DCS-7368X4-SC-F Arista 7368X Chassis Switch Card

Arista DCS-7368X4-SC-F 7368X Chassis X4-SC Switch Card

The Arista DCS-7368X4-SC-F Switch Card is a high-performance component designed for the 7368X chassis. Built to deliver reliable connectivity and advanced scalability, this card ensures smooth integration into enterprise-grade networking environments.

Main Information

Manufacturer Details

• Brand: Arista Network
• Model Number: DCS-7368X4-SC-F
• Category: Switch Card for 7368X Chassis

Technical Information

Connectivity Features

Port Options

• Optimized for high-speed data transfer
• Supports advanced switching capabilities
• Designed for seamless integration with 7368X chassis

Performance Attributes

Processing Efficiency

• Engineered for robust throughput
• Reliable architecture for enterprise workloads
• Enhanced scalability for growing networks

Storage & Memory

System Resources

• Optimized memory allocation for efficient operations
• Supports advanced data handling
• Ensures stability under heavy workloads

High-Performance Data Center Switching Architecture

The Arista DCS-7368X4-SC-F 7368X 7368 Chassis X4-SC Switch Card belongs to a specialized category of modular data center switching components engineered for ultra-low latency, high-density 10GbE and 40GbE networking environments. This category represents the backbone of modern cloud-scale infrastructure, financial trading platforms, large enterprise data centers, and high-performance computing clusters where consistent throughput, deterministic latency, and scalability are non-negotiable requirements. The 7368X architecture is purpose-built to address the exponential growth in east-west traffic within virtualized and containerized environments.

Within the broader ecosystem of data center networking, modular switch cards such as the X4-SC are integral to chassis-based switching systems. These switch cards provide the processing intelligence, packet forwarding capacity, and port density that define the overall performance of the chassis platform. Designed to integrate seamlessly into the Arista 7368X series chassis, the X4-SC switch card delivers the advanced capabilities required to support software-defined networking, automation frameworks, and hyperscale deployments.

Modular Chassis Switching and Scalability

The modular switching category emphasizes scalability and flexibility. Rather than relying on fixed-configuration switches, organizations deploy chassis-based systems that can accommodate interchangeable switch cards and line cards. This architecture allows network administrators to scale port density, bandwidth capacity, and feature sets without replacing the entire switching platform. The Arista DCS-7368X4-SC-F switch card is engineered to operate as a core control and switching element within the 7368X chassis, enabling high-speed data forwarding and intelligent traffic management.

Chassis-based switches are particularly advantageous in environments where network growth is continuous. By installing additional switch cards or upgrading existing modules, enterprises can adapt to changing bandwidth requirements while maintaining operational continuity. This category of networking hardware supports investment protection strategies and long-term infrastructure planning.

High-Density 10GbE and 40GbE Connectivity

The 7368X platform category is recognized for delivering exceptional port density, supporting large numbers of 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports with the flexibility to aggregate into 40 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks. This high-density configuration is essential in top-of-rack and end-of-row deployments within data centers where server virtualization increases traffic between hosts. The switch card is optimized to handle large volumes of east-west traffic, reducing bottlenecks and maintaining consistent throughput across the network fabric.

Support for 40GbE uplinks enables efficient aggregation into spine layers within leaf-spine architectures. This design ensures predictable latency and simplified network topology, which are critical for cloud-scale operations and distributed application environments.

Advanced Switching Performance and Low Latency

Low latency is a defining characteristic of this switching category. The Arista 7368X series, powered by advanced switching silicon, is designed to deliver deterministic performance with minimal packet delay. In environments such as electronic trading platforms and real-time analytics systems, microseconds matter. The X4-SC switch card contributes to maintaining consistent latency profiles under heavy load conditions.

The high-performance packet processing engine integrated into the switch card supports wire-speed forwarding across all active ports. This ensures that even under peak traffic conditions, packets are processed and transmitted without congestion-induced delays. The architecture is optimized to prevent head-of-line blocking and maintain balanced throughput across multiple traffic streams.

Cut-Through Switching and Buffer Optimization

This category leverages cut-through switching technology to reduce packet processing latency. By beginning packet forwarding as soon as the destination address is identified, cut-through switching minimizes the time data spends within the device. The result is improved responsiveness and lower overall network latency.

Efficient buffer management is another critical feature. The switch card incorporates deep and intelligently managed buffers to handle bursty traffic patterns common in virtualized environments. This capability prevents packet loss during traffic spikes and ensures smooth data flow across interconnected servers and storage systems.

High Throughput for Cloud-Scale

Cloud service providers and enterprise data centers require switching platforms capable of sustaining terabits of throughput. The 7368X category addresses these demands by delivering substantial switching capacity per chassis. The X4-SC switch card is engineered to support this capacity while maintaining operational efficiency and stability.

High throughput is essential for applications such as distributed databases, container orchestration platforms, and big data processing clusters. The switch card ensures that network infrastructure does not become a limiting factor in application performance.

Software-Defined Networking and Automation

The Arista 7368X category integrates tightly with Arista’s Extensible Operating System, enabling advanced programmability and automation capabilities. Software-defined networking is central to modern data center design, allowing administrators to manage large-scale networks through centralized controllers and automation scripts. The switch card operates within this ecosystem, supporting open standards and programmable interfaces.

Network automation reduces operational overhead and improves configuration consistency. With support for APIs, scripting languages, and orchestration tools, the 7368X platform facilitates rapid deployment and streamlined management. This is particularly valuable in environments where network configurations must adapt dynamically to workload demands.

Integration with CloudVision and Network Telemetry

The 7368X series integrates with Arista CloudVision for centralized management, visibility, and analytics. Telemetry capabilities allow real-time monitoring of network performance metrics, including latency, throughput, and error rates. The switch card contributes to comprehensive observability by collecting and transmitting operational data that supports proactive maintenance and troubleshooting.

Enhanced telemetry ensures that network administrators can identify potential issues before they impact service availability. This predictive approach aligns with modern DevOps practices and continuous delivery models.

Open Standards and Interoperability

This switching category emphasizes adherence to open networking standards. Support for protocols such as BGP, OSPF, EVPN, and VXLAN enables seamless integration into multi-vendor environments. The X4-SC switch card ensures compatibility with existing network infrastructure while supporting advanced overlay technologies used in virtualized data centers.

Interoperability is essential for organizations that deploy heterogeneous hardware ecosystems. By supporting widely adopted protocols and APIs, the 7368X platform protects infrastructure investments and facilitates gradual network evolution.

Security and Network Segmentation

Security is an integral component of enterprise networking categories. The 7368X switch card supports advanced access control, segmentation, and monitoring capabilities that help protect sensitive data and critical applications. Network segmentation techniques such as VLANs and VXLAN overlays enable logical isolation of workloads within shared physical infrastructure.

Role-based access controls and authentication mechanisms enhance operational security by restricting configuration privileges to authorized personnel. This layered approach to security supports compliance with industry regulations and internal governance policies.

Micro-Segmentation and Multi-Tenancy

In multi-tenant data centers, micro-segmentation ensures that traffic between tenants remains isolated. The 7368X category supports granular policy enforcement and overlay networking technologies that enable secure workload mobility across the data center fabric. This capability is particularly important for cloud service providers delivering infrastructure-as-a-service solutions.

Secure multi-tenancy allows organizations to maximize hardware utilization while maintaining strict isolation boundaries, reducing both capital and operational expenditures.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Management

Modern data center hardware must balance performance with energy efficiency. The Arista DCS-7368X4-SC-F switch card is designed to operate within optimized power envelopes, contributing to reduced overall energy consumption per gigabit of throughput. Efficient silicon design and intelligent power management features help maintain high performance without excessive heat generation.

Thermal management within the 7368X chassis ensures consistent airflow and cooling across installed modules. Proper heat dissipation is critical for maintaining long-term reliability and preventing performance degradation under sustained load conditions.

Front-to-Back Airflow Design

The “-F” designation indicates front-to-back airflow configuration, which aligns with standard hot-aisle and cold-aisle data center layouts. This airflow orientation supports efficient cooling strategies and simplifies integration into existing rack environments. Consistent thermal design contributes to predictable hardware behavior and extended component lifespan.

Deployment Scenarios and Industry Applications

The 7368X switching category is deployed across a wide range of industries. Financial institutions rely on ultra-low latency switching for algorithmic trading platforms where transaction speed directly impacts profitability. Technology companies utilize high-density switching to support large-scale cloud services and distributed application architectures.

Healthcare and research institutions benefit from reliable, high-bandwidth networking to support data-intensive applications such as genomic sequencing and medical imaging. Educational institutions and government agencies leverage modular switching platforms to build resilient and scalable campus and data center networks.

Leaf-Spine Architecture Enablement

Leaf-spine architecture has become the dominant design model for modern data centers. The 7368X switch card category supports this architecture by providing high-speed uplinks and consistent latency across all paths. In a leaf-spine topology, every leaf switch connects to every spine switch, creating a non-blocking fabric that ensures predictable performance regardless of traffic patterns.

This design simplifies network scaling and eliminates bottlenecks associated with traditional three-tier architectures. The switch card’s performance characteristics make it well-suited for both leaf and spine roles within the fabric.

High-Performance Computing Clusters

High-performance computing environments demand reliable, high-throughput networking to interconnect compute nodes. The 7368X category delivers the bandwidth and latency characteristics necessary for parallel processing workloads. Scientific simulations, engineering modeling, and real-time analytics benefit from the consistent data transfer rates provided by this switching platform.

Reliability, Redundancy, and Operational Continuity

Enterprise-grade switching hardware must maintain continuous operation even in the event of component failures. The modular design of the 7368X chassis allows for redundancy across power supplies, cooling modules, and switch cards. This redundancy minimizes downtime and supports high availability architectures.

The X4-SC switch card is engineered for robust performance under demanding conditions. Hardware-level fault detection and system-level monitoring contribute to rapid issue identification and resolution. These features are essential for maintaining service-level agreements in mission-critical environments.

Hot-Swappable Components and Maintenance Efficiency

Hot-swappable capability is a defining feature of this category. Administrators can replace or upgrade switch cards without shutting down the entire chassis, preserving network uptime during maintenance operations. This capability reduces operational disruption and enhances overall system availability.

Efficient maintenance workflows are particularly valuable in large-scale deployments where downtime can affect thousands of users and applications.

Future-Ready Networking Infrastructure

The Arista DCS-7368X4-SC-F 7368X 7368 Chassis X4-SC Switch Card represents a forward-looking category of modular data center switching technology designed to accommodate evolving bandwidth requirements and emerging networking paradigms. As organizations continue to adopt cloud-native architectures, artificial intelligence workloads, and distributed computing models, scalable and high-performance switching infrastructure remains foundational. The 7368X category provides the flexibility, performance, and reliability required to support next-generation digital transformation initiatives while maintaining operational efficiency and long-term infrastructure resilience.