restore a FortiManager VM unit operation

[Kashifshaikh]

Hello Team,

Is there any Knowledege base to restore a FortiManager VM unit operation, following an RMA replacement Method by doing via HA

[AEK]

Hello
RMA is for hardware, not for VM. So I guess you mean you need to restore a VM after failure like VM corruption, right?

If you have a valid VM backup then you can restore it.

Otherwise, if you have a FMG valid backup, then I think one of the possible methods can be as follows:

• Recreate your VMs from scratch with the exactly same FortiManager version as your backup
• Enter the license on both VMs
• Restore the FMG DB on one VM from the valid FMG backup
• Once done and the FMG rebooted, attach the secondary FMG to the primary for synchronization

This is not an official method. So I think it is safer to open a ticket with TAC support so they provide you with the recommended procedure for HA environment.

[Kashifshaikh]

Thankyou @AEK  for the reply,

Actually I need to replace my standalone Forti manager which is on VM,so I wanted to do by doing via HA.

Like same which has shown in below link for hardware model.

https://community.fortinet.com/t5/FortiManager/Technical-Note-How-to-restore-a-FortiManager-unit-ope...

So Is there any KB article for VM

[jasonhong]

I'm not entirely sure what you meant by restoring a FMG VM via HA but you are able to restore the FMG VM into the primary unit and subsequently sync the config across to the secondary unit once the restoration is done on the primary unit.

[Kashifshaikh]

I need to replace my standalone Forti manager which is on VM for this i will be performing below steps :-

1. **Prepare the Replacement VM**:
   - Install and configure the replacement FortiManager VM to match the configuration of the original VM. Ensure it is running the same FortiManager version and has identical network settings.

2. **Add Replacement VM to HA Cluster**:
   - Log in to the existing FortiManager unit (the one that did not undergo RMA) that is currently active.
   - Navigate to **System > HA Settings**.
   - Add the replacement FortiManager VM as a member of the HA cluster. Follow the prompts to synchronize configurations between the existing active FortiManager and the replacement VM.

3. **Initiate Failover to Replacement VM**:
   - Once the replacement VM is added to the HA cluster and configurations are synchronized, initiate a failover from the existing active FortiManager VM to the replacement VM.
   - This process typically involves manually triggering a failover through the FortiManager interface. Ensure that the failover process completes successfully and that the replacement VM becomes the active FortiManager unit.

4. **Verify HA Synchronization**:
   - After the failover, verify that all configurations, policies, and settings have been successfully synchronized to the replacement FortiManager VM.
   - Check the status of managed devices and ensure they are correctly connected and synchronized with the new active FortiManager unit.

5.** then i will  remove old Fortimanager VM from HA.
So i can perform this steps? for VM or any KB article is there for the same?