FortiSwitch-5003A system

FortiSwitch-5003A system

The FortiSwitch-5003A board provides 10/1-gigabit fabric backplane channel layer-2 switching and 1-gigabit base backplane channel layer-2 switching in a dual star architecture for the FortiGate-5140 and FortiGate-5050 chassis. The FortiSwitch-5003A board provides a total capacity of 200 Gigabits per second (Gbps) throughput.

The FortiGate-5140 chassis is a 14-slot ATCA chassis and the FortiGate-5050 chassis is a 5-slot ATCA chassis. In both chassis the FortiSwitch-5003A board is installed in the first and second hub/switch fabric slots. For most versions of the FortiGate-5140 and 5050 chassis the hub/switch fabric slots are slots 1 and 2. For more information about these chassis see the FortiGate-5140 Chassis Guide and the FortiGate-5140 Chassis Guide.

You can use the FortiSwitch-5003A board for fabric and base backplane layer-2 switching for FortiGate-5000 boards installed in slots 3 and up in FortiGate-5140 and FortiGate-5050 chassis. Usually you would use the base channel for management traffic (for example, HA heartbeat traffic) and the fabric channel for data traffic. FortiSwitch-5003A boards can be used for fabric and base backplane layer-2 switching within a single chassis and between multiple chassis.

The FortiSwitch-5003A system also supports 802.3ad static mode layer-2 link aggregation, 802.1q VLANs, and 802.1s Multi-Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) for the fabric channels. You can use these features to configure link aggregation and support redundant FortiSwitch-5003A switch configurations to distribute traffic to multiple FortiGate-5000 boards. The FortiGate-5000 boards must operate in Transparent mode, all are managed separately and all must have the same configuration.

A FortiSwitch-5003A board in hub/switch fabric slot 1 provides communications on fabric channel 1 and base channel 1. A FortiSwitch-5003A board in hub/switch fabric slot 2 provides communications on fabric channel 2 and base channel 2. If your chassis includes one FortiSwitch-5003A board you can install it in hub/switch fabric slot 1 or 2 and configure the FortiGate-5000 boards installed in the chassis to use the correct fabric and base backplane interfaces.

For a complete 10-gigabit fabric backplane solution you must install FortiGate-5000 hardware that supports 10-gigabit connections. For example, a FortiGate-5001A board combined with a FortiGate-RTM-XB2 module provides two 10-gigabit fabric interfaces. You can install the FortiGate-5001A boards in chassis slots 3 and up and FortiGate-RTM-XB2 modules in the corresponding RTM slots on the back of the chassis.

The FortiSwitch-5003A board includes the following features:

One 1-gigabit base backplane channel for layer-2 base backplane switching between FortiGate-5000 boards installed in the same chassis as the FortiSwitch-5003A

One 10/1-gigabit fabric backplane channel for layer-2 fabric backplane switching between FortiGate-5000 boards installed in the same chassis as the FortiSwitch-5003A

Two front panel base backplane one-gigabit copper gigabit interfaces (B1 and B2) that connect to the base backplane channel

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

 

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Fortinet manual FortiSwitch-5003A system

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.