Arista DCS-7280CR3-32P4-F | 7280R3 32-Port 100G + 4x 400G OSFP Switch

Q: What is the difference between the DCS-7280CR3-32P4-F and the K-variant models?
A: The standard CR3-32P4 model supports flexible routing profiles with up to 256K routes, while the K-variant (CR3K-32P4) includes FlexRoute capability supporting over 5M IPv4 routes, over 5M IPv6 routes, 384K MAC addresses, and algorithmic ACLs with 100K+ rules for Internet-scale routing deployments.

Q: Can the QSFP28 and OSFP ports be broken out into lower-speed interfaces?
A: Yes, the 32 QSFP28 ports support breakout to 50G, 40G, 25G, and 10G speeds, allowing up to 96 total interfaces. The 4 OSFP ports support 400G, 200G, and 100G line rates, providing deployment flexibility for mixed-speed environments.

Q: What routing protocols and features does this switch router support?
A: The DCS-7280CR3-32P4-F supports full Layer 2 and Layer 3 capabilities including BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS (LDP, RSVP-TE, BGP LU), Segment Routing, EVPN, VXLAN, and up to 512-way ECMP for load balancing. It is designed for data center interconnect, spine-leaf fabrics, and service provider edge deployments.

Q: What is the significance of the Virtual Output Queue architecture?
A: The VOQ architecture eliminates head-of-line blocking by maintaining separate queues for each input-to-output port pair. Combined with 8GB of deep packet buffer memory, this design virtually eliminates packet drops even during congestion, making it ideal for bursty traffic, TCP incast scenarios, and mixed workloads including storage and real-time traffic.

Q: Is this switch compatible with existing Arista EOS management and automation tools?
A: Yes, the DCS-7280CR3-32P4-F runs Arista EOS operating system with full support for CloudVision management, Zero Touch Provisioning, REST APIs, and programmable automation frameworks. It integrates seamlessly with existing Arista networks and supports in-service software updates for minimal downtime.