What is the primary advantage of implementing traffic shaping in a FortiGate firewall?

The primary advantage of implementing traffic shaping in a FortiGate firewall is to prioritize critical applications. Traffic shaping is a method used to manage bandwidth by regulating the flow of data packets into the network. By defining rules and policies for different types of traffic, organizations can ensure that essential applications receive the necessary bandwidth during peak usage times. This is particularly important for applications that are sensitive to latency, such as VoIP or video conferencing, where quality and performance are crucial.

Prioritizing critical applications allows for better resource allocation and helps maintain service levels, especially when network capacity is challenged. By giving precedence to important traffic, organizations can enhance user experience and operational efficiency, which is a key objective of effective network management.

While blocking unwanted applications, improving firewall performance, and analyzing network activity are all important functions of a FortiGate firewall, they do not specifically address the core purpose of traffic shaping, which focuses on managing bandwidth and prioritizing traffic based on application needs.