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Fortinet Fortigate

This guide describes how to install and configure a Lantronix Local Manager (LM) to manage, monitor, and facilitate remote connectivity to a Fortinet Fortigate firewall.

Features

  • Supports Fortinet Fortigate
  • Monitors CLI availability
  • Monitors network availability
  • Monitors CPU usage
  • Collects hostname, serial number, and OS version
  • Backs up configurations

Physical Connection

Connect a serial port on the Lantronix LM to the Fortinet's RS-232 console management port with a standard Cat 5 Ethernet patch cable.

Recommended Configuration

For proactive monitoring of the Fortinet’s status and to ensure the availability of backup configurations it is recommended that:

  • the Lantronix LM serial port connected to the Fortinet is configured as “enhanced” via the config init command.
  • automatic backup of the configuration is scheduled.
  • the Rulesets described in this guide are loaded on the Lantronix LM and scheduled on the serial port that the Fortigate is connected to.

Configuring the Port

The Lantronix LM will use the Enhanced driver to log into the Fortinet and run commands. If possible, provide the Lantronix driver with a username and password that will be enabled to run super user commands. Without admin privileges, the Lantronix LM will not be able to run the commands needed to backup configurations and perform other automation.

To configure the Lantronix LM for connection to a Fortinet, navigate to the port that the Fortinet is connected to, run the config init command, and follow the prompts as shown below (substituting your Fortinet’s IP address for 203.0.113.16):

[athompson@Envoy-TOR-114 (port1/5)]# config init
--- Enter New Values ---
description [port 1/5]: Fortinet
make [native]: enhanced
model:
os []:
os version:
management IP [203.0.113.16]:
command prompt [[#>]]:
login prompt [sername:\s]: (?<!Last\s)login:\s
password prompt [ssword:\s]:
logout command [exit\r]:
wakeup command [\r]:
console username: admin
console password: ********
confirm password: ********
Serial Bit Rate [9600]:
Serial Data Bit [8]:
Serial Parity [none]:
Serial Stop Bit [1]:
Serial Flow Control [none]:
Do you want to commit these changes? (y/n): y
Testing login will take a few moments...
Login successful; credentials are valid.
Initialize device logging
Scheduling default jobs
Testing job rulesMonitor
Job rulesMonitor was successful
Job rulesMonitor was scheduled

The default console settings for the Fortinet are 9600 bit rate, 8 serial data bit, no serial parity, serial stop bit 1, no flow control.

Managing Configurations

Backup Configuration

The Lantronix LM can save a local copy of the Fortinet’s running configuration. Up to twenty-four backup files can be saved on the Lantronix LM’s file system for use in restoring a configuration or pushing a configuration to a replacement Fortinet. The file can be transferred to the Lantronix LM via TFTP.

To manually save the Fortinet’s configuration to the Lantronix LM, navigate to the port that the Fortinet is connected to and run the following command:

pull tftp "execute backup config tftp config ${ip}" config running-config current

Example:

[admin@LantronixLM]# port 1/4

Enhanced
Fortinet

[admin@LantronixLM (port1/4)]# pull tftp "execute backup config tftp config ${ip}" 
config running-config current
Pull runningConfig/current ... 
TFTP server at 10.0.1.1:69
Executing: execute backup config tftp config ${ip} 
Received config (73,936 bytes)
MD5: dcce22f764cc7b7f9fd38ee034644f93

These files can also be saved during a terminal session by using ~t to activate the Lantronix LM’s TFTP server and running the copy commands manually.

Automatic Configuration Backup

To configure the Lantronix LM to back up the running-config of a Fortinet every three hours, use the following command:

config schedule pullTftp "execute backup config tftp config ${ip}" config running-config current -d 10800

Restore Configuration

Use the following commands to restore a backup configuration to a Fortinet. The file can be transferred via TFTP.

First, navigate to the port the Fortinet is connected to, and stage the file to be restored as a candidate configuration.

Example:

[admin@LantronixLM (port1/4)]# copy running-config previous candidate

Next, run the following command:

push tftp "execute restore config tftp config ${ip}\ry" config running-config candidate

These files can also be pushed during a terminal session by using ~t to activate the Lantronix LM’s TFTP server and running the copy commands manually.

Monitoring Fortinet Network Status

Fortinet Network Check Ruleset

The Lantronix LM can be configured to monitor the status of a managed Fortinet’s network connections using the FortinetPing rule set. The Lantronix LM will send commands to make the Fortinet ping a specified IP and send an alarm if it is not successful.

To load the FortinetPing rule set on the Lantronix LM, copy and paste the following into the Lantronix LM at the system level, replacing X.X.X.X with the IP to be pinged:

config rule no enhancedPing1 
config rule enhancedPing1 
action clearValue monitor enhancedPingResponse 
action execute -command "execute ping X.X.X.X" -pattern "(ttl)" -setValue monitor enhancedPingResponse $1 -multiline 
conditions
true   
exit   
exit   
config rule no enhancedPing2 
config rule enhancedPing2 
action writeStatus OK    
conditions 
compare-value monitor enhancedPingResponse = ttl  
exit   
exit   
config rule no enhancedPing3 
config rule enhancedPing3 
action writeStatus ALARM    
action alarm GENERIC -a "network test failing"
conditions  
NOT compare-value monitor enhancedPingResponse = ttl OR  
NOT has-value monitor enhancedPingResponse  
exit   
exit 

config ruleset no enhancedPing 
config ruleset enhancedPing 
description null    
rules 
enhancedPing1 | enhancedPing2 | enhancedPing3
exit    
exit       

To configure the Lantronix LM to use the enhancedPing rule set to monitor a Fortinet, navigate to the port that the Fortinet is connected to and run the following command:

config monitor chassis enhancedPing  

Fortinet CPU Monitor Ruleset

The Lantronix LM can be configured to monitor CPU usage on a Fortinet firewall. To load these rules, copy and paste the following:

config rule no FortinetCPU0
config rule FortinetCPU0
conditions
true
exit
action execute -pattern "(\d?\d?\d)%\sidle" -command "get system performance status | grep CPU" -setValue monitor FortinetCPU $1
exit

config rule no FortinetCPU1
config rule FortinetCPU1
description a rule to send an alarm when CPU idle is below a certain number - adjust target as appropriate
conditions
compare-value monitor FortinetCPU <= 100 
exit
action alarm GENERIC -a "CPU usage above 0%"
exit

To configure the Lantronix LM to use the CPU rules to monitor a Fortinet, navigate to the port that the Fortinet is connected to and run the following command:

config monitor chassis FortinetCPU0 | FortinetCPU1

Fortinet Hostname Collection Ruleset

The Lantronix LM can be configured to collect the hostname of a Fortinet firewall. To load the required rules, copy and paste the following:

config rule no FortinetHostname0
config rule FortinetHostname0
action execute -pattern "Hostname:\s(\w+)" -command "get system status | grep Hostname" -setValue monitor FortinetHostname $1
conditions
true
exit
exit

config rule no FortinetHostname1
config rule FortinetHostname1
action setDevice monitor FortinetHostname hostname
conditions
true
exit
exit

To configure the Lantronix LM to use the hostname collection rules, navigate to the port that the Fortinet is connected to and run the following command:

config monitor chassis FortinetHostname0 | FortinetHostname1

Fortinet Serial Number Collection Ruleset

The Lantronix LM can be configured to collect the serial number of a Fortinet firewall. To load the required rules, copy and paste the following:

config rule no FortinetSerialNumber0
config rule FortinetSerialNumber0
action execute -pattern "Serial-Number:\s(\w+)" -command "get system status | grep Serial-Number" -setValue monitor FortinetSerialNumber $1
conditions
true
exit
exit

config rule no FortinetSerialNumber1
config rule FortinetSerialNumber1
action setDevice monitor FortinetSerialNumber serialNumber
conditions
true
exit
exit

To configure the Lantronix LM to use the serial number collection rules, navigate to the port that the Fortinet is connected to and run the following command:

config monitor chassis FortinetSerialNumber0 | FortinetSerialNumber1 

Fortinet OS Version Collection Ruleset

The Lantronix LM can be configured to collect the OS version of a Fortinet firewall. To load the required rules, copy and paste the following:

config rule no FortinetOSVersion0
config rule FortinetOSVersion0
action execute -pattern "Version:\s.+v(\d\.\d,build\d+)" -command "get system status | grep Version:" -setValue monitor FortinetOSVersion $1
conditions
true
exit
exit

config rule no FortinetOSVersion1
config rule FortinetOSVersion1
action setDevice monitor FortinetOSVersion osVersion 
conditions
true
exit
exit

To configure the Lantronix LM to use the serial number collection rules, navigate to the port that the Fortinet is connected to and run the following command:

config mon chassis FortinetOSVersion0 | FortinetOSVersion1

Combining Multiple Rulesets

The Lantronix LM can have only one chassis monitor running per serial ports. If multiple rulesets are required they can be combined into Rule Sets or strung together as in the following examples:

config monitor chassis FortinetHostname0 | FortinetHostname1 | FortinetSerialNumber0 | FortinetSerialNumber1

config monitor chassis FortinetHostname0 | FortinetHostname1 | FortinetSerialNumber0 | FortinetSerialNumber1 | FortinetCPU0 | FortinetCPU1

config mon chassis FortinetHostname0 | FortinetHostname1 | FortinetSerialNumber0 | FortinetSerialNumber1 | FortinetCPU0 | FortinetCPU1 | enhancedPing

To combine all the above rules into one Rule Set:

config ruleset FortinetRules 
rules 
FortinetHostname0 | FortinetHostname1 | FortinetSerialNumber0 | FortinetSerialNumber1 | FortinetCPU0 | FortinetCPU1 | FortinetOSVersion0 | FortinetOSVersion1 | enhancedPing
exit
exit

To schedule with the combined ruleset:

config monitor chassis FortinetRules

For more information about using rules, see Rules and Monitors.