Skip to main content
Hatibi
Staff & Editor
Hatibi
Staff & Editor
January 23, 2025

Technical Tip: Evaluate Server resource Sizing based on Ports in the Network

  • January 23, 2025
  • 0 replies
  • 440 views
Description This article describes the concept of 'Ports in the Network' in FortiNAC. This is required to properly understand the scope of the network environment to adjust resources allocated to FortiNAC for optimal performance.
Scope FortiNAC, FortiNAC-F.
Solution

As per FortiNAC data-sheet page 14, Ports in the Network will define the minimum resource limits required for proper operation.

For example, a small environment with up to 5000 Ports in the Network, will require FortiNAC to be built with a minimum of 16 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, and 100 GB Disk.

 

The Port count is not limited to only physical switch ports.

FortiNAC will additionally represent VLANs, logical interfaces, roles, or other specific vendor attributes as Ports. The modeling can be unique for different vendors. All objects marked/modeled as ports will also be summarized and displayed in the Ports - Total value.

 

Figure 1. Example of Total Ports modeled for a FortiGate with a FortiSwitch in Fortilink mode.Figure 1. Example of Total Ports modeled for a FortiGate with a FortiSwitch in Fortilink mode.

 

The result shows that currently there are 37 ports modeled in FortiNAC.

Figure 1 shows the total Port number for a FortiGate and FortiSwitch in Fortilink mode. As noted, VLANs are also modeled and counted as Ports.

Ports in the network are defined as the total number of switch ports + a maximum number of concurrent wireless connections. 

 

To identify the current number of Ports in the Network, it is possible to use:

 

  1. Number of ports counter in the top container in Network -> Inventory. This is shown in Figure 1 above. 

  2. 'Network Device Summary' widget.

 

To add a widget in the FortiNAC dashboard go to Dashboard -> Main and select 'Add Widget'.

Select 'Network Device Summary' and use the Table format.

 

Figure 2. Network inventory widget displaying the current port count and their state.Figure 2. Network inventory widget displaying the current port count and their state.

 

This dashboard is very useful for getting a statistical view and showing the state of the ports and the total number of control states (Technical Tip: 'State based Control' concept and VLAN changes) applied.

 

Using this information, FortiNAC administrators will be able to understand if the network environment size is increasing and will be able to adjust FortiNAC server resources appropriately.

 

Related documents:

Adding Widgets

Ports View
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement