In aVirtual Chassis(VC) configuration, multiple Juniper switches are interconnected to form a single logical device. Each member switch in the Virtual Chassis plays a specific role.
Step-by-Step Breakdown:
* Line Card Role:
* Member switches acting asline cardsprovide additional ports for traffic forwarding but do not perform control or routing functions. These switches depend on the routing engine to handle control-plane tasks.
* Routing Engine Role:
* A switch in therouting-enginerole is responsible for control-plane operations such as routing protocol management and control of the Virtual Chassis.
* Virtual Chassis Roles:
* Master Routing Engine: Handles control-plane functions and manages the entire Virtual Chassis.
* Backup Routing Engine: Takes over if the master fails.
* Line Card: Provides additional ports and handles data-plane operations.
Juniper Reference:
* Virtual Chassis: In a five-member Virtual Chassis, multiple switches act asline cards, while one or more switches are designated as therouting engines(master and backup).