Arista DCS-7280CR2A-30-F — 30×100GbE QSFP Port Switch Router with Front-to-Rear Airflow
TheÂ
Arista DCS-7280CR2A-30-FÂ is a 1RU switch router in the 7280R2A Series, deliveringÂ
6 Tbps of non-blocking switching capacity withÂ
30 × 100GbE QSFP28 ports. Built on a deep buffer VOQ ASIC platform withÂ
12 GB of packet buffer memory,Â
3.8 µs store-and-forward latency, and support forÂ
AlgoMatch policy-based forwarding withÂ
Accelerated sFlow, the 7280CR2A-30 provides the same full Layer 2/3 switch router capabilities as larger spine and core models — BGP routing, MPLS, Segment Routing, EVPN, VXLAN, and 128-way ECMP — in a compact 1RU form factor ideal for data center interconnects, leaf-spine fabrics, and high-density deployments. The “
-F” suffix denotesÂ
front-to-rear (normal) airflow, where cool air enters from the non-port side and exhausts from the port side of the chassis. For rear-to-front airflow, see theÂ
DCS-7280CR2A-30-R.
Key Features at a Glance
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F brings a host of forward-looking technologies that make it an exceptional fit for next-generation data centers:
- High-Density Port Configuration: The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F boasts a high-density port setup, with 30 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports, facilitating efficient network expansion, breakout flexibility, and connectivity.
- Non-Blocking Fabric Architecture: With a non-blocking fabric architecture, this switch ensures maximum throughput and minimal latency, optimizing performance for demanding networking applications.
- Advanced Quality of Service (QoS): Equipped with advanced QoS capabilities, the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F prioritizes critical traffic, ensuring consistent and reliable performance for mission-critical applications.
- Built-In Redundancy: Featuring built-in redundancy and hot-swappable components, this switch enhances network reliability and minimizes downtime for maintenance or upgrades.
- Energy-Efficient Design: The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F is designed with energy efficiency in mind, reducing power consumption without compromising performance, making it an environmentally friendly choice for data center environments.
- Advanced Deep Buffering for Lossless Ethernet and RoCEv2: Enables efficient handling of traffic bursts to minimize packet loss, critical for high-performance and storage networks.
- Deterministic Latency and Ultra-Low Jitter Switching: Guarantees consistent packet delivery times essential for latency-sensitive applications like financial trading.
- Programmable Packet Processor for Telemetry and In-Band Network Visibility: Provides real-time monitoring and diagnostics through granular telemetry and flow data collection.
- VXLAN/EVPN and Comprehensive ECMP Routing Readiness: Supports scalable and flexible network fabric deployments with optimized traffic distribution.
- Airflow-Optimized Design with Front-to-Rear (F-R) Cooling: Maintains optimal thermal conditions aligned with data center cooling strategies for energy efficiency.
- Secure Boot and Real-Time MACsec Encryption: Protects against firmware tampering and ensures data confidentiality with robust Layer 2 encryption.
- Arista EOS Automation and Telemetry Ecosystem: Enables streamlined configuration, programmatic control, and deep network health insights for proactive maintenance.
Throughput and Switching Architecture
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F delivers impressive throughput capacity exceeding 6.4 Tbps, supporting full wire-speed performance on all ports simultaneously without blocking. Its architecture leverages deep packet buffers—up to 16GB per system—which ensures consistent performance for bursty or storage traffic such as RoCEv2. The switch’s multi-terabit fabric design guarantees that high-capacity traffic flows do not induce packet drops or performance degradation, even in highly virtualized environments.
Latency, Jitter, and Buffer Performance
While engineered with large buffers to absorb microbursts, the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F maintains deterministic and predictable low latency characteristics essential for latency-sensitive applications. The switch exhibits ultra-low jitter thanks to a well-designed queuing structure, allowing consistent flow handling. This is particularly valuable in AI/ML cluster interconnects and storage networks, where traffic variability can impact overall workload efficiency.
Port Density, Configuration, and Use Cases
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F is equipped with 30 QSFP ports, each capable of operating at 100G or split into four 25G or 10G lanes, providing remarkable port flexibility. This enables a range of configurations:
- 30 x 100G direct connections
- Up to 120 x 25G or 120 x 10G connections via breakout cables
- Mixed-mode for migration scenarios (e.g., partial 100G and 25G deployment)
Such flexibility allows the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F to serve leaf-spine architectures, storage networks, and AI workloads simultaneously.
Optics, Cables, and Interoperability
Supporting a broad portfolio of transceivers—including QSFP28 and QSFP+ optics—the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F ensures compatibility across single-mode, multi-mode fiber, and DAC/AOC cabling. This multi-standard support guarantees seamless interoperability with existing network equipment from Arista and third-party vendors, easing deployment in heterogeneous environments.
Fabric Readiness: VXLAN, EVPN, and ECMP
With native VXLAN and EVPN capabilities, the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F is fabric-ready for large-scale cloud and multi-tenant data centers. The switch supports thousands of VXLAN tunnels and offers flexible ECMP routing, enabling highly scalable east-west traffic patterns without compromising speed or reliability. Combined with EVPN control plane functionality, the switch facilitates seamless workload mobility and Layer 2/3 segmentation.
Telemetry, Monitoring, and Network Insight
Arista’s in-band telemetry (INT) and streaming telemetry engines are integral to the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F. These features provide granular, real-time network state information, including per-flow latency, congestion detection, and buffer occupancy statistics. Operators gain actionable insights without interrupting data flows, helping to optimize network performance and proactively address potential faults.
Automation and Extensibility
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F runs Arista EOS, a fully programmable and open network operating system that integrates with popular automation frameworks such as Ansible, Puppet, and Chef. Native APIs and JSON-RPC enable effortless extension of switch functionality, including Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) and network-wide orchestration. This allows operators to build self-healing, adaptive infrastructures that reduce human error and operational cost.
Environmental Efficiency and Airflow Design
Designed with data center sustainability in mind, the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F features hot-swappable, redundant fans and power supplies with front-to-rear airflow. This airflow orientation is optimal for cold-aisle containment deployments, maintaining energy efficiency while safeguarding thermal performance. The platform’s moderate typical power draw of approximately 563W ensures operational cost-effectiveness without sacrificing high performance.
Compliance, Sustainability, and Reliability
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F complies with major industry environmental and safety standards, including RoHS and WEEE directives. Its architecture emphasizes reliability with hot-swappable components, high MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), and failover mechanisms ensuring continuous operation. This makes it suitable for mission-critical data centers where downtime is not an option.
Security Features
Security is embedded into the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F through features such as secure boot, runtime system integrity checks, and MACsec encryption on supported interfaces. These safeguards protect control and data plane integrity, crucial in multi-tenant cloud and financial environments.
Deployment Scenarios
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F shines in a wide range of use cases:
- Cloud-scale leaf or spine: for hyperscale or public cloud fabrics
- AI/ML clusters: where low latency, high throughput, and deep buffers enhance workload performance
- Storage networks: optimized for RoCEv2 with lossless Ethernet handling
- Enterprise aggregation: supporting hybrid 10/25/100G environments
Such versatility reduces infrastructure complexity, allowing organizations to deploy a unified platform for multiple roles.
Lifecycle and Reliability
Arista’s support commitment ensures the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F receives long-term EOS software updates, keeping networks secure and feature-rich over time. Its hot-swappable, redundant design and rigorous component selection contribute to exceptional uptime. Field-proven reliability ensures minimal maintenance intervention, while modular components simplify serviceability during the product lifecycle.
Future-Proofing
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F is engineered to support evolving network demands, including the transition to 400G fabrics and AI/ML-driven data center requirements. Its deep buffer architecture, extensible EOS platform, and flexible port configurations provide scalability that protects customer investment against future traffic growth and technology shifts.
Competitive Comparison
The DCS-7280CR2A-30-F provides a well-balanced combination of throughput, buffer capacity, and power efficiency that fits most enterprise, cloud, and storage workloads. It strikes a sweet spot between performance and cost, making it a versatile choice for many data center environments.
- Compared to the DCS-7280CR2K-30-F, it offers lower power consumption with a modest reduction in buffer depth.
- The DCS-7280CR2M-30-F targets ultra-deep buffering use cases but comes with higher cost and increased energy demands.
- Against competitors such as the Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX and Juniper QFX5120-48Y, the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F stands out for its stronger automation features, superior port density, and improved energy efficiency.
Overall, the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F delivers excellent value and flexibility, making it a compelling option for modern data centers.
A Next-Generation Data Center Workhorse
For organizations ready to scale their networks without compromise, the Arista DCS-7280CR2A-30-F delivers future-proof technology with operational simplicity, performance headroom, and environmental intelligence. Whether building out a cloud infrastructure, HPC environment, or cutting-edge storage fabric, the DCS-7280CR2A-30-F sets the benchmark for what modern switching platforms can achieve.
