Fortigate Vm Sizing Azure -

The Definitive Guide to FortiGate VM Sizing in Microsoft Azure

Deploying a FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) in Microsoft Azure is a best practice for securing hybrid and cloud-native workloads. However, unlike on-premises appliances where you buy fixed hardware, Azure offers a dizzying array of VM sizes. Choosing the wrong size leads to either poor performance (packet drops, high latency) or unnecessary cloud spend.

Deploy, then test with real traffic using FortiGate’s built-in diagnose sys top and Azure’s az network vnet list metrics. fortigate vm sizing azure

Memory Requirements: While FortiGate-VM can run on as little as 2 GB of RAM, features like Intrusion Prevention (IPS) and Antivirus are memory-intensive. For production, aim for at least 4 GB to 8 GB to ensure the system doesn't enter conserve mode. The Definitive Guide to FortiGate VM Sizing in

• Network traffic volume: 300 Mbps
• Number of users: 500
• Security features: Firewall, IPS, antivirus, and VPN

• Small test/lab: 2–4 vCPU (small Dsv3/Dsv4) — limited throughput and sessions.
• Production small sites / low throughput (100–300 Mbps NGFW): 4–8 vCPU, 8–16 GB RAM.
• Mid-size production (300 Mbps–1 Gbps NGFW + IPS): 8–16 vCPU, 16–32 GB RAM; accelerated networking recommended.
• High throughput (≥1 Gbps with SSL inspection or heavy IPS/AV): 16+ vCPU, 32+ GB RAM; choose SKU with high network bandwidth and consider clustering or multiple FortiGates behind Gateway Load Balancer.
• Very high scale / hub-and-spoke or vWAN hubs: use Fortinet reference architectures (multiple instances, autoscale, or physical appliances in on‑prem hubs) per Fortinet docs.

BYOL (Bring Your Own License): Offers flexibility to choose specific vCPU/RAM ratios. Network traffic volume: 300 Mbps Number of users:

5. Pros and Cons of FortiGate-VM on Azure

Pros:

Higher CPU-to-memory ratio, ideal for compute-heavy SSL inspection. Scalability VMSS (Scale Sets)