Fortinet FortiGate 400F-DC FortiCare Premium to Elite Upgrade, 1-Year (FC-10-FD4H0-204-02-12)

The FortiGate 400F-DC is a high-throughput data-center firewall built for organizations that run their security stack in rack environments with DC power. If your unit already carries an active FortiCare Premium contract and you want to move to Fortinet’s highest support tier, FC-10-FD4H0-204-02-12 is the one-year license that makes that transition. The upgrade does not start a new contract; it elevates the existing Premium entitlement to Elite for the remainder of the coverage term.

What This Upgrade Covers

This product places your FortiGate 400F-DC under FortiCare Elite, the top tier of Fortinet’s support program. The table below summarizes what changes when you move from Premium to Elite:

This SKU activates the Elite tier. The key additions over Premium are the 15-minute critical-issue initial response, advance hardware replacement (Fortinet ships the replacement before you return the defective unit), and the Elite monitoring portal with extended long-term support firmware access.

Who Needs This Upgrade

The FortiGate 400F-DC typically sits at the perimeter or core of a data-center environment handling substantial traffic volumes. That deployment profile means planned downtime is difficult and unplanned downtime is costly. Organizations with 24×7 operations, financial services, healthcare, or regulatory requirements around response times often require an SLA that logs faster than one hour. If any of those conditions apply, the upgrade from Premium to Elite is a meaningful change in your support entitlement.

It is also worth considering if your firmware lifecycle matters. Elite subscribers gain access to extended long-term support releases, which can extend the useful life of a device generation when you need to hold a tested software version for longer than standard support windows allow.

Activation and Delivery

FC-10-FD4H0-204-02-12 is a license-only product. No physical hardware ships. After purchase, DataCenter360.ca delivers the license registration code by email, typically within 0 to 1 business days. Activation is through the Fortinet Support portal (support.fortinet.com) under the device’s existing contract record. A valid, active FortiCare Premium contract on the target FortiGate 400F-DC serial number is required to complete activation; the upgrade will not apply to a device without it.

FortiCare Elite vs. a Subscription Bundle

FortiCare Elite provides support coverage and hardware replacement. It does not include FortiGuard security intelligence services such as IPS, application control, web filtering, or anti-malware. Those services are sold separately or as part of a UTP or Enterprise subscription bundle. If your team is evaluating whether to add FortiGuard tiers at the same time, the UTP or Enterprise bundles listed in the upsells section include FortiCare Premium and FortiGuard services in a single annual or multi-year line item. They do not include Elite-level response, so teams that need both FortiGuard coverage and Elite SLA would typically hold both contracts.

Buying from DataCenter360.ca

DataCenter360.ca is a Fortinet Select Partner and MSSP based in Ontario, Canada. We handle FortiGate licensing across a wide range of models and can assist with contract structuring if your 400F-DC environment includes multiple devices or renewal timing questions. Orders are electronic, and we do not charge shipping on license deliveries. Contact us if you need a quote with your existing contract end dates confirmed before placing the order.