Routing Engine and Packet Forwarding Engine

A Services Router has two primary software processing components:

• Routing Engine—The Routing Engine provides three main functions:
  • Creates the packet forwarding switch fabric for the Services Router, providing route lookup, filtering, and switching on incoming data packets, then directing outbound packets to the appropriate interface for transmission to the network.
  • Maintains the routing tables used by the router and controls the routing protocols that run on the router.
  • Provides control and monitoring functions for the router, including controlling power and monitoring system status.
• Packet Forwarding Engine—Processes packets; applies filters, routing policies, and other features; and forwards packets to the next hop along the route to their final destination.

For information about Routing Engine hardware, see J2320 and J2350 Routing Engine Hardware and J4350 and J6350 Routing Engine Hardware.