FortiSwitch-5003A and 5003 Fabric and Base Backplane Communications Guide
86 01-30000-85717-20081205
Network configurations FortiGate-5020 base backplane communication
Network configurations
In addition to HA traffic, the FortiGate-5020chassis base backplane can pass
other traffic types, including VLAN tagged network traffic.
FortiGate modules do not necessarily have to be the same model. For example, if
you install a FortiGate-5005FA2 and a FortiGate-5001SX module in the same
FortiGate-5020 chassis, you can send network traffic between base1 of the
FortiGate-5005FA2 module and port9 of the FortiGate-5001SX module. You can
also send network traffic between base2 of the FortiGate-5005FA2 and port10 on
the FortiGate-5001SX module.
Traffic cannot traverse base backplane channels. For example, if you have
installed two FortiGate-5001SX modules in the same FortiGate-5020 chassis,
port9 on the module in slot1 can only send traffic to port9 in slot 2; port9 in slot 1
cannot send traffic to port10 in slot 2.
The FortiGate-5020 chassis base backplane only supports networking between
FortiGate modules located in the same FortiGate-5020 chassis. Unlike
FortiGate-5140 and FortiGate-5050 chassis, you cannot use the FortiGate-5020
base backplane to connect FortiGate modules to modules in another chassis, or
to the network, through their base backplane interfaces. Inter-chassis traffic and
traffic with the Internet or internal network must pass through a FortiGate module
front panel interface. In these cases, additional hardware, such as an external
switch or Ethernet cables, may be required.
Configure FortiGate modules to send network traffic through the base backplane
interfaces as you would other interfaces.
Figure 38: Network connection between modules in separate chassis, to the Internet,
and to the internal network
PSU A
PSU B
PWR
STAIPM
CONSOLE
USB
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ACC
PWR
STAIPM
CONSOLE
USB
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ACC
PSU A
PSU B
PWR
STAIPM
CONSOLE
USB
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ACC
PWR
STAIPM
CONSOLE
USB
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ACC
Internet
switch
internal network
Internet
Internal Network
switch