Models

FortiGate-VM is available with different CPU and RAM sizes. You can deploy FortiGate-VM on various private and public cloud platforms. The following table shows the models conventionally available to order, also known as bring your own license (BYOL) models. See Order types.

Model name	vCPU
	Minimum	Maximum
FG-VM01/01v/01s	1	1
FG-VM02/02v/02s	1	2
FG-VM04/04v/04s	1	4
FG-VM08/08v/08s	1	8
FG-VM16/16v/16s	1	16
FG-VM32/32v/32s	1	32
FG-VMUL/ULv/ULs	1	Unlimited

With the changes in the FortiGuard extended IPS database introduced in FortiOS 7.4.0, some workloads that depend on the extended IPS database must have the underlying VM resized to 8 vCPU or more to continue using the extended IPS database. See Support full extended IPS database for FortiGate VMs with eight cores or more. For information about changing the instance type on an existing VM, see Change the instance type. For more information about Compute instances, see Compute Optimized.

The v-series and s-series do not support virtual domains (VDOMs) by default. To add VDOMs, you must separately purchase perpetual VDOM addition licenses. You can add and stack VDOMs up to the maximum supported number after initial deployment.

Generally there are RAM size restrictions to FortiGate-VM BYOL licenses. However, these restrictions are not applicable to AWS deployments. Any RAM size with certain CPU models are allowed. Licenses are based on the number of CPUs only.

Previously, platform-specific models such as FortiGate-VM for AWS with an AWS-specific orderable menu existed. However, the common model is now applicable to all supported platforms.

For information about each model's order information, capacity limits, and adding VDOMs, see the FortiGate-VM datasheet.

The primary requirement for the provisioning of a FortiGate-VM may be the number of interfaces it can accommodate rather than its processing capabilities. In some cloud environments, the options with a high number of interfaces tend to have high numbers of vCPUs.

The licensing for FortiGate-VM does not restrict whether the FortiGate can work on a VM instance in a public cloud that uses more vCPUs than the license allows. The number of vCPUs indicated by the license does not restrict the FortiGate-VM from working, regardless of how many vCPUs are included in the virtual instance. However, only the licensed number of vCPUs process traffic and management. The rest of the vCPUs are unused.

The following shows an example for a FGT-VM08 license:

License	1 vCPU	2 vCPU	4 vCPU	8 vCPU	16 vCPU	32 vCPU
FGT-VM08	OK	OK	OK	OK	FortiOS uses eight vCPUs for traffic and management. It does not use the rest.	FortiOS uses eight vCPUs for traffic and management. It does not use the rest.

You can provision a VM instance based on the number of interfaces you need and license the FortiGate-VM for only the processors you need.