JNCIA-Junos Study Guide—Part 1

Maintains Routing Engine Intelligence

The RE handles all protocol processes in addition to other software processes that control the device’s interfaces, the chassis
components, system management, and user access to the device. These software processes run on top of the Junos kernel,
which interacts with the PFE. The software directs all protocol traffic from the network to the RE for the required processing.

Controls and Monitors Chassis

The RE provides the CLI in addition to the J-Web GUI. These user interfaces run on top of the Junos kernel and provide user
access and control of the device. We discuss user interfaces in a subsequent chapter in this course.

Manages Packet Forwarding Engine

The RE controls the PFE by providing accurate, up-to-date Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding tables and by downloading microcode
and managing software processes that reside in the PFE’s microcode. The RE receives hardware and environmental status
messages from the PFE and acts upon them as appropriate.

Forwards Traffic

The PFE is the central processing component of the forwarding plane. The PFE systematically forwards traffic based on its local
copy of the forwarding table. The PFE’s forwarding table is a synchronized copy of the information created on and provided by
the RE. Storing and using a local copy of the forwarding table allows the PFE to forward traffic more efficiently and eliminates
the need to consult the RE each time a packet needs to be processed. Using this local copy of the forwarding table also allows
platforms running the Junos OS to continue forwarding traffic during control plane instabilities.

Implements Services
In addition to forwarding traffic, the PFE also implements a number of advanced services. Some examples of advanced services
implemented through the PFE include policers that provide rate limiting, stateless firewall filters, and class of service (CoS).
Other services are available through special interface cards that you can add to the PFE complex. We cover interfaces in a
subsequent chapter.

© 2012 Juniper Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Junos Operating System Fundamentals • Chapter 1–3