Related Documentation
- J, SRX Series
- Example: Configuring IRB and VLAN with Members Across Two Nodes (CLI)
- Example: Configuring Aggregated Ethernet Device with LAG and LACP (CLI)
- SRX Series
- Example: Configuring Switch Fabric Interfaces to Enable Switching in Chassis Cluster Mode (CLI)
- Additional Information
- Chassis Cluster Feature Guide for Security Devices
Layer 2 Ethernet Switching Capability in Chassis Cluster Mode
Understanding Layer 2 Ethernet Switching Capability in Chassis Cluster on SRX Series Devices
Ethernet ports support various Layer 2 features such as Spanning Tree Protocols (xSTP), DOT1X, Link Aggregation (LAG), Internet Group Membership Protocol (IGMP), GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP), Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), and snooping. The enhanced feature extends Layer 2 switching capability to devices in a chassis cluster. This feature allows users to use Ethernet switching features on both nodes of a chassis cluster. The Ethernet ports on either of the nodes can be configured for family Ethernet switching. Users can configure a Layer 2 VLAN domain with member ports from both the nodes and the Layer 2 switching protocols on both the devices.
Figure 1 shows the Layer 2 switching across chassis cluster nodes:
Figure 1: Layer 2 Ethernet Switching Across Chassis Cluster Nodes
To ensure that Layer 2 switching works seamlessly across chassis cluster nodes, a dedicated physical link connecting the nodes is required. This type of link is called a switching fabric interface (swfab). Its purpose is to carry Layer 2 traffic between the nodes.
 | Note: Configuring a LAG with members across nodes is not supported. |
 | Warning: If a swfab interface is not configured on both the nodes and if you try to configure Ethernet switching-related features on the nodes, behavior of the nodes might be unpredictable. |
Understanding Chassis Cluster Failover and New Primary Election
When chassis cluster failover occurs, a new primary node is elected and the Ethernet Switching Daemon (ESWD) runs in a different node. During failover, the chassis control subsystem is restarted. Also during failover, the traffic outage occurs until the PICs are up and the VLAN entries are reprogrammed. After failover, all Layer 2 protocols reconverge because Layer 2 protocols states are not maintained in the secondary node.
| Note: The Q-in-Q feature in chassis cluster mode is not supported because of chip limitation for swfab interface configuration in Broadcom chipsets. |
Related Documentation
- J, SRX Series
- Example: Configuring IRB and VLAN with Members Across Two Nodes (CLI)
- Example: Configuring Aggregated Ethernet Device with LAG and LACP (CLI)
- SRX Series
- Example: Configuring Switch Fabric Interfaces to Enable Switching in Chassis Cluster Mode (CLI)
- Additional Information
- Chassis Cluster Feature Guide for Security Devices
Published: 2013-11-11
Related Documentation
- J, SRX Series
- Example: Configuring IRB and VLAN with Members Across Two Nodes (CLI)
- Example: Configuring Aggregated Ethernet Device with LAG and LACP (CLI)
- SRX Series
- Example: Configuring Switch Fabric Interfaces to Enable Switching in Chassis Cluster Mode (CLI)
- Additional Information
- Chassis Cluster Feature Guide for Security Devices
