Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired

[Frauke Killen]

Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired: How to Avoid and Fix This Common Problem

FortiGate-VM is a virtual firewall product from Fortinet that delivers advanced security and network performance for various cloud environments. It is available as a virtual machine in different cloud platforms, such as Azure, AWS, VMware, KVM, and so on. However, if you are using an evaluation license for your FortiGate-VM instance, you may face the problem of Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired. This means that your trial period has ended and you need to upload a full license file to continue using the product. In this article, we will explain the causes, consequences, and solutions of this problem.

What Causes the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired Problem?

When you deploy a new FortiGate-VM instance, you have two options for licensing: pay-as-you-go and bring-your-own-license (BYOL). Pay-as-you-go means that you pay for the usage of the product based on the cloud provider's pricing. BYOL means that you buy a license from Fortinet and apply it to the product.

Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired

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If you want to test the features and functionality of FortiGate-VM before buying a license, you can use the evaluation license that comes with the product. The evaluation license allows you to use the product for a limited time with some restrictions. The trial period begins the first time that you start the FortiGate-VM instance. The duration of the trial period depends on the version of FortiOS that you are using. For example, in FortiOS 7.0.0, the trial period is 15 days. In FortiOS 7.2.1, the trial period is replaced by a permanent evaluation license that does not expire but has some limitations.

The Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired problem happens when your evaluation license expires and you have not uploaded a full license file yet. This means that you can no longer use the product until you upload a full license file.

What Are the Consequences of the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired Problem?

The Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired problem can affect your network security and performance if you rely on FortiGate-VM for your firewall protection. When your evaluation license expires, FortiOS will disable some functionality until you upload a full license file. For example, you may not be able to access the GUI, configure policies, or use some features. Features available in the evaluation state may change without prior notice.

This means that your network may experience interruptions in traffic flow, reduced visibility and control over your network, and increased vulnerability to cyber threats. You may also lose some data or configuration settings that you have made during the trial period.

How to Solve the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired Problem?

To solve the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired problem, you need to upload a full license file to your FortiGate-VM instance. You can obtain a full license file from Fortinet or from your cloud provider, depending on your licensing option.

If you are using BYOL option, you need to buy a license from Fortinet and redeem it from Fortinet's product activation page. You can choose between perpetual licensing and annual subscription licensing. A perpetual license is valid for the lifetime of the product, while a subscription license is valid for a specific period of time and needs to be renewed periodically. A full license file will be generated and sent to your email address after you redeem your license.

If you are using pay-as-you-go option, you need to buy a full license file from your cloud provider's marketplace or portal. You can choose between different pricing plans based on your usage and needs. A full license file will be generated and sent to your email address after you buy your license.

After you obtain a full license file, you need to upload it to your FortiGate-VM instance using either the CLI or the GUI. To upload a full license file using the CLI, follow these steps:

Log in to your FortiGate-VM instance using SSH or console.

Enter exec restore vmlicense tftp followed by <filename> <server-ip>, where <filename> is the name of your full license file and <server-ip> is the IP address of your TFTP server.

Wait for the upload process to complete.

Enter get system status to verify that your full license file is valid and applied.

To upload a full license file using the GUI, follow these steps:

Log in to your FortiGate-VM instance using HTTPS.

Navigate to System > Dashboard > Status.

In the Licensing Information widget, click on Browse.

Select your full license file from your local computer and click on OK.

Wait for the upload process to complete.

Refresh the page to verify that your full license file is valid and applied.

After you upload a full license file, you should be able to use all the features and functionality of FortiGate-VM without any limitations or interruptions.

Conclusion

The Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired problem is a common problem that occurs when you use an evaluation license for your FortiGate-VM instance and it expires after a certain period of time. To solve this problem, you need to upload a full license file that you can obtain from Fortinet or from your cloud provider, depending on your licensing option. Uploading a full license file will enable you to use all the features and functionality of FortiGate-VM without any limitations or interruptions.

We hope this article has helped you understand the causes, consequences, and solutions of this problem. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us.

How to Avoid the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired Problem?

The best way to avoid the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired problem is to upload a full license file before your evaluation license expires. This way, you can ensure that your network security and performance are not compromised by the expiration of the evaluation license. You can also avoid losing any data or configuration settings that you have made during the trial period.

To upload a full license file before your evaluation license expires, you need to follow the same steps as described in the previous section. However, you need to do it before the end of the trial period. You can check the remaining time of your trial period by using the CLI command get system status or by looking at the Licensing Information widget in the GUI.

If you are not sure whether you want to buy a full license file or not, you can use the permanent evaluation license that is available in FortiOS 7.2.1 and later versions. This license does not expire but has some limitations, such as low encryption operation, maximum of 1 CPU and 2 GB of memory, maximum of three interfaces, firewall policies, and routes, no FortiCare support, no FortiGuard support, and support for a maximum of two virtual domains (VDOMs). You can use this license to test the product indefinitely until you decide to buy a full license file.

How to Get Help with the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired Problem?

If you encounter any issues or difficulties with the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired problem, you can get help from various sources. Here are some of them:

Fortinet Documentation: You can find detailed information and instructions about FortiGate-VM licensing and other topics in the official Fortinet documentation website: https://docs.fortinet.com/.

Fortinet Knowledge Base: You can find answers to common questions and problems about FortiGate-VM licensing and other topics in the Fortinet Knowledge Base website: https://kb.fortinet.com/.

Fortinet Community: You can ask questions and get answers from other FortiGate-VM users and experts in the Fortinet Community website: https://forum.fortinet.com/.

Fortinet Support: If you have a valid FortiCare support contract, you can contact Fortinet Support for technical assistance and troubleshooting with FortiGate-VM licensing and other topics. You can find the contact information and methods in the Fortinet Support website: https://support.fortinet.com/.

We hope these sources will help you resolve any issues or difficulties that you may have with the Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired problem.

How to Choose the Best Licensing Option for FortiGate-VM?

Before you deploy a FortiGate-VM instance, you need to choose the best licensing option for your needs and budget. There are two licensing options for FortiGate-VM: pay-as-you-go and bring-your-own-license (BYOL). Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your usage and requirements.

Pay-as-you-go means that you pay for the usage of the product based on the cloud provider's pricing. This option is suitable for you if you want to have flexibility and scalability in your deployment. You can easily start, stop, or resize your FortiGate-VM instance according to your network demand. You can also benefit from the cloud provider's features and services, such as availability zones, load balancers, security groups, and so on. However, this option may be more expensive in the long run if you have a high or constant usage of the product. You also need to comply with the cloud provider's terms and conditions, such as data privacy, security, and compliance.

Bring-your-own-license (BYOL) means that you buy a license from Fortinet and apply it to the product. This option is suitable for you if you want to have more control and cost-effectiveness in your deployment. You can buy a perpetual license or a subscription license from Fortinet and use it for the lifetime of the product or for a specific period of time, respectively. You can also benefit from Fortinet's features and services, such as FortiCare support, FortiGuard updates, FortiCloud management, and so on. However, this option may be less flexible and scalable in your deployment. You need to manage your own license activation, renewal, and transfer. You also need to comply with Fortinet's terms and conditions, such as license agreement, warranty, and liability.

To choose the best licensing option for FortiGate-VM, you need to consider your network needs, budget, preferences, and expectations. You can compare the features and prices of each option on Fortinet's website: https://www.fortinet.com/products/next-generation-firewall/fortigate-vm.html.

How to Upgrade or Downgrade Your FortiGate-VM License?

If you want to upgrade or downgrade your FortiGate-VM license, you need to follow different steps depending on your licensing option.

If you are using pay-as-you-go option, you can upgrade or downgrade your FortiGate-VM license by changing the size or type of your virtual machine on your cloud provider's portal or marketplace. For example, if you want to upgrade from small to medium size, you can stop your current instance and start a new instance with medium size. You can also change the type of your virtual machine from standard to high performance or vice versa. However, you need to be aware that changing the size or type of your virtual machine may affect your network configuration and performance. You also need to pay attention to the pricing changes that may occur due to the change.

If you are using BYOL option, you can upgrade or downgrade your FortiGate-VM license by purchasing a new license from Fortinet and uploading it to your virtual machine. For example, if you want to upgrade from 1 CPU to 2 CPU license, you can buy a new 2 CPU license from Fortinet and upload it to your virtual machine using the CLI or GUI commands described in the previous section. You can also change the type of your license from perpetual to subscription or vice versa. However, you need to be aware that changing your license may affect your network configuration and performance. You also need to follow Fortinet's license transfer policy if you want to move your license from one virtual machine to another.

To upgrade or downgrade your FortiGate-VM license, you need to consider your network needs, budget, preferences, and expectations. You can compare the features and prices of each license on Fortinet's website: https://www.fortinet.com/products/next-generation-firewall/fortigate-vm.html.

Conclusion

FortiGate-VM is a virtual firewall product from Fortinet that provides advanced security and network performance for various cloud environments. However, if you are using an evaluation license for your FortiGate-VM instance, you may face the problem of Fortigate Vm Trial License Expired. This means that your trial period has ended and you need to upload a full license file to continue using the product.

In this article, we have explained the causes, consequences, and solutions of this problem. We have also discussed how to choose the best licensing option for FortiGate-VM, and how to upgrade or downgrade your FortiGate-VM license. We hope this article has helped you understand and solve this common problem.

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us.

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