Are licenses required to use features or only for signature updates?

Hi @jefazo92 ,

As you said, licenses are required for the use of features such as Web Filter, IPS, AV, DNS Filter and the signature updates of these features. If you do not have a license, you cannot use these features.

If there is no active Forticare license on the device after version 7.4, you cannot upgrade the device.

To add to what @ozkanaltas said, but specific to your assumption about firmware updates, even out of subscription will allow you to update to higher patch builds to allow for security updates. So for example, if you are at 7.4.0, you could update to 7.4.1. You would not be allowed to go from a higher major version (6.0 to 7.0) or from a higher minor version (7.4 to 7.6) for example.

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortigate/7.4.0/new-features/299518/prevent-fortigates-with-an-expired-support-contract-from-upgrading-to-a-major-or-minor-firmware-release

Hi @jefazo92,

I believe that the database will not update if the feature is not in used and to use the feature, that would require an active license.