Interface Types and Configuration

Overview

The QFX Series Switches are designed to accommodate a comprehensive array of high-density, high-speed Ethernet interfaces, including 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, 100GbE, 200GbE, 400GbE, and up to 800GbE interfaces, subject to the specific model. These switches feature QSFP28/QSFP-DD ports that enable channelization and support breakout cables (such as 2x50GbE, 2x100GbE, 2x200GbE, 2x400GbE, 8x50GbE, and 8x100GbE), offering versatile connectivity solutions suitable for data center environments.

The built-in and breakout interface options offer significant flexibility in how bandwidth is provisioned, enabling you to optimize port utilization, scale capacity incrementally, and support a mix of access, aggregation, and uplink requirements across diverse deployment scenarios.

Built-In Interface Options

Table 1 provides information about the built-in interface speeds on the QFX5220, QFX5230, QFX5240, and QFX5241 Switches.

Table 1: Built-In Interface Speeds
Switch	Port Density (Without Breakout)	Management and Control Interfaces
QFX5220	QFX5220-32CD: 32 400GbE QSFP56-DD ports QFX5220-128C: 128 100GbE QSFP28 ports	Two SFP+ ports that support 10-Gbps or 1-Gbps speed One RJ‑45 Ethernet management port (100/1000/10000 Mbps) One RJ‑45 console port One USB port (local storage or image handling)
QFX5230	64 400GbE QSFP56-DD ports	Two SFP+ ports supports 10-Gbps or 1-Gbps speed One RJ‑45 Ethernet management port (100/1000/10000 Mbps) For QFX5220, two SFP+ ports support 10-Gbps or 1-Gbps speed One RJ‑45 console port One USB port
QFX5240	QFX5240-64OD: 64 800GbE OSFP ports QFX5240-64QD: 64 800GbE QSFP56-DD ports	One RJ‑45 Ethernet management port (100/1000/10000 Mbps) Similar to QFX5220, two SFP+ ports supports 10-Gbps or 1-Gbps speed One RJ‑45 console port One USB port
QFX5241	QFX5241-32OD: 32 800GbE OSFP ports QFX5241-64OD: 64 800GbE OSFP ports QFX5241-64QD: 64 800GbE QSF56-DD ports	One RJ‑45 Ethernet management port (100/1000/10000 Mbps) Similar to QFX5220, two SFP+ ports supports 10-Gbps or 1-Gbps speed One RJ‑45 console port One USB port

Breakout Interface Options

The QFX5220, QFX5230, QFX5240, and QFX5241 Switches support breakout capability. With this capability, you can split a high-capacity optical link into several lower-capacity links that help utilize the bandwidth at its best and physical infrastructure in different networking situations.

Table 2: Breakout Interface Options
Switch	Breakout Options
QFX5220-32CD	2 × 200GbE 4 × 100GbE 2 × 100GbE 8 × 50GbE 2 × 50GbE 4 × 25GbE 4 × 10GbE
QFX5220-128C	4 × 10GbE 4 × 25GbE 2 × 50GbE
QFX5230	2 × 200GbE 4 × 100GbE 3 × 100GbE 2 × 100GbE 2 × 50GbE 4 × 25GbE 4 × 10GbE
QFX5240-64OD	4 × 100GbE 8 × 100GbE 2 × 200GbE 4 × 200GbE
QFX5240-64QD	8 × 50GbE 2 × 100GbE 4 × 100GbE 8 × 100GbE 2 × 200GbE 4 × 200GbE 2 × 400GbE 2 × 50GbE
QFX5241-32OD	8 × 50GbE 8 × 100GbE 2 × 200GbE 2 × 400GbE 4 × 100GbE 4 × 200GbE
QFX5241-64OD	4 × 100GbE 8 × 100GbE 2 × 200GbE 4 × 200GbE 2 × 400GbE 4 × 200GbE
QFX5241-64QD	8 × 50GbE 2 × 100GbE 4 × 100GbE 8 × 100GbE 2 × 200GbE 4 × 200GbE 2 × 400GbE 2 × 50GbE

To validate the supported port speeds and breakout options for your QFX Series Switches, see Port Checker Tool.

Configure Interfaces

After the initial configuration of your device, you can configure physical interfaces and Layer2 and Layer3 interfaces, channelize interfaces, and aggregate Ethernet interfaces on your QFX Series Switch:

To configure the interface description:

To configure interface speed without channelization:

(Optional) To configure Layer 2 interfaces at the enterprise level (access or trunk port, assigning interface to VLAN):

(Optional) To configure an IPv4 address on a logical interface for Layer 3 routing:

To channelize interfaces (breaking down high-speed ports into multiple lower-speed interfaces):
- For QFX5220, configure channelization at the chassis level:
- For QFX5230, QFX5240, and QFX5241, configure channelization at the interface level:
  In the commands shown above, n can have a value of 2, 4, or 8 and speed can have a value of 10g, 25g, 50g, 100g, 200g, or 400g.
To configure link aggregation by bundling multiple physical Ethernet interfaces into a single logical aggregated Ethernet (ae-) interface and enabling Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) for dynamic negotiation:
In this configuration, lacp active mode allows an Ethernet link to actively transmit LACP PDUs to its partner. Another LACP mode, lacp passive, sends LACP PDUs only when the Ethernet link receives them from the remote end. For more information about aggregated Ethernet LACP for switches, see Configure LACP Link Protection of Aggregated Ethernet Interfaces for Switches.

To specify the interval and speed at which the interfaces send LACP packets:

To configure a VLAN:

For example:

To configure L3 routing for the associated VLANs (leaf devices in ERB design, spine devices in CRB design):

For example:

To configure a VLAN with a specified name and assign it a unique VLAN identifier (ID number):
To associate a Layer 3 integrated routing and bridging (IRB) interface with the specified VLAN, enabling routing between that VLAN and other networks:
For more information about configuring IRB interfaces on switches, see Configuring IRB Interfaces on Switches.

Verify Interfaces

To verify interface configuration on your device:

To verify that LACP has been set up correctly and enabled as active on one end:

To verify that the LACP packets are being exchanged between interfaces:

To verify the active and standby links:

To validate the optical module connected to an interface by reviewing its diagnostics such as transmit and receive power.

For more information about configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting Ethernet interfaces, see Interfaces User Guide for Switches.