FortiGate Auto Backup to SFTP configuration

Hello everyone, today I am going to show you how to automatically back up your FortiGate configuration. As you know, backing up the configuration is crucial for every network engineer. Sometimes, network engineers forget to download backups of their configurations. If you follow along with me in this video, your firewall configuration will be automatically backed up every day. Additionally, every time an admin user logs in to the FortiGate, it will also generate the configuration and upload it to SFTP.

Step 1: Access the FortiGate Web Interface

1. Open a web browser and enter the IP address or hostname of your FortiGate device to access its web interface.

Step 2: Log in 2. Log in to the FortiGate web interface with administrative credentials.

Step 3: Configure the SFTP Server

a. Navigate to System > Config > Features. b. Locate the “Backup” section and ensure that “Enable SFTP” is enabled. This allows the FortiGate device to communicate with the SFTP server for backup purposes.

Step 4: Create a Backup Profile

a. Go to System > Admin > Settings. b. Under Backup, you’ll find the “Backup Profiles” section. Click on the “Create New” button to create a new backup profile.

Step 5: Configure the Backup Profile

a. In the “Create New Backup Profile” window, provide a descriptive name for the profile. This name will help you identify the backup profile later. b. Select the frequency at which you want backups to occur. You can choose from options like daily, weekly, or monthly. c. Specify the time of day when the backup should be initiated. Choose a time that is convenient and doesn’t disrupt your network operations. d. Under the “Backup Location” section, select “SFTP Server” as the backup destination.

Step 6: Configure SFTP Server Settings

a. After selecting “SFTP Server,” you’ll need to enter the following details for your SFTP server: – Server IP Address or Hostname: This is the address of your SFTP server where backups will be sent. – Port: Typically, SFTP uses port 22, but ensure it matches your SFTP server’s configuration. – Username: Provide the SFTP username for authentication. – Password: Enter the password associated with the SFTP username. – Directory: Specify the directory on the SFTP server where you want to store the FortiGate backups.

Step 7: Schedule the Backup

a. After configuring the SFTP server settings, go to System > Config > Backup. b. Click on “Create New” to create a new backup schedule. c. In the “Create New Backup Schedule” window: – Select the backup profile you created in the previous step from the dropdown menu. – Choose the days of the week for backups (for weekly backups) or the day of the month (for monthly backups).

Step 8: Review and Apply Configuration

a. Review your backup configuration to ensure that all settings are accurate and complete. b. Click “Apply” or “OK” to save and apply the changes.

With these detailed steps, your FortiGate device is now configured to automatically back up its configuration to the specified SFTP server at the scheduled time and frequency you defined. Regularly verify the backups to ensure they are functioning correctly and provide a reliable safeguard for your firewall’s settings.