Arista DCS-7050SX3-48YC8C-R | 7050X3 48-Port 25G Switch, 8x 100G QSFP100

Q: What is the difference between the 48YC8 and 48YC8C models?
A: The 48YC8C variant features expanded memory resources: 16GB DRAM and 32GB flash storage, compared to 8GB DRAM and 8GB flash in the standard 48YC8 model. This provides greater capacity for large routing tables, complex EVPN fabrics, and advanced EOS features in demanding production environments.

Q: What does the -R suffix indicate in the model number?
A: The -R suffix denotes rear-to-front (reverse) airflow, where cool air enters from the rear of the switch and hot air exhausts from the front. This design is ideal for data centers with cold-aisle-in/hot-aisle-out configurations and environments that standardize on reverse airflow thermal management.

Q: Can the QSFP100 ports support speeds other than 100G?
A: Yes, each QSFP100 port can be configured to support 40GbE connections in addition to 100GbE, providing flexibility for network designs with varied bandwidth requirements and enabling gradual migration paths from 40G to 100G infrastructure.

Q: Is this switch suitable for spine or leaf roles?
A: This switch is primarily designed for high-density leaf-layer deployments in spine-leaf architectures, with 48 server-facing 25GbE ports and 8 high-speed 100GbE uplinks to spine switches. The 1RU form factor and non-blocking architecture make it ideal for top-of-rack applications in modern data centers.

Q: What licensing is required for advanced features?
A: The 7050X3 Series requires Arista EOS software licenses. The base license includes Layer 2 and Layer 3 features, while advanced capabilities like EVPN, VXLAN routing, and extensive routing tables may require FLX-Lite or higher-tier licenses. Zero Touch Provisioning, LANZ, and automation features are included with standard licensing.