Manual Chapter : Managing GeoIP Database

Applies To:

BIG-IQ Centralized Management

  • 8.4.0
back-action Managing BIG-IP Devices from BIG-IQ

Managing GeoIP Database

Using the BIG-IQ user interface to manage the geolocation databases on your BIG-IQ devices, you can quickly assess whether each managed BIG-IP version is using the correct geolocation database files. The work flow for updating the database packages is listed here.

Download geolocation files from F5
Download the geolocation and checksum files for each BIG-IP version managed on this BIG-IQ.
Update the geolocation database packages
Update the database file stored on BIG-IQ, so that when you send updates to your BIG-IP devices you know you are sending the correct version.
Push the update to managed devices
When you specify an update, you can send the most current package to all of your managed devices. You can also specify which update packages to send, which devices to update, or both.

The first task in updating the geolocation database files for your managed devices is to download the correct versions of the compressed database and checksum files from the F5 Downloads page to your PC.

Important: Because it can be challenging to keep track of which geolocation file version supports which versions of BIG-IP, F5 recommends that you use the following task sequence instead of trying to sort it out yourself.

  1. From a browser window, open the F5 Downloads page (downloads.f5.com), but do not log in yet.

    Before you log in and download content that will impact your BIG-IQ, it is best practice to confirm the certificate information for this site.

    |**If you use a Chrome browser:**|    1.  In the browser address bar, just to the left of the login URL, click the lock icon to access the View site information popup. <br>2. On the View site information popup, click **Certificate** to view Certificate Information for this site. <br>3. On the Certificate Information screen, confirm that the **Issued to** entry is a web address ending in f5.com. <br>4. On the Certificate Information screen, confirm that the **Issued by** entry is a trusted certificate authority \(such as Entrust\). <br>5. After confirming the certificate for this site, log in to downloads.f5.com.

    |If you use a Firefox browser:| 1. In the browser address bar, just to the left of the login URL, click the lock icon to access the Site Information popup.
    2. On the Site Information popup, click > to view information about the certificate for this site.
    3. Confirm that the certificate is issued to F5 Networks Inc.
    4. Confirm that the certificate is verified by a trusted certificate authority (such as Entrust).
    5. After confirming the certificate for this site, log in to downloads.f5.com.

  2. On the Downloads Overview page, click Find a Download.

  3. Under Product Line, select the BIG-IP version for which you want to download the geolocation database files.

    Note: >12.1 only

  4. Confirm that the version selector at the top of the table is set to the 12.1.0 or later.

  5. Under Name, select GeoLocationUpdates.

  6. If the End User Software License is displayed, read it and then click I Accept.

  7. On the Select a Download screen, under Filename, click on the name of the compressed database file (the file name ends in .zip).

  8. On the Download Locations page, select the download location appropriate for your location.

  9. When the download is complete, use your browser back button to navigate back the Select a Download screen, and repeat steps 5 and 6, but this time download the checksum file for the database (the file name ends in .md5).

  10. Navigate to the downloads folder to which your files were copied and make note of the file names you downloaded.

Both the compressed database file and its checksum file are copied to the folder your browser is configured to use for downloads.

If your BIG-IQ manages multiple BIP-IP versions, you can repeat this task to download the GeoLocation database files for each supported version. Just make very sure to keep track of which files support which version.

Before you can update the geolocation database on your BIG-IQ, you must download the latest database update.

You can update the geolocation file that BIG-IQ maintains for the BIG-IP devices it manages. When you manage the BIG-IP geolocation databases on your managed devices, it’s good to know that the BIG-IQ is using the database that you want it to use.

  1. At the top of the screen, click Configuration.

  2. Click GEO-IP DATABASE MANAGEMENT, and then click Add GeoIP Database.

  3. For .zip File, click Choose File, browse to the location to which you downloaded the compressed geolocation database file for the version of BIG-IP you wish to update and click Upload.

  4. For .md5 File, click Choose File, browse to the location to which you downloaded the checksum file for the geolocation database that you want to use and click Upload.

  5. Click Save & Close to save the uploaded files as a database package, ready to be sent to your managed devices.

BIG-IQ updates the file it stores for the versions this file supports and displays the file update details on the GeoIP Database Management page.

To use BIG-IQ to update the geolocation database on your managed BIG-IP devices, Advanced Shell terminal access must be enabled on the devices. Perform this task for each BIG-IP to which you plan to send geolocation update packages.

  1. On the BIG-IP device, click System > Users > User List.

    BIG-IP displays a list of current users defined on this BIG-IP.

  2. Under User Name, click the user name that was used to discover this device.

    In most cases, the user name admin is used for device discovery.

  3. For Terminal Access, select Advanced shell.

  4. Click Update to complete this task.

This BIG-IP device can now accept geolocation updates from the BIG-IQ.

Before you can update the geolocation database on your managed BIG-IP devices, you must download the correct files for each BIG-IP version that this BIG-IQ manages. If you have downloaded updates for multiple versions, make sure you know which files apply to each BIG-IP version.

Note: To use BIG-IQ to update the geolocation database on your managed BIG-IP devices, Advanced Shell terminal access must be enabled on each BIG-IP to which you plan to send geolocation update packages.

You can update the geolocation database on the BIG-IP devices you manage with this BIG-IQ. You can send the latest database package to all managed devices, or you can specify which devices to update and which packages to send.

  1. At the top of the screen, click Configuration.

  2. Set the delay that BIG-IQ waits between each geolocation update package it sends to the BIG-IP devices.

    1. Click GEO-IP DATABASE MANAGEMENT, and then click UPDATE HISTORY.

    2. On the Update History screen, click Settings and then type the number of seconds to set the Delay.

    3. Click Save & Close to update the delay.

  3. Click GEO-IP DATABASE MANAGEMENT, then click DEVICES, and then click Update.

    BIG-IQ displays the Start GeoIP Update screen.

  4. Decide whether you want to send the most current package to all of your managed devices, or specify which update packages and which devices to update.

    |**To update all devices with the most current version:**|    -   For **Database Files**, select **Latest**. <br>- For **Devices**, select **All**.

    |To specify which packages are sent and which devices are updated:| - For Database Files, select Choose, and then double click the name of the packages you want to send.
    - For Devices, select Choose, and then double click the name of the devices you want to update.

  5. Click Save & Close to start the update.

You can monitor the progress of the update on the GeoIP Database Management Update History screen.

You can monitor the progress of geolocation location database updates initiated from this BIG-IQ. You can also optimize the update process by adjusting the delay between each package the BIG-IQ sends to your managed devices.

  1. At the top of the screen, click Configuration.

  2. Click GEO-IP DATABASE MANAGEMENT, and then click UPDATE HISTORY.

    BIG-IQ lists each set of updates that this BIG-IQ has sent out.

  3. To view the current setting of the time delay between each packet that the BIG-IQ sends, click Settings.

  4. To change the delay, type the number of seconds you want BIG-IQ to wait between each packet it sends, and then click Save & Close.

  5. To see complete details for a specific update task, click the View link for that task.

If you change the delay setting and BIG-IQ is in the midst of an update, BIG-IQ finishes sending the current batch of updates using the delay setting in place when you configured the update. BIG-IQ uses the new delay setting the next time it starts an update.