Arista DCS-7280CR3AK-72-FLX-R | 7280R3A 72-Port 100G QSFP Switch, 14.4 Tbps, FLX-Lite

Q: What licensing is included with the DCS-7280CR3AK-72-FLX-R?
A: This model includes the FLX-Lite license which provides full routing capabilities with support for up to 256K routes, EVPN, VXLAN, Segment Routing, and base MPLS LSR functionality. Additional FLX or Enhanced Security licenses can be purchased separately for advanced features like 2M+ route tables or enhanced TunnelSec capabilities.

Q: What deployment scenarios is the 7280R3A ideal for?
A: The 7280R3A Series is optimized for data center spine layers, internet peering with large routing tables, data center interconnect (DCI), high-performance storage networks, content delivery networks (CDN), and overlay networking with VXLAN. The large routing capacity and deep buffers make it particularly well-suited for internet exchange points and cloud provider networks.

Q: Does the switch support network encryption?
A: Yes, the DCS-7280CR3AK-72 includes TunnelSec technology supporting line-rate MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) for point-to-point link encryption, as well as IPsec and VXLANsec for encrypted tunnel overlays. All encryption uses AES-256-GCM at full wire speed without performance degradation, enabling secure data center interconnect and WAN applications.

Q: What is the difference between rear-to-front (-R) and front-to-rear (-F) models?
A: The airflow direction determines compatibility with hot-aisle/cold-aisle data center layouts. Rear-to-front models like the -R SKU draw air from the fan side and exhaust through the port side, while front-to-rear models do the opposite. Both deliver identical performance and features; choose based on your rack airflow design.

Q: Can the 100G QSFP ports operate at lower speeds?
A: Yes, each QSFP port supports multi-speed operation including 10G, 25G, 40G, 50G, and 100G with compatible optics or DAC/AOC cables. This provides deployment flexibility for mixed-speed environments and future-proofs your investment as network speeds evolve.