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 how to 'hot add' virtual memory to FortiGate VMs, a feature that became available as of FortiOS v6.4.3.
Scope
FortiGate v6.4.3 or higher VMs on a private cloud such as VMware ESXi or KVM.
Solution
Instructions for VMware ESXi:
Select the relevant VM, 'right-click' it, and select Edit settings.
Under Hardware -> Memory, increase or add memory as required. Select OK once configured.
Log in to the FortiGate CLI with SSH or console. Run the following command:
execute memory add
Example output:
execute mem add
Onlined 32 memory blocks.
If no memory is added, the command will have no output.
Note: For versions of FortiOS with a newer kernel (4.19), such as FortiOS v7.4.0+, there is no need to run the command above, as memory should be auto-updated. Verify the kernel version with the following command:
fnsysctl cat /proc/version
From v7.6.0, it is recommended to set up the VM with at least 4 GB of RAM for optimal performance.
