Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) is Robust and Easy to Use
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
We use the Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) as our primary method for configuring and maintaining Arista equipment in our environment. Using many of the Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) capabilities we are able to monitor, upgrade, log and alert for many different actions and conditions that may occur on the hardware itself. Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) makes it easy to the daily tasks and is similar enough to competitor's OS that commands easily transfer from one environment to another.
Pros
- Manage - Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) is comprehensive enough that all of the commands are present to manage the device and take advantage of all of the unique features.
- Scale - A single command set across multiple pieces of hardware allow us to script changes and deploy hardware easily.
- Update - Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) updates happen seamlessly and often don't require rebooting the underlying hardware thanks to it's module-by-module approach.
Cons
- There are "assumptions" for lack of a better word that are baked into the Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS). While many would be considered best practice, there are others that require a great deal of workarounds for specific environments.
- Some details about hardware state are hard to get inside the command structure. There aren't summarized views for many of the more routine queries.
- Logging - It is difficult to output logging to a SIEM collector and also let logs remain on the device.
Return on Investment
- No Training Budget Needed - Command set is similar to other vendors and it required no specialized training.
- Reduced Downtime - Many Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) updates can happen without rebooting the underlying hardware meaning that downtime is reduced. This makes EVERYONE happy.
- Few Bugs - There are very few bugs in the Arista Extensible Operating System (EOS) production code thanks to great Q/A work by Arista.
Usability
Alternatives Considered
Cisco IOS
Other Software Used
Cisco IOS, SolarWinds Kiwi CatTools, Palo Alto Networks Prisma SD-WAN
