Technical Tip: Deploying and verifying a FortiGate VM running FortiOS v8.0 on VMware Workstation Pro

Description

This article describes how to deploy and verify a FortiGate VM running FortiOS v8.0 on VMware Workstation Pro. The procedure covers importing the FortiGate VM deployment package (.OVF), selecting a storage location, completing the VMware Workstation import process, verifying that the FortiGate VM has been successfully added to the VMware Workstation inventory, and reviewing the primary virtual hardware configuration before the initial startup.

Scope

FortiGate VM, FortiOS v8.0.0, VMware Workstation Pro 17.

Solution

Prerequisites:

Before starting this guide, ensure that the following prerequisites have been completed.

1. Register a new FortiGate VM license.

2. Download the FortiGate VM deployment package (.OVF).

Helpful References:

• Registering a FortiGate VM.

Customer Service Tip: How to Register Fortinet Products in the Fortinet Support Portal

Reference: Asset Management → 2.04 Virtual Machine (VM) License Registration (PDF):

• Downloading the FortiGate VM deployment package (.OVF).

Technical Tip: Download Firmware for FortiGate VM

With the prerequisites completed, the FortiGate VM deployment process can begin. The following steps demonstrate how to import the FortiGate VM deployment package (.OVF) into VMware Workstation Pro and verify that the FortiGate VM has been successfully added to the VMware Workstation inventory.

Open VMware Workstation Pro and select File -> Open to begin the FortiGate VM deployment process.

Browse to the extracted FortiGate VM package, select the appropriate FortiGate VM .OVF file, and choose Open to begin importing the FortiGate VM into VMware Workstation Pro.

VMware then displays the End User License Agreement (EULA). Review the agreement, select 'I accept the terms of the license agreement.', and then select Next to continue.

Enter a name for the virtual machine. In this example, the name FortiGate VM is used. VMware automatically updates the default storage path to reflect the selected virtual machine name.

If the default storage location is acceptable, select Import to begin importing the FortiGate VM. If a different storage location is preferred, select Browse and follow the optional steps below.

Select the location where the FortiGate VM files will be stored. In this example, the Virtual Machines folder is selected. To create a dedicated folder for the FortiGate VM, select Make New Folder.

VMware does not automatically create a dedicated folder for the virtual machine when a custom storage location is selected. To create a dedicated folder for the FortiGate VM, select Make New Folder, specify a folder name that matches the virtual machine name, and then select OK to confirm the folder selection and return to the import wizard.

After confirming the folder selection, VMware returns to the import wizard and updates the storage path. Verify that the desired location is displayed. In this example, the FortiGate VM files will be stored in the FortiGate VM folder. Select Import to begin importing the virtual machine.

After the import process completes, VMware Workstation displays the FortiGate VM summary page. Verify that the FortiGate VM appears in the inventory and that the storage path shown under Virtual Machine Details points to the correct folder. In this example, the virtual machine files are stored in the FortiGate VM folder created during the import process.

The deployment process is now complete. Before starting the FortiGate VM for the first time, review the imported virtual hardware configuration. Select VM -> Settings to open the Virtual Machine Settings window.

The Virtual Machine Settings window displays the hardware configuration assigned to the imported FortiGate VM. Begin the hardware review by selecting Memory.

The Memory settings show the amount of RAM assigned to the imported FortiGate VM. Review the configured memory allocation before the initial power-on and assign sufficient RAM based on the expected traffic volume and planned features.

For reference, 2 GB of memory is the minimum suggested value. Consider allocating substantially more memory based on the needs of the networking environment (for example, 8 GB or more).

FortiGate VM licenses do not limit the amount of allocated memory, so that additional memory can be assigned without any licensing penalty.

The Processors settings show the number of virtual processors assigned to the imported FortiGate VM.

As a reminder, FortiGate VM licenses determine the maximum number of usable vCPUs. Review the configured processor allocation before the initial power-on.

For example, a VM04 license supports up to 4 vCPU cores. Although FortiGate VM performance generally scales with additional vCPU cores, any processors assigned beyond the licensed limit will not be utilized.

For additional information about increasing the number of processor cores, see Technical Tip: How to add CPU core in FortiGate firewall VM.

Once the main virtual hardware configuration in VMware Workstation has been reviewed and everything looks correct, select Power on this virtual machine to start the FortiGate VM.

The FortiGate VM has now been successfully deployed and is ready for initial startup and configuration.