Aruba CX switches are designed for modern data center fabrics and campus networks, where overlay technologies are crucial for scalability and multi-tenancy. The primary overlay solution supported and recommended by Aruba is the combination of VXLAN and EVPN. VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) serves as the data plane encapsulation protocol, creating Layer 2 segments over a Layer 3 underlay network. EVPN (Ethernet VPN) functions as the standards-based control plane, using extensions to BGP to efficiently distribute MAC address and IP routing information across the VXLAN fabric, replacing older flood-and-learn mechanisms.

C. GRE: While Aruba CX switches support GRE for specific point-to-point tunneling applications (e.g., User-Based Tunneling), it is not the primary technology for building scalable, multi-tenant data center overlay fabrics.

D. MPLS: Although select high-end Aruba CX switch models support MPLS for service provider or data center interconnect (DCI) use cases, EVPN-VXLAN is the strategic and most commonly deployed overlay solution for data center fabrics within the Aruba CX portfolio.

1. ArubaOS-CX 10.12 VXLAN Guide

Introduction to VXLAN

Page 5: "Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) is a network virtualization technology... ArubaOS-CX supports BGP EVPN as the control plane for VXLAN. BGP EVPN provides a scalable solution for L2 and L3 VPNs over a VXLAN data plane." This document explicitly confirms support for both VXLAN (data plane) and EVPN (control plane) as a combined solution.

2. Aruba Validated Solution Guide: Aruba CX Switching for Data Center Network Fabrics

Technology Overview > Fabric Overlay

Page 11: "The fabric overlay provides logical Layer 2 and Layer 3 virtual network services... This solution uses VXLAN as the overlay encapsulation and BGP EVPN as the overlay control plane protocol." This guide establishes EVPN-VXLAN as the core technology for Aruba's data center fabric solutions.

3. ArubaOS-CX 10.12 MPLS Guide

Introduction

Page 5: This document confirms that MPLS is supported on specific switch series (8325

8360

9300

10000)

positioning it as a distinct technology from the primary EVPN-VXLAN fabric overlay.