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Rathan_FTNT
Staff
Rathan_FTNT
Staff
August 16, 2020

Technical Tip: Uploading the FortiGate VM license

  • August 16, 2020
  • 0 replies
  • 23027 views

Description

 

This article describes how to upload the FortiGate VM license. Every Fortinet VM includes a 15-day trial license running until FortiOS v7.2.0. From FortiOS v7.2.1, a permanent evaluation VM license has been introduced. The following link can be referred to for more information: Permanent trial mode for FortiGate-VM.

 

Scope

 

FortiGate VM.

Solution

 

To upload the FortiGate VM license file via the GUI:

  1. Do one of the following to access the license upload window:
  • Go to Dashboard -> Status window, in the Virtual Machine widget, select the FGVMEV (FortiGate-VM Evaluation) License icon. This reveals a menu of selections that goes directly to the FortiGate VM License window or the FortiGuard Details window.
  • Go to System -> FortiGuard. In the License Information section, go to the Virtual Machine row and select 'FortiGate VM License'.

 

v7.0/v7.2:

 

7.2.png

 

v7.4:

 

7.2 Upload license.png

 

v7.6:

 

VM-v7.6.jpg

 

Do not upload the license file under 'Upload License File'. This will result in the error 'Manual license upload failed'.

 

  1. In the Evaluation License dialog, select Enter 'License'.
    The license upload page opens.

 

 
  1. Select 'Upload' and locate the license file (.lic) on the computer.
  2. Select 'OK' to upload the license file.
  3. Refresh the browser to log in.
  4. Enter admin in the Name field and select 'Login'.

The VM registration status appears as valid in the License Information widget after the license is validated by the FortiGuard Distribution Network (FDN) or FortiManager for closed networks.
 
Stephen_G_0-1726506935210.png

 

Modern browsers may have issues allowing a connection to a FortiGate if the encryption on the unit is too low. If this happens, use an FTP/TFTP server to apply the license.
 
To upload the FortiGate-VM license file via the CLI using an external FTP/TFTP server:
 
execute restore vmlicense {ftp | tftp} <filenmame string> <ftp server>[:ftp port]
 
Example: The following is an example output when using a TFTP server to install a license:
 
execute restore vmlicense tftp license.lic 10.0.1.2
This operation will overwrite the current VM license!Do you want to continue? (y/n)y
Please wait...Connect to tftp server 10.0.1.2 ...
Get VM license from tftp server OK.
VM license install succeeded.
Rebooting firewall.

Stephen_G_1-1726507158854.png

 

This command automatically reboots the firewall without giving a chance to back out or delay the reboot.
 
Note 1: The manual offline license upload in v7.2 was limited to hardware, but with v7.4, this is also possible for VM licenses. 
 
Note 2: Starting from FortiOS v8.0.0, v7.6.7, and v7.4.10: when anycast is enabled, FortiOS VMs will now use dedicated VM license activation servers (vmactivation1.fortinet.net, vmactivation2.fortinet.net, vmactivation3.fortinet.net) instead of the general update server FQDNs (update/uspdate/eupdate.fortiguard.net). When anycast is disabled, VM License activation will continue using update/uspdate/eupdate.fortiguard.net. See more details in the following document: Dedicated activation FQDNs for VM licensing.
 
Related documents:
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