What are the benefits of Fortimanager ?

[kevinmessi]

Hi all,

We are planning to conduct a full refresh of our network infrastructure using Fortinet devices, including approximately 50 firewalls and 100 switches.

I have a question regarding the usage of FortiManager (FMG) for managing such a larger deployment. Is it truly essential to have FMG, or can we manage the devices locally by copying and pasting CLI commands or utilizing scripts from a centralized server for bulk management? What advantages does FMG provide over these alternatives?

Looking forward to hearing your insights and experiences.

[sw2090]

well I use it here to maintan one policy package for around 20 FGT. So I only have to create a policy one (and also an address object) and can deploy it to every FGT.

Also I have some cases that won't fit that and thus have to be seperate but they still can share things like security profiles via the global adom in FMG.

[Sheikh]

Hello @kevinmessi 

Actually, there are many advantages of using FortiManager in an environment. Below are some of them that might be useful for you.

 - Centralized Management: It provides single console to manage and monitor multiple Fortinet devices across distributed networks.

 - Configuration and Policy Management: You can use it to configure and enforce security policies consistently across all Fortinet Devices.

 - Automation and Orchestration: You can automate daily/routine tasks, which will be resulted in the time and effort required for device configuration and management

 - Role-Based Administration: You can assign specific roles and responsibilities within FortiManager.

 - Device Inventory and Monitoring: FortiManager provides a comprehensive view of entire Fortinet device inventory. So in a single pane you can check and see all Fortinet devices.

 - Backup and Restore: centralized backup and restore of device configurations.

 - Compliance: Provides tools for auditing and reporting.

 - Firmware updates: It can be used for updating firmware across multiple devices.

For sure there are other advantages as well but I have just added some of them for your reference.

[mgoswami]

Hi,

Here are some of the key features of Fortimanager:

https://help.fortinet.com/fmgr/50hlp/56/5-6-1/FortiManager_Admin_Guide/0300_FMG_architecture/0400_Ke...