Arista DCS-7280CR3MK-32P4S-FLX-R | 7280R3 32-Port 100G Switch, 4x 400G OSFP, MACsec

Q: What is the difference between the FLX and FLX-R model designations?
A: The FLX-R suffix indicates rear-to-front airflow configuration. Both models include the FLX license tier which supports over 256K routes, advanced MPLS features, EVPN, VXLAN, and segment routing capabilities. The -R airflow option is designed for data centers with cold aisle containment where air flows from the power supply side to the port side.

Q: Can the 400G OSFP ports be used with 100G optics?
A: Yes, the 4 x 400G OSFP ports are backward compatible and support both 400G and 100G QSFP optics, providing flexible capacity expansion options for mixed-speed environments. The ports can also be configured for 200G operation with appropriate transceivers.

Q: What encryption capabilities does the MACsec version offer?
A: The DCS-7280CR3MK-32P4S-FLX-R supports Arista TunnelSec technology, delivering line-rate encryption at full wire speed using AES-256-GCM. This includes IEEE 802.1AE MACsec for Layer 2 point-to-point encryption, IPsec for Layer 3 encrypted tunnels, and VXLANsec for overlay network encryption across third-party infrastructure.

Q: Is this switch suitable for leaf-spine architectures?
A: Absolutely. The 7280R3 Series is purpose-built for modern leaf-spine designs, supporting scalable Layer 2 MLAG and Layer 3 ECMP topologies. With deep buffers, high routing capacity, and VXLAN/EVPN support, it excels in both traditional and overlay network architectures for cloud-scale deployments.

Q: What advanced features are included with the FLX license?
A: The FLX license tier provides full routing capabilities with up to 2M route scale, advanced MPLS LER/LSR functions, over 24K ACL entries, EVPN, VXLAN, Segment Routing, sFlow/IPFIX telemetry, and algorithmic ACLs. It enables the switch to function as a high-performance router for internet peering and service provider applications.