Connecting The Cluster To Your Networks - Fortinet FortiGate FortiGate-3000 Installation Manual

High availability installation

Connecting the cluster to your networks

FortiGate-3000 Installation Guide
Use the following procedure to connect a cluster operating in NAT/Route mode or
Transparent mode. Connect the FortiGate units in the cluster to each other and to
your network. You must connect all matching interfaces in the cluster to the same hub
or switch. Then you must connect these interfaces to their networks using the same
hub or switch.
Fortinet recommends using switches for all cluster connections for the best
performance.
Inserting an HA cluster into your network temporarily interrupts communications on
the network because new physical connections are being made to route traffic through
the cluster. Also, starting the cluster interrupts network traffic until the individual
FortiGate units in the cluster are functioning and the cluster completes negotiation.
Cluster negotiation normally takes just a few seconds. During system startup and
negotiation all network traffic is dropped.
To connect the cluster
1 Connect the cluster units:
• Connect the internal interfaces of each FortiGate unit to a switch or hub connected
to your internal network.
• Connect the external interfaces of each FortiGate unit to a switch or hub connected
to your external network.
• Optionally connect ports 1, 2, and 3 of each FortiGate unit to switches or hubs
connected to other networks.
• Connect the 4/HA interfaces of the FortiGate units to another switch or hub.
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