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Administration Guide

Creating VMWare ESXi connector

Creating VMWare ESXi connector

With FortiManager, you can create a fabric connector for VMWare ESXi, and then import address names from VMWare ESXi to automatically create dynamic objects that you can use in policies. When you install the policies to one or more FortiGate units, FortiGate uses the information and Fortinet SDN Connector to communicate with VMWare ESXi and dynamically populate the objects with IP addresses.

When you create a fabric connector for VMWare ESXi, you are specifying how FortiGate can communicate with VMWare ESXi through Fortinet SDN Connector. As a result, you are configuring communication and authentication information for Fortinet SDN Connector.

If ADOMs are enabled, you can create multiple fabric connectors per ADOM; however, each fabric connector requires a unique IP address.

Requirements:

  • FortiManagerwith ADOM version 6.2 or later.

    The method described in this topic for creating fabric connectors requires ADOM version 6.2 or later.

  • FortiGate is managed by FortiManager.
  • The managed FortiGate unit is configured to work with VMWare ESXi.
To create a fabric connector object for VMWare ESXi:
  1. Go to Fabric View > Fabric Connectors.
  2. Click Create New. The Create New Fabric Connector wizard is displayed.
  3. Under SDN, select VMWare ESXi, and click Next. The VMWare ESXi screen is displayed.

  4. Configure the following options, and then click OK:

    Name

    Type a name for the fabric connector object.

    Type

    Displays VMWare ESXi.

    Server

    Type the IP address for the SDN Connector.

    User Name

    Type the user name for Fortinet SDN Connector.

    Password

    Type the password for Fortinet SDN Connector.

    Update Interval (s)

    Specify the update interval for the Fortinet SDN Connector.

    Select one of the following options:

    • Click Use Default to use the default interval.
    • Click Specify and specify the interval.

    Status

    Toggle On to enable the fabric connector object. Toggle OFF to disable the fabric connector object.

  5. Go to Policy & Objects > Security Fabric > Fabric Connectors. Select the connector and click Import.
  6. The VMWare ESXi connector is imported. Click Close to close the import dialog.
  7. Create a Policy Package and install it to a FortiGate device. The VMWare ESXi connector object is synced with the FortiGate device.

Creating VMWare ESXi connector

Creating VMWare ESXi connector

With FortiManager, you can create a fabric connector for VMWare ESXi, and then import address names from VMWare ESXi to automatically create dynamic objects that you can use in policies. When you install the policies to one or more FortiGate units, FortiGate uses the information and Fortinet SDN Connector to communicate with VMWare ESXi and dynamically populate the objects with IP addresses.

When you create a fabric connector for VMWare ESXi, you are specifying how FortiGate can communicate with VMWare ESXi through Fortinet SDN Connector. As a result, you are configuring communication and authentication information for Fortinet SDN Connector.

If ADOMs are enabled, you can create multiple fabric connectors per ADOM; however, each fabric connector requires a unique IP address.

Requirements:

  • FortiManagerwith ADOM version 6.2 or later.

    The method described in this topic for creating fabric connectors requires ADOM version 6.2 or later.

  • FortiGate is managed by FortiManager.
  • The managed FortiGate unit is configured to work with VMWare ESXi.
To create a fabric connector object for VMWare ESXi:
  1. Go to Fabric View > Fabric Connectors.
  2. Click Create New. The Create New Fabric Connector wizard is displayed.
  3. Under SDN, select VMWare ESXi, and click Next. The VMWare ESXi screen is displayed.

  4. Configure the following options, and then click OK:

    Name

    Type a name for the fabric connector object.

    Type

    Displays VMWare ESXi.

    Server

    Type the IP address for the SDN Connector.

    User Name

    Type the user name for Fortinet SDN Connector.

    Password

    Type the password for Fortinet SDN Connector.

    Update Interval (s)

    Specify the update interval for the Fortinet SDN Connector.

    Select one of the following options:

    • Click Use Default to use the default interval.
    • Click Specify and specify the interval.

    Status

    Toggle On to enable the fabric connector object. Toggle OFF to disable the fabric connector object.

  5. Go to Policy & Objects > Security Fabric > Fabric Connectors. Select the connector and click Import.
  6. The VMWare ESXi connector is imported. Click Close to close the import dialog.
  7. Create a Policy Package and install it to a FortiGate device. The VMWare ESXi connector object is synced with the FortiGate device.