Configuring active-passive HA cluster that includes aggregate interfaces – CLI

Configuring active-passive HA cluster that includes aggregate interfaces – CLI

These procedures assume you are starting with two FortiGate units with factory default settings.

 

To configure the FortiGate units for HA operation

1. Register and apply licenses to the FortiGate unit. This includes FortiCloud activation, FortiClient licensing, and

FortiToken licensing, and entering a license key if you purchased more than 10 Virtual Domains (VDOMS).

2. Install any third-party certificates on the FortiGate.

3. Change the host name for this FortiGate unit:

config system global

set hostname FGT_ha_1 end

4. Configure HA settings.

config system ha set mode a-p

set group-name example5.com set password HA_pass_5

set hbdev port5 50 port6 50 end

Since port3 and port4 will be used for an aggregated interface, you must change the HA heartbeat configuration.

 

The FortiGate unit negotiates to establish an HA cluster. You may temporarily lose connectivity with the FortiGate unit as the HA cluster negotiates and the FGCP changes the MAC address of the FortiGate unit interfaces. The MAC addresses of the FortiGate interfaces change to the following virtual MAC addresses:

  • port1 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-00
  • port10 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-01 l  port11 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-02 l  port12 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-03 l  port13 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-04 l  port14 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-05 l  port15 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-06 l  port16 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-07 l  port17 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-08 l  port18 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-09 l  port19 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-0a l  port2 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-0b
  • port20 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-0c
  • port3 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-0d l  port4 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-0e l  port5 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-0f l  port6 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-10 l  port7 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-11 l  port8 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-12 l  port9 interface virtual MAC: 00-09-0f-09-00-13

To reconnect sooner, you can update the ARP table of your management PC by deleting the ARP table entry for the FortiGate unit (or just deleting all arp table entries). You may be able to delete the arp table of your management PC from a command prompt using a command similar to arp -d.

You can use the get hardware nic (or diagnose hardware deviceinfo nic) CLI command to view the virtual MAC address of any FortiGate unit interface. For example, use the following command to view the port1 interface virtual MAC address (Current_HWaddr) and the port1 permanent MAC address (Permanent_HWaddr):

get hardware nic port1

 

MAC: 00:09:0f:09:00:00

Permanent_HWaddr: 02:09:0f:78:18:c9

4. Repeat these steps for the other FortiGate unit.

Set the other FortiGate unit host name to:

 

config system global

set hostname FGT_ha_2 end

 

To connect the cluster to the network

1. Connect the port1 and port2 interfaces of FGT_ha_1 and FGT_ha_2 to a switch connected to the Internet.

Configure the switch so that the port1 and port2 of FGT_ha_1 make up an aggregated interface and port1 and port2 of FGT_ha_2 make up another aggregated interface.

2. Connect the port3 and port4 interfaces of FGT_ha_1 and FGT_ha_2 to a switch connected to the internal network.

Configure the switch so that the port3 and port4 of FGT_ha_1 make up an interfaced and port3 and port4 of FGT_ha_2 make up another aggregated interface.

3. Connect the port5 interfaces of FGT_ha_1 and FGT_ha_2 together. You can use a crossover Ethernet cable or regular Ethernet cables and a switch.

4. Connect the port5 interfaces of the cluster units together. You can use a crossover Ethernet cable or regular

Ethernet cables and a switch.

5. Power on the cluster units.

The units start and negotiate to choose the primary unit and the subordinate unit. This negotiation occurs with no user intervention and normally takes less than a minute.

When negotiation is complete the cluster is ready to be configured for your network.

This entry was posted in FortiOS 5.4 Handbook and tagged on by .

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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