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Multi-Site Fortinet SD-WAN Deployment with High Availability and FortiManager Orchestration

Hooman Houtaham's avatar

Author

Hooman Houtaham

Network and Security Engineer

Overview:

In 2018, NETSSA, a Managed Service Provider specializing in advanced network and security solutions, was contracted by a major client to overhaul their wide-area network (WAN) infrastructure. The client, operating across multiple locations, faced challenges with inconsistent application performance, high latency, and network downtime. As the head of the technical team, I led the deployment of a Fortinet SD-WAN solution across the client’s sites, utilizing FortiGate 60E devices in a High Availability (HA) configuration. This deployment was managed centrally via FortiManager, ensuring seamless orchestration, policy enforcement, and monitoring across all locations.

Objective:

  • Improve Application Performance: Enhance application response times by 30% through optimized WAN traffic management.
  • Maximize Network Uptime: Achieve 99.9% uptime across all client sites via robust High Availability configurations.
  • Centralize Network Management: Implement FortiManager for streamlined network management, configuration, and monitoring.
  • Enhance Scalability: Deploy a flexible and scalable solution capable of supporting the client’s growth and future expansion needs.

Technologies Used:

  • FortiGate 60E: Deployed at each client site, configured for SD-WAN and HA.
  • FortiManager: Centralized orchestration and management of SD-WAN policies and configurations.
  • FortiAnalyzer: Integrated for centralized logging, reporting, and network analytics.
  • IPSec VPN: Configured for secure site-to-site communication between the client’s branches.
  • High Availability (HA): FortiGate devices configured in Active-Passive HA mode for redundancy.
  • WAN Links: Multiple ISP connections used for load balancing and redundancy.

Detailed Networking and Configuration

  1. FortiGate Deployment and Configuration
    • SD-WAN Setup:
      • Configured SD-WAN rules to prioritize critical business applications, ensuring optimal bandwidth allocation and reduced latency.
      • Deployed dynamic path selection to automatically route traffic through the best available WAN link, improving application response times by 30%.
    • High Availability Configuration:
      • FortiGate 60E devices were set up in an Active-Passive HA mode, ensuring seamless failover and maintaining 99.9% network uptime.
      • Conducted regular failover tests to validate HA performance and minimize downtime during network disruptions.
    • IPSec VPN Configuration:
      • Established secure IPSec VPN tunnels between the client’s branches, providing encrypted communication and consistent policy enforcement across the WAN.
      • Configured VPN failover to reroute traffic through alternative links during outages, ensuring uninterrupted service.
  2. FortiManager Orchestration
    • Centralized Management:
      • Integrated all FortiGate devices with FortiManager for centralized management, policy deployment, and monitoring.
      • Implemented uniform security and network policies across all sites, reducing misconfigurations and enhancing compliance.
    • Automated Deployment:
      • Leveraged FortiManager’s automation features to streamline the rollout of new sites and updates, enabling quick deployment and consistent configuration.
  3. Monitoring and Analytics with FortiAnalyzer
    • Real-Time Monitoring:
      • Deployed FortiAnalyzer to monitor traffic patterns, application performance, and security events across the client’s network.
      • Configured real-time alerts to enable rapid response to potential network issues, minimizing downtime.
    • Reporting and Analytics:
      • Provided detailed reports on network performance, bandwidth usage, and application response times, offering insights for ongoing optimization.
  4. Security Considerations
    • Unified Threat Management (UTM):
      • Enabled UTM features on FortiGate devices, including web filtering, intrusion prevention, and antivirus, to protect the client’s network from external and internal threats.
    • Security Fabric Integration:
      • Integrated FortiGate devices with Fortinet’s Security Fabric, ensuring coordinated threat response and enhanced network visibility.

Implementation Phases:

  1. Planning and Design:
    • Conducted a comprehensive assessment of the client’s network requirements, focusing on bandwidth needs, application performance, and security.
    • Designed a scalable SD-WAN architecture emphasizing high availability and centralized management.
  2. Deployment:
    • Deployed FortiGate devices at each client site, configured SD-WAN and HA settings, and established secure VPN connections between locations.
    • Integrated FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer for centralized management and monitoring.
  3. Testing and Optimization:
    • Conducted extensive testing of SD-WAN policies, HA failover, and VPN connectivity to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
    • Fine-tuned SD-WAN rules based on real-world traffic patterns and application performance metrics.

Skills Gained:

  • Expertise in deploying and managing Fortinet SD-WAN technology and High Availability configurations.
  • Proficiency in centralized network management using FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer.
  • Enhanced skills in WAN optimization, load balancing, and network security.

Results and Impact:

  • 30% Faster Application Response: The optimized SD-WAN policies significantly reduced latency for the client’s critical applications, leading to a 30% improvement in response times.
  • 99.9% Uptime Achieved: The HA configuration ensured that network services remained available nearly 100% of the time, minimizing the impact of network disruptions.
  • Streamlined Management: The use of FortiManager reduced the time required for network configuration and updates, enabling faster deployment of new client sites and consistent policy enforcement.

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