When configuring AOS-CX switches, what is a necessary step for enabling VLANs?

Enabling VLANs on AOS-CX switches fundamentally requires the creation of VLAN interfaces and the assignment of those VLAN interfaces to the respective switch ports. This process ensures that the switch acknowledges the VLANs you want to work with and appropriately segregates traffic based on those VLAN definitions.

To create a VLAN, you define the VLAN ID and other parameters that characterize that VLAN, such as its name and any associated settings. After the VLAN has been created in the switch’s configuration, it needs to be assigned to the corresponding ports where devices that will use that VLAN are connected. This assignment allows traffic from the devices on those ports to be tagged appropriately for the VLAN, thus ensuring that the switch can manage and route the traffic effectively according to VLAN rules.

Other choices do not address the direct task of enabling VLANs: assigning IP addresses pertains to management access and not VLAN functionality, resetting the switch erases existing configurations without positively contributing toward a VLAN setup, and disabling the Spanning-Tree Protocol could adversely impact network stability without facilitating VLAN configuration. Thus, the specific action of creating VLAN interfaces and associating them with ports is essential for VLAN operation on switch devices.