FortiGate 100F and 101F fast path architecture

The FortiGate 100F and 101F includes the SOC4 and uses the SOC4 CPU, NP6XLite processor, and CP9XLite processor. The SOC4 includes an integrated switch fabric (ISF) that connects all of the front panel network interfaces to the NP6XLite processor. All traffic passes from the front panel interfaces through the ISF to the NP6XLite processor. All supported traffic passing between any two interfaces can be offloaded by the NP6XLite processor. Traffic processed by the CPU takes a dedicated data path through the ISF and the NP6XLite processor to the CPU.

Interfaces 17 to 20 are shared SFP or Ethernet interfaces. That means there are two sets of physical interfaces numbered 17 to 20 but only one of each can be connected to a network. This allows you to, for example, connect interfaces 17 and 18 to an SFP switch and interfaces 19 and 20 to a 10/100/1000BASE-T Copper switch.

The FortiGate 100F and 101F models feature the following front panel interfaces:

• Eighteen 10/100/1000BASE-T Copper (DMZ, MGMT, WAN1, WAN2, HA1, HA2, 1 to 12) connected to the SOC4.
• Two 10 GigE SFP+ (X1 and X2) connected to the SOC4. X1 and X2 are FortiLink interfaces.
• Four 1GigE SFP (13 to 16) connected to the SOC4.
• Four shared interfaces (17 to 20) connected to the SOC4 that can be either:
  • 10/100/1000BASE-T Copper
  • 1GE SFP

The SOC4 ISF also allows you to use the command config system virtual-switch to create a virtual hardware switch that can include any front panel interface connected to the SOC4.

To add an interface to a hardware switch, its mode must be set to static and the interface can't be used in any other configuration. For example, you can't have a firewall policy that references the interface.

You can use the command diagnose npu np6xlite port-list to display the FortiGate 100F or 101F NP6XLite configuration.

diagnose npu np6xlite port-list 
Chip   XAUI Ports            Max   Cross-chip 
                             Speed offloading 
------ ---- -------          ----- ---------- 
np6xlite_0
       11   dmz              1000M          NO
       15   mgmt             1000M          NO
       19   wan1             1000M          NO
       19   wan2             1000M          NO
       19   ha1              1000M          NO
       19   ha2              1000M          NO
       19   port1            1000M          NO
       19   port2            1000M          NO
       19   port3            1000M          NO
       19   port4            1000M          NO
       19   port5            1000M          NO
       19   port6            1000M          NO
       19   port7            1000M          NO
       19   port8            1000M          NO
       19   port9            1000M          NO
       19   port10           1000M          NO
       19   port11           1000M          NO
       19   port12           1000M          NO
       19   x1               10000M         NO
       19   x2               10000M         NO
       19   port13           1000M          NO
       19   port14           1000M          NO
       19   port15           1000M          NO
       19   port16           1000M          NO
       19   port17           1000M          NO
       19   port18           1000M          NO
       19   port19           1000M          NO
       19   port20           1000M          NO