Arista DCS-7280DR3A-36-DC-F | 7280R3A 36-Port 400G Switch, 14.4Tbps, 16GB Buffer

Q: What optics and cables are compatible with the DCS-7280DR3A-36-DC-F?
A: The switch supports a wide range of 10G to 400G pluggable optics including QSFP-DD, QSFP28, and SFP modules. The QSFP-DD ports can be configured for 400G, 200G, 100G, or 40G speeds with appropriate transceivers. The two OSFP-LS ports support dense 400G-ZR DWDM optics for long-haul data center interconnect applications. Consult the Arista transceiver compatibility guide for the complete list of supported modules.

Q: What is the difference between the DC-F and DC-R airflow models?
A: The DC-F designation indicates front-to-rear airflow, where air flows from the switch port side to the fan side. This is the most common configuration for data centers with hot aisle/cold aisle designs where cold air enters from the front. The DC power supplies are designed for carrier-grade and service provider environments requiring DC power distribution.

Q: Does this switch support stacking or clustering?
A: The 7280R3A series does not use traditional stacking. Instead, it supports Arista MLAG for active-active Layer 2 redundancy and ECMP for Layer 3 multi-path routing. These architectures provide superior scalability and resiliency compared to stacking, allowing you to build flexible spine-leaf topologies with hundreds of switches.

Q: What software features are included with Arista EOS?
A: Arista EOS provides a comprehensive feature set including advanced routing protocols, VXLAN overlay networking, EVPN, MPLS, Segment Routing, Zero Touch Provisioning, Python scripting, streaming telemetry, accelerated sFlow, and Inband Network Telemetry. The modular EOS architecture enables hitless upgrades and self-healing capabilities. CloudVision integration provides network-wide automation and visibility.

Q: Is this switch suitable for data center interconnect deployments?
A: Yes, the DCS-7280DR3A-36-DC-F is excellent for DCI applications. The two OSFP-LS ports support 400G-ZR coherent DWDM optics for long-haul connectivity up to 80-120km without external transponders. Combined with deep buffers, FlexRoute internet-scale routing, MACsec encryption, and EVPN/MPLS support, it provides a complete DCI solution in a compact 2RU form factor.