Arista DCS-7280CR3-32P4-M-FLX-F | 7280R3 32-Port 100G + 4x 400G Switch, 4.8Tbps, 8GB Buffer

Q: What is the difference between the M-FLX variant and the standard 7280CR3 models?
A: The M-FLX variant includes expanded memory for enhanced routing table capacity and comes with the FLX-Lite license, supporting over 256K routes with EVPN, VXLAN, Segment Routing, and base MPLS LSR functionality. The expanded memory allows for larger routing tables and more complex network deployments compared to standard models.

Q: Can the 400G OSFP ports be used with 100G or 200G optics?
A: Yes, the 4x 400GbE OSFP ports are flexible and support 400G, 200G, and 100G speeds. This allows you to deploy lower-speed optics initially and upgrade to 400G as your bandwidth requirements grow, providing investment protection and deployment flexibility.

Q: What deployment scenarios is the 7280CR3-32P4-M-FLX-F best suited for?
A: This switch is ideal for data centre leaf-spine architectures, cloud service provider networks, Internet exchange points, high-performance storage fabrics, and data centre interconnect applications. The deep buffer architecture makes it particularly effective for handling traffic bursts and incast scenarios common in storage and cloud environments.

Q: Does this model support EVPN-VXLAN for overlay networking?
A: Yes, with the FLX-Lite license included, the switch supports full EVPN-VXLAN capabilities for Layer 2 and Layer 3 overlay networking. It can function as a VXLAN gateway with deep buffer support for optimal performance in overlay architectures.

Q: What redundancy features are included for high availability?
A: The switch includes 1+1 hot-swappable AC power supplies, hot-swappable fan modules with N+1 redundancy, and comprehensive hardware and software monitoring through Arista EOS. This design prevents single points of failure and enables maintenance without service interruption.