Juniper networks XRE200 User Manual

XRE200 EXTERNAL ROUTING ENGINE

DATASHEET

Product Overview

The XRE200 External Routing Engine

delivers the additional processing

power required to build Virtual Chassis

conﬁgurations based on the EX8200

line of Ethernet switches to support

more than 1400 GbE or more than 1200

10GbE connections.

Product Introduction

The Juniper Networks® XRE200 External Routing Engine is a purpose-built, server-class

appliance that works with internal Routing Engines (REs) on the Juniper Networks

EX8200 line of Ethernet switches to create a highly resilient architecture for supporting

Virtual Chassis configurations based on the EX8200 line of modular switches.

By externalizing control plane functionality and separating it from the data plane running

on the actual switch fabric, the XRE200 implements a highly reliable design that includes

no single point of failure. The result is a scalable solution that provides the additional

processing power required to manage an EX8200-based Virtual Chassis configuration1.

Juniper ’s Virtual Chassis technology enables multiple interconnected switches to operate

as a single, logical device. In the EX8200 line of Ethernet switches, Virtual Chassis

technology greatly simplifies data center and campus core network configurations,

management, and troubleshooting. Virtual Chassis technology in the EX8200 switches

also minimizes or eliminates the need for Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) while increasing

network performance by enabling full utilization of all network uplinks.

Product Description

The XRE200 is a 2RU device that includes two slots for supporting 1GbE Virtual Chassis

Control Interface (VCCI) modules. Two VCCI module options are available:

• 4-port 10/ 100/100BASE-T RJ-45 module (included with the base XRE200 system)

• 4-port 1000BASE-X GbE SFP module (optional for extending the Virtual Chassis

configuration up to 40 km)

On the front panel, the XRE200 includes an LCD screen2 for reporting device status at a

glance or performing device configuration via a menu-driven screen; a 10/100/ 100BASE-T

RJ-45 port for XRE-to-XRE or XRE-to-Virtual Chassis connections; a console port for out-

of-band management; and a USB drive for file storage.

Additional front panel slots are also available for supporting redundant 160 GB hard drives

for providing extra processing power. On the back panel, the XRE200 includes redundant,

hot-swappable 250 W AC power supplies and redundant, hot-swappable fans.

Internally, the XRE200 includes a 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2 MB L2 cache,

4 GB DRAM, and 4 GB of flash memory.

Available with Junos 10.4

Roadmap

Architecture and Key Components

Building an EX8200-based Virtual Chassis configuration requires

two 8-slot Juniper Networks EX8208 Ethernet Switches, two 16-

slot EX8216 Ethernet Switches, or a combination of both, and

two XRE200 devices to provide an active/standby pair for control

plane and management plane redundancy.

Ports on the VCCI modules connect to the EX8200 internal REs,

either the EX8208-SRE320 or EX8216-RE320. One internal RE

from each EX8200 chassis is connected to the active XRE200,

while the second internal RE is connected to the standby XRE200.

The two XRE200 devices can also be connected to each other

directly via GbE interfaces.

An optional 1000BASE-X fiber VCCI module can be used to

connect the active and standby XRE200 devices in environments

where the distance between them exceeds the maximum span

of unshielded twisted pair cable—for example, when the EX8200

Virtual Chassis configuration is spread across two buildings.

Juniper Networks Junos® operating system high availability (HA)2

features such as GRES, NSR, and nonstop bridging (NSB) are

enabled on the XRE200 devices in a Virtual Chassis configuration.

In the event of an active XRE200 failure, the standby XRE200

assumes the active role without impacting network state or

forwarding behavior. Junos OS HA features ensure that the state of

the Virtual Chassis, L2/L3 protocols, and forwarding information

are not lost.

In addition, all Junos OS control plane protocols running on an

EX8200 Virtual Chassis configuration—including 802.3ad, OSPF,

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP), Physical Interface

Module (PIM), and BGP—also run on the XRE200, providing

control plane scalability for large core deployments. The EX8200

and XRE200 use the Virtual Chassis Control Protocol to exchange

Virtual Chassis state information.

XRE200 Features and Beneﬁts

In addition to control plane scalability, the XRE200 ensures that if one

or more switches in the Virtual Chassis conﬁguration lose connectivity

to the adjacent chassis, access switches connected to the EX8200

Virtual Chassis do not lose connectivity with the network.

The XRE200 also ensures that traffic flowing from one access

switch to any other access switch or to any core/WAN router

connected to the same EX8200 Virtual Chassis configuration are

not affected if the intra-Virtual Chassis connection fails.

Junos Operating System

The XRE200 runs the same Junos OS used by the Juniper Networks

EX Series Ethernet Switches, as well as all Juniper Networks routers

and Juniper Networks SRX Series Services Gateways. By utilizing a

common operating system, Juniper Networks delivers a consistent

implementation and operation of control plane features across

all products. To maintain that consistency, Junos OS adheres to a

highly disciplined development process that uses a single source

code, follows a single quarterly release train, and employs a highly

available modular architecture that prevents isolated failures from

bringing down an entire system.

These attributes are fundamental to the core value of the

software, enabling all Junos OS-powered products to be updated

simultaneously with the same software release. All features are

fully regression tested, making each new release a true superset

of the previous version. Customers can deploy the software with

complete confidence that all existing capabilities are maintained

and operate in the same way.

Roadmap

EX8200

Virtual Chassis

switch

2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAG

Intra-XRE200 connection for HA (1GbE) Active XRE200 to Internal RE connection (1GbE) Standby XRE200 to Internal RE connection (1GbE)

Figure 1: EX8200 line of Ethernet Switches in a Virtual Chassis conﬁguration

Stanby XRE200Active XRE200

EX8200

Virtual Chassis

switch

2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAG

10GbE LAG intra-Virtual Chassis connection 10GbE links Trac ﬂow from access to access and access

to core/WAN

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