FortiGate-5140 fabric backplane communication

Fabric gigabit switching within a chassis

The chassis can be connected to the network using any of the FortiGate-5001A front panel interfaces. You can also connect FortiSwitch-5003A front panel fabric interfaces to the network. You can also install FortiGate AMC modules in the FortiGate-5001A boards and connect the network to the AMC front panel interfaces. The AMC modules and the network connections are not shown in Figure 9.

For the FortiGate-5001A boards to use the fabric channel 1 for data communication you must show backplane interfaces on the FortiGate-5001A web-based manager and then configure firewall polices and routing for the fabric1 interfaces.

If the data traffic contains VLAN-tagged packets, you must add the VLAN tags to the FortiSwitch-5003A interfaces that will handle the VLAN-tagged traffic. For example, to allow VLAN tags 201 to 210 on slots 9, 11, and 13 from the FortiSwitch-5003A CLI enter:

config switch fabric-channel interface edit "slot-9"

set allowed-vlans 1,201-210 next

edit "slot-11"

set allowed-vlans 1,201-210 next

edit "slot-13"

set allowed-vlans 1,201-210 end

For more information about the FortiSwitch-5003A CLI, see “FortiSwitch-5003A CLI reference” on page 89.

Figure 10 shows a FortiGate-5140 chassis with FortiSwitch-5003A boards in hub/switch slots 1 and 2 and FortiGate-5001A and 5005FA2 boards in all of the other slots. The FortiGate boards can use fabric channels 1 and 2 for data communication among the FortiGate boards. In this configuration the FortiSwitch-5003A boards are operating as layer-2 switches for fabric channels 1 and 2 and the FortiGate boards are operating as typical standalone FortiGate units.

The chassis can be connected to the network using any of the FortiGate front panel interfaces. You can also connect FortiSwitch-5003A front panel fabric interfaces to the network. You can also install FortiGate AMC modules in the FortiGate-5001A boards and connect the network to the AMC front panel interfaces. The AMC modules and the network connections are not shown in Figure 10.

FortiSwitch-5003A and 5003 Fabric and Base Backplane Communications Guide

 

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Fortinet 5003A manual Fabric gigabit switching within a chassis

5003, 5003A specifications

Fortinet's FortiGate 5003 and 5003A are high-capacity, next-generation firewalls designed for enterprises that require advanced security solutions with a strong focus on performance and scalability. These models are part of Fortinet's expansive line of FortiGate appliances, which leverage innovative technologies to provide robust protection against a variety of cyber threats while maintaining seamless network operations.

One of the standout features of the FortiGate 5003 and 5003A is their impressive throughput capabilities. With multiple high-speed network interfaces, these firewalls can handle substantial amounts of traffic, ensuring that data flows smoothly without creating bottlenecks. This makes them ideal for organizations that operate large-scale networks or have significant bandwidth demands.

The FortiGate 5003 series is equipped with Fortinet's proprietary FortiOS, an intuitive operating system that integrates firewall, VPN, antivirus, intrusion prevention, web filtering, and application control functionalities. This comprehensive approach to security allows organizations to protect their networks from an array of cyber threats while simplifying management and reducing operational costs.

Another key characteristic of these models is their use of Fortinet's purpose-built security processing units (SPUs). These hardware-accelerated security chips enable accelerated threat detection and prevention, allowing the 5003 and 5003A to deliver high performance even when advanced security features are enabled. The SPUs play a crucial role in ensuring that organizations can enforce security policies without compromising on speed or efficiency.

Furthermore, the FortiGate 5003 and 5003A support advanced networking features, including Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF), which allows for better traffic management and segmentation. This capability is essential in multi-tenant environments, enabling organizations to create isolated networks while maintaining centralized security management.

In addition to their performance and feature set, both models support centralized management through Fortinet's FortiManager platform, providing a unified view of network security across multiple devices. This simplifies configuration, updates, and policy compliance, significantly reducing administrative overhead.

Finally, the FortiGate 5003 and 5003A are designed with redundancy and high availability in mind. They include failover capabilities and support for clustering, ensuring that network operations remain uninterrupted even in the event of hardware failure. This level of reliability is vital for mission-critical applications where downtime can lead to significant operational disruption.

In summary, Fortinet's FortiGate 5003 and 5003A are powerful solutions that combine high performance, advanced security technologies, and robust management features to meet the needs of large enterprises. With their focus on scalability and reliability, these firewalls are poised to protect organizations against evolving cyber threats while ensuring optimal network performance.