Technical Tip: How to upgrade FortiGate VM license

[aneshcheret]

Description

This article describes how to upgrade the VM license in order to use more vCPU and RAM. For VM license specifications, see the data sheet.

Scope

FortiGate.

Solution

The procedure of a standalone FortiGate includes the following steps:

• Upgrade the VM license:  GUI: System -> FortiGuard -> FortiGate VM License, select 'Upload' and select 'OK'.

 

CLI:

execute restore vmlicense <ftp | tftp> <VM license file name (path) on the remote server> < IP:port | IP > [ FTP username ]

execute restore vmlicense tftp FGVM***********.lic 192.168.193.1
This operation will overwrite the current VM license!
Do you want to continue? (y/n)y

Please wait...

Connect to tftp server 192.168.193.1 ..

Get VM license from tftp server OK.
VM license install succeeded. Rebooting firewall.

• Shut down the VM.
• Upgrade the hardware.
• Start up the VM.

The procedure of the HA mode is similar to the following steps:

• Log in to the secondary unit using the HA management interface IP, upgrade the VM license in as same way as standalone mode.
• Shut down the secondary VM.
• Upgrade the secondary VM hardware.
• Log in to the primary unit using the HA management interface IP, upgrade the VM license in as same way as standalone mode.
• Shut down the primary VM.
• Upgrade the hardware.
• Start up the primary VM.
• Start up secondary VM.

Note:

If the secondary VM starts up before the upgrade primary VM license, HA or CPU out of sync is expected especially upgrading to different type of VM license.