XRE200 External Routing Engine Hardware Overview

Software

All devices in an EX8200 Virtual Chassis run the Juniper Networks Junos operating system (Junos OS). The same Junos OS code base that runs on the devices in the EX8200 Virtual Chassis also runs on many other Juniper products, including all EX Series switches, the Juniper Networks J Series, M Series, MX Series, and T Series routers, and SRX Series Services Gateways.

In an EX8200 Virtual Chassis, most Routing Engine tasks for all switches in the Virtual Chassis run on the XRE200 External Routing Engine. The internal Routing Engines continue to be responsible for functions local to their own switches, such as environmental monitoring, system loading, and power management. The internal Routing Engines communicate with the external Routing Engine by using the Virtual Chassis Control Protocol (VCCP).

You must configure all switches and external Routing Engines that will be part of the same EX8200 Virtual Chassis to run the same version of Junos OS before connecting the devices into a Virtual Chassis. See Configuring an EX8200 Virtual Chassis (CLI Procedure).

After you connect an EX8200 Virtual Chassis, all switches and external Routing Engines that are part of the Virtual Chassis should be upgraded simultaneously. See Installing Software for All Devices in an EX8200 Virtual Chassis.

An EX8200 Virtual Chassis supports a subset of the software features available for the EX8200 switch. For a list of software features available on an EX8200 Virtual Chassis, see EX Series Switch Software Features Overview.

Physical Specifications

The XRE200 External Routing Engine is a 2 rack unit (2 U) Routing Engine. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: XRE200 External Routing Engine

The XRE200 External Routing Engine has an LCD panel that provides hardware status information. The LCD panel displays a variety of information about the external Routing Engine and, if your external Routing Engine is running Junos OS Release 12.1 or later, provides menu options to perform basic operations such as initial configuration and external Routing Engine reboot. See LCD Panel in an XRE200 External Routing Engine.

Virtual Chassis Control Interface Modules

The XRE200 External Routing Engine supports up to two Virtual Chassis Control Interface (VCCI) modules. Each VCCI module contains either four 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet VCPs with RJ-45 connectors or four 1000BASE-X Gigabit Ethernet VCPs with small form-factor pluggable (SFP) connections.

The RJ-45 VCPs connect to the management (MGMT) ports on the internal Routing Engines of the EX8200 member switches to form an EX8200 Virtual Chassis. The VCPs on the RJ-45 VCCI modules can also be used to connect external Routing Engines together to provide a connection between a master and a backup external Routing Engine.

The SFP VCPs are used to connect two XRE200 External Routing Engines together over a long distance in the same EX8200 Virtual Chassis. You can use the SFP ports to connect XRE200 External Routing Engines over distances up to 43.5 miles (70 km). You can also use the SFP VCPs to connect an XRE200 External Routing Engine to an EX8200 switch within a Virtual Chassis only if an intermediary switch is used. The intermediary switch is required because the management (MGMT) port on the Routing Engine (RE) modules or Switch Fabric and Routing Engine (SRE) modules of an EX8200 switch do not support SFP connections. See Understanding Long-Distance Virtual Chassis Port Configuration for an EX8200 Virtual Chassis.

VCCI modules are installed in the VCCI module slots on the XRE200 External Routing Engines. Both VCCI module slots support RJ-45 and SFP VCCI modules. RJ-45 and SFP VCCI modules can be installed simultaneously. In configurations using one RJ-45 and one SFP VCCI module, either VCCI module can be installed in either VCCI module slot. All XRE200 External Routing Engines are shipped with one preinstalled RJ-45 VCCI module. VCCI modules are field-replaceable units (FRUs). See Installing a VCCI Module in an XRE200 External Routing Engine.

Hard Disk Drive Modules

The XRE200 External Routing Engine ships with two 160 GB hard disk drive (HDD) modules that provide storage for the EX8200 Virtual Chassis. The HDD modules provide a fully redundant storage system on the external Routing Engine; all directories and files saved on one HDD module are also saved on the other HDD module. The HDD modules are installed in the HDD module slots.

HDD modules are hot-removable and hot-insertable FRUs. See Installing an HDD Module in an XRE200 External Routing Engine.

Power Supplies

The XRE200 External Routing Engine ships with redundant AC or DC power supplies that provide power for the external Routing Engine. The power supply slots are located on the far right side of the rear panel of the external Routing Engine.

AC and DC power supplies are hot-removable and hot-insertable FRUs. See Installing an AC or DC Power Supply in an XRE200 External Routing Engine.

Fan Modules

The XRE200 External Routing Engine ships with two fan modules. The fan modules provide cooling to the system and are installed in the fan module slots on the rear panel of the XRE200 External Routing Engine.

Fan modules are hot-removable and hot-insertable FRUs. See Installing a Fan Module in an XRE200 External Routing Engine.