Simple

Virtual Chassis technology on the EX4600 dramatically simplifies the enterprise distribution layer, eliminating the need for Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), complex routing, or VLAN configurations. In addition, when deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration, the EX4600 reduces the number of devices to manage and can even eliminate network switching layers. A single Virtual Chassis configuration can span multiple nodes, reducing the need for larger, more expensive nodes on superior tiers. Juniper Networks Junos operating system, which is common across the entire EX Series Ethernet Switches product family, accelerates the learning curve by enabling the entire architecture to be managed with a common set of instructions from a single pane of glass.

Scalable

A single EX4600 can support up to 72 10GbE ports at line rate, providing a highly scalable solution for the most demanding environments. In addition, Virtual Chassis technology makes it easy to scale the network while reducing management complexity. By adding switches to a Virtual Chassis configuration, it is possible to grow the number of switch ports without increasing the number of devices to manage. As switches are added to a Virtual Chassis configuration, backplane bandwidth demands can be scaled to maintain adequate oversubscription ratios.

Highly available

When EX4600 switches are deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration, Junos OS initiates a process to assign a master (active) and backup (hot standby) switch to manage the configuration. If the master switch fails, an integrated L2 and L3 graceful Routing Engine switchover (GRES) feature automatically switches to the backup to maintain continuous and uninterrupted system operations. The EX4600 switch also includes a number of other high availability features, including redundant power and cooling, graceful protocol restart, equal-cost multipath (ECMP), LAG links distributed across multiple slots, and quality of service (QoS) to prioritize time-sensitive data, nonstop bridging (NSB), nonstop active routing (NSR), and unified in-service software upgrades (unified ISSU). Unified ISSU is currently supported only in standalone configurations; support in Virtual Chassis configurations will be enabled in a future release.

Adaptable and modular

As business grows, the network needs to evolve. With its compact U form factor and complete switch features, the EX4600 can be easily redeployed in different environments and physical layouts. EX4600 switch capacity can be expanded without increasing the number of managed devices by simply adding more switches to a Virtual Chassis configuration.