Fortinet FortiManager Overview
FortiManager is a comprehensive, integrated platform designed for the centralized management of Fortinet security infrastructure, catering to the needs of medium to large enterprises and managed security service providers.
Centralized Management
At its core, FortiManager provides centralized policy-based provisioning, configuration, and update management for a wide range of Fortinet devices, including FortiGate, FortiWiFi, FortiAP, FortiMail, FortiSwitch, and FortiClient agents. This single-pane-of-glass management console enables network administrators to control and manage thousands of devices efficiently, reducing both initial deployment costs and ongoing operating expenses.
Key Features
- Automation-Driven Network Operations: FortiManager supports automation-driven network operations, including zero-touch provisioning, which simplifies the deployment and maintenance of security policies, firmware updates, and content security across the network. It also offers best-practice templates for deploying SD-WAN at scale.
- Administrative Domains (ADOMs): The platform allows administrators to segregate management of large deployments by grouping devices into geographic or functional administrative domains, enhancing organizational efficiency and compliance.
- Configuration Revision Control and Tracking: FortiManager records and maintains the history of all configuration changes, enabling scheduled deployments or rollbacks to previous configurations when necessary. This feature ensures thorough auditing and compliance tracking.
- FortiGuard Integration: FortiManager can act as an on-site FortiGuard Distribution Server (FDS), providing antivirus, intrusion prevention, web filtering, and email filtering services. This integration optimizes performance by reducing external Internet usage and network delays.
- Firmware and Software Management: The platform centrally manages firmware images and schedules upgrades for managed devices, ensuring that all devices are kept up-to-date with the latest security patches and features.
- Logging and Reporting: FortiManager integrates FortiAnalyzer logging and reporting features, allowing administrators to log traffic from managed devices and generate detailed reports. This includes SQL-based reports and the ability to analyze logs for tighter correlation of events and policies.
- Role-Based Administration: The system supports role-based access control (RBAC), enabling distributed management with clear role separation. This feature enhances security and operational efficiency by ensuring that only authorized personnel can make changes to the network configuration.
- Scripting and Automation: FortiManager supports CLI or Tcl-based scripts to simplify configuration deployments. It also offers automated workflows and configurations for Fortinet firewalls, switches, and wireless infrastructure, leveraging REST APIs, scripts, connectors, and automation stitches to reduce complexity and costs.
- High Availability and Scalability: The platform is designed to scale, managing up to 5000 devices and virtual domains (VDOMs) from a single interface. It also supports high availability configurations, automating backups for up to five nodes and streamlining software and security updates for all managed devices.
Additional Benefits
- Simplified Configuration and Deployment: FortiManager streamlines the deployment of security policies, firmware revisions, and individual configurations, making it easier to manage complex network environments.
- Regulatory Compliance: The platform helps maintain regulatory compliance through detailed auditing and policy tracking.
- Integration with Security Fabric: FortiManager is integrated with Fortinet’s Security Fabric, enabling seamless management and automation across the entire security infrastructure.
In summary, FortiManager is a powerful tool for centralized security management, offering a robust set of features that simplify network security operations, enhance compliance, and optimize the performance of Fortinet devices. Its automation capabilities, scalability, and comprehensive management features make it an essential component for any organization seeking to strengthen its security posture.