Arista DCS-7280CR3AM-48D6-R | 7280R3A 48-Port 100G Switch, 6x 400G QSFP-DD, 7.2Tbps

Q: What is TunnelSec encryption and why is it important?
A: TunnelSec is Arista's advanced line-rate encryption technology that provides AES-256-GCM strong encryption for Layer 2 (MACsec), Layer 3 (IPsec), and overlay networks (VXLANsec). It enables secure connectivity within data centers and across wide area networks without performance penalty, eliminating the need for separate encryption appliances.

Q: What deployment scenarios is the DCS-7280CR3AM-48D6-R best suited for?
A: This switch is ideal for high-performance data center spine and leaf architectures, cloud networking environments, content delivery networks requiring deep buffers, service provider networks needing high-scale routing, and AI/ML infrastructure requiring deterministic low-latency performance with 100G and 400G connectivity.

Q: What is the significance of the rear-to-front airflow design?
A: The rear-to-front (-R suffix) airflow design means air flows from the fan side to the port side. This is important for hot/cold aisle data center designs where equipment intake faces the cold aisle. It ensures proper thermal management and efficient cooling in structured data center environments.

Q: Can the 100GbE QSFP ports support lower speed interfaces?
A: Yes, the 100GbE QSFP ports support flexible breakout configurations including 40GbE, 50GbE on alternate ports, and can break out to 4 x 10GbE or 4 x 25GbE, providing deployment flexibility for mixed-speed environments and future-proofing network investments.

Q: Does this model require licensing for TunnelSec encryption features?
A: Yes, TunnelSec encryption features require an Enhanced Security Encryption License (part of Arista's Group 3 licensing). The M designation indicates this model includes TunnelSec capability, but the encryption features must be activated with the appropriate license file from Arista.