What is a "link aggregation" in FortiGate?

Link aggregation in FortiGate refers to the process of combining multiple network connections into a single logical link. This method serves two primary purposes: it increases overall throughput by allowing more data to be transmitted simultaneously across the combined links, and it provides redundancy in case one of the individual links fails. By utilizing multiple physical connections, link aggregation enhances the reliability and performance of network traffic management.

This approach is essential for environments where network performance is critical, as it can improve both bandwidth and fault tolerance without requiring additional hardware. In FortiGate devices, link aggregation can leverage protocols such as LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) to dynamically manage and maintain these connections, ensuring efficient load balancing and failover capabilities.