How To Migrate Configuration Between Two Different FortiGate Models

This article details how to migrate configuration from one FortiGate Model to another, i.e Forti80E to a Forti90G. This article assumes that you have:

• Admin access to each FortiGate's web interface.

1. Obtaining The Configuration Files

1. Log into the GUI (graphical user interface) of the old FortiGate device. 

2. Navigate to the top right-hand corner of the GUI > then click "Configuration" >the click "Back Up" (see screenshot below).
   

3. Don't enter a password as you'll need to edit the configuration later.

4. Press ok to download the configuration file.

5. Then log into the GUI of the new FortiGate device.

6. Navigate to the top right-hand corner of the GUI > then click "Configuration" >the click "Back Up".

7. Press ok to download the configuration.

2. Modifying The Configuration File

1. Open the configuration file for the old & new FortiGate in a text editor such as notepad.

2. In the new Fortigate, copy the first 4 lines of the configuration file, see example below.
   

3. Use the copied text to replace the top 4 lines of the configuration in the old FortiGate Configuration.

4. Some of the physical interface's names may be different across models. i.e WAN 1 on the FortiGate 80E and X1 on the FortiGate 90G. Make sure to find and replace the interface names where necessary.

3. Restoring The Configuration File

• Log into the GUI (graphical user interface) of the new FortiGate device. 

• Navigate to the top right-hand corner of the GUI > then click "Configuration" >the click "Restore" (see screenshot below).
  

• Upload the updated configuration file from the old FortiGate.

• If it fails to restore the configuration you'll get a at the bottom right, stating that it's failed. This generally indicates that step 9-10 wasn't completed correctly.