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  3. Deploying the BIG-IP VE virtual machine: Common Elements
Manual Chapter : Deploying the BIG-IP VE virtual machine: Common Elements

Applies To:

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BIG-IQ Centralized Management

  • 7.0.0, 6.1.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.0
Manual Chapter

Deploying the BIG-IP VE virtual machine: Common Elements

  1. In a browser, open the F5 Downloads page (
    ://downloads.f5.com
    ).
  2. On the Downloads Overview page, select
    Find a Download
    .
  3. Under Product Line, select
    Centralized Management
    .
  4. Under Name, select the release you want to install.
  5. If the End User Software License is displayed, read it and then click
    I Accept
    .
  6. Determine which BIG-IQ Virtual Edition file package to download.
    • If you are installing a BIG-IQ, download the file name that ends in
      ide.ova
       or
      -scsi.ova
      .qcow2.zip
      ide.ova
       or
      -scsi.ova
      -vCloud.zip
    • If you are installing a Data Collection Device, download the file name that ends in
      LARGE-ide.ova
       or
      LARGE-scsi.ova
      LARGE.qcow2.zip
      LARGE-ide.ova
       or
      LARGE-scsi.ova
      LARGE-vCloud.zip
    The BIG-IQ file package creates a 95GB disk footprint at installation.
    The Data Collection Device file package creates a 500GB disk footprint at installation.
  7. Download the BIG-IQ v5.x/Virtual Edition file package. The file name ends in
    .vhd.zip
    The file package creates a 95GB disk footprint at installation.
  8. Extract the file from the Zip archive.
  9. Extract the file from the Zip archive and save it where your VHD files reside on the Hyper-V server.
    In some packages there may be two VHD files. The larger of the two is the one that is required. The smaller, if it exists, will have “DATASTORE.LTM” or “DATASTORE.ALL” in its name. It has been deprecated and should not be used.
  10. Extract the file from the Zip archive and save them where your
    qcow2
     files reside on the KVM server.
    In some packages there may be two
    qcow2
     files. The larger of the two is the one that is required. The smaller, if it exists, will have “DATASTORE.LTM” or “DATASTORE.ALL” in its name. It has been deprecated and should not be used.
  11. Extract the file from the Zip archive and save it where your
    qcow2
     files reside on the Xen Project server.
    In some packages there may be two
    qcow2
     files. The larger of the two is the one that is required. The smaller, if it exists, will have “DATASTORE.LTM” or “DATASTORE.ALL” in its name. It has been deprecated and should not be used.
  12. Before starting the import wizard, review the prospective hypervisor environment for the following.
    • Make sure a DHCP server is active on the same network as the XenServer host before you start the XenCenter OVF Appliance.
    • Make sure there are no firewall or other restrictions between the required ports for connectivity between the XenCenter Client and XenServer. For more information and networking requirements, refer to the
      XenServer Virtual Machine Installation Guide.
    • Make sure enough storage space is available on the XenServer for the F5 virtual machine.
  13. Start the
    XenServer
    XenCenter
    web-based
     client and log in.
  14. Start
    XenCenter
    , log in to the Hyper-V server, and from the Actions pane, click
    New
    Virtual Machine
    .
    The New Virtual Machine Wizard opens.
  15. On the
    Specify Generation
     screen, select
    Generation 1
    , and click Next.
  16. Use VNC to access the KVM server, and then start
    XenCenter
    .
  17. Use VNC to access the Xen Project server, and then convert the
    qcow2
     image to the raw format necessary for Xen Project. You can use the following syntax to convert the image.
    # qemu-img convert
    <qcow_file_name>.qcow2 <raw_file_name>.raw
  18. Start your vSphere Client and log in.
    If the ESXi host is being managed by vCenter Server, you should complete the deployment from the vCenter vSphere Web Client instead.
  19. From the vSphere Client File menu, choose Deploy OVF Template.
    The Deploy OVF Template wizard starts.
  20. Click
    Catalogs
    My Organization's Catalogs
     and on the
    vApp Templates
     tab, click
    Upload
    .
  21. Browse for and select the extracted
    .ovf
     file, type a name for the template, and click
    Upload
    .
  22. Type a name and optional description for the vApp template.
  23. Select a virtual data center and catalog.
  24. Click
    Upload
    .
    If you want to track the progress, you can click
    Launch Uploads and Downloads Progress Window
    .
  25. From the
    XenCenter
     6.x File menu, click
    File
    Import
    .
    The Import wizard starts.
  26. In the Source pane, click
    Deploy from file or URL
    , and, using the
    Browse
     button, locate the OVF file, open it, and then click
    Next
    .
    For example:
    \MyDocuments\Work\Virtualization\<
    OVF_filename
    >
    The OVF Template Details pane opens.
  27. Click
    My Cloud
    vApps
    .
  28. Click
    Add vApp from Catalog
    .
    The add vApp from Catalog window opens.
  29. Select
    My organization's catalogs
     or
    Public catalogs
     from the list, select a vApp template, and click
    Next
    .
    You can also enter an optional description for the vApp.
  30. Verify that the OVF template details are correct, and click
    Next
    .
    This displays the End-User License Agreement (EULA).
  31. For the file name, use the
    Browse
     button to locate the OVF file, open it, and then click
    Next
    .
    For example:
    \MyDocuments\Work\Virtualization\<
    F5_OVF_filename
    >
    This displays the End-User License Agreement (EULA).
  32. Right click
    localhost (QEMU)
    , and from the popup menu, select
    New
    .
    The Create a new virtual machine, Step 1 of 4 dialog box opens.
  33. Generate a MAC address for the network interface card associated with the management interface.
    Be sure that the MAC address you create starts with the prefix
    00:16:3e:
    .
    To create this address, you can use a tool such as MAC Address Generator (
    http://www.miniwebtool.com/mac-address-generator/
    ).
  34. Run the configuration file using an open source tool such as
    xm
    .
    xm create /etc/xen/<config_file_name>
    The console should indicate a successful startup by displaying something similar to this:
    Started domain <config_file_name>(id=444)
    .
  35. In the
    Name
     field, type a name for the connection.
  36. Select
    import existing disk image
     as the method for installing the operating system, and click
    Forward
    .
    The Create a new virtual machine, Step 2 of 4 dialog box opens
  37. Type in the path to the larger of the two extracted
    qcow
     files, or click
    Browse
    to navigate to the path location; select the file, and then click the
    Choose Volume
     button to fill in the path.
    The file name will be similar to
    BIG-IQ-
    <version_number>.<build_number>
    .qcow2
    .
  38. In the
    OS type
     setting, select
    Linux
    , for the
    Version
     setting, select
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
    , and click
    Forward
    .
    The Create a new virtual machine, Step 3 of 4 dialog box opens.
  39. In the
    Memory (RAM)
     field, type the appropriate amount of memory (in megabytes) for your deployment. (For example,
    32768
     for a 32 GB deployment). From the
    CPUs
     list, select the appropriate number of CPUs, and click
    Forward
    .
    For production use, CPU, RAM, and disk space requirements for deploying a BIG-IQ are determined by a number of factors. For details about the ideal settings for your use, refer to
    When do I need extra resources?
     on
    support.f5.com
    . You can adjust the CPU and memory settings after you complete the initial deployment and power off the virtual machine.
    The Create a new virtual machine, Step 4 of 4 dialog box opens.
  40. Select
    Customize configuration before install
    , and click the
    Advanced options
     arrow.
  41. Select the network interface adapter that corresponds to your management IP address, and click
    Finish
    .
    The Virtual Machine configuration dialog box opens.
  42. Click
    Add Hardware
    . When The Add New Virtual Hardware dialog box opens, select
    Network
     to access controls for specifying a new network interface device.
  43. From the
    Host device
     list, select the network interface adapter that corresponds to your external network, and from the
    Device model
     list, select
    virtio
    . Then click
    Finish
    .
  44. Repeat the last two steps, but this time select the network interface adapter that corresponds to your internal network.
  45. Click
    Begin Installation
    .
    Virtual Machine Manager creates the virtual machine just as you configured it.
  46. Read and accept the license agreement, and click
    Next
    .
    The Name and Location pane opens.
  47. Read and accept the license agreement, and click
    Next
    .
    The Location window opens.
  48. In the
    Name
     field, type a name for the F5 VE virtual machine, such as:
    smith_f5_ve
    .
  49. Under Home Server, select the home server for the F5 VE virtual machine from the list, and click
    Next
    .
  50. In the
    Name
     field, type a name for the F5 VE virtual machine, such as:
    smith_f5_ve
     and click
    Next
    .
  51. In the Specify Name and Location pane, type a name for the F5 VE virtual machine, such as:
    smith_f5_ve
     and click
    Next
    .
  52. In the Inventory Location area, select a folder name and click
    Next
    .
  53. On the Storage window, click
    Place imported virtual disks onto specified target SRs
    , select the 100 GB storage size (for Data Collection Devices, select 500 GB) and location for the F5 VE virtual machine, and then click
    Next
    .
  54. In the
    Memory
     field, type
    16384
     or
    32768
     and click
    Next
    .
    To increase performance, you can specify a value up to
    65535
    .
    For production use, CPU, RAM, and disk space requirements for deploying a BIG-IQ are determined by a number of factors. For details about the ideal settings for your use, refer to
    When do I need extra resources?
     on
    support.f5.com
    . You can adjust the CPU and memory settings after you complete the initial deployment and power off the virtual machine.
  55. In the Assign Memory field, type
    4096
     and click
    Next
    .
    For workloads higher than 1Gbps, we suggest deploying with
    8192
    .
  56. If the host system is controlled by VMware vCenter Server, the Host Cluster screen opens. Choose the preferred host and click
    Next
    . Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
  57. From the
    Configuration
     list, select the number of CPUs and disks required for your system, and then click
    Next
    .
    The Configuration pane appears only when you use the SCSI version of the OVA packages: it is absent when you deploy with one of the IDE packages. The IDE packages will deploy their VE with 4 CPUs and 16 GB RAM.
    For production use, CPU, RAM, and disk space requirements for deploying a BIG-IQ are determined by a number of factors. For details about the ideal settings for your use, refer to
    When do I need extra resources?
     on
    support.f5.com
    . You can adjust the CPU and memory settings after you complete the initial deployment and power off the virtual machine.
  58. In the
    Datastore
     field, type the name of data source your system will use, in the
    Available space
     field, type in the amount of space your system needs (in Gigabytes), and then click
    Next
    .
    The Network Mapping dialog box opens.
  59. On the Networking window, assign the Management, Internal, External, and HA virtual machines to their respective Target Networks and click
    Next
    .
    There is no need to enter MAC addresses, MAC addresses will be assigned automatically.
  60. For the
    Connection
     setting, select
    Management
     and click
    Next
    .
  61. In the Configure Networking pane, choose
    Management Network
     and click
    Next
    .
  62. Map the Source Networks to the Destination Networks in your inventory.
    1. Map the source network
      Management
       to the name of the appropriate management network in your inventory.
      The network used for this interface is usually the same subnet as the vCenter Server, ESXi Host and NSX Manager.
    2. If you choose to manage the BIG-IP devices using an interface other than management, you can map the source network
      Internal
       to that non-management network.
      An example of a destination internal network is
      Private Access
      .
    3. Leave the source network
      External
       at its default setting. This network is not used in most configurations.
      An example of a destination external network is
      Public Access
      .
    4. When you have the destination networks correctly mapped, click
      Next
      .
      The Ready to Complete screen opens.
  63. Map the source network
    HA
     to the name of a high-availability network in your inventory.
    An example of a destination high-availability network is
    HA
    .
  64. In the OS Fixup Settings window, make sure the
    Use Operating System Fixup
     check box is cleared, and click
    Next
    .
    The
    Use Operating System Fixup
     check box is selected by default.
  65. Select the
    Use an existing virtual hard disk
     check box, browse to the location where you saved your VHD file, select the larger of the two files, open it, and click
    Next
    .
    The file name will be similar to
    BIG-IQ-
    <version_number>.<build_number>
    .vhd
    .
  66. In the Connect Virtual Hard Disk pane, select the
    Use an existing virtual hard disk
     check box, browse to the location where you saved your VHD file, and click
    Next
    .
  67. Verify that all deployment settings are correct, and click
    Finish
    .
  68. On the Transfer VM Settings window, click
    Next
    , then on the Finish window, review and revise your settings as necessary before continuing.
    For production use, CPU, RAM, and disk space requirements for deploying a BIG-IQ are determined by a number of factors. For details about the ideal settings for your use, refer to
    When do I need extra resources?
     on
    support.f5.com
    . You can adjust the CPU and memory settings after you complete the initial deployment and power off the virtual machine.
  69. Click
    Finish
    .
    The progress bar and text in the Progress pane indicate when the F5 virtual machine creation is complete.
  70. In the Summary screen, review your settings and click
    Finish
    .
    The New Virtual Machine Wizard closes, and the new F5 VE shows in the Virtual Machines list.
  71. In the Summary screen, review your settings, and click
    Finish
    .
    The New Virtual Machine Wizard closes and F5 VE shows in the list of virtual machines.
  72. From the Virtual Machines list, select the new F5 VE.
    The name of the F5 VE appears in the bottom half of the Actions pane.
  73. In the lower half of the Actions pane, click
    Settings
    .
    The Settings window for the selected F5 VE opens.
  74. From the Hardware list, select
    Processor
    , and then change the
    Number of logical processors
     to
    4
    , and increase the
    Virtual machine reserve (percentage)
     to
    100
    .
  75. Decide whether you need a CD/DVD drive for this VE.
    If you do not need a CD/DVD drive
    1. From the Hardware list, under IDE Controller 1, select
      DVD Drive
      .
    2. Click
      Remove
      , and then
      Apply
      .
    If you need a CD/DVD drive
    1. From the Hardware list, under IDE Controller 1, select
      DVD Drive
      .
    2. Under Media, select
      Image file
      .
    3. Click
      Browse
      , then select a valid .ISO media file, and click
      Apply
      .
    You cannot have an empty CD/DVD device attached to a BIG-IQ VE until after the virtual machine has been started for the first time and the virtual disk is successfully initialized. If you need an empty-state CD/DVD device on this BIG-IQ VE, you can add it to the device after start up and initialization.
  76. Click
    Add Hardware
    , select
    Network Adapter
     and click
    Add
    . Repeat this for a total of three adapters (or four, for a high-availability configuration).
    1. Click the second Network Adapter, and then from the Network list select
      External
      .
    2. Click the third Network Adapter, and then from the Network list select
      Internal
      .
    3. If the F5 VE will be used in a high-availability configuration, click the fourth Network Adapter, and then from the Network list select
      HA
      .
  77. Under
    Configure Virtual Machines
    , specify the full name and computer name for the vApp, and configure the network settings.
    1. Select the network for NIC0 from the list of networks.
      This network is used to manage the VE system. The
      Select IP Assignment – Static
       settings have no effect, so you should configure IP address for management interface through the console after the VM starts. When using DHCP, you should have a DHCP server on that network.
    2. Select the networks for NIC1, NIC2, and NIC3.
    3. Click
      Next
      .
  78. Configure organizational settings, such as
    Fence vApp
     and
    IP persistence
     for example, and click
    Next
    .
  79. Verify the settings and click
    Finish
     to start deployment.
  80. In the Management area, click
    Automatic Stop Action
     and select
    Shut down the guest operating system
    .
    This setting ensures that the F5 VE virtual machine restarts with all previously-configured virtual hardware, and at the current system time.
  81. Click
    OK
     to save your changes and close the Settings window.
  82. In the Processor pane, change the
    Number of logical processors
     to
    2
     and increase the
    Virtual machine reserve
     to
    100
    .
  83. In the Add Hardware pane, select
    Network Adapter
     and click
    Add
    . Repeat this for a total of three adapters (or four, for a high-availability configuration).
    1. Click the second
      Network Adapter
       to connect to an external network from the
      Network
       list.
    2. Click the third
      Network Adapter
       to connect to an internal network from the
      Network
       list.
    3. If the F5 VE will be used in a high-availability configuration, click the fourth
      Network Adapter
       to connect to an internal network from the
      Network
       list.
  84. In the Management area, click
    Automatic Stop Action
     and select
    Shut down the guest operating system
    .
    This setting ensures that the F5 VE virtual machine restarts with all previously configured virtual hardware and at the current system time.
  85. Click
    OK
     to save your changes and close the Settings window.
  86. Although an animation should display to indicate the progress of this process, timeouts in the OpenStack user interface do occur. If the process seems to be taking longer than it should, refresh to update the view.
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