Fortinet manual Fabric channel connections between FortiSwitch-5003A boards

Models: 5003 5003A

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FortiGate-5140 fabric backplane communication

Fabric channel connections between FortiSwitch-5003A boards

Fabric channel connections between FortiSwitch-5003A boards

When two FortiSwitch-5003A boards are installed in a single chassis their fabric channels are connected together. This means there is a data connection between fabric channel 1 and fabric channel 2. Unless you are going to use this connection you should disable it.

If one or more of the FortiGate-5001A or 5005FA2 boards are operating in transparent mode, the connection between the fabric channels can cause looping. If you have one or more FortiGate-5001A or 5005FA2 boards operating in transparent mode with two FortiSwitch-5003A boards in the same chassis you must disable communication between the FortiSwitch-5003A boards.

The fabric channel connection between the FortiSwitch-5003A boards uses an internal FortiSwitch-5003A interface called slot-2/1. To disable the fabric channel connection between two FortiSwitch-5003A boards you should set the status of slot-2/1 to down for one of the boards. Connect to the CLI of one of the FortiSwitch-5003A boards and enter the following command:

config switch fabric-channel physical-port edit slot-2/1

set status down end

Fabric gigabit switching between chassis

You can use the FortiSwitch-5003A front panel fabric interfaces to provide

10-gigabit data communications between the fabric channels of any combination of FortiGate-5050 and FortiGate-5140 chassis.

Note: Its not required, but in most cases you would connect the same fabric channels together. That is you would connect fabric channel 1 on one chassis to fabric channel 1 on another. Usually you would not connect fabric channel 1 on one chassis to fabric channel 2 on another chassis. Also, you would usually not connect a base channel from one chassis to a fabric channel on another chassis. You should be careful of looping when connecting chassis together if some of the FortiGate boards in the chassis are operating in transparent mode.

Figure 11 shows data communication between two FortiGate-5140 chassis using fabric channel 1. The top chassis in the figure contains a FortiSwitch-5003A board in hub/switch slot 1 and six FortiGate-5001A boards. The bottom chassis contains a FortiSwitch-5003A board also in hub/switch slot 1 and four FortiGate-5005FA2 boards.

The chassis are connected together using the FortiSwitch-5003A F1 front panel interface in the top chassis and the FortiSwitch-5003A F7 front panel interface in the bottom chassis.

In this configuration the FortiSwitch-5003A boards are operating as layer-2 switches for fabric channel 1 and the FortiGate-5001A and 5005FA2 boards are operating as typical standalone FortiGate units.

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

 

01-30000-85717-20081205

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Fortinet manual Fabric channel connections between FortiSwitch-5003A boards, Fabric gigabit switching between 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.