Summary:
Adding a static route on an ArubaOS-CX switch requires using the correct command syntax within configuration mode. The command must specify the destination network, the prefix length (subnet mask), and the next-hop gateway address. The syntax is precise, and common mistakes include using the wrong keyword, an incorrect subnet mask format, or a typo in the IP addresses.

Correct Option:

A. ip-route 10.2.10.0/24 172.16.1.1:
This command is syntactically correct for ArubaOS-CX.

ip-route is the correct command keyword.

10.2.10.0/24 correctly defines the Class C destination network using CIDR notation for the subnet mask (/24 = 255.255.255.0).

172.16.1.1 correctly specifies the next-hop gateway address.

Incorrect Option:

B. ip route 10.2.10.0.255.255.255.0 172.16.1.1 description aruba:
This command has multiple errors. The keyword is ip-route, not ip route. The subnet mask is incorrectly formatted with a dot instead of a space or slash (it should be 10.2.10.0 255.255.255.0 or /24). While adding a description is possible, the core syntax is wrong.

C. ip route 10.2.10.0/24.172.16.11:
This command is incorrect. The keyword is ip-route, not ip route. Furthermore, there is a critical typo; the gateway is missing a dot and is incorrect (172.16.11 instead of 172.16.1.1). The lack of a space between the prefix and the gateway also makes this invalid.

D. ip route-static 10.2 10.0.255.255.255.0 172.16.1.1:
This command uses an incorrect keyword (ip route-static is not the standard command). The destination network is also broken incorrectly (10.2 10.0) and the subnet mask format is invalid.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The ArubaOS-CX 10.10 IPv4 Routing Guide provides the exact command syntax. It states that the command to configure an IPv4 static route is ip-route [] in configuration mode, confirming that Option A uses the proper structure.

Summary:
Aruba's Captive Portal is a web-based authentication method that redirects a user's web browser to a login page before granting network access. This process occurs at the application layer, where the user interacts with a web form. The switch or controller uses HTTP redirects to present the portal, making it a Layer 7 authentication method. However, among the provided choices focused on lower layers, it is most accurately described as operating beyond Layer 2, hence it is a form of Layer 3 authentication because it relies on the user having a valid IP address and using IP-based protocols like HTTP.

Correct Option:

A. Layer 3 authentication:
Captive Portal is considered a Layer 3 authentication method because it functions after a client has obtained an IP address (via DHCP). The enforcement happens by intercepting and redirecting IP packets (specifically HTTP/HTTPS traffic) until the user successfully authenticates via the web portal. The entire process is dependent on the network (IP) layer and above.

Incorrect Option:

B. MAC authentication:
This is a Layer 2 authentication method where the device's MAC address is used as the credential. The network equipment queries a RADIUS server to check if the MAC address is authorized. This occurs before the client gets an IP address and does not involve a user-facing web page.

C. 802.1x authentication:
This is a standard for port-based Network Access Control (NAC) and is a Layer 2 method. It requires a supplicant on the client device to authenticate against a RADIUS server before the switch port opens for general data traffic. It is more secure and complex than a captive portal but does not use a web page.

D. Layer 2 authentication:
This is a general category for authentication that happens at the data link layer before an IP address is assigned. Both 802.1X and MAC authentication are examples of Layer 2 authentication. Captive Portal operates at a higher layer in the OSI model.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The ArubaOS 8.10 User Guide clearly distinguishes authentication methods. It explains that Captive Portal authentication (also known as Web-based authentication) occurs after a client is connected at Layer 2 and has obtained an IP address at Layer 3. The enforcement is done by blocking the client's ability to pass any IP traffic other than that required for the portal process until login is complete, defining it as a Layer 3 access control method.

Summary:
In a wireless network, the decision to roam from one Access Point (AP) to another is ultimately made by the wireless client device itself. The client's wireless driver and operating system are responsible for continuously monitoring the signal strength and quality of its associated AP and other nearby APs. Based on its own proprietary algorithms and thresholds, the client decides when to disassociate from its current AP and send a probe or reassociation request to a new AP with a stronger signal.

Correct Option:

A. Client device:
The client device (laptop, phone, etc.) holds the ultimate authority for initiating a roam. It constantly measures metrics like Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for all APs it can hear. When the signal from its current AP degrades below a certain threshold and a more suitable AP is detected, the client's internal software decides to roam. Network infrastructure can only influence, not command, this decision.

Incorrect Option:

B. Virtual Controller:
The Virtual Controller (VC) in an Aruba Instant cluster manages AP configuration and can provide information to assist with roaming, such as a neighbor list. However, it does not directly instruct a client to roam. Technologies like ClientMatch can proactively steer a client by denying its connection attempts on a weak AP, but the final decision to seek a new AP still rests with the client.

C. Joint decision made by the origination and destination APs:
While APs communicate with each other (e.g., via the IAPP protocol) to facilitate fast, seamless roaming by sharing client context, they do not hold a "vote" to decide if a client should roam. This communication happens after the client has already decided to roam and is attempting to connect to the new AP.

D. Aruba Central:
Aruba Central is a cloud-based network management and monitoring platform. It provides visibility into client roaming events and can be used to configure policies that influence client behavior (like ClientMatch). However, it is not involved in the real-time, millisecond-scale decision-making process for individual client roams.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: Aruba's own technical documentation and whitepapers on ClientMatch and roaming consistently state that the "final roaming decision is always made by the client." The network's role is to create an optimal environment and use intelligent features to guide and assist the client, not to override its control.

Summary:
Manual provisioning in Aruba Central is a method where an administrator physically configures a switch with the specific information it needs to find and connect to the Aruba Central cloud. This process bypasses the need for the switch to automatically discover the central servers through DHCP or DNS. Instead, the administrator uses the switch's command-line interface (CLI) to directly set the activation code and, if necessary, the hostname of the Aruba Central servers.

Correct Option:

B. Manual provisioning does not require DHCP and does not require DNS:
This is correct. In a manual provisioning workflow, the network administrator statically configures all necessary parameters on the switch. Because the switch is told exactly where to connect (via the central enable command and activation code), it does not need to use DHCP options (like option 143) to receive the Central server's address, nor does it need to perform a DNS lookup (e.g., on aruba-central.com) to resolve the server's hostname.

Incorrect Option:

A. Manual provisioning does not require DHCP and requires DNS:
This is incorrect. If DNS were required, the switch would need to be configured with DNS server addresses to resolve the Aruba Central hostname. In a pure manual setup, the IP addresses or fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) for the servers can be pre-configured, eliminating the dependency on DNS resolution.

C. Manual provisioning requires DHCP and does not require DNS:
This is incorrect. The defining characteristic of manual provisioning is that it eliminates the dependency on network services like DHCP for discovery. If DHCP were required, it would be an automatic (or DHCP-based) provisioning method, not a manual one.

D. Manual provisioning requires DHCP and requires DNS:
This is incorrect as it describes the opposite of manual provisioning. Relying on both DHCP and DNS is typical for the auto-provisioning or zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) process, where a new switch automatically gets its configuration from the network with no manual intervention.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The Aruba Central "Managing Switches" guide details the manual provisioning process, instructing administrators to directly configure the switch via its console or CLI using commands like central enable and providing the activation code, explicitly bypassing the need for DHCP-based discovery.

Summary:
In the Aruba Mobility Master (controller-based) architecture, centralized RF management is a core function that automates the planning and ongoing optimization of the wireless radio environment. This includes tasks like channel selection and transmit power adjustment for all managed Access Points. The dedicated feature that provides this service continuously analyzes RF data from all APs to dynamically optimize the network for performance and reduced interference.

Correct Option:

C. AirMatch:
AirMatch is Aruba's automated RF management technology within the Mobility Master architecture. It centrally collects RF metrics from all APs across the network, creating a global view of the radio environment. Using this data, AirMatch automatically assigns channels and adjusts transmit power levels for the entire network to minimize co-channel interference and optimize coverage, functioning as a centralized, self-healing RF planning service.

Incorrect Option:

A. AirWave:
AirWave is Aruba's legacy network management system (NMS). It is a powerful tool for monitoring, reporting, and configuring multi-vendor networks. However, while it provides extensive RF visibility and reporting, it does not perform the automated, centralized, and real-time channel and power optimization that is the primary function of AirMatch in the Mobility Master architecture.

B. ClientMatch:
ClientMatch is a technology focused on optimizing the client-to-AP connection. It proactively steers wireless clients to the best AP and band based on real-time conditions like load and signal quality. While it works with RF metrics, its purpose is client load balancing and steering, not the centralized planning and optimization of the RF environment itself (channel and power assignments).

D. Client Wave:
"Client Wave" is not a valid or existing Aruba product or feature name. It appears to be a distractor option that incorrectly combines terms from other features like ClientMatch and AirWave.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The ArubaOS 8.x User Guide for the Mobility Master details AirMatch as the technology that "provides automated RF management for the network," explaining its centralized role in performing "group-wide channel and power assignments to optimize the use of the available RF spectrum."

Summary:
The AP has internet access but has not received its configuration from Aruba Central, as indicated by the "cloud config received: FALSE" status. This points to a provisioning issue between the AP and the Central cloud service, specifically after the initial connection is established. Since other APs at the site are working, the problem is isolated to this specific device's record or status within the Central system. The most likely cause is that the new AP has not been properly licensed or assigned to a valid configuration group.

Correct Option:

C. Verify the AP has a license assigned:
In Aruba Central, an Access Point must have an assigned license to be fully activated and to download its configuration. An AP without a license can establish a basic connection to the cloud (hence it has internet access) but will be put into a restricted state and will not receive its operational configuration. This is a very common reason for the exact symptom described.

Incorrect Option:

A. Disable and enable activate to trigger provisioning refresh:
While this can sometimes force a refresh, it is a generic troubleshooting step that doesn't address the most probable root cause. The AP is already communicating with the cloud (it can report its status), so the issue is not a local provisioning state but a cloud-side authorization/entitlement problem, which is licensing.

B. Verify the AP can ping the device on arubanetworks.com:
The technician has already confirmed the AP has internet access. Furthermore, the show ap debug cloud-server command output implies the AP has already communicated with Aruba's cloud servers to report its status. A ping test is redundant at this stage and does not diagnose the licensing or assignment issue.

D. Disable and enable Aruba Central to trigger configuration refresh:
This is a very broad action, typically referring to toggling the Central management service on a gateway or controller. It is not a precise step for a single AP issue and is not applicable in a cloud-managed context for troubleshooting an individual device's configuration download failure.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The Aruba Central "Troubleshoot APs" and "Licensing" guides explicitly state that an AP must be licensed and assigned to a group in Aruba Central before it can download and apply its configuration. The "cloud config received: FALSE" status is a direct indicator of an AP that is connected but unlicensed or unassigned.

Summary:
The Protocol Data Unit (PDU) is the specific form a piece of data takes at each layer of the OSI model. As data is passed down the stack, each layer adds its own header (and sometimes a trailer) to the PDU it receives from the layer above, creating a new PDU with a specific name. The Data Link Layer (Layer 2) is responsible for node-to-node delivery on the same network segment and prepares the data for transmission over the physical medium.

Correct Option:

B. PDU2 - Frame:
The PDU for the Data Link Layer (Layer 2) is the Frame. The Data Link Layer takes the packet from the Network Layer and encapsulates it into a frame. This process involves adding a Layer 2 header (which contains the source and destination MAC addresses) and a trailer (often a Frame Check Sequence for error detection). The resulting structure is called a frame.

Incorrect Option:

A. PDU1 - Signal:
This refers to the Physical Layer (Layer 1). The PDU at this layer is not a structured data unit but a sequence of raw bits (1s and 0s) represented as electrical, optical, or radio signals transmitted over the physical medium.

C. PDU3 - Packet:
This refers to the Network Layer (Layer 3). The PDU for this layer is the Packet. The Network Layer takes the segment from the Transport Layer and encapsulates it by adding a header containing logical addressing information, such as source and destination IP addresses, to create a packet.

D. PDU4 - Segment:
This refers to the Transport Layer (Layer 4). The PDU for this layer is the Segment (in TCP) or Datagram (in UDP). The Transport Layer breaks down data from the upper layers into segments, adding a header with information like source and destination port numbers and sequence numbers for reliable communication.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The Aruba Certified Network Technician (ACNT) and Associate (ACNA) certification study guides and foundational documentation use the standard OSI model. They explicitly define the PDUs as follows: Segments (Layer 4), Packets (Layer 3), Frames (Layer 2), and Bits/Signals (Layer 1). This is a fundamental concept for understanding network encapsulation.

Summary:
Aruba Central incorporates AI-driven analytics to proactively monitor network health. The specific feature designed to not only identify potential problems but also provide actionable diagnostics and recommended resolution steps is AIOps. It uses machine learning to analyze data, pinpoint the root cause of issues, and generate detailed reports that can be shared with support to expedite troubleshooting.

Correct Option:

B. AIOps:
AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) is the dedicated module within Aruba Central for intelligent insights and automated troubleshooting. It analyzes network-wide data to identify anomalies, predict potential issues, and provide a detailed analysis with recommended corrective steps. A key feature is the ability to generate comprehensive reports that include this analysis, which are essential for sharing detailed technical context with Aruba TAC support personnel.

Incorrect Option:

A. Overview Dashboard:
The Overview Dashboard provides a high-level, aggregated view of network health, device status, and key metrics. While it can alert you to the existence of a problem through status widgets, it does not provide the in-depth, step-by-step recommended actions or the detailed, shareable diagnostic reports that AIOps generates.

C. Alerts and Events:
This section lists individual triggered alarms and log events from devices. It is excellent for real-time notification of specific incidents but is typically a raw feed of data. It lacks the correlated, AI-driven analysis that explains the root cause across multiple events and does not automatically provide a consolidated report with recommended resolution steps.

D. Audit Trail:
The Audit Trail is a security and compliance feature that logs all configuration changes and administrative actions taken within Aruba Central. It is used for tracking "who did what and when." It does not analyze network health, provide resolution steps, or generate technical support reports for performance or connectivity issues.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The Aruba Central "AI Insights" or "AIOps" User Guide describes this feature as providing "AI-powered root cause analysis and recommended actions." It explicitly states that the insights generated by AIOps can be shared with support to "decrease the time to resolve support cases," confirming its role in both identifying solutions and facilitating detailed support communication.

Summary:
The task requires creating a management VLAN (VLAN 20), an SVI for it, and a LAG for uplinks using LACP. The LAG must have VLAN 20 as its native (untagged) VLAN. The configuration must follow ArubaOS-CX syntax, which involves creating the LAG interface first, configuring it as an LACP-active trunk, setting the native VLAN, and then assigning the physical interfaces to the LAG. All interfaces must be enabled with no shut.

Correct Option:

C. Edgel# conf t vlan 20 name Mgmt interface vlan 20 ip address 10 1 1 10/24 no shut interface lag 1 shut vlan trunk native 20 vlan trunk allowed all lacp mode active Int 1/1/51.1/1/52 shut no routing lag 1 interface lag 1 no shut interface 1/1/51.1/1/52 no shut

Explanation of Correct Option (C):
This script correctly follows the logical sequence and uses proper ArubaOS-CX commands.

vlan 20 name Mgmt: Creates VLAN 20 in the database.

interface vlan 20 & ip address 10.1.1.10/24 no shut: Creates the SVI for management and assigns the IP.

interface lag 1: Creates the logical LAG interface.

shut: Temporarily disables the LAG for safe configuration (best practice).

vlan trunk native 20 & vlan trunk allowed all: Correctly configures the LAG as a trunk port with VLAN 20 as native and allows all VLANs.

lacp mode active: Enables LACP in active mode on the LAG.

int 1/1/51,1/1/52 shut: Moves to the physical interfaces and disables them.

no routing: Ensures the interfaces are in Layer 2 mode.

lag 1: This is the crucial command that assigns the physical interfaces to LAG 1.

interface lag 1 no shut & interface 1/1/51,1/1/52 no shut: Re-enables the LAG and the physical interfaces to bring the link up.

Incorrect Option:

A. ... interface lag 1 ... vlan access 20 ...:
This incorrectly configures the LAG as an access port in VLAN 20, not as a trunk with a native VLAN. The command vlan access 20 is wrong for this trunking requirement

**B. ... interface 1/1/51,1/1/52 ... vlan trunk native 20 ... lag 1:
This script applies the trunk configuration directly to the physical interfaces (1/1/51,1/1/52) before assigning them to the LAG. On ArubaOS-CX, all LAG properties (like trunk mode, native VLAN, LACP) must be configured on theinterface lag 1` itself, not on the member physical interfaces.

D. ... vlan trunk native 1 ...:
This script contains a critical error by setting the native VLAN on the trunk to VLAN 1 instead of the required VLAN 20 (vlan trunk native 1). It also misses the interface vlan 20 command before setting the IP address.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The ArubaOS-CX 10.10 LAG and LACP Guide and the Interface Guide detail the exact configuration sequence: creating the VLAN, creating the LAG interface, configuring LAG properties (like lacp mode active and vlan trunk native), and then assigning physical interfaces to the LAG using the lag command under the physical interface configuration mode. Option C follows this prescribed sequence accurately.

Summary:
The Stack-LED on an Aruba CX switch provides a visual status of the stacking module or the overall stack health. A slow amber flash is a specific indicator defined in the product documentation. It signifies that the stacking hardware is present and a stacking mode has been selected by the administrator, but the stack has not yet fully formed or synchronized. It is an intermediate state between being disabled and fully operational.

Correct Option:

C. Stacking mode selected:
This is the correct meaning of a slow amber-flashing Stack-LED. It indicates that the stacking module is physically present, the switch has been configured for stacking (e.g., a stack ID has been assigned), and it is attempting to discover other members or is in the process of forming a stack. The stack is not active yet, but it is not in a failed state either.

Incorrect Option:

A. One switch has a stacking failure:
A solid amber or a different flashing pattern (like a fast flash) typically indicates a failure or error condition, such as a stack member being incompatible or a module failure. A slow amber flash is a transitional, non-error state.

B. A port has a stacking failure Stacking mode Is not selected:
This is incorrect for two reasons. First, it describes a failure state, which the slow amber flash does not represent. Second, if stacking mode were "not selected," the LED would likely be off or show a different state, as the switch would not be attempting to form a stack.

D. Stacking is synchronizing Please wait:
While this is conceptually close, it is not the precise definition per Aruba documentation. The "synchronizing" state is more accurately reflected by this slow amber flash, but the official description for this specific LED behavior is "Stacking mode selected," indicating the switch is active in the stacking process but not yet fully operational.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The ArubaOS-CX Field Notice and Installation Guide for specific switch models (like the 6300 series) defines the LED behaviors. It states that a slow amber flashing Stack-LED means "Stacking mode selected," signifying that the switch is powered on, the stacking module is installed, and it is in the process of forming a stack but has not yet completed the process with other members.

Summary:
For two OSPF neighbors to successfully form an adjacency and exchange routing information, several parameters in their OSPF Hello packets must match. These parameters are a fundamental part of the OSPF protocol's handshake mechanism. A mismatch in any of these required fields will prevent the neighbor relationship from moving beyond the "Init" or "2-Way" state, effectively blocking route exchange.

Correct Option:

A. Hello timers:
For OSPF neighbors to form an adjacency, their Hello and Dead timers must be identical. These timers are included in the OSPF Hello packets. If the timers do not match, the routers will not recognize each other as valid neighbors and will not proceed to exchange Link-State Advertisements (LSAs), which contain the routing information.

Incorrect Option:

B. DR configuration:
The Designated Router (DR) is an role elected by the OSPF routers on a multi-access network segment (like Ethernet). While the DR/BDR election process is important for network efficiency, the configuration of which router becomes the DR does not need to "match" for a basic adjacency to form. Routers will still form adjacencies with the DR and BDR regardless of their initial configuration.

C. ECMP method:
ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) is a feature that allows a router to load-balance traffic across multiple paths to the same destination that have the same cost. The method or configuration of ECMP is a local decision on each router and does not need to be negotiated or matched between OSPF neighbors for them to form an adjacency and exchange routes.

D. BDR configuration:
Similar to the DR, the Backup Designated Router (BDR) is an elected role. The configuration related to BDR priority does not need to match between neighbors. The election uses the configured priorities to determine the winner, but a mismatch in priority values does not prevent adjacency formation; it only influences the outcome of the election.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: The ArubaOS-CX OSPF Configuration Guide details the requirements for OSPF adjacency formation. It explicitly lists that OSPF neighbors must have matching Hello intervals, Dead intervals, Area ID, Authentication parameters, and stub area flags. A mismatch in Hello/Dead timers is a common cause for OSPF neighbor relationships failing to form.

Summary:
The decibel-milliwatt (dBm) is a logarithmic unit used to measure radio frequency (RF) power relative to 1 milliwatt (mW). A change of -10 dBm represents a tenfold decrease in power. Therefore, going from the reference point of 0 dBm (1 mW) down to -20 dBm requires two steps of dividing by 10, resulting in a power level that is 1/100th of the original 1 mW.

Correct Option:

B. .01 mw:
This is correct. The calculation is as follows:

0 dBm = 1 mW

-10 dBm = 0.1 mW (A 10 dB decrease is a 10x reduction in power)

-20 dBm = 0.01 mW (Another 10 dB decrease is another 10x reduction: 0.1 mW / 10 = 0.01 mW)

Thus, -20 dBm corresponds to 0.01 milliwatts.

Incorrect Option:

A. .-1 mW:
Power cannot be a negative value in milliwatts. The negative sign in dBm indicates a value less than 1 mW, not a negative power level.

C. 10 mW:
10 mW would be a value greater than 1 mW. This would be represented by a positive dBm value, specifically +10 dBm.

D. 1mW:
1 mW is the reference point, defined as 0 dBm. A measurement of -20 dBm is significantly weaker than 1 mW.

Reference:
Aruba Official Website/Documentation: While the dBm to mW conversion is a standard RF principle, Aruba's Wireless LAN Fundamentals and ACNT/ACNA certification materials cover this essential concept. They explain that dBm is a logarithmic scale and provide examples or charts showing that -20 dBm is a low signal level, equivalent to 0.01 mW, which is critical for understanding link budgets and coverage design.