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Hardware Acceleration

FortiGate 3300E and 3301E fast path architecture

FortiGate 3300E and 3301E fast path architecture

The FortiGate 3300E and 3301E models feature the following front panel interfaces:

  • Two 10/100/1000BASE-T Copper (MGMT1 and MGMT2).
  • Twelve 10/100/1000BASE-T Copper (1 to 12).
  • Four 1/10 GigE BASE-T Copper (13 to 16).
  • Fourteen 10/25 GigE SFP+/SFP28 (17 to 30), interface groups: 17 - 20, 21 - 24, 25 - 28, 29-HA1, and 30 - HA2.
  • Two 10/25 GigE SFP+/SFP28 (HA1 and HA2, not connected to the NP6 processors).
  • Four 40 GigE QSFP+ (31 to 34).

The FortiGate 3300E and 3301E each include four NP6 processors. All front panel data interfaces and all of the NP6 processors connect to the integrated switch fabric (ISF). All data traffic passes from the data interfaces through the ISF to the NP6 processors. Because of the ISF, all supported traffic passing between any two data interfaces can be offloaded by the NP6 processors. Data traffic processed by the CPU takes a dedicated data path through the ISF and an NP6 processor to the CPU.

The MGMT interfaces are not connected to the NP6 processors. Management traffic passes to the CPU over a dedicated management path that is separate from the data path. You can also dedicate separate CPU resources for management traffic to further isolate management processing from data processing (see Dedicated management CPU).

The HA interfaces are also not connected to the NP6 processors. To help provide better HA stability and resiliency, the HA traffic uses a dedicated physical control path that provides HA control traffic separation from data traffic processing.

The separation of management and HA traffic from data traffic keeps management and HA traffic from affecting the stability and performance of data traffic processing.

You can use the following command to display the FortiGate 3300E or 3301E NP6 configuration. The command output shows four NP6s named NP6_0, NP6_1, NP6_2, and NP6_3 and the interfaces (ports) connected to each NP6. This interface to NP6 mapping is also shown in the diagram above.

The command output also shows the XAUI configuration for each NP6 processor. Each NP6 processor has a 40-Gigabit bandwidth capacity. Traffic passes to each NP6 processor over four 10-Gigabit XAUI links. The XAUI links are numbered 0 to 3.

You can also use the diagnose npu np6 port-list command to display this information.

get hardware npu np6 port-list
Chip   XAUI Ports            Max   Cross-chip 
                             Speed offloading 
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_0  0    port1            1G    Yes        
       0    port14           10G   Yes        
       1    port2            1G    Yes        
       1    port15           10G   Yes        
       2    port3            1G    Yes        
       2    port16           10G   Yes        
       3    port13           10G   Yes        
       0-3  port17           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port31           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_1  0    port4            1G    Yes        
       1    port5            1G    Yes        
       2    port6            1G    Yes        
       3    
       0-3  port18           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port19           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port20           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port24           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port23           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port32           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_2  0    port7            1G    Yes        
       1    port8            1G    Yes        
       2    port9            1G    Yes        
       3    
       0-3  port22           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port21           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port26           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port25           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port28           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port33           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_3  0    port10           1G    Yes        
       1    port11           1G    Yes        
       2    port12           1G    Yes        
       2    port29           10G   Yes        
       3    port30           10G   Yes        
       0-3  port27           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port34           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 

Distributing traffic evenly among the NP6 processors can optimize performance. For details, see Optimizing NP6 performance by distributing traffic to XAUI links.

You can also add LAGs to improve performance. For details, see Increasing NP6 offloading capacity using link aggregation groups (LAGs).

Interface groups and changing data interface speeds

FortiGate-3300E and 3301E front panel data interfaces 17 to 30, HA1, and HA2 are divided into the following groups:

  • port17 - port20
  • port21 - port24
  • port25 - port28
  • port29 - ha1
  • port30 - ha2

All of the interfaces in a group operate at the same speed. Changing the speed of an interface changes the speeds of all of the interfaces in the same group. For example, if you change the speed of port17 from 25Gbps to 10Gbps the speeds of port18 to port20 are also changed to 10Gbps.

Another example, port21 to port28 are operating at 25Gbps. If you want to install 10GigE transceivers in port21 to port28 to convert all of these data interfaces to connect to 10Gbps networks, you can enter the following from the CLI:

config system interface

edit port21

set speed 10000full

next

edit port25

set speed 10000full

end

Every time you change a data interface speed, when you enter the end command, the CLI confirms the range of interfaces affected by the change. For example, if you change the speed of port25 the following message appears:

config system interface

edit port25

set speed 10000full

end

port25-port28 speed will be changed to 10000full due to hardware limit.

Do you want to continue? (y/n)

FortiGate 3300E and 3301E fast path architecture

The FortiGate 3300E and 3301E models feature the following front panel interfaces:

  • Two 10/100/1000BASE-T Copper (MGMT1 and MGMT2).
  • Twelve 10/100/1000BASE-T Copper (1 to 12).
  • Four 1/10 GigE BASE-T Copper (13 to 16).
  • Fourteen 10/25 GigE SFP+/SFP28 (17 to 30), interface groups: 17 - 20, 21 - 24, 25 - 28, 29-HA1, and 30 - HA2.
  • Two 10/25 GigE SFP+/SFP28 (HA1 and HA2, not connected to the NP6 processors).
  • Four 40 GigE QSFP+ (31 to 34).

The FortiGate 3300E and 3301E each include four NP6 processors. All front panel data interfaces and all of the NP6 processors connect to the integrated switch fabric (ISF). All data traffic passes from the data interfaces through the ISF to the NP6 processors. Because of the ISF, all supported traffic passing between any two data interfaces can be offloaded by the NP6 processors. Data traffic processed by the CPU takes a dedicated data path through the ISF and an NP6 processor to the CPU.

The MGMT interfaces are not connected to the NP6 processors. Management traffic passes to the CPU over a dedicated management path that is separate from the data path. You can also dedicate separate CPU resources for management traffic to further isolate management processing from data processing (see Dedicated management CPU).

The HA interfaces are also not connected to the NP6 processors. To help provide better HA stability and resiliency, the HA traffic uses a dedicated physical control path that provides HA control traffic separation from data traffic processing.

The separation of management and HA traffic from data traffic keeps management and HA traffic from affecting the stability and performance of data traffic processing.

You can use the following command to display the FortiGate 3300E or 3301E NP6 configuration. The command output shows four NP6s named NP6_0, NP6_1, NP6_2, and NP6_3 and the interfaces (ports) connected to each NP6. This interface to NP6 mapping is also shown in the diagram above.

The command output also shows the XAUI configuration for each NP6 processor. Each NP6 processor has a 40-Gigabit bandwidth capacity. Traffic passes to each NP6 processor over four 10-Gigabit XAUI links. The XAUI links are numbered 0 to 3.

You can also use the diagnose npu np6 port-list command to display this information.

get hardware npu np6 port-list
Chip   XAUI Ports            Max   Cross-chip 
                             Speed offloading 
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_0  0    port1            1G    Yes        
       0    port14           10G   Yes        
       1    port2            1G    Yes        
       1    port15           10G   Yes        
       2    port3            1G    Yes        
       2    port16           10G   Yes        
       3    port13           10G   Yes        
       0-3  port17           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port31           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_1  0    port4            1G    Yes        
       1    port5            1G    Yes        
       2    port6            1G    Yes        
       3    
       0-3  port18           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port19           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port20           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port24           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port23           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port32           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_2  0    port7            1G    Yes        
       1    port8            1G    Yes        
       2    port9            1G    Yes        
       3    
       0-3  port22           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port21           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port26           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port25           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port28           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port33           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6_3  0    port10           1G    Yes        
       1    port11           1G    Yes        
       2    port12           1G    Yes        
       2    port29           10G   Yes        
       3    port30           10G   Yes        
       0-3  port27           25G   Yes        
       0-3  port34           40G   Yes        
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 

Distributing traffic evenly among the NP6 processors can optimize performance. For details, see Optimizing NP6 performance by distributing traffic to XAUI links.

You can also add LAGs to improve performance. For details, see Increasing NP6 offloading capacity using link aggregation groups (LAGs).

Interface groups and changing data interface speeds

FortiGate-3300E and 3301E front panel data interfaces 17 to 30, HA1, and HA2 are divided into the following groups:

  • port17 - port20
  • port21 - port24
  • port25 - port28
  • port29 - ha1
  • port30 - ha2

All of the interfaces in a group operate at the same speed. Changing the speed of an interface changes the speeds of all of the interfaces in the same group. For example, if you change the speed of port17 from 25Gbps to 10Gbps the speeds of port18 to port20 are also changed to 10Gbps.

Another example, port21 to port28 are operating at 25Gbps. If you want to install 10GigE transceivers in port21 to port28 to convert all of these data interfaces to connect to 10Gbps networks, you can enter the following from the CLI:

config system interface

edit port21

set speed 10000full

next

edit port25

set speed 10000full

end

Every time you change a data interface speed, when you enter the end command, the CLI confirms the range of interfaces affected by the change. For example, if you change the speed of port25 the following message appears:

config system interface

edit port25

set speed 10000full

end

port25-port28 speed will be changed to 10000full due to hardware limit.

Do you want to continue? (y/n)