Technical Tip: FortiGate firmware upgrade instructions/guideline

Before proceeding with the firmware upgrade, ensure the following checks and prerequisites are completed, especially if the FortiGate unit is part of an HA cluster.

1. Pre‑Upgrade HA Verification (Required) and collect TAC report: Verify the HA status and configuration synchronization using the commands below:

get system status
get system ha status
diagnose sys ha status
diagnose sys ha checksum cluster

Make sure the cluster is healthy and fully synchronised before the upgrade. Additionally, ensure to follow the recommended upgrade path to maintain stability, compatibility, and avoid unexpected behaviour.

Once the target version of the upgrade has been decided, check the Upgrade Path Tool Table to identify the upgrade path, and it has to be followed, even if a manual upgrade is being performed:

From the tool, select the Product Model, Current and Target version, and select GO. It will show the upgrade path versions that have to be followed. See the example below: 

Collect the Execute TAC report before proceeding with the firmware upgrade. This report offers a comprehensive overview of the system's current state, including diagnostics such as memory and CPU utilization, and more. 

Technical Tip: Download Debug Logs and 'execute tac report'

2. General Upgrade Guidance:

• Resolved issues.
• Known issues.
• Behavioral changes.
• Special considerations for upgrading.

Review the release notes carefully to understand any potential impact on the production environment. Read and understand changes in default behavior from V 7.4.10: Changes in default behavior.

3. Manual Firmware Upgrade Reference:

Follow the steps in the article below for performing a manual firmware upgrade and for confirming the correct upgrade path: Technical Tip: Manual firmware upgrade by referring to an upgrade path.

4. HA Cluster Upgrade Procedure for FortiGate devices operating in an HA cluster: Use the official recommended procedure documented here: Upgrading FortiGates in an HA cluster.
   
   
5. Compatibility Check (If Using Security Fabric):

If deployment includes Fortinet Security Fabric or other Fortinet integrated solutions, verify version compatibility between FortiOS and the other products. 

Technical Tip: Compatibility Matrix guide between FortiGate and other Fortinet products

If guidance is necessary on upgrading other Fortinet products, raise a separate Support ticket.

6. Rollback Plan:

1. Roll Back to Previous Partition: If needed, can revert to the previous firmware version and configuration by booting the FortiGate from the secondary firmware partition. 
   Technical Tip: Selecting an alternate firmware for the next reboot
   
   
2. Roll Back to Original Firmware (After Multiple Upgrades): If multiple firmware upgrades were performed and it is necessary to return to the original version:

1. Format the flash using a TFTP server.
2. Load the initial firmware image.
3. Restore the configuration file saved before the upgrade.

Technical Tip: Formatting and loading FortiGate firmware image using TFTP

If experiencing any issues during the firmware upgrade, contact the toll‑free support line, and one of the engineers will assist: Contact Support.