The EX8208 supports Juniper Networks’ unique Virtual Chassis technology, which enables two interconnected EX8200 chassis— any combination of EX8208s or EX8216s—to operate as a single, logical device with a single IP address. Deployed as a collapsed aggregation or core layer solution, an EX8200 Virtual Chassis configuration creates a network fabric for interconnecting access switches, routers, and service-layer devices such as firewalls and load balancers using standards-based Ethernet LAGs.
In a Virtual Chassis configuration, EX8200 switches can be interconnected using either single line-rate 10GbE links or a LAG with up to 12 10GbE line-rate links. Since the Virtual Chassis intraconnections use small form SFP+ interfaces, Virtual Chassis member switches can be separated by distances of up to 40 km. If the EX8200 Virtual Chassis switch members are located in the same or adjacent racks, low cost direct attach cables (DACs) can be used as the interconnect mechanism.
Since the network fabric created by an EX8200 Virtual Chassis configuration prevents loops, it eliminates the need for protocols such as Spanning Tree. The fabric also simplifies the network by eliminating the need for Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), increasing the scalability of the network design. In addition, since the Virtual Chassis Control Protocol (VCCP) used to form the EX8200 Virtual Chassis configuration does not affect the function of the control plane, Junos OS control plane protocols such as 802.3ad, OSPF, Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP), Physical Interface Module (PIM), BGP and others running on an EX8200 Virtual Chassis system behave in exactly the same way as when running on a standalone chassis.