FortiGate Next Generation Firewall utilizes purpose-built security processors and threat intelligence security services from FortiGuard labs to deliver top-rated protection and high performance, including encrypted traffic.
This article describes the recommended procedure for migrating a FortiGate-VM instance to a new hypervisor, region, or cloud environment. The process focuses on preserving the existing FortiGate license and ensuring configuration continuity while avoiding serial-number or licensing conflicts.
Scope
FortiGate-VM.
Solution
Before beginning the migration, ensure:
Access to the FortiCare Support Portal.
Administrative access to both the source and target environments.
The ability to deploy a new FortiGate-VM instance in the destination platform.
A maintenance window if the source VM is production-critical.
Before deploying the new VM, confirm that the target platform meets all requirements published by Fortinet. Requirements vary depending on:
Confirm supported instance types, CPU/memory requirements, NIC configuration, and storage specifications before proceeding.
Provision a fresh FortiGate-VM instance in the destination region or cloud environment. At this stage, the VM will have a temporary serial number and no license applied.
Log in to the FortiCare Support Portal and download the license file associated with the existing FortiGate VM instance.
Power off the old FortiGate-VM and ensure it remains offline throughout the migration to avoid license conflicts.
Upload the previously downloaded license file to the newly deployed VM. The VM will automatically reboot.
Verify the license status (should show as VALID) and confirm that the configuration has been restored or synchronized as expected.
Update any relevant settings if network changes were made (such as IP addressing, HA configuration, or routing). If required, consider using FortiConverter services to ensure accurate configuration migration.
