Cloud-init using config drive

This section describes how to bootstrap a FortiGate-VM in VMware vCenter using config drive. If you find yourself deploying VMs on VMware vCenter or standalone ESX and are looking for a way to preconfigure the FortiGate-VM so that it boots with a predetermined configuration, and a valid license you have found the right recipe

Make sure to verify the config drive functionality available for your FortiGate-VM version in the release notes. FortiGate-VM 5.4.1 and above support version 2 of the config-drive capabilities. Cloud-Init config drive was initially created for OpenStack and other cloud environments and is a capability available on the FortiGate-VM even when booting within a VMware vCenter or standalone ESX environment. Config drive also allows the administrator to pass both day zero configuration scripts and FGT-VM licenses to the FortiGate on initial boot.

To pass a config drive to the FGT-VM, first you must create a directory structure, and place the license file and configuration script file in the appropriate places. Here is the directory structure you will need:

For more information on the directory structure, see ESXi cloud init reference.