Aruba 5400R Switch Series Technical Product Guide

TECHNICAL WHITE PAPER
Aruba 5400R Switch Series

Technical Product Guide
Product Deep Dive
Rev: December 2018

ARUBA 5400R SWITCH SERIES TECHNICAL PRODUCT GUIDE
Table of Contents
REVISION HISTORY ....................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 4
Product overview .......................................................................................................... 4
Positioning.................................................................................................................... 4
Hardware Architecture Overview...................................................................................... 6
Chassis models ............................................................................................................ 6
Aruba 5406R zl2 Switch Chassis .............................................................................. 6
Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch Chassis .............................................................................. 6
Power system............................................................................................................... 7
Management module (MM) ........................................................................................ 11
Aruba 5400R zl2 Fabric .............................................................................................. 13
Line cards / switching modules ................................................................................... 13
Module compatibility ............................................................................................... 16
5400R operation modes.......................................................................................... 16
Packet buffer memory allocation ............................................................................. 16
Energy efficiency .................................................................................................... 17
Transceivers and DACs.............................................................................................. 17
Specifications................................................................................................................. 18
Feature Scale Matrix .................................................................................................. 18
Performance............................................................................................................... 19
Architecture Deep Dive .................................................................................................. 19
ASIC architecture and packet flows ............................................................................ 19
Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) ............................................................................ 23
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REVISION HISTORY
Document Version Reason for Change Revision Date

Initial Release Dec 2018
Introduction
This Technical Product Guide (TPG) describes the technical characteristics of the Aruba 5400R Switch Series. This TPG includes hardware
and software overviews, specifications, an architecture deep dive and feature highlights.
The intended audience of this document is Aruba system engineers (SE) and consulting systems engineers (CSE).
Product overview
The Aruba 5400R is a chassis-based modular switch designed for campus networks. It offers different options in terms of Ethernet port
speeds including Smart Rate (multi rate gigabit Ethernet), power supplies and PoE. The product family includes a 6 slot and a 12 slot
chassis.
The 5400R runs the ArubaOS-Switch operating system, KB code. It offers advanced IP routing including OSPF and BGP, and VXLAN as well
as Aruba mobility integration features.
Positioning
The Aruba 5400R switch series has been designed for campus or large branch LANs. It can be positioned as an access, aggregation or
core switch depending on the requirements.
Access layer: the 5400R switch is the right choice for the access layer when the requirements include:
• Modular form-factor
• A large number of Smart Rate ports
• Management and control plane redundancy
• High density of PoE
• Power redundancy
• Advanced IP routing (BGP)
• Integration with Aruba mobility controllers: tunneled node
• Integration with Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager
• Integration with Aruba AirWave
• Automation, visibility and programmability via REST interface
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Figure 1. Aruba 5400R in the access layer
Core and aggregation: the 5400R switch can be deployed at the core or aggregation layer of the campus LAN when the requirements
include:
• Layer 2-7 redundancy (VSF) - to eliminate the need for MSTP/RPVST and VRRP
• Up to 96 10GbE ports or 24 40GbE ports (or combinations)
• OSPF and/or BGP routing with ECMP, PIM-DM and PIM-SM
• Integration with Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager
• Integration with Aruba AirWave
• Automation, visibility and programmability via REST interface
Figure 2. Aruba 5400R switch in the core and aggregation layers
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Hardware Architecture Overview

Chassis models
Aruba 5406R zl2 Switch Chassis
SKU: J9821A
The 5406R zl2 is a 4U chassis (6.9 in/17.53 cm) that supports up to:
• 2 management modules
• 6 zl interface modules (line cards)
• 144 GbE ports, 48 10GbE, and 12 40GbE
• 2 power supplies
• 1 fan tray
Figure 3. 5406R switch chassis front view
Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch Chassis
SKU: J9822A
The 5406R zl2 is a 4U chassis (6.9 in/17.53 cm) that can hold up to
• 2 management modules
• 12 zl interface modules (line cards)
• 288 GbE ports, 96 10GbE, and 24 40GbE
• 4 power supplies
• 1 fan tray
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Figure 4. 5412R switch chassis front view
Both chassis offer a backplane bandwidth of 169.2 Gbps (bidirectional) per slot for a total of:
• 1 Tbps on the 6 slot chassis
• 2 Tbps on the 12 slot chassis
Power system
There are three different power supplies available for the Aruba 5400R zl2 Switch Series. These power supplies provide system power
(the power needed to run the switch itself) and PoE/PoE+ power. The difference between these power supplies is the amount of
PoE/PoE+ power available.
The Aruba 5406R zl2 Switch has two power supply slots and requires a minimum of one power supply. The Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch has
four power supply slots and requires a minimum of one power supply. There are three power supply models available:
• Aruba 5400R 700W PoE+ zl2 Power Supply (J9828B)
- C13 power inlet
- Notched C15 power inlet
- 2x C16 power inlets
Figure 5. 700W, 1100W, and 2750W power supplies
Notes:
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• Power supplies from the Aruba 5400/8200 zl Switch Series are not supported.
• Aruba 5400R zl2 Switch Series power supplies are not supported on the HP 5400/8200 zl chassis
• It is recommended to use the same power supply model for all power supplies installed in a given Aruba 5400R zl2 Series Chassis.
• Power redundancy cannot be enabled if different models of power supplies are installed in the same chassis.
PoE power budget: Aruba 5400R zl2 power supplies provide both system and PoE/PoE+ power. The available PoE power is dependent on
the current demands of the system. An Aruba 5400R will use at most 630 W for system power.
The following tables give examples of available PoE power based on a typical system power of 425 W. These tables also assume that
power redundancy is disabled. The 700 W power supply uses a standard C13 power cord. The 1100 W power supply uses a notched C15
power cord. And the 2750 W power supply uses two C19 power cords.
Note: The power supplies provide a “pool” of power for all line interface modules to draw from; that is, PoE power is not limited on a per
line interface module.
Table 1. Power budgets using 700 W AC power supply (J9828A)
PSU Qty PSU power Aruba 5406R PoE budget No. of ports at 30 W Aruba 5412R PoE budget No. of ports at 30 W
1 275 W 8 275 8
2 509 W 15 509 15
700 W
3 n/a n/a 763 W 23
4 n/a n/a 1018 W 31
Table 2. Power budgets using 1100 W AC power supply (J9829A)
1 900 W 28 900 W 28
2 1665 W 52 1665 W 52
1100 W
3 n/a n/a 2498 W 78
4 n/a n/a 3330 W 104
2750 W power supply special considerations: One of the two power connections is labeled “Main” and is used to provide system power,
whereas the connection labeled “Aux” is only used to provide PoE power. If only one connection is used, the main connection must be
used. There are special safety considerations that must be followed with the use of the 2750 W power supply. Consult local regulations
for details.
Table 3. Power budgets using 2750 W AC power supply (J9830A) - Main connector only
1 1100W 34 1100 W 34
2 2750 W 2035 W 63 2035 W 63
3 N/A N/A 3053 W 95
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4 N/A N/A 4070 W 127
Table 4. Power budgets using 2750 W AC power supply (J9830A) - Main and aux connectors
1 2500 W 78 2500 W 78
2 4625 W 144 4625 W 144

2750 W
3 N/A N/A 6938 W 216
4 N/A N/A 9250 W 288
Power supply protection mechanisms:
The 5400R supplies have over-current, over-temperature, over-voltage protection, and integrated fans. Hot-swapping is allowed, taking
into account that disconnecting the power supplies may interrupt PoE operation, it is required to unplug the power supply before
removing or inserting a power supply into the chassis.
PoE/PoE+ device types:
There are two types of devices that are defined for PoE/PoE+ implementations. The first type, called the powered device (PD), receives
power from the second type, called the power sourcing equipment (PSE). Powered devices include any Ethernet device capable of
receiving power through a data port such as IP telephones, IP cameras, and tablet PCs.
PSEs such as Aruba Networking Switches with PoE support, must meet IEEE 802.3af specifications for voltage (47 to 57 volts DC) and
wattage (up to 15.4 watts), with further limitations on the devices that receive power.
Aruba Switches that are PoE enabled support both IEEE 802.3af-compliant devices as well as some pre-IEEE 802.3af standard devices.
Power delivery options
The IEEE 802.3af standard provides two options for providing power over Cat 5 Ethernet cable. They are:
• Unused pairs—This option takes advantage of the fact that 10Base-T and 100Base-TX signals use only two of the four twisted pairs
in the cable. In this option, the pins on pairs 1/2 and 3/6 are used for data, and the pins on pairs 4/5 and 7/8 are used for power.
The 4/5 pair is twisted together to form the positive supply, and the 7/8 pair is twisted together to form the negative supply.
• Data pairs—This option provides power over pairs that also provide data and is necessary because 1000Base-T signals use all four
pairs. In this option, either the 1/2 pair or the 3/6 pair can form the positive supply.
The IEEE 802.3af standard requires a PSE to choose between the options. It is not possible to mix and match or to use all pairs for power
transmission. Aruba Networking Switches provide power over the data pairs. However, the standard requires PDs to be able to accept
power over either data pairs or unused pairs.
PoE negotiation
In most networks, power sourcing equipment (PSE) will be connected to some devices that support PoE and some that do not.
Consequently, in order to prevent damage to non-PoE devices, the IEEE 802.3af specification includes a negotiation mechanism between
PSEs and the stations connected to them. Under the specification, PSEs apply a slight voltage on the power-delivery pairs. If there is a
valid PD on the cable, it will present a resistance and a capacitance.
Typically, this discovery process requires approximately 500 milliseconds. The PSE will apply the full wattage if it discovers a PD, but the
flow is current-limited to prevent damage to cable and equipment under fault conditions.
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After discovery, a PD must draw a minimum current for the power flow to remain active. If, for example, the PD is unplugged, the PSE
will discontinue power supply over the cable. The discovery process will be repeated when the PD is returned to service. The Aruba
5400R zl2 Switch Series also supports pre-IEEE 802.3af standard powered devices.
The Aruba Networking Switches described in this document that are PoE enabled are:
• Aruba 5406R zl2 Switch—supports up to 144 PoE ports
• Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch—supports up to 288 PoE ports
Fans and Airflow
Both 5400R chassis use a single fan tray:
• Aruba 5406R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9831A)
• Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9832A)
5400R fan trays are hot-swappable, however, the available time to replace the fan tray is 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes without a fan
try, the chassis will shut down.
Figure 6. 5406R Chassis rear view and its fan tray
Figure 7. 5412R Chassis rear view and its fan tray
In the event of an individual fan failure, an SNMP trap and event log entry are generated. A system can typically operate for a long time
with a single fan failure, while the other fans step up in speed to compensate for the loss of airflow.
In the 5400R chassis (both models) the air flows from left to right (front view).
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Figure 8. 5400R airflow
Management module (MM)

The Aruba 5400R zl2 Switch Series requires at least one management module that supervises the operation of the interface modules.
The management module is responsible for:
• Device management:
- Running the ArubaOS-Switch operating system
- Power management and control
- Temperature monitoring
- Hardware and software module initialization
- VSF management
- Management interfaces: console, SNMP agent, WebUI server, SSH/Telnet server, TFTP/FTP/SFTP server etc.
• Network control
- Network protocol including neighbor relationship: OSPF, BGP, STP, PIM, etc.
- Routing and forwarding tables maintenance
- ASIC programming
Figure 9. 5400R management module
When dual management modules are used, default synchronization occurs, automatically copying configuration and code information
for the user. There is no need for a “synchronize” command. When configuration changes are written to flash memory (“write memory”)
or software updates are performed on the active module (a TFTP copy of newer software into flash), they are automatically copied over
to the standby management module when "nonstop switching" is enabled.
The Aruba 5400R zl2 Management Modules are hot-swappable—the switch does not have to be powered off to remove either
management module. The dual management module design allows either module to manage the system in an active/standby model. By
default, MM1 will assume the “active” role; but in general, whichever management module was the last one to be “active,” the other
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management module will assume the “standby” role. All operations are performed through the “active” management module (either
MM1 or MM2). If the active management module were to fail, the standby takes control of the switch and continues operation.
However, if only one management module is running and then is removed, all ports lose communication and the system will be powered
down.
The LEDs on the Aruba 5400R zl2 Management Module are grouped in three areas:
• On the left side, there are 3 LEDs to indicate the management module’s “state” (active, standby, or down).
• Next to the management module state LEDs is the group of status LEDs that indicate the status of components (test, chassis, SD
card/flash, DIMM system memory, management, PoE, temperature, fan), then the power supply’s status LEDs, and finally the
module status LEDs.
• The third section is the LED mode section that controls the functionality of the mode LED for each interface port. The default
behavior is to show port activity, with options of showing the Full/half duplex state of a port, the linked speed, the PoE status, and a
user defined behavior.
The “Mgmt Status” LED indicates general health of the management module, indicated by a green color after the module has passed
power-on self-test (POST).
The “System Reset” is a recessed button used to reboot the entire system. The “MM Shutdown/Reset” is a recessed button used to shut
down the management module. If a standby management module is present, failover occurs. If there is no standby management
module, a system reset occurs. The management modules are designed to be hot-swappable and can be removed from an operational
chassis without damage. The synchronization of files (configuration, code images, state, and default condition directives) may indeed be
occurring; so to reduce the possibility of corruption between management modules, when manually removing the module, use the “MM
Shutdown/Reset” button. “MM Shutdown/Reset” will gracefully shut down the management module, completing any synchronization of
files and state information to the second management module. When the “Dwn” LED is lit, the management module can be removed.
The management module also contains an out-of-band management (OOBM) Ethernet port, a serial console port that has two
interfaces: micro-USB and RJ-45, and a USB auxiliary port.
• Processor: The CPU processor is a Freescale PowerPC P2020 operating at 1.2 GHz.
• Memory: Synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM) is used for the storage of uncompressed executable code and data structures. The
SDRAM consists of a 4 GB DDR3 DIMM.
• Flash: The flash consists of a 1 GB SD Card, and a 4 MB mirror-bit flash. The mirror-bit flash is used for initial boot code. The
CompactFlash is used for nonvolatile configuration storage and compressed code storage. The CompactFlash is socketed for future
upgrade capability.
• SD card: The SD card is the primary nonvolatile storage medium located on the management module that contains both the boot
software and configuration files. When an SD card fails, the SD status LED on the management module blinks simultaneously with
the switch fault LED. Both the SD and the fault flashing are amber in color (LEDs are green with normal functionality). In addition,
the locator LED will be solid blue.
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Figure 10. Management module block diagram
• Console ports: The management module incorporates one RS-232 serial port for local management and configuration. This port
uses an RJ-45 or a micro USB connector mounted on the front panel. To connect to the console, an RJ-45–to–DB9 cable can be
purchased separately. A user supplied cable is required to use the micro-USB port. The micro-USB console port is a USB-to-Serial
adapter and a driver can be downloaded from hpe.com/networking/support. Only one console port can be used at a time. To switch
between the two, logout of the existing console session, remove the cable, and connect to the new port.
• Auxiliary port: The management module includes an auxiliary USB port used for offline data transfer of files without the need for a
network to be set up. System code can be copied to a USB memory stick, and the system can copy this image from USB, just as you
would over the network. The port can be disabled for enhanced security.
Aruba 5400R zl2 Fabric

The switching fabric is based on the ProVision Fabric ASIC and is located on the backplane. The Aruba 5406R uses a single fabric ASIC and
the Aruba 5412R uses two fabric ASICs. The Aruba 5400R has two connections between each slot and the fabric, providing a total of
65.6-84.6 Gbps of throughput in each direction for a total chassis capacity of 1 Tbps for the Aruba 5406R and 2 Tbps for the Aruba
5412R.
Line cards / switching modules

The Aruba 5400R zl2 Switch Series support a variety of popular interface modules, providing customers with the ability to change or
scale their LAN links and adapt as the needs of the business environment change over time.
Aruba 5400R zl2 Switch Series supports version 2 and version 3 zl modules.
Version 3 zl modules: The following are the version 3 zl modules:
J9986A - Aruba 24-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module
Figure 11. 24-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9986A)
J9987A - Aruba 24-port 10/100/1000BASE-T MACsec v3 zl2 Module
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Figure 12. 24-port 10/100/1000BASE-T MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9987A)
J9988A - Aruba 24-port 1GbE SFP MACsec v3 zl2 Module
Figure 13. 24-port 1GbE SFP MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9988A)
J9989A - Aruba 12-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ / 12-port 1GbE SFP MACsec v3 zl2 Module
Figure 14. 12-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+/12-port 1GbE SFP MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9989A)
J9990A - Aruba 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ / 4-port 1G/10GbE SFP+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module
Figure 15. 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+/4-port 1G/10GbE SFP+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9990A)
J9991A - Aruba 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ / 4p 1/2.5/5/10GBASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module
Figure 16. 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ / 4p 1/2.5/5/10GBASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9991A)
J9992A - Aruba 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ MACsec / 1-port 40GbE QSFP+ v3 zl2 Module
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Figure 17. 20-port 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE+ MACsec / 1-port 40GbE QSFP+ v3 zl2 Module (J9992A)
J9993A - Aruba 8-port 1G/10GbE SFP+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module
Figure 18. 8-port 1G/10GbE SFP+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9993A)
J9995A - Aruba 8-port 1/2.5/5/10GBASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module
Figure 19. 8-port 1/2.5/5/10GBASE-T PoE+ MACsec v3 zl2 Module (J9995A)
J9996A - Aruba 2-port 40GbE QSFP+ v3 zl2 Module
Figure 20. 2-port 40GbE QSFP+ v3 zl2 Module (J9996A)
Note: All v3 modules support MACsec on all ports except for 40GbE QSFP+ ports.
Version 2 zl modules. The 5400R switch supports the following version (v2) modules:
• J9546A: HPE 8-port 10GBASE-T v2 zl Module
• J9538A: HPE 8-port 10GbE SFP+ v2 zl Module
• J9536A: HPE 20-port Gig-T PoE+ / 2-port 10GbE SFP+ v2 zl Module
• J9535A: HPE 20-port Gig-T PoE+ / 4-port SFP v2 zl Module
• J9537A: HPE 24-port SFP v2 zl Module
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• J9637A: HPE 12-port Gig-T PoE+ / 12-port SFP v2 zl Module
• J9534A: HPE 24-port Gig-T PoE+ v2 zl Module
• J9547A: HPE 24-port 10/100 PoE+ v2 zl Module
• J9550A: HPE 24-port Gig-T v2 zl Module
• J9549A: HPE 20-port Gig-T / 4-port SFP v2 zl Module
• J9548A: HPE 20-port Gig-T / 2-port 10GbE SFP+ v2 zl Module
• J9857A: HPE Advanced Services v2 zl Module with HDD
• J9858A: HPE Advanced Services v2 zl Module with SSD
Module compatibility
All v3 zl2 modules are only supported on the 5400R zl2 Switch Series. They are not supported on the 5400 zl and 8200 zl switch series.
Additionally, v1 modules are not supported on the 5400R zl2 Switch Series. The use of v2 zl modules and v3 zl2 modules on the same
5400R zl2 Switch Series is supported only in compatibility mode, with functional limitations as described below.
Table 5. Chassis-based switch module compatibility table: v1-v3
Module Version 5400 zl 8200 zl 5400R zl2
V1 zl Yes Yes No
V2 zl Yes Yes No
V3 zl2 No No Yes
5400R operation modes

The 5400R Switch has two operation modes:
v3-only mode: Does not recognize v2 modules (if present) and enables all v3-only hardware and software features
Compatibility mode: Allows chassis to utilize v2 and v3 modules, with v3-only hardware and software features disabled
Table 6. 5400R module compatibility table
V3 module in V3-only mode V3 module in Compatibility mode V2 module in Compatibility mode
Bandwidth / slot 80 Gbps 80 Gbps 40 Gbps
HPE Smart Rate (multi-gig) Available Available Not available
40G Ports Available Available Not available
MACsec Available Available Not available
REST API Available Available Not available
Packet buffer memory allocation

The Aruba 5400R zl2 V3 modules have 16.875 MB of packet buffers, 3.375MB of egress packet buffer and 13.5 MB of ingress
packet buffer.
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Each port is statically allocated a certain amount of packet buffer. Depending on the number of queues (2, 4, or 8), the
amount of statically allocated packet buffer per port changes, thus reducing the amount of shared dynamic packet buffer
memory available.
The Aruba 5400R is configured to support 8 egress queues per-port by default.
Energy efficiency
The version 2 and 3 modules provide additional power saving options. Functionality is provided for power savings on a per- module
basis, to turn off LEDs for all modules or on a per-module basis, or for low-power on a per-module basis.
Modules using low power provide the capability to shut down power on RJ-45 ports that are not connected. When a port is connected,
it will power up after a monitor period. The remaining ports would remain without power until connected.
Version 2 and 3 fixed RJ-45 ports can run in a low-power idle state with the energy-efficient Ethernet port configuration. These ports are
designed for compatibility with the IEEE 802.3az Draft 3.2 standard.
Transceivers and DACs

Following is the list of the transceivers supported on the v2 and v3 modules. The SFP transceivers can be used in SFP+ ports but SFP+
cannot be used in SFP ports. QSFP+ transceivers can only be used in QSFP+ ports.
Transceivers:
Table 7. 5400R supported transceivers
Number Description
J9054D Aruba 100M SFP LC FX 2km MMF XCVR
J4858D Aruba 1G SFP LC SX 500m MMF XCVR
J4859D Aruba 1G SFP LC LX 10km SMF XCVR
J4860D Aruba 1G SFP LC LH 70km SMF XCVR
J8177D Aruba 1G SFP RJ45 T 100m Cat5e XCVR
J9142B HPE X122 1G SFP LC BX-D Transceiver
J9143B HPE X122 1G SFP LC BX-U Transceiver
J9150D Aruba 10G SFP+ LC SR 300m MMF XCVR
J9151D Aruba 10G SFP+ LC LR 10km SMF XCVR
J9152D Aruba 10G SFP+ LC LRM 220m MMF XCVR
J9153D Aruba 10G SFP+ LC ER 40km SMF XCVR
JL308A Aruba 40G QSFP+ LC BiDi 150m MMF XCVR
JH231A HPE X142 40G QSFP+ MPO SR4 Transceiver
JH232A HPE X142 40G QSFP+ LC LR4 SM Transceiver
JH233A HPE X142 40G QSFP+ MPO eSR4 300M XCVR
DACs – Direct Attach Cables
Table 8. 5400R supported Direct Attach Cables
Number Description
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J9281D Aruba 10G SFP+ to SFP+ 1m DAC Cable
JH234A HPE X242 40G QSFP+ to QSFP+ 1m DAC Cable
Specifications
Feature Scale Matrix
Table 11. ArubaOS-Switch KB code Feature Scale Matrix
Protocols and Features 5400Rv3 specification Protocols and Features 5400Rv3 specification
MAC Address Table 64k ACLs IPV4 4K
Static-MAC 500 ACLs IPV6 2K
ARP Table Size 25k Max VXLAN Tunnel 64
Max VLAN 4094 Max VXLAN VSI 64
PVLAN 32 Per Port Tunneled Node Standalone = 256 Stacked = 512
Max LAGs 144 Per User Tunneled Node 1024 per switch/stack, 32 per port
Members per LAG 8 OpenFlow Instance 128
MVRP 512Vlan's/128Ports OpenFlow Rules 65535
VSF stacking 2 units ZTP 1 NMS
Max_IPV4 Multinetting per VLAN 32 NTP Client 8
Max_IPV4 Multinetting 2048 SNMP Community Strings 5
Max_Vlan_IPV4 1024 SNMP Trap Receivers 10
Max_IPV6 Multinetting per VLAN 32 sFlow instances 3
Max_IPV6 Multinetting 2048 local mirror Session 4
Max_Vlan_IPV6 512 remote mirror session 4
IPV4 Routes 10k remote mirror end point 32
IPV6 Routes 5k Telnet/SSH Sessions 5
Static Routes Interface Based 1024 MAC Auth Clients/Port 256
Static Routes Gateway Based 256 Cert Manager TA Profile 10
RIP routes 10000 RBAC Authorization Groups 64
RIP interface 128 RBAC Rules Per Group 1000
RIPng routes 5000 Schedule Job 1000
OSPFv2 routes 10000 MDNS Profiles 50
OSPFv2 Area ID 16 MDNS Rules 15
OSPFv2 interface 128 DHCP Server VLANs 512
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OSPFv3 routes 5000 DHCP Pool 128
OSPFv3 Area ID 16 STP Instances 64
OSPFv3 Interface 128 VRRP - VR's per Vlan 32
BGP routes 10000 VRRP - VR's 512
BFD Sessions 128 VRRP-IPv6 VR's per Vlan 32
Multicast Routes 2048 VRRP - IPv6 VR's 512
Multicast Group Entries 4000 IPv6-ND Snooping Per Vlan 32 Prefix-list
Local User Roles 512 Downloadable User Roles 100
Performance
Table 12. Aruba 5400R Switch Series Performance
Item 6 slot chassis 12 slot chassis
Switching capacity 960 Gbps 1920 Gbps
Throughput 357.7 Mpps 751.4 Mpps
1 Gbps Latency <2.8µs
Architecture Deep Dive

ASIC architecture and packet flows
The ProVision architecture consists of two types of ASICs: switching ASICs and Fabric ASICs. Fabric ASICs forward traffic between
switching ASIC. The 5406R chassis a single fabric ASIC located on the backplane while the 5412R chassis has two, while each line card has
a single Switching ASIC.
The ProVision 6th generation switching ASIC is a single chip capable of forwarding packets at layer 2 thru layer 4. Using the ProVision
technology, the chip can have a number of front-plane configurations. The chip also has two dual speed ProVision fabric Links capable of
connecting at up to 42Gbps each, and when used in conjunction with the ProVision Fabric Chip, can meet the needs of Gigabit Ethernet
switching applications. It has a robust Classification and Security functionality including ACLs, Hardware Virus Throttling, and Tipping
Point IPS Pre-Filtering, as well as industry leading OpenFlow features to enable Software Defined Networks.
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Figure 21. Overall block diagram including CPU and ASICs
Each v3 module has a Provision Gen 6 Switching ASIC and 2x 42Gbps backplane connections.
On the 5400R, each line card has its own switching ASIC and the fabrics are located on the backplane. A 5406R chassis has one Fabric
ASIC on the backplane and It receives both 42Gbps connections from each switching module and a 5412R chassis has two Fabric ASICs
with one 42Gbps connection to each slot.
Figure 22. 5406R Chassis macro-forwarding architecture example
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Figure 23. Ingress and egress processes
The Switching ASIC has two main processes: an ingress and an egress process. All traffic flows through the ingress process, goes to the
fabric ASIC and is forwarded to the egress process, either on the same ASIC or on another ASIC.
Ingress process
The ingress process is performed by a series of components:
1) Input Classifier (IPP): packet parsing
2) Input Packet Buffer (IM): Input Memory system
a) Up to 8 queues for each physical port
21
b) Stores full frame
c) Forwards first 135 bytes for processing
Figure 24. ProVision ASIC block diagram
3) Forwarding Logic (HPP):
a) Parses MAC, VLAN, IP etc.
b) Looks up L2/L3 forwarding tables
4) ACL/QoS Logic: TCAM performs 5-tuple lookups
5) Sequencing logic: maintains packet sequencing
6) Advanced packet processors (APPs): co-processors designed for packet processing:
a) Examples: VXLAN, OpenFlow, etc.
7) Pattern matching engine (PME): Programmable packet-scanning module
8) Packet Modifier (PM): is a micro-coded in line packet modification engine embedded in the Fabric Driver.
9) Fabric Interface TX (FD): Fabric Driver consists of two parts, one that requests packet buffers from all the chips in the list of
destination chips received from the Packet Sequencing Logic. Second, once a buffer is allocated the packet is requested from the IM
and modified as it is sent across the Fabric Link.
Egress process
22
10) Fabric Interface RX (FR): Fabric Receiver processes requests from the FD, determines the destination port mask, checks to see if
memory buffers are available for each port and sends a reply.
11) Output packet buffer (OM): stores the packet and has it ready for transmission
12) Egress ACL: egress rules are applied to the frame before transmission
Virtual Switching Framework (VSF)

Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) technology virtualizes multiple physical devices into one virtual fabric which provides high availability
due to significant reduction in recovery time simplified network design and management.
Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) allows supported switches connected to each other through Ethernet connections (copper or fiber) to
behave like a single chassis switch.
Configuration guidelines:
• Supported on the 2930F and 5400R (v3 modules only) Switch Series
• Supports up to 2 members on the 5400R and 4 members on the 2930F
• Only similar model switches on the can join a VSF system (i.e. 2x5406R or 2x5412R)
• VSF links supported on 10G and 40G Ethernet interfaces only (no 1G on 5400R)
• Each switch supports only 1 logical VSF link (up to 8 physical ports)
• Logical VSF links can support up to 8 physical ports
• Physical ports can reside on different modules
• VSF is disabled on the switch by default
VSF Deployment methods: There are several ways to implement a Virtual Switching Framework; including:
• Auto-join/plug-and-play – configure one switch with VSF and a second, factory default switch that is connected will join and form a
VSF automatically
• Manual configuration – configure both VSF members manually
- Assign VSF ports to VSF link
- Enable VSF domain ID and reboot
• VSF provisioning – configure one switch with VSF, and manually provision a second switch with:
- Chassis type; called loose provision
- Chassis type and mac-address; called strict provisioning
- Connect a second member matching the provisioning
23
Figure 27. Aruba 5400R Switch Series VSF Packet Flow Diagram
In VSF, the stack is interconnected by frontplane ports that operate in VSF mode. In this special mode, Ethernet frames are
encapsulated using a VSF header of 72 bytes.
The ingress process connected to the ingress port (first hop) encapsulates all frames whose egress port(s) is (are) on another
stack member.
All forwarding within the stack is performed using only the information located on the VSF header, making the processing
faster. This includes the case in which the VSF ports are on different modules than the ingress or egress ports.
The ingress process on the egress switch (last hop) removes the VSF header and forwards the frame across its own
embedded fabric to its egress process which now process the frame based on the Ethernet logic and information.
24
For more information
http://www.arubanetworks.com/
3333 Scott Blvd | Santa Clara, CA 95054

1.844.HPE.ARUB| T: 1.408.227.4500 | FAX: 1.408.227.4550 | info.aruba@hpe.com
www.arubanetworks.com

Aruba 5400R Switch Series Technical Product Guide

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TECHNICAL WHITE PAPER

Aruba 5400R Switch Series

Rev: December 2018

Document Version Reason for Change Revision Date

• A large number of Smart Rate ports

• Management and control plane redundancy

• High density of PoE

• Advanced IP routing (BGP)

• Integration with Aruba mobility controllers: tunneled node

• Integration with Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager

• Integration with Aruba AirWave

• Automation, visibility and programmability via REST interface

Figure 1. Aruba 5400R in the access layer

• Up to 96 10GbE ports or 24 40GbE ports (or combinations)

• OSPF and/or BGP routing with ECMP, PIM-DM and PIM-SM

• Integration with Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager

• Integration with Aruba AirWave

• Automation, visibility and programmability via REST interface

Figure 2. Aruba 5400R switch in the core and aggregation layers

Hardware Architecture Overview

• 6 zl interface modules (line cards)

• 144 GbE ports, 48 10GbE, and 12 40GbE

Figure 3. 5406R switch chassis front view

Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch Chassis

• 12 zl interface modules (line cards)

• 288 GbE ports, 96 10GbE, and 24 40GbE

Figure 4. 5412R switch chassis front view

• 1 Tbps on the 6 slot chassis

• 2 Tbps on the 12 slot chassis

• Aruba 5400R 700W PoE+ zl2 Power Supply (J9828B)

- C13 power inlet

• Aruba 5400R 1100W PoE+ zl2 Power Supply (J9829B)

- Notched C15 power inlet

• Aruba 5400R 2750W PoE+ zl2 Power Supply (J9830B)

- 2x C16 power inlets

Figure 5. 700W, 1100W, and 2750W power supplies

Table 1. Power budgets using 700 W AC power supply (J9828A)

4 n/a n/a 1018 W 31

Table 2. Power budgets using 1100 W AC power supply (J9829A)

4 n/a n/a 3330 W 104

2 2750 W 2035 W 63 2035 W 63

3 N/A N/A 3053 W 95

4 N/A N/A 4070 W 127

2 4625 W 144 4625 W 144

4 N/A N/A 9250 W 288

Power supply protection mechanisms:

PoE/PoE+ device types:

Power delivery options

• Aruba 5406R zl2 Switch—supports up to 144 PoE ports

• Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch—supports up to 288 PoE ports

Fans and Airflow

Both 5400R chassis use a single fan tray:

• Aruba 5406R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9831A)

• Aruba 5412R zl2 Switch Fan Tray (J9832A)

Figure 6. 5406R Chassis rear view and its fan tray

Figure 7. 5412R Chassis rear view and its fan tray

Figure 8. 5400R airflow

Management module (MM)

- Running the ArubaOS-Switch operating system

- Power management and control

- Hardware and software module initialization

- Routing and forwarding tables maintenance