Deploying FortiGate-VM on IBM Cloud

FortiOS supports deploying FortiGate-VM bring your own license (BYOL) for IBM Cloud. IBM Cloud users can purchase and deploy FortiGate-VMs. The following describes the steps that you take to create and access a FortiGate-VM BYOL instance in IBM Cloud.

To deploy FortiGate-VM on IBM Cloud using the GUI:

1. Obtain the .qcow2 image file:
   1. Log in to the Fortinet Support site.
   2. Go to Download > VM Images.
   3. From the Select Platform dropdown list, select IBM.
   4. Download the FortiGate-VM deployment file (FGT_VM64_IBM-v7.6.X.F-buildXXXX-FORTINET.out).
   5. Extract the zip file to get a .qcow2 file.
2. Log in to the IBM Cloud portal.
3. Prepare an object storage bucket on IBM VPC.
4. Upload the .qcow2 image file.
5. Import the custom image:
   1. Go to VPC Infrastructure (Gen 2) > Compute > Custom images.
   2. Click Import custom image.
   3. Import the custom image. You must enter a name and select a region. Select the .qcow2 image file uploaded earlier, and select Ubuntu 16.04 for the operating system.

      

6. Create a new instance based on the custom image. Enter a name, select the VPC, location, custom image imported earlier, profile, SSH key, and user data. User data can be from the IBM bucket, config-url/license-url, or directly inputted in the form of a config, license, or MIME file. See the following example:

   {
   "bucket" : "lzou-bucket1",
   "region" : "eu-gb",
   "license" : "FGVM16TM19000211.lic",
   "config" : "config.txt",
   "apikey": "{{omitted}}"
   }
   

   The following example includes the license-url and config-url:

   {
   "license-url" : "http://ec2-54-151-72-112.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/FGVM16TM19000211.lic",
   "config-url" : "http://ec2-54-151-72-112.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/config.txt" }
   }
   

7. Attach a floating IP address to the instance NIC.

   In 7.6 and later versions, the FortiGate-VM supports virtual network interfaces. This interface type is selected by default.

8. In a browser, go to the IP address to connect to the FortiOS GUI and confirm that the instance is running.

To verify the FortiGates using the CLI:

ibmcloud # diagnose debug cloudinit show

>> Checking metadata source ibm

>> Found nocloud drive /dev/vdb

>> Successfully mounted nocloud drive

>> Setting password to instance id

>> Provisioning ssh key

>> Cloudinit curl header:

>> Cloudinit trying to get license from: https://thomasbucket2.s3.amazonaws.com/FGVM08TM123456.lic

>> Cloudinit download license successfully

>> Cloudinit trying to get config script from: https://thomasbucket2.s3.amazonaws.com/config2.txt

>> Cloudinit download config script successfully

>> Found metadata source: ibm

>> Trying to install vmlicense ...

>> Run config script

>> Finish running script

>> FGVM08TM123456 $ config system global

>> FGVM08TM123456 (global) $ set hostname ibmcloud

>> FGVM08TM123456 (global) $ end

get system status

Version: FortiGate-VM64-IBM v7.6.0,buildXXXX,200708 (interim)

Virus-DB: 1.00000(2018-04-09 18:07)

Extended DB: 1.00000(2018-04-09 18:07)

Extreme DB: 1.00000(2018-04-09 18:07)

IPS-DB: 6.00741(2015-12-01 02:30)

IPS-ETDB: 6.00741(2015-12-01 02:30)

APP-DB: 6.00741(2015-12-01 02:30)

INDUSTRIAL-DB: 6.00741(2015-12-01 02:30)

Serial-Number: FGVM08TM123456

IPS Malicious URL Database: 1.00001(2015-01-01 01:01)

License Status: Valid

License Expiration Date: 2021-05-15

VM Resources: 2 CPU/8 allowed, 3689 MB RAM

Log hard disk: Not available

Hostname: ibmcloud

Operation Mode: NAT

Current virtual domain: root

Max number of virtual domains: 10

Virtual domains status: 1 in NAT mode, 0 in TP mode

Virtual domain configuration: disable

FIPS-CC mode: disable

Current HA mode: standalone

Branch point: 1705

Release Version Information: interim

FortiOS x86-64: Yes

System time: Tue Mar 19 15:14:00 2024