Which (AWS, ESXi, KVM, etc.) are you planning to use?
| Feature | FortiGate VM (Download) | FortiGate Hardware | FortiGate Cloud (Marketplace) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Low (BYOL) or Free (Trial) | High (Hardware + License) | Zero (PAYG billing) | | Performance | CPU/Memory dependent | ASIC accelerated (Fastest) | CPU limited by cloud provider | | Port Density | Virtual (VLANs) | Physical (1G/10G/40G) | Virtual (VPCs) | | Best Use Case | Lab, Branch, DMZ | HQ, Data Center Core | Auto-scaling cloud workloads | | Download Required | Yes | No (Physical shipping) | No (Deploy from API/Console) |
Once you have downloaded the image, you need to deploy it and register it to activate the license. 1. Deployment
Once logged into the dashboard, locate the top navigation menu. Download The Fortigate Vm
In today's digital landscape, network security is a top priority for organizations of all sizes. With the increasing complexity of cyber threats, it's essential to have a robust security solution in place to protect your network and data. Fortinet's FortiGate is a popular choice among security professionals, offering a wide range of features and capabilities to safeguard your network. In this article, we'll focus on downloading and deploying the FortiGate Virtual Machine (VM), a versatile and scalable security solution.
This is the core process for obtaining the FortiGate VM image. The steps are the same for all deployment methods.
Even after downloading, the VM is "unlicensed." It will show a red banner saying "Invalid License." Which (AWS, ESXi, KVM, etc
: Since FortiOS 7.2.1, the old 15-day trial has been replaced by a permanent free evaluation license for lab environments. Activation
Do you intend to use the or a paid BYOL license ?
1-year or multi-year subscriptions are available for 1vCPU, 2vCPU, 4vCPU, etc. (e.g., FC-10-FG1VM-963-02-12). Deployment Once logged into the dashboard, locate the
Decide whether you will use a Free Trial License (built into modern FortiOS versions with performance limits) or a Bring Your Own License (BYOL) file purchased from a partner. Supported Hypervisors and Cloud Platforms
When deploying to Azure, the recommended method uses the Azure Marketplace. "In the Azure dashboard, select Create a resource and search for FortiGate. Locate the Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall listing and select it". The deployment requires configuring:
A Fortinet FAQ confirms that "FortiGate-VM is the award-winning physical FortiGate packaged as a virtual appliance. It delivers the same FortiOS and FortiGuard real-time threat intelligence as the hardware models, in a virtual form factor".
AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) generally utilize marketplace-native deployments rather than manual file uploads. 2. Step-by-Step: How to Download the FortiGate VM Image