Updated Date: 07/07/2026
Setting up an AWS Cloud Environment
BIG-IQ needs the credentials and parameters for your AWS cloud provider and cloud environment so that it can communicate with the BIG-IP devices it manages in your service scaling group. Also, if you choose to bring your own license (BYOL) for the devices in this SSG, you need to activate a pool of BYOL licenses, and then provide details about the license server when you configure the cloud environment.
You create a new AWS cloud provider to tell BIG-IQ how to connect to your AWS cloud environment.
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At the top of the screen, click Applications then, on the left, click ENVIRONMENTS > Cloud Providers.
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Click Create.
The New Provider screen opens.
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Type a Name for the provider you are creating.
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To help identify this provider when you want to use it later, type a brief Description .
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From the Provider Type list, select AWS.
Under Provider Details, the screen display s settings that you use to specify your AWS credentials.
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Type your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key, and then click Test to confirm your connection.
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Click Save & Close.
The system creates the new AWS provider account, which is now ready to be used in a cloud environment.
Before you can use this provider to create a BIG-IP VE device in, you need to create the AWS cloud environment.
Before you can activate a BYOL license, you need to purchase it from F5 Networks. Once you complete your purchase, you get your base registration key, typically in the form of an email.
Important: If you use the AWS marketplace licensing option, skip this task.
When you choose the BYOL license option, you need to activate a pool of licenses that the BIG-IQ can use for the new BIG-IP VE devices that the service scaling group (SSG) creates in the cloud. You can use this procedure to automatically contact the F5 license server for activation.
Note: You can use this BIG-IQ as your license server, or you can use another BIG-IQ as your license server, as long as it is running BIG-IQ version 5.4.0 or later.
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At the top of the screen, click Devices.
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On the left, click LICENSE MANAGEMENT > Licenses.
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Click the Add License button.
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In the License Name field, type a name to identify this license.
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In the Base Registration Key field, type or paste the registration key, and into the Add-on Keys field, type or paste any associated add-on keys.
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For the Activation Method setting, select Automatic.
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Click the Activate button at the bottom of the screen.
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Review the user legal agreement and if you agree, select the I have read and agree to the terms of this license check box.
When the activation status displays as Active, you can use this pool of licenses in the cloud environment configuration you define for your SSG.
When you create an AWS cloud environment, you specify the parameters BIG-IQ uses to create BIG-IP VE devices in that environment.
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At the top of the screen, click Applications then, on the left, click ENVIRONMENTS > Cloud Environments.
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Click Create.
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Give this environment a Name and an optional Description.
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From the Device Template list, select the device template you want to use to configure new BIG-IP VE devices when scaling out.
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From the Cloud Provider list, select the name of the AWS provider you want to use for this environment.
The screen displays the AWS Properties settings.
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From the VPC list, select the name of the virtual private cloud you created for this environment.
The subnets defined for this VPC are listed under Available.
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For Restricted Source Address, using the CIDR format, specify the addresses that you want to be able to access the environment.
For example
12.12.0.0/16.Only addresses that match your entry will have access (IP addresses that use
12.12.xxx.xxxin the example above). -
For SSH Key Name, select the SSH key you want to use for this environment.
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For Services To Deploy, select the F5 service you want to use for this environment.
The Local Traffic and Application Visibility Reporting modules are selected by default. This is the minimum viable configuration for an SSG.
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For License Type, select the kind of license that you want to use for the devices created in this environment.
- Choose BYOL if you have purchased a BYOL license.
- Choose Utility if you want your cloud provider to bill you on a specified interval for the licenses you use. If you choose BYOL, the screen displays additional settings under the BYOL License Information area.
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For AMI Image, select the AMI you want to use for the devices created in this environment.
Note: For access to the BIG-IP image you must subscribe and agree to the software terms in AWS.
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For Instance Type, select the instance type that provides the resources needed for this environment.
The Local Traffic and Application Visibility Reporting modules are selected by default. This is the minimum viable configuration for new BIG-IP VE devices.
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If you selected BYOL for License Type, supply the following information:
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For BIG-IQ IP Address, type the address of the BIG-IQ that acts as the license server for your cloud environment.
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For BIG-IQ User, type the user name for the admin account on the license server.
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For BIG-IQ Password, type the password for the admin account on the license server.
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For BIG-IQ License Pool Name, type the name of the purchased license pool on the license server.
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If the license you activated includes offerings, for Offering Name, type the name of the particular offering from the license pool just specified that you want to use to license devices in this cloud environment.
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For Unit of Measure, select the interval that you want F5 to use when billing you for this license.
The hourly interval is most expensive, but the time that you are billed more closely matches your actual use. Decide on what works best for your situation.
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Click Save & Close.
This AWS cloud environment is available for you to create BIG-IP VE devices in it from BIG-IQ.