DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R Arista 36 Ports 100GB QSFP28 Switch

The Arista DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R 36 Ports QSFP28 Switch

The Arista DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R 36 Ports 100GB QSFP28 Switch is designed for high-performance data center environments that require ultra-low latency, massive throughput, and flexible scalability. Built for modern cloud networks, hyperscale data centers, enterprise cores, and service provider infrastructures, this powerful 100GbE switch delivers exceptional reliability and advanced routing capabilities. As part of Arista’s 7280R Series, this model is engineered to handle large routing tables, high-density spine-leaf architectures, and mission-critical workloads.

Featuring 36 QSFP28 ports supporting 100GbE speeds, this switch enables organizations to deploy scalable, high-capacity networks while maintaining consistent performance. Whether deployed as a spine switch, aggregation layer, or core routing platform, the DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R ensures superior packet processing and predictable latency across demanding workloads.

High-Density 36-Port 100GbE QSFP28

The 36 x 100Gb QSFP28 ports allow seamless integration into spine-leaf network architectures. These ports can be configured to support 100GbE connectivity, making it ideal for high-speed interconnects between leaf and spine switches in data center fabrics. The dense port configuration reduces rack space consumption while maximizing bandwidth capacity. Each QSFP28 port can be configured for breakout mode, enabling connectivity options such as 4 x 25GbE per port. This flexibility allows network engineers to adapt to evolving infrastructure requirements without replacing hardware. It supports mixed-speed environments and provides seamless migration paths from 10GbE or 25GbE to 100GbE networks.

Future-Ready Port Architecture

The port architecture supports high-speed uplinks and aggregation connections, ensuring compatibility with next-generation servers and storage arrays. This future-ready design enables enterprises to protect their infrastructure investments while expanding network capacity.

High-Performance IP Routing

The Arista DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R is designed to handle large routing tables and complex Layer 3 environments. It supports extensive IPv4 and IPv6 routing, including BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, and static routing. This makes it ideal for core and aggregation layer deployments in enterprise and service provider networks.

Deep Buffer Architecture

With deep packet buffering, the switch manages microbursts effectively and prevents packet loss in high-congestion environments. This is especially beneficial for financial trading platforms, big data clusters, and high-frequency transactional systems where packet drops can cause performance degradation.

Enhanced Forwarding Scale

The hardware architecture supports extensive MAC address tables, ARP entries, and route scalability. This enables deployment in large-scale cloud networks and multi-tenant data centers where thousands of endpoints must be supported reliably.

Cloud Networking with Arista EOS

Extensible Operating System (EOS)

The DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R runs on Arista’s Extensible Operating System (EOS), a highly programmable and resilient network operating system. EOS is built on a Linux kernel and provides advanced automation capabilities, real-time telemetry, and consistent software upgrades without service disruption.

Single Binary Image

EOS uses a single binary image across the entire Arista product line, simplifying management and maintenance. This consistency ensures operational efficiency, reducing the complexity of managing multi-tier networks.

Advanced Automation and APIs

EOS supports open APIs, Python scripting, and integration with orchestration platforms such as Ansible, Puppet, and Chef. This enables seamless automation, rapid deployment, and efficient configuration management across large infrastructures.

Switching Capacity

With 36 x 100GbE ports, the switch delivers multi-terabit switching capacity, making it suitable for data-intensive workloads. High switching throughput ensures smooth handling of east-west traffic common in virtualized and containerized environments.

Ultra-Low Latency

The hardware design ensures deterministic, low-latency forwarding. This makes it particularly beneficial for financial services, real-time analytics, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications.

VXLAN and EVPN Support

The switch supports VXLAN overlays and EVPN control planes, enabling large-scale virtualized network deployments. This allows for seamless multi-tenant data center fabrics and simplified workload mobility across racks and pods.

Network Virtualization Integration

Advanced network virtualization features help organizations build cloud-ready infrastructures. These capabilities simplify segmentation, enhance security, and optimize traffic distribution.

Hot-Swappable Components

The DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R includes hot-swappable power supplies and fan modules, ensuring minimal downtime during maintenance. This design enhances availability and supports 24/7 operational environments.

Front-to-Rear and Rear-to-Front Airflow Options

Flexible airflow configurations accommodate different rack designs and cooling strategies. This ensures efficient thermal management in high-density data centers.

Redundant Power Architecture

Dual power supply support provides power redundancy and improves operational resilience. In mission-critical environments, this redundancy helps maintain uninterrupted network services.

Advanced Access Control Lists (ACLs)

Hardware-based ACLs provide granular traffic filtering and security policy enforcement. These features are essential for protecting sensitive workloads and maintaining compliance standards.

Energy Efficiency and Data Center Optimization

Optimized Power Consumption

The switch is designed to deliver high performance while maintaining energy efficiency. Advanced ASIC architecture reduces power consumption per gigabit, lowering operational costs.

Use Cases for Arista DCS-7280QRA-C36SM-FLX-R

Cloud Data Centers

Cloud service providers benefit from high port density, scalability, and automation capabilities, enabling efficient multi-tenant deployments.

Enterprise Core Networks

Large enterprises can deploy this switch in core layers to support heavy traffic loads, unified communications, and mission-critical applications.

High-Frequency Trading Environments

Ultra-low latency performance makes it suitable for trading platforms requiring rapid transaction processing and deterministic network behavior.

High-Performance Computing (HPC)

HPC clusters require high throughput and minimal latency. The 100GbE QSFP28 connectivity ensures smooth data exchange between compute nodes.