Prerequisites

Before you upgrade or install

Before you install or upgrade the F5OS software on your system:

• Ensure that you complete or verify the listed prerequisites for installation/upgrade tasks.
• Verify that your network settings are configured.
• Back up your system and tenant configurations.
• Export your backups to a safe, off-unit location.
• Upload system image files to the system before the scheduled maintenance window to minimize the time needed to upgrade.
• Upload tenant image files to all tenants before the scheduled maintenance window to minimize the time needed to upgrade.
• Check the health and availability of virtual servers and pool members to determine their status before the upgrade.
• See the “Migrate system configuration from one system to another from the CLI” section of the F5 rSeries Systems: Administration and Configuration guide in the techdocs.f5.com.

Prerequisites for software installation/upgrade

This lists a high-level overview of tasks that you should complete before you install or upgrade the F5OS software on your rSeries system.

Network settings reference

Before you perform a software installation/upgrade, verify that you have configured network settings by logging in to the system from a management console using an admin account and running these commands on the CLI. When you log in to the system, you are in user mode. Before you can complete configuration tasks, you must first change to config mode by typing config. You can type a question mark (?) or press the Tab key to see possible command completions in the CLI.

Important: Be sure to commit all changes.

rSeries system backups

Creating a backup of your rSeries system is highly recommended, as it helps ensure that your active configuration files are retained, and you can restore from a known, stable environment if your upgrade is unsuccessful.

Back up and export system configuration

Before you perform an upgrade, it is a good idea to save and export a backup of the system configuration from the CLI.

1. Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the system using an account with admin access.

   When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.

2. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

3. Create a backup of the system configuration.

   system database config-backup name <*filename*>

   In this example, you create a backup file of the system configuration named system-backup1.xml:

   system database config-backup name system-backup1.xml

   System configuration backup files are located in configs.

4. Verify that the backup file was created successfully.

   file list path configs/

5. Export the configuration backup file to a safe location, such as an HTTPS server.

   file export local-file configs/<*filename*> protocol [ https | scp | sftp ] remote-file /tmp/<*filename*>.xml remote-host <*ip-address*> username <*username*>

   In this example, you connect as the root user to IP address 192.0.2.75 and export a backup file named system-backup1.xml using the SCP protocol to the /tmp directory:

   file export local-file configs/system-backup1.xml protocol scp remote-file /tmp/system-backup1.xml remote-host 192.0.2.75 username root

   The system requests the password for the remote root account.

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   Value for 'password' (<string>): *******
   result File transfer is initiated.(configs/system-backup1.xml)

6. Check the status of the file transfer.

   file transfer-status

   When the file transfer completes, the Status displays Complete.

You now have a backup of the system configuration that you can restore on the system if needed.

Tenant configuration backups

Before you perform an upgrade, it is a good idea to save and export a backup of the tenant configuration using that tenant’s backup mechanism.

License the system automatically from the CLI

For automatic rSeries system licensing, the system needs to be able to connect to the F5 licensing server either through the Internet or another means of networking. You need to have the Base Registration Key (five sets of characters separated by hyphens) provided by F5, and any add-on keys (two sets of 7 characters separated by a hyphen) that you have purchased. The Base Registration Key with associated add-on keys are pre-installed on a new rSeries system.

You can activate the rSeries system license automatically from the CLI.

1. Connect using SSH to the management IP address.

2. Log in to the command line interface (CLI) of the system using an account with admin access.

   When you log in to the system, you are in user (operational) mode.

3. Change to config mode.

   config

   The CLI prompt changes to include (config).

4. Apply a license to the system.

   system licensing install registration-key <*key*>

   The registration key is optional. If it is not included, the system uses the one that is already pre-installed. If no registration key is found, you receive an error.

   This example applies a specified base registration license to the system:

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   appliance-1(config)# system licensing install registration-key
     I1234-12345-12345-12345-1234567
   result License installed successfully. 

5. Apply any add-on keys.

   system licensing install add-on-keys <*add-on-keys*>

   This example enables the additional features associated with the three specified add-on keys, along with the entitlements of the base registration key:

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   appliance-1(config)# system licensing install add-on-keys 
     [1234567-1234567 2345678-2345678 3456789-3456789]
   result License installed successfully.

The system is licensed. The license and any add-on keys apply to the system and all installed BIG-IP tenants.