FIM-7920E interface module
The FIM-7920E interface module is a hot swappable module that provides data, management and session sync/heartbeat interfaces, base backplane switching and fabric backplane session-aware load balancing for a FortiGate-7000 series chassis. The FIM-7920E includes an integrated switch fabric and DP2 processors to load balance millions of data sessions over the chassis fabric backplane to FPM processor modules.
The FIM-7920E can be installed in any FortiGate-7000 series chassis in hub/switch slots 1 or 2. The FIM-7920E provides four Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable 28 (QSFP28) 100GigE interfaces for a FortiGate-7000 chassis. Using a 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 or 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceiver, each QSFP28 interface can also be split into four 10GBASE-SR interfaces.
You can also install FIM-7920Es in a second chassis and operate the chassis in HA mode with another set of processor modules to provide chassis failover protection.
FIM-7920E front panel
The FIM-7920E includes the following hardware features:
- Four front panel 100GigE QSFP28 fabric channel interfaces (C1 to C4). These interfaces are connected to 100Gbps networks to distribute sessions to the FPM processor modules installed in chassis slots 3 and up. Using a 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 or 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceiver, each QSFP28 interface can also be split into four 10GBASE-SR interfaces. These interfaces also support creating link aggregation groups (LAGs) that can include interfaces from both FIM-7920Es.
- Two front panel 10GigE SFP+ interfaces (M1 and M2) that connect to the base backplane channel. These interfaces are used for heartbeat, session sync, and management communication between FIM-7920Es in different chassis. These interfaces can also be configured to operate as Gigabit Ethernet interfaces using SFP transceivers, but should not normally be changed. If you use switches to connect these interfaces, the switch ports should be able to accept packets with a maximum frame size of at least 1526. The M1 and M2 interfaces need to be on different broadcast domains. If M1 and M2 are connected to the same switch, Q-in-Q must be enabled on the switch.
- Four 10/100/1000BASE-T out of band management Ethernet interfaces (MGMT1 to MGMT4).
- One 80Gbps fabric backplane channel for traffic distribution with each FPM installed in the same chassis as the FIM-7920E.
- One 1Gbps base backplane channel for base backplane with each FPM installed in the same chassis as the FIM-7920E.
- One 40Gbps fabric backplane channel for fabric backplane communication with the other FIM-7920E in the chassis.
- One 1Gbps base backplane channel for base backplane communication with the other FIM-7920E in the chassis.
- On-board DP2 processors and an integrated switch fabric to provide high-capacity session-aware load balancing.
- One front panel USB port.
- Power button.
- NMI switch (for troubleshooting as recommended by Fortinet Support).
- Mounting hardware.
- LED status indicators.
Changing the interface type and splitting the FIM-7920E C1 to C4 interfaces
By default, the FIM-7920E C1 to C4 interfaces are configured as 100GE QSFP28 interfaces. You can use the following command to convert them to 40GE QSFP+ interfaces. Once converted, you can use the other command below to split them into four 10GBASE-SR interfaces.
Changing the interface type
For example, to change the interface type of the C1 interface of the FIM-7920E in slot 1 to 40GE QSFP+ connect to the CLI of your FortiGate-7000 system using the management IP and enter the following command:
config system global
set qsfp28-40g-port 1-C1
end
The FortiGate-7000 system reboots and when it starts up interface C1 of the FIM-7920E in slot 1 is operating as a 40GE QSFP+ interface .
To change the interface type of the C3 and C4 ports of the FIM-7920E in slot 2 to 40GE QSFP+ enter the following command:
config system global
set qsfp28-40g-port 2-C3 2-C4
end
The FortiGate-7000 system reboots and when it starts up interfaces C3 and C4 of the FIM-7920E in slot 2 are operating as a 40GE QSFP+ interfaces.
Splitting the C1 to C4 interfaces
Each 40GE interface (C1 to C4) on the FIM-7920Es in slot 1 and slot 2 of a FortiGate-7000 system can be split into 4 x 10GBE interfaces. You split these interfaces after the FIM-7920Es are installed in your FortiGate-7000 system and the system us up and running. You can split the interfaces of the FIM-7920Es in slot 1 and slot 2 at the same time by entering a single CLI command. Splitting the interfaces requires a system reboot so Fortinet recommends that you split multiple interfaces at the same time according to your requirements to avoid traffic disruption.
For example, to split the C1 interface of the FIM-7920E in slot 1 (this interface is named 1-C1) and the C1 and C4 interfaces of the FIM-7920E in slot 2 (these interfaces are named 2-C1 and 2-C4) connect to the CLI of your FortiGate-7000 system using the management IP and enter the following command:
config system global
set split-port 1-C1 2-C1 2-C4
end
After you enter the command, the FortiGate-7000 reboots and when it comes up:
- The 1-C1 interface will no longer be available. Instead the 1-C1/1, 1-C1/2, 1-C1/3, and 1-C1/4 interfaces will be available.
- The 2-C1 interface will no longer be available. Instead the 2-C1/1, 2-C1/2, 2-C1/3, and 2-C1/4 interfaces will be available.
- The 2-C4 interface will no longer be available. Instead the 2-C4/1, 2-C4/2, 2-C4/3, and 2-C4/4 interfaces will be available.
You can now connect breakout cables to these interfaces and configure traffic between them just like any other FortiGate interface.
FIM-7920E hardware schematic
The FIM-7920E includes an integrated switch fabric (ISF) that connects the front panel interfaces to the DP2 session-aware load balancers and to the chassis backplanes. The ISF also allows the DP2 processors to distribute sessions among all NP6 processors on the FortiGate Processor Modules (FPM) in the FortiGate-7000 chassis.
FIM-7920E hardware schematic
