Fortinet is introducing a management appliance for its FortiGate multi-function security gateways that makes it possible to manage up to 5,000 of the security boxes.

Called FortiManager-3000, the device ups the capacity of its original management appliance, FortiManager-400, from 1,000 devices.

Using a graphical user interface, customers can set policies for any security application the FortiGate devices support. These include virus screening, content filtering, firewalling, VPN, intrusion detection, spam filtering and spyware blocking.

Customers can divide management rights among multiple administrators, granting different administrators different rights. So one administrator could have the ability to adjust content filtering parameters but not firewall settings.

The management platform also enables customers to divide the FortiGate machines being managed into groups, so a company could separate management of devices at its retail stores from devices at its warehouses and headquarters, for example. Certain administrators could be granted access to some or all of these groups. So a small group of administrators might have access to the box protecting the company server farm, but a wider group might have access to FortiGates at remote offices.

FortiManager can also push software updates to FortiGate units. Administrator consoles are Java based.

Service providers can also use the devices to offer managed security services. One device could be used to group FortiGate devices according to which customers are using them, and to allow customers a limited level of management access to the boxes at their sites. The service provider could set a more extensive level of access for itself.

FortiManager-3000 is available now and costs $25,000 for a platform with support for 25 Fortigate appliances.

Tim Greene is senior editor at Network World.