Aruba CX 8325 — Fixed-form core & leaf with real HA (VSX) and EVPN-VXLAN

What it is: A compact 1U switching family built for campus core/aggregation and data-center leaf/spine, with line-rate 1/10/25/40/100G interfaces and up to 6.4 Tbps switching capacity. Think “big-city avenues” for your network fabric—fast, resilient, and future-ready.

Why buyers pick 8325 (plain English)

• True core-grade resiliency: VSX dual-control-plane pairs for active/active uptime and in-place upgrades.

• Modern fabrics: EVPN-VXLAN for scalable L2/L3 segmentation across campus and DC.

• Operational consistency: Runs AOS-CX with Network Analytics Engine, APIs/Python, and Aruba Central or on-prem orchestration.

• Right form factor, right airflow: Fixed 1U with front-to-back or back-to-front airflow bundles and redundant hot-swap PSUs/fans.

60-second spec box (CX 8325)

Performance & ports

• Switching capacity: up to 6.4 Tbps; wire-rate forwarding at 1/10/25/40/100G.

• Common models:

  • 8325-48Y8C — 48 × 1/10/25G SFP/SFP+/SFP28 + 8 × 40/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 (1U).

  • 8325-32C — 32 × 40/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 (1U).

• Airflow options: Port-to-Power or Power-to-Port; bundles include 6 fan trays + 2 PSUs. (Front-to-back / back-to-front SKUs available.)

• Breakouts & adapters: QSFP28 ports support breakouts; QSA28 adapters available for select ports.

High availability & fabrics

• VSX multi-chassis HA (active/active, independent control planes).

• EVPN-VXLAN with BGP; rich L2/L3 (OSPF, BGP, VRF-Lite, IPv6).

Software & management

• AOS-CX with Network Analytics Engine, REST APIs/Python, Switch Multi-Edit.

• Aruba Central (cloud/on-prem) for provisioning, ops, and AIOps; current guidance: Central Advanced includes CX Advanced features, simplifying licensing.

Model guide (what to order)

• JL624A — 8325-48Y8C (Front-to-Back airflow) bundle: 48× SFP/SFP+/SFP28 + 8× QSFP+/QSFP28, 6 fans, 2 PSUs.

• JL625A — 8325-48Y8C (Back-to-Front airflow) bundle: same ports, reversed airflow, fans/PSUs included.

• JL626A / JL627A — 8325-32C (Front-to-Back / Back-to-Front) bundles: 32× QSFP+/QSFP28, fans/PSUs included.

Newer R9F6xA bundle SKUs provide the same 48Y8C/32C options with updated airflow naming (“Port-to-Power” vs “Power-to-Port”). Check the QuickSpecs configuration tables when quoting.

Where it fits (and when to step up/down)

• Perfect for: campus core/aggregation pairs with VSX, or DC leafs in an EVPN fabric.

• Step up to CX 9300 for 100/400G leaf/spine at larger scales.

• Consider CX 8360 v2 / 8100 if you want fixed-form core/agg with different port mixes.

• Tight on rack width or building micro-pods? See the 8325H half-width siblings (same OS/features, half-width 1U), handy for space-constrained closets and edge DC.

Fine print (that still matters)

• Power & cooling: N+1 hot-swap PSUs/fans; choose airflow that matches your rack thermals.

• Licensing: AOS-CX includes robust native features; Central Advanced now unlocks the CX Advanced set, reducing separate license juggling. Validate terms in current QuickSpecs before purchase.

• Optics & breakouts: Use the latest transceiver guide for QSFP28/SFP28 compatibility and breakout specifics; QuickSpecs lists QSA28 allowances by port group.

TL;DR

If you want a fixed-form core/leaf that does VSX right and speaks EVPN-VXLAN fluently—without the bulk of a chassis—the CX 8325 is the sweet spot. Fast, resilient, simple to live with.