FortiGate Next Generation Firewall utilizes purpose-built security processors and threat intelligence security services from FortiGuard labs to deliver top-rated protection and high performance, including encrypted traffic.
When configuring HA cluster especially on newer models, the error message "Please disable switch-controller first" may be seen. Switch controller is a new feature introduced to FortiGate where it is able to manage FortiSwitch from the FortiGate itself.
In firmware 5.2.0, FortiGate running in HA is not able to manage FortiSwitch. This feature will be supported in firmware 5.4.0 onwards. For more information on how to manage FortiSwitch from FortiGate, you may refer to the 'Managing FortiSwitch with FortiGate Administration Guide' which is available in the Fortinet Document Library.
Solution
To resolve this issue, use the following command to disable the switch controller feature on the FortiGate:
config system global set switch-controller disable end
