In a multi-tenancy setup on FortiGate, you can assign a FortiSwitch port to a VDOM in two primary ways:

Switch the FortiLink Interface to the Target VDOM (A): This method involves configuring the FortiLink interface, which is the dedicated interface used to manage FortiSwitch units from FortiGate, to operate within a specific VDOM. This effectively assigns all ports on the FortiSwitch, managed through that FortiLink interface, to the designated VDOM.

Create a Virtual Port Pool on the FortiGate CLI (C): Virtual port pools are created on FortiGate and allow ports from FortiSwitch to be grouped and assigned to a VDOM. This method is more granular and flexible, as it allows specific ports on the FortiSwitch to be dedicated to different VDOMs without requiring the entire switch or FortiLink interface to be dedicated to a single VDOM.

In dynamic routing on FortiSwitch, certain types of interfaces are utilized to participate in the routing processes. The types of interfaces that can be used include:

Loopback Interfaces (B):Loopback interfaces are virtual interfaces that are always up, making them ideal for use in routing protocols where a stable interface is necessary. They are commonly used to establish router IDs and manage routing information more reliably.

Switch Virtual Interfaces (C):Switch Virtual Interfaces (SVIs) are assigned to VLANs and can have IP addresses assigned to them, making them capable of participating in Layer 3 routing. SVIs are essential for routing between different VLANs on a switch and can participate in dynamic routing protocols to advertise networks or make routing decisions.

Physical Interfaces (D)andDetected Management Interfaces (A)are not typically used directly by dynamic routing protocols for their operations in the context of FortiSwitch.

References:For more information on how these interfaces interact with dynamic routing protocols,you can check the FortiSwitch documentation on Fortinet’s official documentation site:Fortinet Product Documentation

The two reasons why port1 can be shut down are loop guard protection and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP).

Loop guard protection:This is a feature that helps to prevent switching loops in a network.expand_more A loop guard can be configured on a port to monitor for specific traffic patterns that indicate a loop. If loop guard protection detects a loop, it will shut down the port to prevent the loop from causing problems.

STP:STP is a protocol that helps to prevent switching loops.expand_more When multiple paths exist between two network devices, STP will block all but one of the paths, creating a loop-free topology.expand_more If STP detects a loop, it will shut down the ports that are involved in the loop.

In the exhibit, both ports 1 and 2 are configured with the same native VLAN 10. This configuration could create a switching loop if both ports are connected to devices on the same network segment. If a loop occurs, loop guard protection or STP could shut down port1 to prevent the loop from causing problems.

References:

Fortinet FortiSwitch 7.2 Administration Guidehttps://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortigate/7.4.3/administration-guide/954635/getting-started

VLAN assignments on FortiSwitch ports must follow certain rules and guidelines to ensure network integrity and proper traffic segregation:

Only Assign One Native VLAN on a Port (C):

Native VLAN Configuration:Each switch port can have only one native VLAN. The native VLAN carries untagged traffic for that port. If the port receives untagged frames, they are assumed to belong to the native VLAN.

Importance of Singular Native VLAN:This is crucial for preventing VLAN hopping attacks and ensures clear and secure VLAN demarcation on each port.

Assign Untagged VLANs Using FortiGate CLI (D):

CLI Configuration:Untagged VLANs, often equivalent to the native VLAN, can be assigned through the FortiGate CLI when managing a FortiSwitch via FortiLink. This allows for central management and configuration of VLANs across connected switches.

Operational Efficiency:Using the CLI ensures that VLAN settings are applied uniformly, reducing the likelihood of misconfigurations that might occur when managing VLANs individually on each switch.

References:For detailed instructions and best practices on VLAN configuration on FortiSwitch, refer to the FortiSwitch administration guide available on:Fortinet Product Documentation

"MSTP is based on RSTP", so the same port role election and the same root bridge selection. Reference: FortiSwitch 7.2 Study Guide, page 187

Time synchronization between FortiGate and its managed FortiSwitch devices is essential for several reasons:

A. FortiSwitch does not retain its time after a reboot, which gets reset after each reboot.This characteristic of FortiSwitch underlines the importance of time synchronization with FortiGate. Since FortiSwitch loses its time settings upon reboot, synchronizing with FortiGate ensures that its system clock is accurate, which is vital for logging, troubleshooting, and security timestamping.

C. FortiSwitch cannot complete the DTLS handshake used in the CAPWAP tunnel.Accurate time synchronization is crucial for security protocols such as DTLS, which rely on timestamped certificates for establishing a secure connection. If the time on FortiSwitch is not synchronized with FortiGate, the DTLS handshake used in the CAPWAP tunnel for secure communication may fail due to time discrepancies, impacting the management and operation of the switch.

From the exhibit and the details given about the routes not installed in the FIB:

These two routes have a higher administrative distance value available to the destination networks (Option A): Administrative distance is a measure used by routers to select the best path when there are two or more different routes to the same destination from two different routing protocols. A higher administrative distance means that the route is considered less trustworthy, thus not selected for the FIB unless the more preferred routes fail.

These two routes will become primary, if the best routes are removed (Option B): In routing, if the currently installed routes (which are considered the best due to reasons like lower administrative distance) are removed or become unavailable, the next best routes based on administrative distance will be used. This behavior ensures redundancy and maintains network connectivity in diverse scenarios.

References:

This approach is aligned with standard routing protocol behavior as documented in networking protocols and Fortinet’s routing mechanisms which prioritize routes based on administrative distance and other metrics to maintain efficient and reliable network routing.

When loop guard is enabled on port1 and port2 configured with the same native VLAN (VLAN 10), there are specific scenarios under which port1 can be shut down due to loop guard operation:

A.port1 was shut down by loop guard protection.Loop guard is a specific feature used in network environments to prevent alternative or redundant loops. When loop guard is active, it can shut down a port if it stops receiving BPDU (Bridge Protocol Data Units) on a port that is expected to receive them, assuming a loop or link failure and putting the port into an inconsistent state to prevent potential loops.

B.STP triggered a loop and applied loop guard protection on port1.If the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) detects a loop or loss of BPDU transmissions while loop guard is enabled, it will proactively shut down the port to prevent network instability or a broadcast storm. This is an essential function of loop guard within the context of STP, providing additional protection against topology changes that could introduce loops.

References:

Additional details about loop guard functionality and STP interaction can be found in the FortiSwitch administration guides, accessible viaFortinet Documentation.