Arista DCS-7280SR2-48YC6-F — 25/100GbE Deep-Buffer Leaf & Routing Switch for Cloud and Enterprise Fabrics
The Arista DCS-7280SR2-48YC6-F is a 1RU deep-buffer switch designed for high-performance 25GbE access and 100GbE uplink deployments in cloud, enterprise, and service provider data centers. It delivers 48 × 1/10/25GbE SFP28 ports and 6 × 40/100GbE QSFP uplinks, making it a highly capable 25G leaf switch for EVPN-VXLAN fabrics, routing-edge deployments, and storage connectivity. The -F airflow model provides front-to-rear cooling aligned with standard cold-aisle / hot-aisle rack configurations.
As part of the Arista 7280 Series, the 7280SR2-48YC6-F offers Jericho-based deep buffering, advanced routing scale, and real-time telemetry—ideal for large multi-tenant cloud and enterprise networks.
Key Features:
- 48 × 25GbE Access Ports: High-performance server, storage, and edge device connectivity.
- 6 × 40/100GbE Uplinks: Flexible spine connectivity and breakout support.
- Deep Buffer Architecture: Predictable forwarding for storage, routing, and burst-heavy workloads.
- Cloud Automation: OpenConfig, gNMI, streaming telemetry, and eAPI support.
- Advanced Routing: EVPN-VXLAN, MPLS, segment routing, and large-scale BGP.
- Front-to-Rear Airflow: Designed for modern data center thermals.
Deep-Buffer Architecture for Loss-Sensitive Applications
The 7280SR2-48YC6-F provides robust deep buffers for demanding environments where burst absorption and packet integrity matter. This makes it ideal for:
- Storage leaf networks (RoCEv2, NVMe-oF, backup/replication traffic)
- 25G aggregation of dense virtualization clusters
- Routing-edge deployments with large IPv4/IPv6 routing tables
- EVPN-VXLAN fabrics serving multi-tenant workloads
- Financial or low-latency environments requiring consistent traffic handling
Flexible 25GbE Access and 100GbE Uplinks
With its 48 × SFP28 25GbE ports and 6 × QSFP uplinks, the DCS-7280SR2-48YC6-F enables mixed-speed deployments while supporting smooth migration to 100GbE uplink fabrics.
- Access Ports: 1/10/25GbE capable, supporting high-performance servers and storage.
- Uplinks: 40/100GbE QSFP ports with breakout to 4 × 10G or 4 × 25G each.
- Migration Friendly: Works in both 40G and 100G spine environments.
EOS Automation, Telemetry, and Programmability
- Open APIs: eAPI, JSON RPC, gNMI, and OpenConfig support automation at scale.
- Real-Time Telemetry: Streaming device and flow state for cloud-NOC visibility.
- ZTP & Scripting: Zero Touch Provisioning and EOS extensions simplify deployments.
- Change Control: Rollback, commit sequencing, and structured configuration workflows.
Enterprise and Service Provider Capabilities
- MPLS & Segment Routing for carrier and enterprise WAN roles
- EVPN-VXLAN for data center segmentation and scalable overlays
- MACsec encryption support
- Advanced QoS leveraging deep buffers for deterministic forwarding
Hardware Design and Airflow
- Form Factor: 1RU fixed switch with front-facing ports.
- Airflow: -F airflow (front-to-rear) for hot/cold aisle alignment.
- Redundant Components: Dual power supplies and hot-swappable fan modules.
Deployment Scenarios
25G Leaf in Leaf–Spine Fabrics
A scalable 25G access switch with 100G uplinks for modern EVPN-VXLAN data centers.
Routing / EVPN Edge
Acts as a routing-edge device with advanced BGP, MPLS, and segment routing support.
Storage and Performance-Critical Computing
Deep buffers prevent packet loss during storage bursts or HPC workloads.
Enterprise Aggregation
Aggregates mixed-speed server/storage layers with 100GbE uplinks to the core.
Use Cases by Industry
- Cloud Providers: Multi-tenant EVPN fabrics and automated provisioning.
- Financial Services: Predictable low-loss forwarding for latency-sensitive apps.
- Media & Entertainment: High-bandwidth pipelines for rendering and encoding.
- Service Providers: MPLS, SR-MPLS, and large routing table support.
- Enterprise DCs: High-density 25G leaf or routing-edge deployments.
Related 7280 Series Resources
Explore this guide to compare models, evaluate alternatives, and understand the full 7280R, 7280R2 and 7280R3 portfolio:
Best Arista 7280R / 7280R2 / 7280R3 Switches (2025): Model Comparison, Architecture & Deployment Guide
DCS-7280SR2-48YC6-F vs Other Arista 7280SR / SR2 / SR3 Models
Compare this switch with similar 25G/100G deep-buffer models across the SR-family:
Arista DCS-7280SR2-48YC6-F
- Access Ports: 48 × 1/10/25GbE SFP28
- Uplinks: 6 × 40/100GbE QSFP
- Use Case: Ideal for 25G leaf roles, routing edge, or storage aggregation.
DCS-7280SR-48C6
- 48 × 10GbE + 6 × 40GbE
- Well-suited for legacy or transitional 10G deployments.
DCS-7280SR3-48YC8
- 48 × 25GbE + 8 × 100GbE
- An SR3 alternative for high-bandwidth leaf/routing roles.
For additional comparison across the SR-family and other Arista platforms, explore the full Arista Switches catalog and the dedicated Arista 7280 Series hub.
Also available: DCS-7280SR2-48YC6-R with rear-to-front airflow.
