Infrastructure You Control
CloudVision runs on infrastructure you control, not cloud services you depend on.
Campus Migration
Cisco Meraki to Arista Migration
Leave Meraki's dashboard behind and gain programmability, ownership, and operational depth with Arista EOS and CloudVision.
Complete migration from Cisco Meraki switching and wireless to Arista campus infrastructure with configuration translation, CloudVision deployment, and operational handoff.
Purpose-built migration methodology for organizations moving from Meraki to Arista.
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Migration Methodology
Configuration translation with architecture improvement built in
IVI approaches Meraki migrations as configuration translation projects with architecture improvement built in. We don't simply move Meraki configuration to Arista — we use the migration to design the network correctly on the new platform.
The Meraki Challenge
Meraki delivered on its original promise of cloud-managed simplicity, but operational reality has shifted. Licensing costs have increased significantly, and the all-or-nothing model creates renewal risk for your entire fleet.
Increasing licensing costs under Cisco ownership
All-or-nothing renewal model creates business risk
Limited API access and constrained automation capability
Management dependency on Cisco's cloud infrastructure
Configuration exists only in dashboard with no owned documentation
The Arista Advantage
Arista represents operational ownership with EOS that's open, consistent, and Python-native from the ground up.
Real-Time Telemetry
Streaming telemetry provides real-time operational visibility that Meraki's polling-based monitoring cannot match.
Native Programmability
Zero-touch provisioning, configlet-based configuration management, and CloudVision API integrations available immediately.
Migration Process
Six-phase migration methodology with rollback capability maintained throughout.
1
Dashboard Assessment
Complete Meraki dashboard export and documentation — capturing every network policy, VLAN, SSID, and security rule.
2
Architecture Design
Design Arista target architecture, CloudVision management plane, and phased migration plan with rollback procedures.
3
Phased Execution
Execute migration building by building with Meraki infrastructure remaining as fallback until each phase is validated.
Key Capabilities
Comprehensive migration services covering all aspects of Meraki to Arista transition.
Configuration Translation
Translate Meraki dashboard configuration into Arista EOS design with architecture improvements built in.
CloudVision Deployment
Deploy CloudVision with configlet library, compliance rules, and zero-touch provisioning for future expansion.
MX Replacement
Design MX functionality replacement with Palo Alto NGFW or Cato Networks SASE for converged security and WAN.
Wireless Migration
Migrate from Meraki MR to Arista Wi-Fi with SSID mapping, RF planning, and site-by-site cutover.
Operational Handoff
Complete documentation, CloudVision operational guide, and staff training on Arista EOS operations.
License Retirement
Document Meraki equipment inventory and assist with license cancellation process coordination.
Outcomes
- Campus network operating on infrastructure you own and control
- Elimination of Meraki licensing cost and cloud management dependency
- Real-time streaming telemetry replacing polling-based dashboard visibility
- Zero-touch provisioning capability for future expansion
- Configuration compliance enforced through CloudVision
- Security and WAN functionality aligned to broader security architecture
Ideal Fit
- Organizations running Cisco Meraki MS switching and MR wireless with renewal cost concerns
- Teams constrained by Meraki's limited programmability and API access
- Organizations that have experienced Meraki dashboard availability issues
- Campus refresh projects evaluating alternatives before renewing Meraki licensing
Migration Considerations
Meraki vs. Arista for Campus Operations
The ownership question is ultimately the decision framework: do you want a managed cloud service that abstracts your network configuration, or do you want infrastructure you control with operational tooling to manage it at any level of sophistication?
Stay with Meraki
Cloud-Managed Simplicity
Meraki's strengths are genuine: rapid deployment, low barrier to entry, and management interface that non-specialist IT staff can navigate.
Best Fit
Organizations where network simplicity is the priority and infrastructure-as-code is not on the roadmap.
Tradeoffs
Limited programmability, cloud dependency, increasing licensing costs, and configuration abstraction.
IVI Recommendation
If the Meraki dashboard meets your operational needs and licensing costs are acceptable, we'll tell you that.
Recommended
Migrate to Arista
Operational Ownership
Arista's case is operational depth. EOS programmability and CloudVision's API-first architecture mean the platform grows with your operational maturity.
Best Fit
Organizations that need programmability, streaming telemetry, and infrastructure they own and control.
Tradeoffs
Higher operational complexity and requirement for network engineering expertise.
IVI Recommendation
Choose Arista when you need operational depth and want infrastructure that doesn't have a ceiling imposed by vendor licensing tiers.
Why IVI
Built the methodology for Meraki migrations done correctly
Meraki Migration Expertise
IVI has executed Meraki migrations and understands the specific challenges that Meraki's abstraction layer creates.
Configuration Translation
Built documentation and translation methodology to handle configuration that exists only in a dashboard.
Operational Dependencies
Address operational dependencies on Cisco's cloud and feature sets that don't translate directly to EOS constructs.
Arista Engineering Depth
Our Arista engineering depth means the target environment is designed for long-term operational excellence, not just functional equivalence.
Architecture Design
Design the Arista environment correctly with CloudVision management and operational tooling.
Operational Handoff
Deliver training and documentation that enables your team to operate independently or onboard into Aegis co-managed operations.
Related Resources
Related Resources
Review related solution pages, supporting materials, and additional resources that help explain where this solution fits and how it can be applied.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Meraki to Arista migration.
We have hundreds of Meraki switches and APs across 30 locations. How do you manage migration at that scale?
Meraki migrations at scale follow the same phased methodology: document first, design centrally, stage hardware, deploy location by location. CloudVision's zero-touch provisioning means hardware shipped to each location auto-configures on boot — field resources install and cable, and IVI engineers handle configuration and validation remotely.
At 30 locations, we typically phase rollout over 4-6 months with batches of 4-6 locations per phase.
We use Meraki Systems Manager (MDM) for endpoint management. Does migration affect that?
Meraki Systems Manager is separate from network infrastructure and is not directly impacted by switching and wireless migration. Your MDM configuration and enrolled devices remain in Systems Manager through migration.
We note it as a dependency during discovery to ensure the new SSID and VLAN design preserves network access that Systems Manager-managed devices depend on.
Our Meraki MX appliances do content filtering for our users. How do we replace that?
MX content filtering functionality is replicated in several replacement platforms we recommend. Cato Networks SASE includes cloud-delivered URL filtering and application control as native features. Palo Alto NGFW includes URL filtering and App-ID.
We map your MX content filtering policies to the replacement platform during design and validate equivalent enforcement before MX cutover.
We have Meraki Insight licensed for application visibility. Does Arista provide equivalent capability?
Arista CloudVision provides application-to-network visibility through network telemetry that is, in most respects, more granular than Meraki Insight. CloudVision correlates application flow data with network state without requiring host agents.
For organizations that specifically use Meraki Insight for WAN application performance visibility, we design equivalent monitoring through Aegis PM and CloudVision.
How long does it take to cancel Meraki licenses after migration?
Meraki license cancellation is subject to contract terms — most organizations have annual or multi-year agreements that don't allow mid-term cancellation without penalty.
We design migration timeline to complete before your next renewal date wherever possible, so license cancellation happens at the natural renewal point rather than mid-term.
What happens if we need to rollback during migration?
Our phased migration methodology maintains Meraki infrastructure as fallback until each phase is validated. We execute migration building by building with rollback procedures documented for each phase.
If issues arise during any phase, we can restore connectivity through the existing Meraki infrastructure while addressing the issue in the Arista environment.