Manual Chapter :
Overview: LTM object conflicts
Applies To:
Show Versions
BIG-IQ Centralized Management
- 8.3.0, 8.2.0, 8.1.0, 8.0.0, 7.1.0
Overview: LTM object conflicts
When BIG-IQ manages a BIG-IP device, it
stores a copy of that device's service configuration objects. BIG-IQ uses the following
terms to describe object configuration settings on your BIG-IQ and BIG-IP devices:
- Working configurationis the BIG-IP service configuration located on BIG-IQ. This is the configuration you manage, edit, and deploy to your managed BIG-IP devices.
- Current configurationis the BIG-IP service configuration running on a BIG-IP device, which can be different than the working configuration on BIG-IQ if changes were made directly on that BIG-IP device.
When importing a BIG-IP device's services,
BIG-IQ compares the objects in its working configuration to the objects in the BIG-IP
device's current configuration. If BIG-IQ finds the same type of object with the same
name but different parameters, it notifies you of the conflict. For example, a conflict
would occur if an HTTP profile in the current configuration (imported from the BIG-IP
device) contains different properties than the HTTP profile in the working configuration
on BIG-IQ.
There are three types of objects that
can cause conflicts when importing a BIG-IP device's services.
- Shared - All objects shared across BIG-IP devices, such as LTM profiles and monitors, Security policies for ASM, AFM, and APM.
- Shared version-specific - Only LTM profile and monitor objects that are specific to a BIG-IP software version.
- Device-specific - Objects specific to a particular BIG-IP device, and are not shared among BIG-IP devices. These objects (for example virtual servers, pools or pool members) are uniquely defined on the BIG-IP device on which they reside.
If you find conflicts between LTM objects shared between
multiple devices, you can use a silo to simplify
the conflict resolution process. This illustration
describes the resolution work flow.
Using a silo for LTM
conflict resolution
Currently, this work flow resolves conflicts only
between shared, LTM objects. You cannot use it to
resolve conflicts between other object types (for
example, shared version-specific objects,
device-specific objects, or security
objects.
- Move BIG-IP devices with the LTM service conflicts to a silo
- Putting the device in a silo means you're isolating the BIG-IP device's current configuration for LTM objects from the BIG-IQ working configuration (configurations on the other BIG-IP devices you are managing) so you can manage the conflicts later.
- Compare and resolve LTM conflicts from the silo
- Comparing objects in the silo to objects in BIG-IQ working configuration, you can quickly analyze each potential LTM conflict. From the silo, you can revise conflicting parameter values or rename (duplicate) objects. Or, you can just use the silo analysis to determine the best resolution strategies to use when you re-import the device.
- Deploy configuration changes made in-silo back to the BIG-IP device
- After you finish analyzing and revising conflicts in-silo, you deploy the changed objects back to the BIG-IP device you are trying to manage.
- Re-discover the BIG-IP device and re-import its services
- After you resolve the LTM conflicts in the silo, you move the device out of the silo, add it back to BIG-IQ, and re-import its services. At that time, you can complete the resolution process for any conflicts with other licensed services.
