Arista Networks Introduces 400 Gigabit Ethernet Platforms

Arista Networks today announced a new switching line that supports 400 gigabit Ethernet. The new 400G fixed systems are targeted at hyperscale cloud networks and data centers that need more bandwidth for technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and serverless computing. The Arista 7060X4 Series delivers four times the throughput and double the power efficiency of Arista’s previous 100G platforms. The new series also includes optics that provide backward compatibility for 100G ports. This gives customers flexibility in building high density leaf-spine networks, including 100G connectivity to servers and 400G connectivity in the leaf-spine fabric. The new platforms are based on Broadcom’s 12.8 Tb/s Tomahawk 3 silicon. “The 7060X4 with the Broadcom Tomahawk 3 is an evolution of the existing 7060X Series all based on Broadcom Tomahawk silicon, ensuring a consistent architecture with enhancements that will be of value to the largest hyperscale cloud operators and allow for migration to 400G with minimal disruption,” said Martin Hull, Arista’s area vice president of cloud and platform product management. In addition, Arista has made enhancements in its EOS traffic management and load balancing to take advantage of on-chip improvements in buffering and routing resources. In its fourth-quarter 2017 earnings call with investors, Arista CEO Jayshree Ullal said, “400 gig is going to be very important in certain use cases and you can expect Arista is working very hard at it. The mainstream 400-gig market is going to take multiple years. I believe initial trials will be in 2019. But the mainstream market will be even later.” Today, Arista is predicting that 400G volumes will be relatively low in 2019. But the company cites Dell’Oro Market Research that predicts 400G will grow dramatically beginning in 2020.