Fortinet - FortiCloud as a replacement for the integrated hard disk of a FortiGate?

FortiGate firewalls of a model series are usually available in several variants. These model variants are usually identical in construction except for the difference that gives them their names. For example, the FortiGate 60E-POE has 8 POE+ ports or the FortiGate 60E-DSL or FortiGate 60E-DSLJ has an integrated DSL module. The most obvious difference here is the FortiGate 60E and FortiWiFi 60E models, the latter of which has an integrated WLAN access point.

What is the difference between a FortiGate 60F and FortiGate 61F?

However, not all differences between the model variants are so obvious. Time and again, customers ask what the difference actually is between a FortiGate 60F and a FortiGate 61F. In short: an internal hard disk. Since the FortiGate 60F is the direct successor model of the FortiGate 60D, which always had an integrated hard disk installed ex works, but which was not required by all customers, Fortinet agreed when introducing the E series to offer devices with (FG-61F) and without (FG-60F) an internal hard disk.

What is an internal hard drive needed for in the FortiGate?

Primarily, an internal hard disk is used for long-term storage of log and quarantine files. Without an internal hard drive, the FortiGate unit has no way to persistently store any files.

Unfortunately, Fortinet's TradeUp programme does not currently offer the option to upgrade a FortiGate 100D or a FortiWiFi 90D to the original successor models FortiGate 101F and FortiWiFi 61E respectively.

Is there an alternative to the internal hard disk?

In addition to the devices with an integrated hard disk, Fortinet also offers the so-called FortiCloud service. Unlike the FortiSandbox Cloud Service, which is part of every licence bundle, log files of the FortiGate can be stored in the cloud for up to seven days in the free version. If you opt for the paid version, this time is increased to up to 365 days, i.e. one year.

In addition to log files, the paid version can also create backups of configuration files and analysis reports. The FortiCloud service also offers SD-WAN management via the cloud and multi-factor authentication via the FortiToken app.

The files stored in FortiCloud are geo-redundantly stored in two ISO27001 compliant data centres in Frankfurt am Main. Consequently, the data does not leave the EMEA region.

You can find more information about the FortiCloud service in the following data sheet and in our shop under the licences of the associated FortiGate.