HPE adds autonomous networking functions to Mist & Aruba
Thu, 7th May 2026 (Today)
HPE has introduced new autonomous networking functions across HPE Mist and HPE Aruba Central, which it says make it the only provider of fully autonomous, agentic AIOps networking.
The update adds self-driving actions that allow networks to detect, diagnose and resolve some issues in real time without human intervention. Built on microservices, autonomous agents and what HPE describes as an agentic mesh, the system shifts network management from alerting teams to taking direct remedial action.
The launch is part of a broader push to automate routine network operations as IT teams manage more devices, hybrid environments and rising security demands. HPE says the new functions are designed to reduce manual intervention and ease the burden on support teams.
Andrew Fox, General Manager of HPE Networking Australia and New Zealand, said organisations in the region are under growing strain as networks become more complex.
"As networks become more complex, manual management is no longer sustainable. Autonomous, agentic capabilities allow networks to detect issues and respond in real time, helping organisations reduce operational overhead and improve consistency. For Australian and New Zealand organisations, this means greater resilience across hybrid environments, stronger performance at scale, and more time for teams to focus on the work that drives the business forward," said Fox.
New functions include dynamic capacity optimisation, automatic remediation of missing VLAN configurations, rogue DHCP protection, real-time Dynamic Frequency Selection and roaming analysis. These features are intended to improve wireless performance, maintain connectivity and address faults before users are affected.
Dynamic capacity optimisation adjusts radio frequency settings such as band selection, channel bandwidth and power levels based on learned usage patterns. HPE says this should improve wireless coverage, roaming and available capacity for end users.
Another feature targets VLAN configuration errors in the access layer, a common source of traffic loss. The new autonomous action can correct those mistakes automatically, replacing an earlier driver-assisted process.
Security is also part of the update. Rogue DHCP protection is designed to identify and remediate unauthorised DHCP servers, while real-time Dynamic Frequency Selection aims to avoid channels that repeatedly cause wireless association problems.
HPE has also added user experience latency metrics to track Wi-Fi performance from first connection and provide visibility from the device to the cloud. This should help teams identify the source of service issues more quickly.
Customer example
HPE cited work with the UK Ministry of Justice as an example of how the software is being used in practice. According to the company, the department has used the self-driving network approach to reduce support requests and bring management of a large device estate in-house.
"Over the past four years, the Ministry of Justice has transformed how it operates a highly complex, multi‐vendor digital estate, embedding intelligence directly into the network at national scale," said Nava Ramanan, Director of Technology, Ministry of Justice.
"The HPE Self-driving Network enables trusted autonomous actions that help us anticipate and resolve issues before users are impacted. This approach has contributed to an approximate 75% reduction in Service Desk tickets and enabled us to bring the management of around 15,000 devices in‐house, giving our teams greater ownership, control, and flexibility to deliver resilient, always‐on justice services today and into the future," said Ramanan.
HPE said the Ministry of Justice results reflect broader customer outcomes across its networking portfolio, including lower operational workloads, fewer escalations and faster deployment.
Security changes
Alongside the network automation features, both HPE Mist and HPE Aruba Central are receiving broader OpenRoaming integration. The change is intended to reduce repeated logins across sites while strengthening identity checks for users connecting to Wi-Fi services.
HPE also introduced simplified inline microsegmentation, which applies a single wired and wireless policy framework without requiring organisations to redesign their networks. In addition, HPE Mist Access Assurance now includes a dry-run testing feature that allows network access control policies to be checked against live conditions before deployment.
These changes are aimed at organisations moving towards Zero Trust security models, where user and device access is more tightly controlled across distributed locations.
Hardware rollout
HPE also said its dual-platform Wi-Fi access points are now generally available, starting with the HPE Networking 723H APs. The wall-mounted devices are designed for hospitality settings and are the first HPE access points to work with either HPE Mist or HPE Aruba Central.
The hardware is intended to give customers more flexibility across either management platform, while also supplying the telemetry needed for HPE's self-driving network functions.
Rami Rahim, Executive Vice President, President and General Manager, Networking, HPE, described the release as a shift in the role of networking operations.
"The self-driving network is no longer aspirational; it's operational," said Rahim. "The network HPE now delivers represents a pivotal shift for our customers, and marks a breakaway moment for them to capture the benefits of the next frontier of autonomous actions. This fundamentally changes the role of networking from a system that informs to one that takes action on behalf of the business, freeing customer networking teams to focus on innovation instead of operations."