The Aruba certification program is a great option for IT experts who wish to demonstrate their expertise in switching. The Aruba Certified Switching Professional (ACSP) role is one of the higher-level positions that experts may earn to show their expertise.
Your profile as a reliable team member who can effectively execute enterprise-grade Aruba campus switching solutions will increase if you get this title. Furthermore, your career will grow as a Certified Professional if you can use a contemporary strategy to handle the issues that cloud, mobility, and the intelligent edge provide.
So, without wasting any time, let’s begin with our guide to becoming Aruba Certified Switching Professional (ACSP). Starting with the exam brief!
What is Aruba Certified Switching Professional (ACSP) Exam?
The Aruba Certified Switching Professional (ACSP) examination verifies the knowledge and abilities required to deploy and manage enterprise-level Aruba campus switching systems. It evaluates the candidate’s ability to configure and manage medium- to large-scale business networks utilizing ArubaOS-CX switching and routing technologies.
Your ability to switch expertly and utilize Aruba’s products and services is demonstrated by your holding the Aruba Certified Switching Professional certification. If you already hold the associate level switching certification from Aruba, this is the next stage as a professional certification. By validating your understanding of setting up dynamic routing, IP multicast routing, network optimization, and network security utilizing Access Control Lists, it provides you with a variety of significant advantages. Although training is also provided to ensure you are familiar with everything on the test, the certification has the advantage of confirming your expertise and knowledge.
Skills Measured:
This certification validates your knowledge of these:
- Implementing ArubaOS-Switches including securing access, redundancy technologies, link aggregation techniques, and switch virtualization with HPE’s Virtual Switching Framework
- Configuring dynamic routing with Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
- IP multicast routing
- Network optimization incorporating Quality of Service (QoS) priorities
- Protecting the network using Access Control Lists (ACLs) and other security measures
Exam Format:
- Exam ID: HPE6-A73
- Passing score: 71%
- Time duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Exam type: Proctored
- Exam length: 60 questions
- Delivery languages: Japanese, English, Latin American Spanish
Prerequisite for the exam:
- A prerequisite for ACSP is ACSA certification. ACSA certification is at the foundation level, ensuring that you have the core knowledge necessary to advance and validate more advanced abilities. If you already hold another certification, you can choose an upgrade route rather than the associate switching certification.
- Secondly, networking IT experts with advanced-level installation expertise with ArubaOS-CX wired switching solutions are typical candidates for this test. A minimum of 4 to 5 years of general networking knowledge is required of this applicant, as well as 2 years of experience in analyzing network designs and client specifications in order to install and configure Aruba systems.
Before you begin your exam preparation:
- Get an HPE Learner ID and gain access to The Learning Center. Create a user profile with Pearson VUE, our exam provider for proctored/online examinations, if this certification involves one of the HPE0, HPE6, or HPE2 written or online exams. There is no need for a Pearson VUE user profile because practical tests (HPE1 or HPE0-AxxxP) are provided by PSI or Aruba Education Services.
Steps to begin ACSP Exam Preparation
IT engineers can benefit from Aruba Certified Switching Professional certification in a number of ways. Professional certification is the best option if you’re trying to change the course of your career. You may already hold a lower-level Aruba switching certification or you may be thinking of pursuing their certification right away. Whichever path you choose, by demonstrating that you have what it takes to comprehend and apply a modern approach to cloud, mobility, and other difficulties in the networking industry, you might establish your value as a team player at work or even find a new profession. So, let’s begin our step!
– Understanding exam objectives
The Aruba Certified Switching Professional certification examines various objectives that demonstrate your readiness for the exam.
Plan the wired network solution. 15%
- Given a scenario with a design and/or customer requirements, determine an appropriate implementation plan.
Install and configure the wired network solution. 43%
Install and Configure NetEdit
- Given an implementation plan:
- explain how to physically configure the switches.
- explaining how to configure Layer 2 technologies.
- explain how to configure and validate Layer 3 interfaces, services, routing protocols and overlays.
Explain multicast features and configuration concepts.
- Explaining Aruba Switch security features and configuration concepts.
- Explain QoS Aruba Switch features and configuration concepts.
- Explaining Aruba solutions integration and configuration concepts.
Troubleshoot the wired network solution. 22%
- Identify a network failure (IP mismatch, VLAN mismatch, hardware configuration or failure, port configuration).
- Action plan to remediate an issue, and determine the implications to the network state.
- Determine the cause of the performance problem (QoS issue, Configuration issue HW and Software, end node).
Manage, maintain, optimize, and monitor the wired network solution. 20%
- Given a scenario, determine a strategy to implement configuration management (maintenance, auditing, backup, archiving).
- Analyze data that represents the operational state of a network and determine the appropriate action.
– ACSP Exam Training
Implementing Aruba OS CX Switching
It is strongly advised to take this instructor-led course before trying the certification test. You may improve your ability to construct Aruba Switch campus networks by learning a broad range of networking skills from Implementing Aruba OS-CX Switching. Using Aruba’s OS-CX routing and switching technologies, you will expand on the knowledge you gained at the Associate level to configure and maintain contemporary, open standards-based networking solutions.
Participants in this course gain knowledge of ArubaOS-CX switch technologies, such as dynamic segmentation for port access security, Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) for redundancy, Link Aggregation Protocol (LACP) for link aggregation, and Virtual Switching Extension (VSX) and Aruba’s Virtual Switching work for switch virtualization (VSF). There are around 50% lectures and 50% practical lab tasks in this course.
Self-Directed Lab – Implementing Aruba OS-CX Switching (ACSP)
You will have the chance to put the ideas you learned in Implementing Aruba OS-CX Switching into reality during this practical lab session. This lab focuses on ArubaOS-CX switch technologies, such as dynamic segmentation for port access security, Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) for redundancy, Link Aggregation Protocol (LACP) for link aggregation, and Virtual Switching Extension (VSX) and Aruba’s Virtual Switching work for switch virtualization (VSF).
– Use Practice Tests
By taking practice examinations, you can gauge how long it will take you to answer each question and how well you comprehend each subject. Concentrating on single-domain subjects is a good place to start while studying for a test; practice tests can also be useful in this regard. Start taking full-length practice examinations once you have a thorough understanding of the material to hone your test-taking abilities. To learn more about your strengths and limitations, start by completing a practice ACSP test.
After Exam Completion:
- After you complete all prerequisites, you get an email notice three to five days later. Your standing in The Learning Center then changes to “acquired.”
- Any lower-level certifications you have obtained in the same domain will likewise be recertified if you renewed this certification through a recertification path. As an illustration, renewing ACMX also renews ACMP and ACMA. The same updated expiration date will apply to all renewed certificates from the same renewal channel.
- This certification will be renewed together with any credentials you hold at lower levels if you completed the Edge certification or the Edge recertification program at any level (Associate/Professional/Expert). For instance, the ACEP renews any Associate levels you’ve already attained, including ACMP, ACSP, ACCP, and ACDP. The same revised expiration date will apply to any renewed certificates obtained through the Edge certification or recertification pathway.
- Digital badges are online representations of your HPE credentials based on the Open Badges Standard. Every badge is particular to you. Once you accept and place your badge online. Clicking on the badge sends the viewer to a custom verification page that includes your name, HPE certification(s) held, and skills.
– Preparing for the Interview
After passing the ACSP test and applying the information and abilities you gained, begin working on your own projects. This might be a test of your abilities and a means of making a good impression on the company during the interview. If you have the required education, experience, and training, you can succeed in any interview.
Value of ACSP in the Job Market
With this certification, you may increase your chances and possibilities if you want to further your career as a networking specialist. You may find network engineer positions that are intended for those with Aruba network expertise, as well as show that you have a thorough understanding of networking. Find chances for both permanent employment and freelancing, as well as potential employment with Aruba.
When an organization has a project or perhaps needs a long-term commitment, they want exceptional experts who can demonstrate their abilities and provide them with good value. This qualification will secure your opportunity.
When working full-time, network engineers can make approximately $110,000 or even more. Even as a network engineer, you might make an average salary of $148,000 with Aruba Networks.
Conclusion
To earn the role of Aruba Certified Switching Professional (ACSP), you need to consider the following points:
- Before taking the test, finish the training and go through all the readings and papers.
- Exam questions are built around anticipated knowledge gained from work experience, a predicted degree of industry understanding, or other prerequisites (events, supplemental materials, etc.).
- The course’s successful completion does not guarantee that you will pass the test. You must enhance your planning.
- Read this HPE Exam Preparation Guide, then heed its advice.
- Use practice exams to strengthen your recall.
