: Ensure that "Virtualize Intel VT‑x/EPT" is enabled in EVE‑NG's VM settings; otherwise, the FortiGate‑VM will fail to start.
: Download the file from the Fortinet Support Portal .
Understanding the target environment is crucial for a successful deployment.
: Confirms it is a .qcow2 file, which is a QEMU Copy On Write format image, ready for import into KVM-based platforms such as QEMU, GNS3, or OpenStack. 2. Key Features of FortiOS 7.2.1 KVM fgt-vm64-kvm-v7.2.1.f-build1254-fortinet.out.kvm.qcow2
For a functional evaluation deployment, Fortinet recommends:
Use virt-install to create the VM. Note the critical parameters:
For production deployments, purchase a from Fortinet or an authorized partner. Licensed models (VM02, VM04, VM08, VM16, VM32, VM64) scale with vCPU count, memory allocation, and throughput capabilities. : Ensure that "Virtualize Intel VT‑x/EPT" is enabled
: FortiOS 7.2.1 mandates creating a secure password immediately upon the first login.
This guide details how to deploy this image on a standard Linux KVM host using the virt-manager GUI (Graphical User Interface). It is assumed KVM and virt-manager are already installed on the host.
virt-install \ --name=FortiGate-VM-v7.2.1 \ --description="FortiGate Next-Gen Firewall Virtual Appliance" \ --os-variant=rhel8.0 \ --ram=4096 \ --vcpus=2 \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/fgt-vm64-kvm-v7.2.1.f-build1254-fortinet.out.kvm.qcow2,bus=virtio \ --disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/fgt-logs.qcow2,bus=virtio \ --network bridge=br0,model=virtio \ --network bridge=br1,model=virtio \ --graphics none \ --import \ --noautoconsole Use code with caution. : Confirms it is a
Throughput values depend on traffic profile, enabled security services (IPS, antivirus, application control), and hypervisor configuration.
| Property | Value | |----------|-------| | | fgt-vm64-kvm-v7.2.1.f-build1254-fortinet.out.kvm.qcow2 | | File Type | QEMU QCOW2 Disk Image (QEMU Copy-On-Write v2) | | Target Platform | KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) | | Product | FortiGate VM (Virtual Machine) | | Vendor | Fortinet |
This segment specifies the target virtualization platform: . KVM is a full virtualization solution built directly into the Linux kernel, leveraging hardware virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) to run multiple isolated virtual machines with near-native performance.
Telecoms and large enterprises use MANO (Management and Orchestration) platforms like Open Source MANO (OSM) or Ericsson SDN Manager. These platforms expect KVM-compatible .qcow2 images. This file is plug-and-play for VNF (Virtual Network Function) onboarding.
: The version of FortiOS (Fortinet's operating system). f-build1254 : The specific build number of that version.