Arista Networks today announced two new 100 GbE modules that, with Arista EOS, provide scalability, multi-tenancy, and network virtualization through open and programmable overlays, helping customers achieve seamless workload and VM mobility. Automated provisioning, combined with the new products, gives customers greater flexibility, scale and density for the most demanding cloud networks.  Additionally, the 7300X Series with 10GBASE-T modules are gaining adoption among customers deploying cost-effective single tier and two tier networks.

The new line cards expand the portfolio of high density and cost-effective 100GbE. The Arista 7500E 100GbE line cards provide full support for IEEE 100GbE standards on both single-mode and multi-mode fiber, and broaden the choices for 10/40/100G with investment protection for existing customers. With Arista 7500E 100GbE in the spine layer, customers can now achieve network virtualization using VXLAN support in the modular platforms to deploy their cloud multi-tenant networks at large scale with high bandwidth. Additionally, those deploying the Arista DANZ features within Arista EOS can now get intelligent traffic visibility on 100GbE networks by leveraging Tap Aggregation on Arista 7500E modular platforms. Arista’s Data Analysis DANZ solution is now expanded to modular chassis platforms and enables customers to connect to 100GbE spline or spine networks and to deliver tap aggregated 10GbE connections into a single 100GbE uplink to network monitoring, management and analytic tools.

“We selected the Arista 7500E platform for our data center to provide customers with true 100 Gigabit Ethernet services,” said Ihab Tarazi, Chief Technology Officer at Equinix.  “Because of the open architecture and cloud interconnect protocols, including VXLAN, the programmability of Arista EOS and multi-speed mode, we are able to allocate data center resources at 10/40 or 100 gigabits in a reliable and cost-effective manner.”

Spline Series Delivers Programmability
The Arista 7300 Series offers 10GBASE-T at lower power per port than classic 10/100/1000 - allowing customers to migrate existing modular platforms with minimal disruption to existing structured cabling systems.

"When we decided to migrate our data center, we evaluated Core IP Switches based on performance, power consumption, and value,” said Golan Ben-Oni, Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President Network Architecture at IDT Corporation.  "The Arista 7308 switch, combined with Arista EOS, is delivering on all of these aspects in our production network. Arista is an innovative company and we bet our data centers on their ability to perform."

Customers building Spline networks, or collapsed two-tier leaf-spine networks, can now take full advantage of the portfolio of line cards announced in November of 2013.  Building a Spline network gives customers the ability to collapse the leaf and spine into a single tier network for performance and latency sensitive cloud applications. These network designs have an open, extensible, and programmable foundation of Arista EOS that enables software defined cloud networking with virtualization, orchestration, and application visibility.

Deploying Arista EOS Smart System Upgrade (SSU)
Arista SSU now addresses data center infrastructure maintenance - one of the most complicated and challenging tasks facing data center administrators. Customers can perform maintenance on any infrastructure element, without adversely impacting application traffic flow.

“At Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. the network is critical to maintaining the services our customers depend on,” said Steve Wesling, IT Operations/Network Manager.  “With Arista EOS and the Arista 7300 platform, we will be able to automate and program our network, ensuring high availability and uptime while also reducing our operational costs.”

The Arista 7300X Series delivers capex savings against both legacy Catalyst 6500 Series and two-tier designs. Arista also has a trade in program that enables customers to leverage the SDN capabilities of the 7300X Series while smoothly migrating from classic modular systems.

Pricing and Availability
New 100GbE Line cards for 7500E Series:
The 7500E Series 6 ports 100GbE card with support for CFP2 optics up to 40km over single mode fiber is orderable in Q2 2014 with pricing starting at £4,000 per 100GbE port. The 12 ports 100GbE 7500E Series card is planned for availability in 2H 2014 along with a full range of QSFP-100 optics and cables.