Juniper Networks® Field Guide and Reference

Router Architecture

Each router consists of two major architectural components: the Routing Engine and the Packet Forwarding Engine.

In each Juniper Networks router, the router architecture cleanly separates routing and control functions from packet forwarding operations, eliminating bottlenecks and permitting the router to maintain a high level of performance. Each router consists of two major architectural components: the Routing Engine, which provides Layer 3 routing services and network management, and the Packet Forwarding Engine, which provides Layer 2 and Layer 3 packet switching, route lookups, and packet forwarding.

The Routing Engine and Packet Forwarding Engine perform their primary tasks independently, while constantly communicating ...