Technical Tip: Schedule disable/enable of FortiGate interfaces

Sometimes is needed to do a scheduled disable/enable the interface to reduce the unnecessary usage of specific interfaces.

The below steps show how to configure an auto-script which will disable port3 at 18:00 and will enable it back at 9:00.

Schedule the script to disable the port at 18:00 every day:

config system automation-trigger
    edit "Scheduled_int_disable"
        set description "disable the interface every day @ 18:00"
        set trigger-type scheduled
        set trigger-frequency daily
        set trigger-hour 18
        set trigger-minute 0
    next
end

Script which will disable the port3:

config system automation-action
    edit "Disable_interface_script"
        set description ''
        set action-type cli-script
        set minimum-interval 0
        set script "config system interface
            edit port3
                set status down
                end
        end
end

Automation stitch, configured to disable port3 at 18:00 every day :

config system automation-stitch
    edit "Disable_interface"
        set trigger "Scheduled_int_disable"
            config actions
                edit 1
                    set action "Disable_interface_script"
                    set required enable
                next
            end
    next
    end

end

Schedule the script to enable the port at 09:00 every day:

config system automation-trigger
    edit "Schedule_enable_interface"
        set description ''
        set trigger-type scheduled
        set trigger-frequency daily
        set trigger-hour 9
        set trigger-minute 0
    next

end

Script which will enable the port3:

config system automation-action
    edit "Enable_Interface_script"
        set action-type cli-script
        set script "config system interface
            edit port3
                set status up
        end"
    end"

end

Automation stitch configured to enable port3 at 09:00 :

config system automation-stitch
    edit "Enable_interface"
        set description "enable port3 @ 9:00"
        set trigger "Schedule_enable_interface"
            config actions
                edit 1
                     set action "Enable_Interface_script"
                     set required enable
                 next
            end
    next
end

Commands below can be used, to check the status of automation stitch :

diagnose test application autod 3
alert mail log count: 0

stitch: Disable_interface (scheduled)

local hit: 1 relayed to: 0 relayed from: 0
last trigger:Fri Feb 21 10:43:02 2025
last relay:
next scheduled trigger:Fri Feb 21 18:00:00 2025
actions:
Disable_interface_script:
done: 1 relayed to: 0 relayed from: 0
last trigger:Fri Feb 21 10:43:02 2025
last relay:

stitch: Enable_interface (scheduled)

local hit: 1 relayed to: 0 relayed from: 0
last trigger:Fri Feb 21 10:42:53 2025
last relay:
next scheduled trigger:Sat Feb 22 09:00:00 2025
actions:
Enable_Interface_script:
done: 1 relayed to: 0 relayed from: 0
last trigger:Fri Feb 21 10:42:53 2025
last relay: