DCS-7170-64C - Arista Networks

The Arista DCS-7170-64C is a high-performance, fixed-configuration data centre switch designed for scalable, programmable networking in cloud and enterprise environments. It offers a flexible combination of 100GbE, 50GbE, 25GbE, and 10GbE ports, making it suitable for both spine and leaf deployments.​

Key Specifications

• Ports:

  • 64 × 100GbE QSFP100 ports

  • 2 × 10GbE SFP+ ports

• Throughput: Up to 12.8 Tbps

• Forwarding Rate: Up to 4.8 billion packets per second (Bpps)

• Latency: As low as 800 nanoseconds

• Packet Buffer: 22 MB shared across all ports

• Form Factor: 2RU (rack units)

• Airflow Options: Front-to-rear or rear-to-front

• Power:

  • Dual hot-swappable power supplies (1+1 redundancy)

  • Typical power draw: 271 W; Maximum: 571 W

• Cooling: Four N+1 hot-swappable fans

• Management Ports: 1 × 10/100/1000 Ethernet, 1 × RS-232 serial (RJ-45), 1 × USB

• Dimensions: 48.3 × 8.8 × 45.7 cm

• Weight: 15.6 kg

• Operating System: Arista EOS (Extensible Operating System)

• Software Features:

  • Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP)

  • Smart System Upgrade (SSU)

  • Hitless MLAG ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade)

  • AlgoMatch for network policy

  • Advanced telemetry and monitoring with sFlow, IEEE 1588 Precision Timing, and VM Tracer integration

  • Large Scale NAT (Network Address Translation) support

  • 128-way ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) and 64-way MLAG (Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation)

  • Programmable pipeline with P4 support for customised packet parsing and processing.

Port Flexibility

The DCS-7170-64C's QSFP100 ports can be configured in various modes:​

• 100GbE: 64 ports

• 50GbE: 128 ports

• 25GbE: 256 ports

• 10GbE: 258 ports

This flexibility allows for efficient scaling and adaptation to evolving network requirements.​

Programmability and Scalability

Built on Arista's programmable architecture, the DCS-7170-64C enables:​

• Dynamic Packet Parsing: Reconfigure packet headers and processing logic using P4 profiles.

• Custom Table Sizes and Operations: Adjust forwarding tables and processing stages to meet specific application needs.

• Flexible Resource Allocation: Customise L2 and L3 forwarding table resources for optimal performance.

• Advanced Network Services: Offload network services such as tunnel termination and large-scale NAT from compute resources.

• Enhanced Security: Implement stateful and hierarchical ACLs, rule-based policies, and conditional filtering for improved security.​