doesn't have VTP — VLAN definitions must exist on each switch. NetConverter explicitly enumerates all VLANs from the Cisco VTP database in the Aruba output, ensuring no VLANs are missed during migration. VTP server/client/transparent modes are flagged as Manual Steps because the Aruba equivalent (VLAN database management) is operationally different.

What about Cisco SVI (Switched Virtual Interfaces) and L3 routing on switches?

Cisco SVIs (interface Vlan100) translate to Aruba CX VLAN interfaces (interface vlan 100) with matching IP addresses, ACL applications, and helper-address (DHCP relay) configuration. L3 features like static routes, OSPF, and BGP on Cisco switches translate cleanly to Aruba CX's routing engine. Layer 3 features specific to Cisco (e.g., HSRP) map to Aruba's VRRP — NetConverter generates equivalent VRRP configuration.