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Hardware Acceleration

Change log

Change log

Date Change description

August 11, 2023

Corrections to FortiGate 1800F and 1801F interface speeds, see FortiGate 1800F and 1801F fast path architecture.

Changes to FortiGate 3960E fast path architecture and FortiGate 3980E fast path architecture to explain that in multi-ISF systems, such as the FortiGate 3860E and FortiGate 3890E, NP6 offloading is not supported for LAGs containing interfaces connected to different ISF switches.

July 6, 2023

Misc. changes throughout the document.

June 15, 2023

New sections:

June 8, 2023

FortiOS 6.0.17 document release.

March 24, 2023

New sections:

Added information about splitting interfaces to FortiGate 1800F and 1801F fast path architecture.

February 21, 2023

Deleted an incorrect statement about NP7 support for SSL VPN encryption from Network processors (NP7, NP6, NP6XLite, NP6Lite, and NP4).

January 5, 2023

Corrected information about NTurbo support and interface policies, see NTurbo offloads flow-based processing.

New section: Tunneling protocols that can be offloaded by NP7 processors.

December 15, 2022

FortiOS 6.0.16 document release.

September 8, 2022

FortiOS 6.0.15 document release.

September 6, 2022

Fixes to NTurbo and IPSA and IPSA offloads flow-based pattern matching. More information about NP7 traffic shaping added to NP7 traffic shaping. Added a disclaimer to CP9, CP9XLite, and CP9Lite capabilities.

May 9, 2022

New sections:

Previous versions of this document incorrectly stated that NP6 processors support offloading DoS policy sessions. This has been corrected throughout the document as required.

Changes to config hpe and the HPE section of Configuring individual NP6 processors.

March 2, 2022

Corrections to Disabling NP offloading for firewall policies and Disabling nTurbo for firewall policies.

December 15, 2021

Moved information about improving CPS performance to sections describing the following FortiGate models that support this feature:

December 6, 2021

Correction to Disabling NP offloading for firewall policies.

New section Disabling nTurbo for firewall policies.

Removed the incorrect section "Disabling CP offloading for firewall policies".

September 17, 2021

Added more information about the NP6XLite processor to Network processors (NP7, NP6, NP6XLite, NP6Lite, and NP4) and NP6XLite processors.

September 3, 2021

New section: NP acceleration, virtual clustering, and VLAN MAC addresses. Fixes to NP6 session drift. Removed the information about CP9 support for a true random number generator and entropy source from CP9, CP9XLite, and CP9Lite capabilities.

August 5, 2021

Updated NTurbo offloads flow-based processing to clarify that NTurbo also applies to IPsec VPN sessions.

Corrected errors in the section FortiGate 100F and 101F fast path architecture.

June 22, 2021

Included NP7 in the statement "Maximum frame size for NP2, NP4, NP6, and NP7 processors is 9216 bytes." in the section Network processors (NP7, NP6, NP6XLite, NP6Lite, and NP4). Corrected the commands used to set a fixed time interval in Configuring NP6 session timeouts.

Corrected integrated switch fabric information in the following sections:

April 12, 2021

Added a bullet point about NP7 support for offloading traffic, including IPsec traffic, over a loopback interface to NP7 session fast path requirements.

Corrected the output of the get hardware npu np6 port-list command in FortiGate 3600E and 3601E fast path architecture.

February 19, 2021

Corrected names of encryption and authentication algorithms in NP7 session fast path requirements.

Updated the architecture sections for most E and F models to include more information about management/HA and data processing separation. For example, see the following:

December 11, 2020

Corrected the get hardware npu np6 port-list command output in FortiGate 1100E and 1101E fast path architecture.

New section: Protocols that can be offloaded by NP7 processors.

November 23, 2020

More information and corrections about SOC4 (NP6XLite and CP9XLite) and SOC3 (NP6Lite and CP9Lite).

October 19, 2020

Misc. changes and fixes.

September 29, 2020

Added bypass interface information to FortiGate 800D fast path architecture. Minor improvements to the bypass interface information in FortiGate 2500E fast path architecture.

September 14, 2020

Information about setting interface speeds added to FortiGate 3400E and 3401E fast path architecture and FortiGate 3600E and 3601E fast path architecture. Removed the FortiGate-3900E family from Eliminating dropped packets on LAG interfaces. Improved information about how for NP7 and many more recent NP6 fast path architectures the HA interfaces are not connected to the NP7 or NP6 processors. Information about bypass mode added to FortiGate 2500E fast path architecture. Corrected the output of the diagnose npu np6 port-list command in FortiGate 3960E fast path architecture.

Added NP6XLite content, for example: NP6XLite processors.

Hardware architectures added or changed:

July 7, 2020

NP7 content added. The NP7 features described in this document are supported by the FortiGate-1800F and 1801F running FortiOS 6.0.9 build 6778.

Corrected the get hardware npu np6 port-list output in FortiGate 3400E and 3401E fast path architecture.

Added information about interface groups for the following models:

Added a note about ESP in UDP sessions (UDP port 4500) not been offloaded by NP6 processors to NP6 session fast path requirements.

Corrections to Dedicated management CPU.

Changes to Disabling NP6, NP6XLite, and NP6Lite hardware acceleration (fastpath).

April 3, 2020

New 6.0.9 features added, see What's new in FortiOS 6.0.9.

Other new and improved sections:

February 14, 2020

New FortiGate models added:

Changes to the following sections to enhance information about interface, NP6, and XAUI mapping and about the HA interfaces.

August 1, 2019

New section: FortiGate 1100E and 1101E fast path architecture.

July 18, 2019

FortiOS 6.0.6 document release. Minor updates.

June 26, 2019

Corrected the diagram in FortiGate 400E and 401E fast path architecture.

June 3, 2019

Minor updates.

May 14, 2019

FortiOS 6.0.5 document release. Minor updates.

February 28, 2019

New model added: FortiGate 400E and 401E fast path architecture.

February 6, 2018

New models added: FortiGate 600E and 601E fast path architecture, and FortiGate 3400E and 3401E fast path architecture.

October 4, 2018 FortiOS 6.0.3 document release. See What's new in FortiOS 6.0.3. New section added: NP6, NP6XLite, and NP6Lite acceleration.
July 26, 2018 FortiOS 6.0.2 document release. See What's new in FortiOS 6.0.2.
June 5, 2018 FortiOS 6.0.1 document release. Minor updates.
March 29, 2018 FortiOS 6.0 document release. See What's new in FortiOS 6.0.

Change log

Change log

Date Change description

August 11, 2023

Corrections to FortiGate 1800F and 1801F interface speeds, see FortiGate 1800F and 1801F fast path architecture.

Changes to FortiGate 3960E fast path architecture and FortiGate 3980E fast path architecture to explain that in multi-ISF systems, such as the FortiGate 3860E and FortiGate 3890E, NP6 offloading is not supported for LAGs containing interfaces connected to different ISF switches.

July 6, 2023

Misc. changes throughout the document.

June 15, 2023

New sections:

June 8, 2023

FortiOS 6.0.17 document release.

March 24, 2023

New sections:

Added information about splitting interfaces to FortiGate 1800F and 1801F fast path architecture.

February 21, 2023

Deleted an incorrect statement about NP7 support for SSL VPN encryption from Network processors (NP7, NP6, NP6XLite, NP6Lite, and NP4).

January 5, 2023

Corrected information about NTurbo support and interface policies, see NTurbo offloads flow-based processing.

New section: Tunneling protocols that can be offloaded by NP7 processors.

December 15, 2022

FortiOS 6.0.16 document release.

September 8, 2022

FortiOS 6.0.15 document release.

September 6, 2022

Fixes to NTurbo and IPSA and IPSA offloads flow-based pattern matching. More information about NP7 traffic shaping added to NP7 traffic shaping. Added a disclaimer to CP9, CP9XLite, and CP9Lite capabilities.

May 9, 2022

New sections:

Previous versions of this document incorrectly stated that NP6 processors support offloading DoS policy sessions. This has been corrected throughout the document as required.

Changes to config hpe and the HPE section of Configuring individual NP6 processors.

March 2, 2022

Corrections to Disabling NP offloading for firewall policies and Disabling nTurbo for firewall policies.

December 15, 2021

Moved information about improving CPS performance to sections describing the following FortiGate models that support this feature:

December 6, 2021

Correction to Disabling NP offloading for firewall policies.

New section Disabling nTurbo for firewall policies.

Removed the incorrect section "Disabling CP offloading for firewall policies".

September 17, 2021

Added more information about the NP6XLite processor to Network processors (NP7, NP6, NP6XLite, NP6Lite, and NP4) and NP6XLite processors.

September 3, 2021

New section: NP acceleration, virtual clustering, and VLAN MAC addresses. Fixes to NP6 session drift. Removed the information about CP9 support for a true random number generator and entropy source from CP9, CP9XLite, and CP9Lite capabilities.

August 5, 2021

Updated NTurbo offloads flow-based processing to clarify that NTurbo also applies to IPsec VPN sessions.

Corrected errors in the section FortiGate 100F and 101F fast path architecture.

June 22, 2021

Included NP7 in the statement "Maximum frame size for NP2, NP4, NP6, and NP7 processors is 9216 bytes." in the section Network processors (NP7, NP6, NP6XLite, NP6Lite, and NP4). Corrected the commands used to set a fixed time interval in Configuring NP6 session timeouts.

Corrected integrated switch fabric information in the following sections:

April 12, 2021

Added a bullet point about NP7 support for offloading traffic, including IPsec traffic, over a loopback interface to NP7 session fast path requirements.

Corrected the output of the get hardware npu np6 port-list command in FortiGate 3600E and 3601E fast path architecture.

February 19, 2021

Corrected names of encryption and authentication algorithms in NP7 session fast path requirements.

Updated the architecture sections for most E and F models to include more information about management/HA and data processing separation. For example, see the following:

December 11, 2020

Corrected the get hardware npu np6 port-list command output in FortiGate 1100E and 1101E fast path architecture.

New section: Protocols that can be offloaded by NP7 processors.

November 23, 2020

More information and corrections about SOC4 (NP6XLite and CP9XLite) and SOC3 (NP6Lite and CP9Lite).

October 19, 2020

Misc. changes and fixes.

September 29, 2020

Added bypass interface information to FortiGate 800D fast path architecture. Minor improvements to the bypass interface information in FortiGate 2500E fast path architecture.

September 14, 2020

Information about setting interface speeds added to FortiGate 3400E and 3401E fast path architecture and FortiGate 3600E and 3601E fast path architecture. Removed the FortiGate-3900E family from Eliminating dropped packets on LAG interfaces. Improved information about how for NP7 and many more recent NP6 fast path architectures the HA interfaces are not connected to the NP7 or NP6 processors. Information about bypass mode added to FortiGate 2500E fast path architecture. Corrected the output of the diagnose npu np6 port-list command in FortiGate 3960E fast path architecture.

Added NP6XLite content, for example: NP6XLite processors.

Hardware architectures added or changed:

July 7, 2020

NP7 content added. The NP7 features described in this document are supported by the FortiGate-1800F and 1801F running FortiOS 6.0.9 build 6778.

Corrected the get hardware npu np6 port-list output in FortiGate 3400E and 3401E fast path architecture.

Added information about interface groups for the following models:

Added a note about ESP in UDP sessions (UDP port 4500) not been offloaded by NP6 processors to NP6 session fast path requirements.

Corrections to Dedicated management CPU.

Changes to Disabling NP6, NP6XLite, and NP6Lite hardware acceleration (fastpath).

April 3, 2020

New 6.0.9 features added, see What's new in FortiOS 6.0.9.

Other new and improved sections:

February 14, 2020

New FortiGate models added:

Changes to the following sections to enhance information about interface, NP6, and XAUI mapping and about the HA interfaces.

August 1, 2019

New section: FortiGate 1100E and 1101E fast path architecture.

July 18, 2019

FortiOS 6.0.6 document release. Minor updates.

June 26, 2019

Corrected the diagram in FortiGate 400E and 401E fast path architecture.

June 3, 2019

Minor updates.

May 14, 2019

FortiOS 6.0.5 document release. Minor updates.

February 28, 2019

New model added: FortiGate 400E and 401E fast path architecture.

February 6, 2018

New models added: FortiGate 600E and 601E fast path architecture, and FortiGate 3400E and 3401E fast path architecture.

October 4, 2018 FortiOS 6.0.3 document release. See What's new in FortiOS 6.0.3. New section added: NP6, NP6XLite, and NP6Lite acceleration.
July 26, 2018 FortiOS 6.0.2 document release. See What's new in FortiOS 6.0.2.
June 5, 2018 FortiOS 6.0.1 document release. Minor updates.
March 29, 2018 FortiOS 6.0 document release. See What's new in FortiOS 6.0.