The EX4100 switches deliver high availability through redundant power supplies and fans, graceful Routing Engine switchover (GRES), and nonstop bridging and routing when deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration.
In a Virtual Chassis configuration, each EX4100 switch is capable of functioning as a Routing Engine (RE). When two or more EX4100 switches are interconnected, a single control plane is shared among all Virtual Chassis member switches. Junos OS automatically initiates an election process to assign a primary (active) and backup (hot-standby) RE. An integrated L2 and L3 GRES feature maintains uninterrupted access to applications, services, and IP communications in the unlikely event of a primary RE failure.
When more than two switches are interconnected in a Virtual Chassis configuration, the remaining switch elements act as line cards and are available to assume the backup RE position should the designated primary RE fail. Primary, backup, and line card priority status can be assigned to dictate the order of ascension; this N+1 RE redundancy, coupled with the GRES, nonstop active routing (NSR), and nonstop bridging (NSB) capabilities of Junos OS, assures a smooth transfer of control plane functions following unexpected failures.
The EX4100 implements the same slot/module/port numbering scheme as other Juniper chassis-based products when numbering Virtual Chassis ports, providing true chassis-like operations. By using a consistent operating system and a single configuration file, all switches in a Virtual Chassis configuration are treated as a single device, greatly simplifying overall system maintenance and management.
Individually, the EX4100 offers a number of HA features that are typically associated with modular chassis-based switches. When combined with the field-proven Junos OS and L2/L3 failover capabilities, these features provide the EX4100 with true carrier-class reliability.
- Redundant power supplies: The EX4100 line of switches supports redundant, load-sharing, hot-swappable, and field-replaceable power supplies to maintain uninterrupted operations. Thanks to its compact footprint, the EX4100 requires significantly less power than chassis-based switches delivering equivalent port densities.
- Hot-swappable fans: The EX4100 includes hot-swappable fans, providing sufficient cooling (for a short duration) even if one of the fans were to fail.
- Nonstop bridging and nonstop active routing: NSB and NSR on the EX4100 ensure that control plane protocols, states, and tables are synchronized between primary and standby REs to prevent protocol flaps or convergence issues following an RE failover.
- Redundant trunk group (RTG): To avoid the complexities of STP without sacrificing network resiliency, the EX4100 employs redundant trunk groups to provide the necessary port redundancy and simplify switch configuration.
- Cross-member link aggregation: Cross-member link aggregation allows redundant link aggregation connections between devices in a single Virtual Chassis configuration, providing an additional level of reliability and availability.
- IPv4 and IPv6 routing support: IPv4 and IPv6 Layer 3 routing (OSPF and BGP) is available with a Flex license, enabling highly resilient networks.
The EX4100 switches support IEEE 802.1ae MACsec with AES-256-bit encryption to increase security of point-to-point traffic communications. MACsec provides encrypted communication at the link layer that is capable of identifying and preventing threats from denial of service (DoS) and other intrusion attacks, as well as man-in-the-middle, masquerading, passive wiretapping, and playback attacks launched from behind the firewall. When MACsec is deployed on ports, the traffic is encrypted on the wire, but the traffic inside the switch is not. This allows the switch to apply network policies such as quality of service (QoS) or deep packet inspection (DPI) to each packet without compromising the security of packets on the wire.
The EX4100 delivers PoE for supporting connected devices such as phones, surveillance cameras, IoT devices, and 802.11AX/Wi-Fi 6 access points, offering a PoE power budget of up to 1620W and supporting up to 90W per port based on the IEEE 802.3bt PoE standard.
EX4100 switches support perpetual PoE, which provides uninterrupted power to connected PoE powered devices (PDs) even when the EX4100 switch is rebooting.
The EX4100 switches also support a fast PoE capability that delivers PoE power to connected endpoints during a switch power-up, even before the switch is fully operational. This is especially beneficial in situations where the endpoint only needs the power and is not necessarily dependent on network connectivity.
The EX4100 supports Junos telemetry interface (JTI), a modern telemetry streaming feature designed for switch health and performance monitoring. Sensor data can be streamed to a management system at configurable periodic intervals, enabling network administrators to monitor individual link and node utilization as well as troubleshoot issues such as network congestion in real time. JTI delivers the following features:
- Performance management by provisioning sensors to collect and stream data and analyze application and workload flow paths through the network
- Capacity planning and optimization by proactively detecting hotspots and monitoring latency and microbursts
- Troubleshooting and root cause analysis via high-frequency monitoring and correlation of overlay and underlay networks
The EX4100 switches run Junos OS, Juniper’s powerful and robust network operating system that powers all Juniper switches, routers, and firewalls. By utilizing a common operating system, Juniper delivers a consistent implementation and operation of control plane features across all products. To maintain that consistency, Junos OS adheres to a highly disciplined development process that uses a single source code and employs a highly available modular architecture to prevent isolated failures from bringing down an entire system.
These attributes are fundamental to the core value of the software, enabling all Junos OS-powered products to be updated simultaneously with the same software release. All features are fully regression tested, making each new release a true superset of the previous version. Customers can deploy the software with complete confidence that all existing capabilities are maintained and operate in the same way.
Juniper Flex licensing offers a common, simple, and flexible licensing model for EX Series access switches, enabling customers to purchase features based on their network and business needs. Flex licensing is offered in Standard, Advanced, and Premium tiers. Standard tier features are available with the Junos OS image that ships with EX Series switches. Additional features can be unlocked with the purchase of a Flex Advanced or Flex Premium license.
The Flex Advanced and Flex Premium licenses for the EX Series platforms are class-based, determined by the number of access ports on the switch. Class 1 (C1) switches have 12 ports, Class 2 (C2) switches have 24 ports, and Class 3 (C3) switches have 32 or 48 ports.
The EX4100 switches support both subscription and perpetual Flex licenses. Subscription licenses are offered for three- and five-year terms. In addition to Junos OS features, the Flex Advanced and Flex Premium subscription licenses include Juniper Mist Wired Assurance. Flex Advanced and Flex Premium subscription licenses also allow portability across the same tier and class of switches, ensuring investment protection for the customer.
For a complete list of features supported by the Flex Standard, Advanced, and Premium tiers, or to learn about Junos OS EX Series licenses, please visit: https://www.juniper.net/documentation/us/en/software/license/licensing/topics/concept/ flex-licenses-for-ex.html.
The EX4100 includes an enhanced limited lifetime hardware warranty that provides return-to-factory switch replacement for as long as the original purchaser owns the product. The warranty includes lifetime software updates, advanced shipping of spares within one business day, and 24x7 Juniper Networks Technical Assistance Center (JTAC) support for 90 days after the purchase date. Power supplies and fan trays are covered for a period of five years. For complete details, please visit https://support.juniper.net/support/pdf/warranty/990240.pdf.