Arista DCS-7280CR3AM-72-FLX-R | 7280R3A 72-Port 100G QSFP Switch, 14.4Tbps, FLX

Q: What is included with the FLX license on this model?
A: The FLX license provides full routing with support for over 256K routes, EVPN, VXLAN, Segment Routing, advanced MPLS LER/LSR capabilities, traffic engineering, and more than 24K ACL entries. This enables the switch to function as a high-performance router for data center spine, internet peering, and carrier-grade applications.

Q: What encryption capabilities does the 7280CR3AM series support?
A: The R3AM model supports wire-speed enhanced MACsec with AES-256-GCM encryption on all 72 ports at 100G speeds. It also includes TunnelSec functionality, providing IPsec for router-to-router encryption and VXLANsec for encrypted VTEP overlays, enabling secure DCI and WAN connectivity without external encryption appliances.

Q: Can this switch be used in both spine and leaf roles?
A: Yes, the DCS-7280CR3AM-72-FLX-R is designed as a universal spine and leaf platform. With 72 ports of 100G and deep buffers, it excels in spine roles for high-performance data centers. It can also serve as a high-density leaf for AI/ML fabrics, storage networks, or large-scale virtualization deployments requiring wire-speed encryption and advanced routing.

Q: What is the difference between front-to-rear and rear-to-front airflow?
A: The -R suffix indicates rear-to-front airflow, meaning air is drawn in from the fan side and exhausted through the port side. This is ideal for hot-aisle containment data center designs. The -F models have front-to-rear airflow (port side to fan side) for cold-aisle containment. Choose based on your data center cooling architecture.

Q: Is this switch compatible with non-Arista optics?
A: The DCS-7280CR3AM-72-FLX-R supports a wide range of industry-standard 100G QSFP28, 40G QSFP+, and breakout 25G/10G SFP28/SFP+ transceivers and direct-attach cables. While Arista-branded optics are recommended for full support and validation, the switch can operate with compatible third-party transceivers, though verification with Arista EOS release notes is advised.