FortiController-5913C Session-Aware Load Balancing Cluster (SLBC) System Guide
10-500-259409-20160210
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FortiController-5913C
FortiController-5913C system
The FortiController-5913C is an Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture
(ATCA) compliant session-aware load balancing hub/switch board that distributes IPv4
TCP and UDP sessions to multiple FortiGate-5000-series boards (called workers) over
the FortiGate-5144C chassis fabric backplane. The FortiController-5913C includes two
front panel 100Gbps C
formfactor pluggable 2 (CFP2) interfaces (F1 and F2) for
connecting to 100Gbps networks. The FortiController-5913C forms a session-aware load
balanced cluster and uses FortiASIC DP processors to load balance millions of sessions
to the cluster, providing up to 40 Gbps of traffic to each cluster member (each worker).
Performance of the cluster shows linear improvement if more workers are added.
Clusters can also be formed with one or two FortiController-5913Cs and up to 12
workers. All of the workers must be the same model. Currently FortiGate-5001B,
FortiGate-5001C, FortiGate-5101C, and FortiGate-5001D workers are supported.
FortiGate-5001C and FortiGate-5001D workers can handle up to 40 Gbps of traffic.
FortiGate-5001B and FortiGate-5101C workers can handle up to 10
Gbps.
The FortiController-5913C can also provide 40-gigabit fabric and 1-gigabit base
backplane channel layer-2 switching in a dual star architecture.
You should install the FortiController-5913C in a FortiGate-5144C chassis to meet
FortiController-5913C power requirements, to have access to a 40G fabric backplane,
and to have enough slots for the number of workers that the FortiController-5913C can
load balance sessions to.
In all ATCA chassis, FortiController-5913Cs are installed in the first and second
hub/switch slots (usually slots 1 and 2). A single FortiController-5913C should be
installed in slot 1 (but you can install it in slot 2). If you add a second
FortiController-5913C it should be installed in slot 2.
See the
FortiGate-5000 Compatability Guide
for up-to-date information about
FortiGate-5000 series chassis and other components that are compatible with the
FortiController-5913C.
Figure 1: FortiController-5913C front panel
Extraction
Lever
Retention
Screw
Extraction
Lever
Retention
Screw
OOS
LED
STA
LED
PWR
LED
F1 and F2
100Gbps Fabric Channel
CFP2 Network
Interfaces (data)
B1 and B2
10Gbps Base Channel
SFP+ Interfaces
(heartbeat and
management)
MGMT
10/100/1000 Copper
Management Interface
RJ-45
Console
USB
IPM
LED
(board
position)
