Arista cEOS Does Not Apply ACLs to Control-Plane Traffic
The content argues that claims about using digital twins or AI agents to validate network ideas often ignore practical limitations, highlighting a new gotcha: Arista cEOS containers do not apply inbound ACLs to control-plane traffic, unlike vEOS VMs.
MAIN POINTS
- Digital twins are often promoted as a way to test network designs and validate ideas.
- The author suggests asking about overlooked technical details before trusting those claims.
- A long list of simulation and lab environment gotchas already exists.
- Arista cEOS containers differ from vEOS VMs by not enforcing inbound ACLs on control-plane traffic.
TAKEAWAYS
- Network validation tools can mislead if their limitations are not understood.
- Small platform differences may change test results in important ways.
- Digital twin results should be checked against real device behavior.
- Lab quirks can accumulate and undermine confidence in automated validation.