WAN optimization and HA

WAN optimization and HA

You can configure WAN optimization on a FortiGate HA cluster. The recommended best practice HA configuration for WAN optimization is active-passive mode. When the cluster is operating, all WAN optimization sessions are processed by the primary unit only. Even if the cluster is operating in active-active mode, HA does not load-balance WAN optimization sessions.

You can also form a WAN optimization tunnel between a cluster and a standalone FortiGate unit or between two clusters.

In a cluster, only the primary unit stores the byte cache database. This database is not synchronized to the subordinate units. So, after a failover, the new primary unit must rebuild its byte cache. Rebuilding the byte cache can happen relatively quickly because the new primary unit gets byte cache data from the other FortiGate unit that it is participating with in WAN optimization tunnels.


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About Mike

Michael Pruett, CISSP has a wide range of cyber-security and network engineering expertise. The plethora of vendors that resell hardware but have zero engineering knowledge resulting in the wrong hardware or configuration being deployed is a major pet peeve of Michael's. This site was started in an effort to spread information while providing the option of quality consulting services at a much lower price than Fortinet Professional Services. Owns PacketLlama.Com (Fortinet Hardware Sales) and Office Of The CISO, LLC (Cybersecurity consulting firm).

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