DCS-7280SE-64-R Arista 48x 10GB SFP+ 4x 40GB QSFP+ Back-to-Front Airflow Switch

Arista 48x 10GB 40GB QSFP+ Switch

The Arista DCS-7280SE-64-R is a high-performance enterprise-grade network switch designed for modern data centers and cloud environments. It delivers exceptional throughput, scalability, and reliability with advanced airflow management.

General Details

• Brand: Arista
• Category: Network Switch
• Part Number: DCS-7280SE-64-R

Technical Specifications

Port Configuration

• 48x 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ interfaces
• 4x 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ uplink connections
• 1x 1 Gigabit management port
• 1x RS232 Serial RJ45 console port
• 1x USB interface

Performance Metrics

• Switching Capacity: 1.28 Tbps
• Forwarding Rate: 900 Mpps
• Latency: 3.8 microseconds
• Packet Buffer: 9 GB
• MAC Address Table: 256,000 entries
• VLAN IDs Supported: 4096

System Architecture

• Quad-Core x86 CPU
• 4 GB DRAM
• 4 GB Flash storage

Cooling and Power

Airflow Management

• Back-to-Front airflow design for optimized cooling

Fan Modules

• 4x FAN-7000-R modules included
• N+1 redundancy for reliability

Power Supply Units

• 2x PWR-500AC-R power supplies included
• AC input supported

DCS-7280SE-64-R 48x 10GB SFP+ 40GB QSFP+ Switch Overview

The Arista DCS-7280SE-64-R 48x 10GB SFP+ 4x 40GB QSFP+ Back-to-Front Airflow Switch is a purpose-built data center platform engineered to meet the growing demands of cloud networking, high-performance computing, large-scale virtualization, and enterprise core aggregation. As part of the renowned 7280SE Series from :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}, this switch delivers deterministic performance, ultra-low latency, deep buffering, and intelligent programmability that modern data centers require.

Designed with 48 fixed 10 Gigabit SFP+ ports and 4 high-speed 40 Gigabit QSFP+ uplink ports, the DCS-7280SE-64-R provides a flexible combination of density and bandwidth in a compact 1U form factor. Its back-to-front airflow design ensures optimal cooling efficiency for hot aisle/cold aisle deployments, making it a highly suitable choice for enterprise and hyperscale environments where thermal management is critical.

Architecture and Hardware

High-Density 10GbE Access Ports

The switch features 48 SFP+ ports supporting 1GbE and 10GbE connectivity. This flexibility allows seamless integration with legacy 1Gb devices while enabling migration to full 10GbE infrastructure. These ports are ideal for server connections, storage networks, hypervisor clusters, and edge aggregation roles.

By delivering wire-speed forwarding on all 48 ports simultaneously, the DCS-7280SE-64-R ensures predictable performance even under high traffic loads. This makes it particularly valuable in environments supporting virtual machines, containers, and east-west traffic patterns common in modern application architectures.

40GbE Uplink and Spine Connectivity

The 4 QSFP+ ports support native 40GbE uplinks or can be broken out into 4x10GbE connections per port, enabling highly flexible topologies. In leaf-spine architectures, these ports provide high-bandwidth spine connectivity, minimizing oversubscription and ensuring optimal throughput between racks.

For enterprises transitioning toward higher-speed networking, these QSFP+ uplinks allow scalable bandwidth growth without requiring full hardware replacement. This future-ready design protects long-term infrastructure investments.

Deep Buffer Architecture for Burst Traffic

The 7280SE Series is widely recognized for its deep packet buffering capabilities. In environments where microbursts and congestion occur frequently, deep buffers prevent packet drops and ensure stable performance. This is particularly valuable in storage over Ethernet environments such as iSCSI or NFS, as well as in financial trading platforms and high-performance analytics clusters.

Deep buffers allow the DCS-7280SE-64-R to absorb sudden traffic spikes without impacting application performance, making it suitable for mixed workloads and unpredictable traffic flows.

Back-to-Front Airflow Design for Data Center Optimization

The “-R” model designation signifies reverse airflow, meaning air flows from back to front. This design is ideal for data centers using hot aisle/cold aisle containment strategies where cold air is delivered at the rear of racks.

By aligning airflow direction with rack-level cooling design, the switch enhances energy efficiency, reduces cooling strain, and maintains optimal operating temperatures. This improves hardware longevity and operational stability.

Redundant Power Supplies and Fans

The DCS-7280SE-64-R includes hot-swappable power supplies and fan modules, ensuring high availability. Redundancy reduces the risk of downtime during maintenance or hardware failure. The modular design allows component replacement without interrupting network traffic.

For mission-critical environments such as financial institutions, healthcare systems, and hyperscale data centers, this level of hardware resilience is essential.

High-Performance Storage Networking

Storage traffic demands low latency and minimal packet loss. With deep buffering and deterministic performance, the DCS-7280SE-64-R supports storage protocols such as iSCSI and FCoE. The platform ensures stable throughput even during peak data replication or backup operations.

Financial Services and High-Frequency Trading

Low-latency switching is crucial in financial trading environments. The 7280SE Series offers consistent packet forwarding performance and precise congestion management. In latency-sensitive deployments, this switch contributes to improved trade execution speed and reduced jitter.

Enterprise Core and Aggregation

For mid-sized enterprises, the DCS-7280SE-64-R can serve as an aggregation or core switch, consolidating access-layer connections and providing high-speed uplinks to upstream infrastructure. Its port density reduces the need for multiple devices, simplifying management.

Key Details and Capabilities

Low Latency Switching

The DCS-7280SE-64-R is engineered to deliver sub-microsecond latency, ensuring real-time application responsiveness. Applications such as voice over IP, video conferencing, and transactional databases benefit from consistent packet handling.

High Throughput and Scalability

With terabits of switching capacity, the switch supports simultaneous full-line-rate traffic across all ports. This ensures that expanding workloads do not degrade performance.

Advanced Routing and Layer 3 Features

The platform supports comprehensive Layer 2 and Layer 3 routing protocols, including BGP, OSPF, and IS-IS. This enables scalable routing architectures in large data center fabrics.

VXLAN and Network Virtualization

Support for VXLAN allows overlay network deployment, enabling multi-tenant isolation and scalable segmentation. Virtualized data centers benefit from this capability by extending Layer 2 domains across Layer 3 boundaries.

MLAG for Redundancy

Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation provides active-active redundancy across two switches, increasing resilience and eliminating single points of failure.